Ducati Monster Forum

Ok, I found this to be a big benefit before so we'll start anew.


Please keep your post updated.

Currently I'm running Pilot Powers, have 6k on them and the front is fine and the rear is showing wear but no real flat spotting.  [thumbsup]

This is after 6k in the canyons and one trip from Los Angeles to San Diego, 130 miles on the freeway at 85+

(http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/dd86/scbaran/IMG_1944.jpg)

I have the Bridgestone BATTLAX BT014F. IMO, they are no stickier than my old Pirelli Diablo's and wear much quicker. I am down to the wear bars at 4K miles vs the Diablo's at over 5k were still good.

I think with the riding I do most, I will go with the Pilot Roads next...

I just switched from a Diablo to a Pilot Road on the rear for mileage reasons (4k on Diablos) and it does'nt feel as confidence inspiring as the Diablo. Just not quite as planted sometimes. No major problems, maybe even just because I know it's there.

I have put 7K on a set of Avon Storms. Rear is just now ready to be changed out.]
I think I am going to go back to Pilot Roads again though

UPDATE,
Well I now have 8400 miles on the rear, it's very squared off and down to the cord.
I think it was a good tire all in all, did well in the wet, the front tire is still very good.
I think it squared off really quick though in about 4000 miles
My tire looks just like the pic in the post below mine.

Found a screamin deal on a Bridgestone BT-021 today so will review that next.

This might be useful to others, so I put it here.  Mods feel free to move it if you think it needs to go to tech.

My rear tire looks like this:

(http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn168/the_journeyman/Molly/Tire001-1024.jpg)

So I'm needing a new one and want all manner of advices.  I know tires were cover quite a bit on TOB, but we could use that info here.  Up front is an almost new Pirelli Diablo, rear is a well-work Diable (not Coras III, just a plain Diablo).  I've been toying with moving to a different tire as all I've ever use are the Diablos.

1.  What tires might have a compatible profile with the Diablo front?
2.  I ride in the rain, so what has really nice wet traction?
3.  I commute a lot, so what tires don't wear a flat center as fast?
4.  I do like a spirited ride, but can I get away with an aggressive sport-touring tire?
5.  Should I toss a cheapo (Cheng-Shin) on the rear just until I wear out the front and make a switch then?

Input, comments and questions are welcome ~

JM

I found the Shinko 009 Raven on ebay a while back and for $160/set I thought I would give them a try on one of my bikes (a 94 750ss)

I have been impressed.  They are no Pilots or Diablos, but they are very good and you can't beat the price.

On a scale of 1-10 with Pilot Powers being 10, I would give the Shinko Raven a 7.5 or 8.  I cannot complain about them.  the rubber is a bit hard and takes longer to warm, but the tread has worn well and they do handle nicely.  Cornering at speed is not a problem. 

They also have a Shinko "Podium" tire which may have softer rubber.  I haven't seen them in person.

They are Korean made and most of the Korean brands I've seen on cars are pretty decent (Kumho, Hankook).  I think they are trying to break into the US market and right now only a few dealers have them (again, look on Ebay). 

I would not put Cheng Shin on anything but a baby carriage and only then if it has 4 wheels.

reviews
http://www.fjrowners.ws/discus/messages/2/29839.html?1109355179

http://www.sportbikes.ws/showthread.php?p=1347031

Thanks, maybe Shinko was what I was thinking of instead of Cheng-Shin ~

JM

I put a Pilot Road 2 on my Monster  and I thought that it was perfect for my application. Planty sticky enough for me in the corners, good wear in the center with that graduated rubber compound. I rode in a spirited fashion but I would not say I was overly aggressive so it may be that you would need a softer compound if that does not fit your profile. My front was still in great shape, it was the stock Bridgestone, and I rode without any issues on both of them. Plus the wet weather traction was significantly better.

Might try that.  The road is the Sport tour tire, right?  The 2 means the dual compound?  Something like that might be nice ~

JM

You are exactly correct sir. That was why I went with it, I have a 32 mile commute to work and when I rode the Monster in I wanted a tire that would not just flat spot itself in the center and be useless after 3K miles.

