Ducati Monster Forum

OK, have been running Diablo's for a while now and haven't had a problem with them, but always looking to improve. What do people think about the Pirelli Diablo Rosso?

http://www.pirellityre.com/web/catalog/ProductPdf?product_uri=/pirellityre/en_IT/browser/xml/catalog/moto/MOTO_MV_DIABLOROSSO.xml&vehicle_type=moto&product_name=DIABLO_ROSSO_

Anyone using?

My son is riding on a set of Dunlop qualifiers which he loves, any feedback?

http://www.dunlopmotorcycle.com/tirecatalog_tire.asp?id=92

Don't try to convince me of Pilot Powers as I don't like their cold performance or how non linear they roll into corners - rubbish I say.

Mick you can't say that until you ride them on a Monster and in a 120/70 front.
I went from Diablo's to them and think they are head/shoulders and torso above the Pirelli.
I was never confident on the Pirelli, always felt like they never really warmed up.

You'll find most of the people here ride PP or something from the French company.
Although I know Vince and Mmick are on Corsa Pro's

i run pilot power, but i agree the tip in of the front is vague at the best of times, [bang] so i now run a power race on the front and the grip is sensational!!! the rounder profile feels much more confidence inspiring and it tips in predictably and quickly. give a power race front and power rear a go. you will be sold, and you get the added luxury of replacing two worn out tyres at the same time!! [thumbsup]


paul. ;D

I knew I'd get a "bite" if I bagged out the PP  ;D

I totally agree, the PP are a great tire and will give you the confidence you are looking for, They will hold you up in the corners and warn you when the edge of the tire is coming . I use Pirelli Dragon Super Corsa Pro. I must admit when I made the change I was discussed, But after having them for a few months I aint going back. Just one thing not so good on the HWY they flat spot very fast..

I've had std diablos on the monster 120/70 on the front.

I then changed to PP 120/60 on the front and a pilot road on the rear.

I shagged the front and replaced it with a PP 120/70, and left the road on the rear - it's pretty squared from the PI trip earlier in the year, but still plenty of tread and I'm a tight arse!

When these are gone, time for another change. Maybe back to pirelli, maybe something else.

FWIW, the real difference for me was to go back to a 120/70 profile. Yes the PP seems to have more of an "A" profile rather than a rounded one, and I thought that the profile was more the issue ( never felt as confident on the PP as with the pirelli) . Now that I have changed back to a 70 profile I'm liking it much more.

All in all, for the riding that I do, I really don't think that I'm pushing the capabilities of either the diablo or the michelins, and I'm guessing that I'm not alone.

For you Sydney people who have been out of DMF rides with mmick or bigiain, ask either of them what they rubber theyve been shod with in recent years. I've seen all types of interesting  :o rubber on mmicks bike, and I'm sure that big is on bridgestone sports tourer tyres (and a 110 / 150 front /rear combination). Two of the quickest riders in the group with less that "sports" tyres.

For me, I'm thinking that my riding ability needs to improve a shiteload before I'm going to get to the limit of any modern day reputable brand touring tyre, let alone a sticky sports version!

Tyres are such a personal thing its hard to take anyone elses advice. It all depends on how you ride and where.

Look hard enough and you'll find fans and critics of all brands and types.

I don't see the need for anything too sporty because its hardly going to get enough temperature in it where I live. For what its worth, I'm running Michy pilot roads front and rear. I've only had them on for 1,000km or so and feel good with them.

Any new tyres will feel great if your used to riding on shagged ones.

+1. there's certainly truth in that  [thumbsup]

Er... take some riding lessons, not trying to be rude or anything but even our standard street tyre will work really well (exemption - shinko!!) unless its a really hot day and you are getting stuck into it. Todays tyres are really, really good, so any top brand that suits your riding style will work.




                                                           Mmick

Love my Pilot sports, nice progressive sliding out of roundabouts (Heh, unplanned but was great fun [thumbsup]) but thinking of maybe trying the new Bridgies next. [moto] ;)

Okay I'm up for a new back tyre.  Turismo has completely wrecked my Corsa 3 after only 6000kms.  And I just know someone's gonna say I'm lucky to get that much out of it.

So I'm looking for something different.  Have had pilot roads before but didn't get many kms out of them either.  Having said that I'm comparing to getting 10 000kms from a previous bike (Kawasaki Zephyr).  I need a touring tyre as I do at least 15 000kms a year and am not rich.

Has anyone tried Bridgestones?  And which ones?  I used to run Bridgestone Battleax on my last bike and liked them.  My front (also a Corsa) is still okay so won't be changing that just yet.

Ta

I used to run Bridgy's on my Kwaka ('04 Z1000) , BT 014/015's .... got about 8k from the rear 12k on the front, I liked them.

I also like the std Pirelli Diablo's I'm running on the S4R. I guess i"m not pushing them to the max, and I don't do ride days, they're sticky enough for me  [thumbsup]

edit: that info (or lack there of) doesn't help you does it?

Hiya Dos
Ha ha you're little edit making me go blind!  I used to get 10k rear and 20k front from Bridgy's on mine, but it was a 750 and  that was in WA and I always used to fume about not wearing out the edges.  Bridegestone make a battlax sport/tourer for my bike - might give it a go.  Wondering what it will be like not changing the front tho.  How exy$ are Diablos?

Hey I rode up to Hall's Gap today and rode home via Zumsteins.  Ah life is hard.

Hi Heather.

Bridgestone BT014 here, so far so good 7500klms, reckon they'll go to 10k klms.
even mix of metro,highway and twisties.

Cheers.
Madalf.

Heather,

I had the bridgies (battlax) as the original tyres on my 620 sport (note - its a supersport type ducati, not a monster). It comes with the 120/70 front as std. Found them to be great, but I am not a good enough rider the challenge any tyre. Got about 9,000km out of them, front and rear.

I have pilot roads at the moment, and really like them too. I think its a new tyre thing tho. Cheers, ducsport (Ty)

The Bridgestones would probably be silimar in price, don't most tyres go for around the $190 front - $290 rear? I can't remember, I paid $100 for my last BT015 after it did 3 laps of P.I. on a Gixxer thou.

You should be OK with your current front if it's still go a bit of life left in it. It will feel a lot different simply from having a new rear so you probably wouldn't notice the front. Track day guys and street racers talking about matching front and rear, should be fine for us normal riders.

That ride woulda been nice today. what a life...... Which road did you take from Zumstiens to Hamilton? I was trying to work out which way to go - but from the other direction - Hamilton to Zumstiens.

Threadjack
I came home along the Henty Hwy (yawn) because I had to get home for an appointment.  Best way is from Hamilton towards Dunkeld up thru Victoria Valley into southern gramps.  Thru Halls Gap. Down to Zumsteins, stop at the carpark at the bottom then go back the way you came. ie up Zumsteins to Halls Gap then on to either Dunkeld or Victoria Valley.  Vic Valley roads are very narrow farm roads and twisties going up into the Gramps with very little tourist traffic.

Next time you want to do it wait till I'm on days off and I'll show you.   [thumbsup] End Threadjack

Can we sticky this because this comes up ALL THE TIME!

Was looking into this the other day... and the other week.. and the other month. ;)

Corsa IIIs are the std tyres fitted on my HM, which overall seem pretty cool, but travelled 4000km and tread is nearly gone.
My local tyre guy was telling me bout the new Rossos too, which I was quoted as cheaper than cIIIs here in .au but apparently more expensive than cIII in .us.

Found a nice review of the Rosso tyre at http://www.r1-forum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=224932 (http://www.r1-forum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=224932)

The gist is, cIIIs are street tyres catered for those who find themselves fanging their bikes on the track frequently.
Rossos are brand new tyre with new tech, and designed specifically for street use. Apparently very good in all conditions and nearly as good as cIIIs, but not that much cheaper to cIIIs.
Unknown how they compare to the PPs.

Don't really have much experience with tyre choices, but if tyre life is more important without sacrificing performance, the Diablo Scorpion Syncs (dual-sport, aggressive tread) are something I'd recommend. That said though, the Syncs were on my Multistrada.

Yes can we please sticky this so we don't have to go looking for it every time one of us needs a new tyre?  ;D  Who we gotta talk to?

Okay after copious research this is what I'm gonna do:

Because my front Corsa III still has a lot of life in it I am going to fit a Diablo Rosso to the rear to see what it's like.

Then when I have to fit both front and rear I will give the BT014 a go.

Then I think I may just try some Metzlers just cos I can.

Tyre choice is such a personal thing and I won't know what I like until I try them all.

So thanks everyone for the input and I'll let you know what I think about the tyres I'm using.

Oops, I have to correct my previous comment about the Piltot road too.  Looking back I actually got 11 000kms out of it!  Must have been riding like a nanna  [laugh]

I knew a bloke that use to get 20,000+ out of his tyres, but he accelerated like a loaded truck.



Yep sounds good, Ian, hey, paging BIG IAN... whats the chance of a sticky??





                                                                Mmick

I've been running the BT014/BT020 front/rear combo for a while now, I get almost 20,000km out of them on my 750, and they still grip well enough to touch down hard bits in corners.

big

Big,
What's the secret to getting 20k out of a rear tyre.  Are they still legal by the time you change them? Cmon you can tell us.

I've never even come close even in West Oz where there are only straight roads.  And I'm not a hoon (well wasn't till I bought the Monster!). [laugh]

And do we ask you to make this a sticky?  huh?  pleeeeeese.

From what i have seen in Big's riding style he is as smooth a silk on the gass and the corners he may have some other secrets but just my 2c ,BIG AL is just as smooth and again gets high K's out of his tyres.Me rough as guts on the gass and am lucky to get 4K on my tyres.

They're rarely "legal" at 20,000km, but there's _mostly_ still _some_ tread left - I'm usually getting a bit cautious in the wet by then - I'm still usually "legal" well past 18,000km though...

The "secret" is to understand that a Monster will go thru 2 or 3 fronts to every rear if you use the same compound rubber at both ends - so I go for "sports" rubber on the front, and "sports touring" rubber on the rear.

big

Me too!!

Knowing that there is not a lot of weight on the front gives you the opportunity to do what Ian said, sports rubber up front, whatever on the back. When I get my tyres fitted by Whites Racing, I always ask what the 250 proddie guys are using up front, go with that and it works out that the sides on the front are gone when the middle is gone on the rear.





                                                         Mmick

Huh? ???

Would have thought two rears to every front on the same compound? .... My Monster don't know this secret.

With regard to the sticky, good idea but there are probably a few threads on this subject in Ozmo-land alone ... would be better to have them all come together ... if possible?

Gah, you're right of course, I got that arse about...

"2 or 3 rears for every front" is what I _meant_ to type...

big (I notice Mick picked up on exactly what I meant, instaed of what I said, perhaps we're drinking the same beer at the moment?  ;D )

Glad that got cleared up.  I was hoping you meant it tother way round otherwise I'm definitely doing something wrong.   :o

Sounds interesting re: front tyre choice so I'll be giving it a go next time I change the front.

OOOPS!!!

Er,, yep, thats what I ment.



                                    Mmick ( me  [beer] Big)

you need to get over here for a holiday only get 2500 kays out of the front and the sides are past wear limiters

I recently needed to replace my rear Pilot Power and talked to the bloke I usually see here in Frankston, and he suggested I try one of the dual compound Pilot Powers! (A fair whack of commuting  :( )

I queried him about the edge compound and he said it was as grippy as the Pilot "R" tyres.