I run Dunlop Qualifiers and they feel really good in the rain three big down poor situations not afraid of light rain. I put 8,000 road miles on them. 0 track day. Pretty squared off and very little chicken strip left.

Trying the Diablo Corsa 3's next

These are on an M750

Looks like I'd have to go with a Pilot Road 2, the 2CT nor the Corsa III is available to fit a 160 rim ~

JM

I think the 2CT is only for the Pilot Powers, the Pilot Roads are just 2, both dual compound. Cycle Gear has the 160 for $177.99 and I think they charge $20 to mount, so right at 2 C-notes but you  have to dismount the wheel and bring it in. Plus if you are military they give a 10% discount.

When I got my bike it had a set of Diablo's but they were a few years old and I think the rubber was starting to harden cause I never felt good on 'em. I swap the out for the Pilot Roads and after a couple of hundred (mostly city miles) I got to say I'm impress. I commute to work and only have one bike for work and fun sobI wanted something that would wear well. I wanted the powers but the roads made more sense for me. These was up warm up quick and they're great in the rain. They do seem to have a more narrow profile than the diablos, if that's important to you then look into it.

I've been running Diablo Stradas for the last couple sets of tires.  Most of my riding is weekend morning, curvy mountain road riding and I have been satisfied with the Stradas as far as traction is concerned. 

As far as mileage goes, I have been a little disappointed because I was only getting about 3500 - 4000 miles out of a set of tires which is only ~500 miles more than from the regular Diablo's that came on the bike.  An important point to make, however, is due to the type of riding I do I am wearing the tires on the sides where the center of the tire still has ample tread left.  I think if I did more commuting or touring I would see the mileage I was expecting.

Living in Arizona, I do not have much to offer as far as rain performance.   :-\

If your planning on keeping the Diablo on the front don't use anything other than a matching tire on the rear.

If the rear doesn't match the front then they will have different profiles and the warm up time will be different and the grip will be different as well.

If the front is still almost new as you say then just get a matching rear and change brands/models next time unless you want to spend the extra cash to replace the front with the rear.

I ride Pilot Roads on the front and rear, and have nothing but good things to say about them

Well I had an older pilot sport on the rear and a pilot street on the front when I got my bike and have put over 3k on it since then, so the rear probably had about 5k on it befor it went square on me.  I did 1 track day on this setup as well, and it worked well for my slow butt.   [laugh]  I admit I was scared about the front being able to hold up on a track day as it really wasnt a "high performance" tire, but it di just fine.  Since I needed to switch out the rear anyway, I swapped the front as well and went with the pilot 2CT's.. My 20 kile ride back home was an eyeopener to say the least.. Pressure in my previous tires was in the recommended range, so I know that want the issue, but OMG do these things lighten up the steering!!  I was going to drop the forks a bit because the steering slowed down a bit with my recent switch to clipons, but definately not now.  You think about turning and you are turning.. It was a bit spooky at first, but I adjusted on the fly and was able to roll through my favorite curve on my route about 15 mph faster than before, they made that much of a difference.. Before I could hear my front through the turn, not howling mind you, but it was audible that it was gripping.. these new ones have such a soft compound on the side that they are almost noiseless through the same turn..just smooth grip.. saying give me more.  I went with these as I am planning on doing a few more track days this year and just wanted that extra piece of mind that super stickies give.  I really do not see me exceeding the limits of these puppies as I use track days to improve my riding.. not for speed, but for control and smoothness.. I have the typical corner anxiety and what better place to get over it than at the track.  ANyway, this has been my long winded rambling nonsensical writeup on the 2ct's.. get a set!

Cabbie,

I experienced the same revelation going from a Pilot Road to  Pilot Power a few years ago. The much more triangular tire profile is what makes them turn in like NOW! Steering is truly telepathic. I can't imagine going back.

I went through a set of Pirelli Diablo Coras IIIs after the Powers, but I'm back to Michelin. I expect my new Power 2CTs to show up on my doorstep any day now. [thumbsup]

Found this article about the Michelin 2CT

http://www.motorcycle.com/products/michelin-pilot-power-2ct-12882.html

a VS article.. boooo hisssss

So it is. Still seems like good info though.

seems -- it is filled with subliminal advertising and evil canadian messages to drink pisswater beer and eat moldy backbacon.

boooo.. hisss..