"Ok" sez I, "go ahead!"

Well a month or so down the track and I've had the back end step out on me 3 or 4 times powering out of roundabouts/corners and, when going to work on Saturday morning nearly went arse up going around a roundabout a lowish speed.  [roll]

To be fair, on Saturday it had been showering and with the roads being filthy with not having any moisture on them for quite a while it was probably an extenuating reason for the episode.

But I wont be using the Pilot dual compound again, might get the mileage but not the grip I like. ???

Maybe the Bridgestones next time, heard lots of good things about them. [thumbsup]

I have the Bridgestone BT016 front and rear, the front has 8000 k's on it and still looks like brand new, the rear has also got 8000k on it and it is probably only got another 1000 to 2000k's left, grip has been awesome, well beyond what I can ever use, And considering they are not recommended for wet weather use, they do stick surprisingly well in the wet, and when they have let go I have always found them to be very predictable.

I commute mainly on my S2R, but as soon as I start working for the local Ducati dealer, the S2R will become a weekend warrior, but everything I have thrown at these tyres, it has just gripped and gone. very impressed!
 
Very happy with the tyres, as soon as this rear is rooted, another 016 is going on in it's place.

If I had the Pesos this Pilot would be off NOW!!

Yep , those bridgestones have a good reputation.  [thumbsup]

Dont think I've heard a bad word about them except maybe "expensive".  ;)

yep that seams to be the prob with pp 2cts they take a while to warm up a few around here have tried them and all have gone back to the standard pp,s and if your on the side off your tyre alot they wear quicker cheers bazz

Heh, anyone want to buy a tyre?? ..........................................................Anyone?? ;D

Geeez its quiet out there. [laugh]

here's my 2 cents:

Pirelli Dragon Supercorsa Pro  - Just put 6,000miles (9,656 k) on them. The rear is pretty bald. The front is ok, but showing a little wear.

I love them. But they are a little spendy.
By far the stickiest tires I've ever ridden hands down. They heat up and get sticky fairly instantly, (just a couple of stops gets them warm.)
I haven't taken them out in the rain much because it's been the worst drought in California history - but they seem pretty good in the wet too.

Going for the Pirelli Corsa III next.

Second choice:
Mezler M3 + 1 excellent tires, wet or dry. When they warm up, they are very confident.

Dunlop - worst tires I've ever ridden on the street. They never got warm enough around here.

Ditto on the Dunlops. !!  :(

Only good for laying around a Rose bush.  ;)

OK against my better judgment, I fitted my Monster with a Pilot Road 2CT on the rear (Pirelli Diablo still on the front).

I did this to ride in the "Long Ride" a couple of months ago.

Well I couldn't be happier. Great wear and grip. To my delight I chased Bevan from EuroTwins around Mt Lindsay on the weekend and didn't see hide nor hair of the rest of the pack until well after we stopped for a leak. Later in the day we headed back towards Brissy via Hinze Dam in quite wet and wild weather and I've gotta say I that it performed exceptionally well; again keeping Bevan honest whilst the pack followed at some distance  :)

Fun day out - pitty none of the Brissy Monsteristas could make it  :(

Knew I'd be up for new tyres soon.  Checked the rear after the WSBK run and it looked okay.  Looked at it after riding 100kms to Port Fairy and it had a groove round the middle.  Looked at it 100kms later when I got home and I can see metal showing through!!!!!!!!  Must be all that pasta I ate at Phillip Island  [laugh]

This rear tyre was the Pirelli Diablo Rosso and I liked it from day one.  Nice and grippy.  Ridden in the rain heaps with no problems.  But only got 7000kms out of it.  Front is a corsa 3 and got 13000kms out of it.  No complaints about this tyre either apart from mileage. 

So next up I'm trying Bridgestones BT014/BT020 front/rear.  Still trying to get 10k and 20k out of the rear/front.  Maybe this time.

After the return trip, my rear tyre is also done. It was an a std pilot road, and I've got a pretty new pilot power on the front.

I think I'll put a std pilot power on the back this time, and next complete swap might try something different, like the 'stones.

What are peoples thoughts on different manufacturers on the front / rear? Any issues?

For road use I prefer to stick to a "matched pair" of the same manufacturer. [thumbsup]

I learnt the hard way about mixing tyres, K81 Dunlop on the front of my Bonneville with a K83 on the back and got sat on my arse PDQ!  :o

Not so grippy, lower performance rear tyre just couldnt keep up with the front higher spec one. [roll]

Expensive lesson learnt. [thumbsup]

yeah but nobody uses cross plys anymore....................... [roll]











paul. ;D

OK, so I come home after a month touring the wilds of outback Queensland to find that the back tyre on the 'meister monster is as flat as Sturt's Stony Desert.   >:(  I pump it up again but find that it has a bit of wire stuck in it so will need repairing.  I ring the local bike shop and he says "yeah, no worries.  Bring it down" so I ride on down and after waiting half an hour for him to come back from breakfast he gives me the "It's nearly down to the wear indicators so it's not economical to repair and by the way the front is illegal too because it has uneven wear so how about you buy these great new Dunlop Qualifiers, they're only about $600 a set" spiel.  Do I have "sucker" written across my forehead or what?
So I've come home to consult with my highly knowledgeable tyre testing friends at Oz Monsters.

My questions are these:

Is a front tyre deemed illegal just because the tread grooves are rounded on one edge and picked up on the other?

If and when I do eventually need tyres it sounds like Pirellis or Michelins are the go.  Where should I be going to get these in Melbourne?

Coming home to go back to work sux but coming back to the DMF is just fine! ;D [thumbsup]

Cheers,
Rob.

My son runs Qualifiers on his bike and he swears by them (in a good way).

The only thing is that they seem to be wearing a bit quicker than he'd like.

For my next set of tyres I'll definitely be going back to Pirelli, most likely PIRELLI DIABLO ROSSO.

Personal choice but I like the turn in I get with a Pirelli front.

I've now had two sets of pilot powers one on the 620 and
now a set on the S4Rs. I'll wait till I need a change which might
be soon and I'm going for Super Corsa Pros or maybe the
new Bridgestone BT 003rs I've just read about in the AMCN
600 test.

Welcome back Rob.  Nice holiday?

I've got Bridgestone BT14/15 on now.  I quite like them, haven't had any cold tyre problems with them like I was having with dual compounds  I've only done 3000km on them so far (and not much twisty stuff) so no wear info yet.  They are no more expensive than the Pirelli Diablos.

I got my local chainsaw shop to get them in and fit them for me.

Sounds like that's two ticks for Pirelli.   MonsterDorf, you say you like the turn in you get with a Pirelli.  Is that with a 160 or 170 width front?
I'm currently running a 170 Dunlop and turn in is  [puke]


And just while I'm typing heatherp drops in with a vote for Bridgestone.  Hi Heather.  Great holiday thanks.  Lots of sunshine and warm weather.  More later.
Can I ask, is the tread pattern on the Bridgies very aggressive?  how do they handle the firewood?  ;D [roll] [cheeky]

Hmmmmmmmmmmm, I wonder if the turn in problem is the cause/result of the strange wear on the front ?? And uneven wear does not make your tyre necessarily "Illegal". Nice sales pitch, Pfffft. [roll]

I like the Pilot Powers Sport, although not keen on the Dual Compound I fitted recently. I'm going to give the new Bridgestones a whirl next. [thumbsup]

As far as I can tell the wear is normal.  It's the same on both sides of the tyre and is similar to the wear on the shoulders of the rear.  I think I just got into it a bit on the last big ride.

Certainly doesnt make it "illegal" .

Sounds like Toro Caca to me!  [roll]

Ok tyres fitted are:

Front tyre 120/70 ZR 17
Rear tyre 180/55 ZR 17

Cheers

Hi ,
Yes another tyre conundrum ,
 I have read a lot of conflicting reports especially on the main forum board so I need some real advice for Aust. conditions, just worn out a set of Battleaxe BT 56R's that came on my 695 only got 6k out of them ,
 grip was fine never felt a problem .

I ride 99% on the road for a short(but spirited) commute to work so my new tyres need to grip when cold
I am looking at the Pilot's as a replacement my LBS has suggested the R2 for the rear and the PP up front
are they maybe just trying to get rid of existing stock or is this a good option ?
I am worried about  matching F/R grip .

Are the R2 really going to give me more K's ?
Anyone used the PP then the R2 what was the milage increase
and most importantly does the R2 give as much grip as the PP ?
Thanks any help would be appreciated
Dez

I'd say that's pretty good advice they're giving you - if I fit "equal" tyres front and rear I'll go through 3 rears to each front. I saw the light way back when the OzVFR guys all suggested I try their trick of BT010 fronts and BT020 rears, and I've been doing something similar ("sports" front with a "sport touring" rear) ever since. I think it's a great option on bikes like ours which wear the rears much more quickly than the fronts.

big

+1 on this, I now run the BT016 Hypersport front with a BT021 Sports Touring Tyre on the Rear, works very well so far.

I've just taken a little gamble of sorts and am bolting on a set of Pirelli Supercorsa Pro's
at $459 a set they are too well priced to not give them a try.
Remembering that I don't commute nor ride very long distances, it is more sport riding along with track days.

So we'll see how they go for me.

The only hassle I've had sp far with the PP on the front and the Pilot Dual on the back is that until the reat trye has warmed sufficiently it wont cooperate with the front. :o

Gets the blood circulating in the morning when hitting some fave roundabouts and the like, and having the entry really nice but then having the arse end telling me to piss off!  ;D

Once warmed up its not too bad. Even though it has the sticky edges its just not quite up to the PP standard. But for everyday use the difference is fine, so long as the lower spec is not disregarded when getting "spirited". [evil]

Hay Dragon have you ran the PP on the rear prior to the 2C ? If so how much less milage did you get compared to the duel ? don't like the sound of cold step outs as my commute is only 8k's not enough to get heat into the rear.

There is certainly a difference in the profiles Matty so get ready to hate them at first,they flick much quicker than P/P which is frightening at first, but once you get use to them,you will love them

Try moving to North Qld, even in Winter the roads barely get time to cool down, so the Sports Touring tyre still works well even in Winter!  ;D

Middle of winter, bright, Sunny day and 21 degrees.  [cheeky]

Hey Dez

Yep I previously had  PP's on the back (Since I bought the bike 2 years ago.) and have had no probs. Would only get around the 6K mark out of them.

So far the 2C has done around 2K and doesnt even look like its lost any black stuff from the centre, harder section. So I am expecting a fair bit more mileage out of it. My commute is 65k so the tyre has time to get some temp into it.  ;D

It just means you have to ride with conservatism and responsibility when the tyres are cold. Heh,heh,heh. [evil] [moto] [thumbsup] [cheeky]

Got invited on a "BikeMe" ride today upthrough Launching Place to Buxton for lunch, Rode through the burnt areas (snow on the ground around blackened trees was eerie :o )

Aaaanyway it was pretty dam cold and the feedback on my rear 2CT is that it just didnt want to cooperate with the cold spirited riding that was happening.  :(

Lots of typical mountainous switchbacks and tight stuff, 3rd and 4th gear stuff, on and off throttle pulling hard out of corners etc. A the lower temp range it werent a happy tyre. The PP on the front never gave a twitch, very good. Even a fast hard on throttle in 4th right hand kink had the back end twitching and moving.  [roll]

The upshot is that without temperature in the 2CT I wouldnt be doing anything quick and hard until summer.  ;D

One of the Aprilia Tuono's had the new Bridgy's 006's I think is the type and he was just ripping everybody and doing it easy without effort. Even had slight feathering on the tyres in the sub 8-10 degree temps. Confirms my choice of my next tyres. [thumbsup]

Howdy Folks.