That Moldy backbacon thing will never work. I only eat good bacon...


Mmmm. Bacon.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          What psi are you running in the F&R ?

Well I just spooned on a BT-021 on the rear. I removed an Avon Storm. First thing I notice is that
the Bridgestone is a much steeper profile. The Storm flowed through the corners but not very quickly at all.
I had to muscle the bike to do quick S turns. Hoping the more agressive profile on the Bridgestone will allow for
quicker turn in and handling.

36 solo

and 40 in the rear two-up

Didnt want to change tires halfway through so I was running a qualifier front and pilot power rear

Front qualifier was 35 psi - Bought it at about 4500 - Currently at 13500 - Sucked for the last 1500 to 2000 miles - I would give them a functional mileage of 7500 miles
Rear pilot was 38 psi - Bought it at about 8000 - Currently at 13500 - Great grip all the way through - 5,500 miles at 38 psi

Both are shredded now. The qualifier sucked for grip as it wore out. I was literally sliding the front for 1500 miles. Massive cup, I could feel a ridge with my fingers.
Definitely not a fan.

Pilot was a great tire, nice even grip on dry, not as solid in the wet (will slide out like any other tire but loss if traction is linear not sudden)

Though I liked them a lot, Pilot's are getting too expensive for me now. I'm switching to Bridgestone Battlax BT016's this week (50 bucks less) or maybe BT021's. Hopefully these pan out.

The Battleaxe was what came on my Monster as factory and I would say that it is far inferior to the Pilot Road I replaced them with. Not sure how much the Battleaxe is selling for but it might be worth exploring some other options.

Pirrelli Diablo/ Corse  and Metzler Mez6 are the same tyre from same factory but Metzler will last longer as its made from a slightly  harder compound.

i have MEZ6 rear and Diablo Corse front on  the S4  excellent combo.both are great tyres ,

i also like the Metzler Mez1 and Mez 3  and the older Mez4 also great tyres.i have Mez 4 on the front and rear of the M750 fantastic griop and handling

Michelin pilot sports are good but wear out fast.

So instead of continuing the old thread we just started a new one and then made it a sticky?

http://ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=703.msg120780#new

i can chime in here...

i have pilot road 2CT tires on my s2r1k right now. they do in fact say 2CT on 'em [thumbsup]

as far as the tires go, I am very happy with them. had them on the bike for 2500 miles so far, and are holding up extremely well. they replaced a set of Pilot Powers, which i loved, but which i did not get enough mileage out of for my tastes. most of my riding does not allow for even tread wear, and i went  through 2 rear powers where the tires flattened out long before i used up the sides.

i can "just barely" tell that the road 2CT are not as sticky overall as the powers were, but i have been VERY happy with them in wet conditions.

I can definitely see myself sticking with these tires in the future [moto]

Excellent news, as soon as I bolt on another PP, my PP front should be done and I'll get the road 2's. [thumbsup]

After getting 6500 miles out of the stock Pirelli Phantom rear that came on my Sport 1000 I just had a Continental Road Attack rear put on. After only putting a couple of hundred miles on it I'm really liking the feel. Very confident and "stuck," even in the wet.

Even though the front Phantom still has plenty of tread left, its started to cup really badly and will be getting replaced with a Conti as soon as I can order one.

I'll keep you posted on how they wear.

I got a set of Shinkos for my 600ss and I can say they've done remarkably considering the price. They handle at least as well as the Pilot Powers I had on the 900ss.

for under 200 for a set, they are nice. I would prefer the 2ct's but these are very nice.

Had Bridgestone BT021s fitted before I picked up the bike from new (S4Rs). Didn't want to waste the sportier stock Michelin rubber on running in. Grip was fine from the Bridgestones but the steering never really excited me.

Got 13,000km out of the set, by which time rear very squared off and front very worn also.