Yes it's tyre time and I'd like to give the Bridgestone BT 016 a try, as I already have BT 014, and am very happy with them.

Could those that have or had them please chime in with some reviews.

Cheers.
Madalf.

I've only ever had the Bridgestone Tyres on the Monster, (Rear) Started with 014's, then to an 015 (till it got punctured) Then the 016, every step up was better than the last, never had any problems with any of the Bridgestone tyres, awesome grip, quick warm up and even decent performance in the wet, considering the tread pattern on the 016 is not the best for water removal I never had any complaints in out tropical downpours in the wet season.

I had the OEM 014 on the front, when that was replaced it was an 016.

I am currently running an 016 on the Front, and a 021 on the rear, Because I am mainly commuting quite a bit each week, I need the extra wear the 021 (Sports/Touring) tyre provides.
Apart from the slightly longer warm up needed for the 021, I have found I can't be as aggressive with corner speed or angle, but still an impressive tyre.

+1 On the Bridgy's.  [thumbsup]

Havent heard a bad word said about the current generation of their tyres. (Sport,Sport touring et al.)  ;D

Definitely the next choice for the beast! (016's for me)  [thumbsup] [moto]

I've been looking into getting some Pirelli Rosso's. Here are the quotes I've gotten so far:


Bikeworks Hobart:

front:    120/70 ZR17              $229.00
rear:     170/60 ZR17              $309.00
Fitting dropping the bike off.    $70.00
                                           $608.00

Motorworks Hobart:

120/70zr17-                            $229
170/60zr17-                            $305
If you bring the bike in there is a $22 per wheel fitting fee. If you can bring the wheels only, fitting is free.
                                             $534

Motorcycle Accessory Supermarket:

120/70/17 -                                      $219.95
170/60/17 -                                      $299.95
If order is placed online, postage is only $8.00.
                                                      $527.90


Bikeworks seem to be unnecessarily expensive.

Motorworks seem pretty good. I'll have the front wheel off to change the fork oil anyway. So I might as well pull off the rear too and get free fitting. Then, if the chain is off, I might as well put on a 14t front sprocket for "evaluation purposes" ;)


Or, I'll go with MCAS, and have them delivered to Bazz's place.
Then I'll have to take the long way up the East Coast to St. Helens [moto] and ask Bazz very nicely if he'll show me his tyre irons :o .
Hopefully he lives within stumbling distance of the local pub. It's my shout [beer]
 

I'm pretty happy with the Bridgestones I'm using although I will try and get a BT16 to replace the BT15 rear when I wear it out. Still not sure I'm going to get 10 000kms out of the back though!

I did like the Diablo Rosso's too and wouldn't mind putting some on for Turismo but I'll probably still be on the Bridgestones at that time.

Meanine - not trying to turn this into a sprocket thread now but:
I've just changed from 14/38 to 15/42. I get much more use out of top gear now and don't have to change down so often. And didn't notice any great difference in the city with the extra tooth on the front.  (I didn't come up with this combo myself cos I don't know enough about it  ;D - was recommended by Brad who just did my 50k service  [thumbsup])

Next Tuesday getting the 7fiddy shod with new Pilot Powers

120/60
160/60

$450 fitted.  [thumbsup]

Some people recommend the 70 profile front on the grounds that pothole damage is apparently quite a bit more common when using a 60 profile - if you get a 60, make sure you keep an eye on the pressures - if you let it run a little low you'll increase the chance of getting a ding in your front rim...

(Why yes, that _is_ a ding in my front rim... Not quite a big enough one to have moved the bead seats, so the tyre still spins true, but I must have been _very_ close to needing a repair or replacement rim...)

big

Capice Mr Big, but in the 7 or 8 years the bike has been in the garage no damage has been incurred!!  ;D

I think the tyre pressure thing is a relevant point though, as most people DONT maintain them. [roll] Too low and the rim aint far from the deck. :o

My 94 FZR thou had a 130/60 and same same as far as damage went, funnily enough though, just didnt handle right with the 120/70 on it until the forks were completely reset (Spring rates/oil/damping rates.) [roll]

ill show you my tyre irons if we can go for a ride after  [moto] cheers bazz

Is that a bit of "I'll show you mine , if you show me yours"??  ;D [roll] [cheeky]

any thing can happen in this banjo country  [laugh] dragon when the tourismo mob come over i gunna take the up cornwell , the hills have eyes  :o

Is that bainjo music ah hear playin' in thu background thar??  [cheeky] [laugh]

sorry i turn Kieth urban down  [laugh]

OK resur-erection time. I was going to pose this question to Meanie in his Thylacine thread as she has recently had a change of paws (sounds terrible) ... anyway figured this was a better place for it.

We have had our safety inspection for Turismo and it was recommended I replace my rear (I blame Heather [cheeky]). Apparently it is just less than the required 75% ... which by my reckoning means I have almost 30,000 km to go before it needs replacing* [laugh] - I don't think I will do that much on Turismo ... but anyway they want it changed. I was considering a dual compound tyre if I can find one as despite our best intentions I foresee many freeway kilometres coming up.

I am running Pilot Powers at the moment (and would be keeping the front as is) so I want something compatible. Jukie has spoken to Flywheels and they are unsure of the availabilty of the dual compound pilot powers (PP2). But snooping around here has me thinking about the dual compound pilot road (PR2), completely unsure of their availability. My learnings:

. Dragon no likey PP2
. Bazz no likey PP2 (advice of others)
. MonsterDorf likey PR2 (but not Michelin profile)
. Meanie lovin' the PR2 front & rear (but apparently they replaced truck tyres)
. Michelin website shows the PR2 has a narrower hard compound in the middle whilst the PP2 has a much narrower soft compound on the edge (seems a bit weird to me)

So what do you think?
Standard or Dual Compound?
Road or Pilot?

Thanks peoples.

* Yes I know I am a limp wristed so-and-so, although with almost identical mileage Jukie's was deemed fine ... must be the extra weight ... or the huge difference in power delivery [laugh]. Probably just that her tyres are worn more evenly [evil] [moto] 'cos I know who is more agressive on the throttle [roll].

My bet for you Betty, knowing your riding style the PR2 wold suit more.

Hey! what are you saying? ... Oh thats right I already said it ... never mind.
Thanks Matty ;D

Oh yeah and if I have any of the above wrong, let me know. Any other input is welcome, thanks.

Told ya so  :P

FWIW I didn't like PR2 either - found it didn't warm up enough on Vic roads.  But I did get 12000km out of it which is way more than any other rear tyre I've tried and just maybe that was why it felt like it wasn't gripping real well  [bang]  Didn't know my bike real well back then  [roll]

But from what Dave has said on his thread PR2 seems fine on the Tassie roads.

Yeah maybe true Heather warmer roads like the tyre better.
It could also have something to do with riding style and it not generating heat if not pushed harder.
Maybe a PP would suit also (Betty) after all you know the tyre and are comfortable on it.

I know it took me a little while to get on terms with my Super Corsa Pro's. 

You have a valid point Matty.  My riding style is way different these days to when I first bought my bike and the PR2 was the first back tyre I tried on it.

That's why I didn't want to deviate too far from the current setup. But I was also hoping to avoid replacing the rear again by the time we got back (refer also freeway comment above).

More than likely we will replacing Jukie's by then too ... gets expensive ... plus the fronts then as well [roll]

Betty it will be worth it in the long run.  It's a horrible feeling riding around really good roads having to take it easy because your tyres have gone off. (or worse having the tyre let go whilst you are having a good time on good roads). Then there is the added fear of getting a puncture when they are that bad.

You will be able to relax and have a much better ride knowing you have your butt covered with decent tread.

Okay here's an idea then.
If your rear (tyre) is still very good but you have to replace it for Tourismo.
Replace it with exactly the same thing you have and here's the kicker......





Keep the one that is on there now!
If it still has 75% life left, buy a new one use it up for Tourismo and getting there and back.
Then when you come home you'll have a 75% rear to chuck back on.

Just a thought.
I guess they call that "thinking outside the box" in the big corporate jungle.

That is more or less what I was thinking ... having a tyre to go back to for the Superbike School in April. But I am still worried about squaring off a new tyre with all the highway motoring (I'm not used to that).

Do you have your safety cert for Tourismo or would they not sign off until the tyre was changed?
Either way you are going to have squared tyre, be it on a brand new one or the one you have now.

Yeah I got the sign off ... but he warned me if I got down there and they weren't happy, there would be :'(

I was hoping the dual compund would help with the squaring off ... if only so that it didn't seem like the tyre was coming off the rim as I turn into a corner [laugh]

A few friends have tried the Road 2s with mixed reviews, one said they didn't stick when you're pushing hard the way the Powers do, another said he didn't notice any difference & would go a PR2 again & G has one on his rear, he liked it early on not sure what he thinks now, but you could ask him as it must have some decent k's on it so you'd get a more informed opinion.

As for squaring it off in Tassie, people who've been down there on the last Tas Turismo report there was not much highway riding.

Thanks.


Its the 1200+km on the way down (and then back again) that are worrying me more.

Of course you have to get here first...Duh!!!  :-[

Hi Betty,

I just saw this thread and thought that I'd give some feedback.
I have been a big fan of PP2s. However, after squaring them out over a very short course of time of the Adelaide Turismo. It's clearer with hindsight. I reliased that I should have gone the PR2s on the rear.
So, I changed them over late 2008. I rode around Tassie, did a very hot track day around Broadford (40 degrees in the shade)  rode from Melbourne to Sydney and back for the Monster Beach Party in early 2009. WHen I got back from MBP, I was very impressed with them because they hadn't squared. . I don't know exactly how many kms (have to check my records), but I'd estimate about 60 % wear and they have started to square a bit. I have to say that the grip has gone off a bit on the edges now.
I changed both front and rear tyres for the Turismo 2010 and have kept the old ones for track days {good idea Trinity. ;)}.

HTH

G

Betty
As you are not riding all the way on the Princes hwy or the ho-hum Hume freeway, I don't think you are in danger of squaring off your tyres on the transport legs.  This is not WA you are riding in (no offence to my WA cousins but I have lived/ridden there - I know about square bloody tyres!!!  [cheeky]) Also Tassie hwys and freeways are more like the twisty roads we go out of our way to find.  Imagine the whole island is practically ringed with one super long Great Ocean Road crossed with the Great Alpine Road.  [thumbsup] [moto]  (no I'm not getting a commission from Tassie Tourism) but I do think I'm starting to get excited.  woo hoo

Like Matty I was going to suggest keeping your 75%worn tyre to put back on later.

They will check your bike at Launceston when we check in on the Sunday.  They have to be happy before giving you your sticker and game plan.

Hi Betty
You will be comforted to know i have been running a pilot road 2 rear and a pilot power front for 3500klm. ;D

So far  have found  for the short commutes i do daily all low speed twisty back roads ,and ozmo runs all dry, found the  set up ok so far. [moto]
The rear tyre has no flat spot.
Was running a pp2 rear but got an unrepairable puncture
and had to dump a near new tyre.

And the bike shop put on the pilot road 2 and i didn't notice till i got home.As i didn't listen to him, thought he was talking about the pp2 all this code gives you the tom tits :'(

They have a slightly different tread pattern with an extra  short groove on the outer edge.
cost me $308 rim only supplied.
and he spent time trying to fix the old tyre no charge.

These are the pages I was talking about before ... have a look at the little cross-sections at the bottom of the pages. The PR2 would seem to provide better grip just off-centre. The PP2 would rarely get the softer compound near the road (for most on road riding I would have thought).

http://www.michelinmotorcycle.com/index.cfm?event=pilotroad2 (http://www.michelinmotorcycle.com/index.cfm?event=pilotroad2)

http://www.michelinmotorcycle.com/index.cfm?event=pilotpower2CT (http://www.michelinmotorcycle.com/index.cfm?event=pilotpower2CT)

Betty, I'm very happy with my Road 2's.
But as you said, they have replaced my old "truck tyres", so anything is an improvement.

Now that I am running the correct profile rear tyre, my riding has improved dramatically. Turn in is much more precise, and the bike is a lot more stable through the corners. I haven't quite reached the edge of the tyre yet, but that's more to do with me being a chicken-shit, rather than lack of grip  ;)  I've only done one big ride on them, out to Strathgordon, and they were great. I was really hoping to get them out on the track, but I got called back to work early  >:(

Techno also has Road 2's on his S2R800. I believe he has done around 10000km's on them and his rear is still fine.
One of the girls here is also running them on her Fire Blade and she loves them. She commutes daily and then goes hard on the weekends - and OMG can she ride...  [bow_down]

At "Joe's Garage" a few weeks back, there was no less than 6 bikes running Road 2's. There was a Daytona 675 that had put about 5000km's on the rear, it looked very similar to mine, that had done about 300km's. (Barely scrubbed in)
Since moving to Hobart I have noticed that a very large percentage of sports bikes here are running Michelins and around half of them are running Road 2's.

So, from looking at what the "locals" use, I'd say they must suit the local conditions.
Everyone I have actually spoken to about these tyres, loves them.

The only negative comments I have heard read about them, are on here.

Excellent, thanks Mr Meanie.

All this talk about getting up temperature and the Taswegians love 'em. Might have to see if can pack one along with my thermals for Turismo.

In regards to tyres getting up to temp - my old man has got a thing for covering long distances in short timeframes.  A quick message today indicated that he's just done about 1600km in a day on his Suzuki V-Strom (he knows it's ugly, but he loves it anyway ;)  )
A lot of that riding was in 40+ degree heat, and his final stage of the day saw his front tyre develop 4 blisters - one quite soft.  He was able to limp on for the last 170km to get to a tyre shop, but it shows what extended ride sessions in the heat can do...

The last decent ride we went on together saw my rear PP get squared off on the highway heading north from Coffs.  It was perfect in the morning, and stuffed by lunch time.  Shows the benefits of staying off highways and sticking to the twisties [thumbsup]

Just reading through this thread I would agree with the 1:2?? ratio on tyres.  When I purchased my bike in July 08 it had worn bridgestones on it.  I purchased Dunlop Qualifiers on a recommendation from a friend.  Great tyres but I am not sure my riding skill is taking full advantage of them. I have only just got 4000km's out of the rear and it is getting close to the tread wear indicators, not just the center but all over.  The front is only half as worn as the rear.

I am thinking of changing to the "sport touring" dual compound on the rear, but from what I have been advised that could lead to handling problems - something I shortly experienced when I still had the bridgestone on the front and the Dunlop on the rear.

I was recommended to run Avons - a brand that has not come up in this thread - I have read it fairly thoroughly.

So going back to my initial point I guess I should keep to the same brand - any recommendation on a Dunlop sports touring tyre?

Also is there a poll to vote on what people like and dislike in tyres?

Have never used Dunlops and have never heard anything good about them anywhere.

I would recommend matching brands for front and rear tyres though, whatever brand and type you decide on.  Tyre choice is very personal and dependent on which Monster you have and riding style and environment.

I've tried dual compound and don't like them but others do.  I'm currently trying bridgestones bt14 front, bt16 rear. Bt16 is brand new so no review yet. May try Metzlers next.

Really liked the Pirelli Diablo Rosso rear but only got 7600kms out of it  :(  and only got 8400km out of a Bridgestone BT15 rear.

Making this thread a poll and a sticky would be a really good thing!

Has anyone bought tyres off ebay? Obviously new ones.  It seems that buying pairs may (and I say may as I am watching a couple) be cheaper, postage seems cheap.  Thoughts anyone?

Well we have bought online ... but that was for the scooter (apologies for consecutive posts mentioning the Lammie) ... and 10 inch tubed tyres for split rims are probably a completely different scenario to Monster tyres.

Personally it is not something I would consider because I would then need to have somebody fit them for me. A concern I might have is that they may have been sitting, baking in a shop window for a while ... and are not highly valued (can't be good for them right?)

haha I dont think there is a need for apologies on the Lammie posts - from what I have seen a couple of other members have them too (?) - I have a mate with 3 scooters - all Vespas.  Anyhow I digress...

Yes that was my concern that it is "old stock" and may have been sitting around in the wrong conditions (said mentioned shop window) and they could be off.  I may pose the question of the condition of the tyres to the seller and see what response I receive.  ;)

Of course they may just be trying to broaden their market reach by going online.

with out a dought the best tyres id ever had on any bike was the pirelli rosso,s they are the most stable and predictable tyre ive ever owned  grip wise piss all over pilot powers with greater tread depth they last longer , as i was only getting 2500 kays out of a rear and not much more out of the front before it went pointy , wet roads were fun because of there stability . power slides were all ways controlled as for the pilot roads i would not recommend for cold climates and wobble like me arfter a bottle of vodka when cranked over hard on the power and the sides didnt last much longer than pilot powers but i was allways harder on the side walls than the middle ,any one can go farst in a straight line but when your scrapping   pegs and need to dodge road kill your putting your life in a tyre so allways put the best tyre you can on , well down here any way and the rossos liked gravel too  [wine] [drink] [bow_down]

anyone looking for a good sport touring tyre i would recommend the new Pirelli Angel, has a good tread pattern for wet roads to drain the water away, and is quite sticky, much better than other sport touring tyres i have used before.. i also had the Diablo Rosso's, thought they were great in the dry, but dangerous in the wet..

sorry im only new here but you cant have both wolds as tyre maker would have you believe these sport touring tyre are touring tyres not sports tyres as well try and push these tyres and you land on your ass real quick and the rosso,s grip better in the wet than pilot powers  [thumbsup]

not arguing bikeless, just saying the Angels are better by far than anything i've seen in a sport touring/touring tyre, they have quite soft edges in a similar way to some of the dual compound tyres.. very impressive so far..

thats true but i havent seen any on the track and there profile is still touring and yes im talking about personal experience there not ment to cranked over hard and get them right on the limit and give them a fist full and see what happens like i said you cant have it both ways  [thumbsup]

ok guys n gals not sure how helpful this is but I thought I would post a couple of pics of my tyres after just over 4000kms on them - the rear is up for replacement shortly.  I don't profess to be a hard or fast rider, and my suspension setup is pretty well stock, but it may prove some use to see what the profile and wear is like.  These are Dunlop Qualifiers.  They are a sport tyre and I believe they get heat in to them reasonably quickly.  I didn't go for the Qualifier R on the front as I don't think I have the skills to take advantage of the "pointer" profile on the front.  Also just to give you some further background on the type of riding it is mainly in the Adelaide Hills (Uraidla, Carey Gully, Balhannah, Woodside, Cuddle Creek, Lobethal, Lenswood - that sort of area) with a few "straight liner" trips down the freeway from Mt Barker to Adelaide CBD.
(http://i876.photobucket.com/albums/ab330/MrS2R/dunlopfronta.jpg)
(http://i876.photobucket.com/albums/ab330/MrS2R/dunlopfrontb.jpg)
(http://i876.photobucket.com/albums/ab330/MrS2R/dunlopfrontc.jpg)
(http://i876.photobucket.com/albums/ab330/MrS2R/dunlopreara.jpg)
(http://i876.photobucket.com/albums/ab330/MrS2R/dunloprearb.jpg)
(http://i876.photobucket.com/albums/ab330/MrS2R/dunloprearc.jpg)
 [thumbsup]

Yup!,

       That looks about right (wear wise) for those tyres ridden on the road, if you are happy with them get another set when it comes due.





                        Mmick

Thanks for the feedback Mmick - yeah other than the km's I am pretty happy with the feedback of these tyres - forgot to mention I run about 32 psi in them too.

cheers

Jason

the only thing i would do is up the pressure a tad the photo of the back is what called pinching it doesent really matter it just will wear your tyre out prematurely and the bike will be hard to turn in it does this because the tyre will have a bigger foot print when on the side of the tyre and its not suposed to and when the pressure that low it will also cause the bike to wallow and one more thing get rid of those chicken strips  [cheeky] [thumbsup]

I'm up to 8000k on the PR2's and like em a lot, they still have a heap of life in them. But I'm not like bazz, I'm not pushing the tyre at all, I have about 3mm of chicken on em mate and I don't scrape anything so obviously for my level they are a great tyre. Couldn't tell the difference in grip from the PP (2ct) to the PR2 (2ct).

I reckon tyre technology means that you have to be VERY good to start really using your tyre and think that a vast majority of riders are no where near the tyre's limit.

bikeless excuse my ignorance but can you further explain?  you talk about the feathering on the outer edges?  and yeah thanks for the advice I might just up the psi  [thumbsup]
yeah I agree on that, thus the reason I am looking to change  ;D  [thumbsup]

you have to play around with the pressure but road tyres are not racing tyres and they rely on more pressure to hold there shape and by the look of your rear its too low ,when you are coming out of a corner but still laid over and under throttle it causes the tyre deform loose the right shape the harder you ride the more you need your tyre too hold its shape when you get every thing right you should be able to leave rubber out of the turns without any wobbles and if the tyre doing its job it will hold on and if you go too far it will be controlled slide a lot of fun , the qualifeiers are a good tyre but dont try it on a sports touring tyre they are to soft on the edges and will let go, have fun cheers bazz

thanks for the info dude much appreciated!!  ;D

Bazz, does that still apply regarding shape and letting go if he still has angle (by unused portion on side) to go, wouldn't it slip and move but perhaps not let go, surely a tyre can deform but still provide grip dependent on the angle?

yeah I was wondering that too - I am sure at time I have felt the bike "squirm" a little, but still manage to pull through the corners.  Oh yeah I am not a knee scraper, but have had the pegs touch once or twice!  [thumbsup]

All very helpful info and questions!  ;D ;D

got some pirelli rosso tyres and love them, doing a great job on the tassie roads

yes big fella thats the hole problem under normal pressure the tyre deforms and flaterns to give you the biggest foot print but if its aloowed to deform too much you can cause the tyre flop over on the side wall or the tyre  just moves around alot and wobbles through the corner giving false feed back

sorry still loged on as jukie now lets have some fun ,bazz [laugh]

Hi all,

Last w/e I got some Pirelli Angel ST's front and rear. I'm not much of a tyre guru or a track freak - But I am extremely happy with these tyres, but I am only comparing these to the Battlax BT56 (OEM) tyres that were on the bike originally.

So all I'm going to say is that the bike leans/drops quickly into corners which absolutely put a  ;D on my wifes face. She loves going around corners even more now, So I'm happy too!