Replaced with the OEM Michelin Pilot Powers. Could barely believe the improvement in steering over memories of the Bridgies when new. Largely from the steeper profile, I imagine, as others have noted. Grip better as well, of course.

On the Bridgestones, was always thinking about raising rear ride height. On the Powers, might get around to that but steering now is really delightful stock. Steady and precise and oh so neutral. Heaps of feel from the front. She's a different bike and so much better.

I can't recommend those Bridgestones for the S4RT/s, unless the wear rate has great appeal. Might be nice on something much bigger and heavier.

On November 1st put a set of the new Bridgestone BT-016's on my S2R-1000. I must say these tires absolutely rock as far as grip goes and inspire a ton of confidence in the corners, and I actually have to be careful not to push too hard as my chicken strips have disappeared. The bad part is that the back tire is pretty much shot after only 2,500 miles of riding but since they are cheaper then the PP 2CT's and the front is still good I will put another BT-016 on the back and then replace the set in another 2,500 miles.

After that I'm considering going with the Michelin Pilot ROAD 2CT on the back and a Pilot POWER on the front.

If you want the confidence to see what your bike can do then I highly recommend the BT-016's, just be aware they will not last long.

BT016 came stock on the M1100. The confidence these tires induce is down right amassing, that said i got 1700 miles out of the set. very spirited riding on the twisties with maybe 100 miles of freeway. Front tire got very pointy like the bottom of a diamond, causing the the bike to fall into turns very quick ( if there is a technical term for that i couldnt think of it ) and the rear tire surprisingly wore in the center, im sure the tires have some life yet but punctured the rear at the end of last ride so replacing both.
in conclusion Grip was amassing, more than i expected tire life SUCKED, far less than i hoped.

what does "down right amassing" mean?  is that good or bad?

 ???
a⋅mass
  /əˈmæs/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [uh-mas] Show IPA
–verb (used with object)
1.    to gather for oneself; collect as one's own: to amass a huge amount of money.
2.    to collect into a mass or pile; gather: He amassed his papers for his memoirs.

HA HA HA wow your a douchebag  ;D ( i hope i spelled that right )
after running the spellcheck it gave me a suggestion for the misspell i didnt double check it.
pretty funny though good post [thumbsup] I still think u r a douche  ;D

first off, i really have no idea what you meant in the original post -- "amassing" is not a word in that context.  my post was a serious question.

second, i didn't call you a make the beast with two backsing moron for not being able to speak english properly, why are you launching into me?  my post was polite.

chill both of you...

he meant amazing.

lets talk about tires

I believe the OEM BT016 are single compound and are not the triple/double compound of the aftermarket tire, so if you liked the originals then you should like the next set even more.

it's all good, he pm'ed me and explained he was trying to be funny and it did not come across well

the stock BT016 were definatelty multy compound when looking at the tire it was easy to see the where one compound ended and another started.

Dictionary boy  [laugh] [laugh] man i love that  [thumbsup]

cycle gear special last weekend got the pirelli diablo's i thought for the price cant go wrong but we will see.

I've had good luck with the Diablo Supersports ~

JM

Just thought I'd post this - might help for someone...

Bike is S2R1K - originally came with  BT 014 - they seemed like good tires - got about 11,000kms out of the set - and that included about 4 track days..The front became quite pointy - and the rear was fairly evenly worn. Quite happy with the performance overall.

I recently lost my job -and thought I may need to sell my bike - so I replaced them with a used set of tires - power 2ct front - and power "normal" rear. Unfortunately, the rear was punctured and plugged after only a thousand clicks, so I didn't;t get to track them.

BUT, on the road, they did seem to follow road irregularities a bit more. I did get a chance to ride them through plenty of twisties, and although they never let me down, I never really felt super confident either. i was really hoping I could get them to the track to compare - but just didn't;t happen. The rear started losing air shortly after - and I have now replaced with another near new set of OEM Pilot Roads. The ones that come OEM on Triumph Tiger - the "Tractor Tread" pattern.

http://two-wheels.michelin.com/2w/front/index.jsp?codeRubrique=2092004104045&codePage=2092004104045_09092004142252&lang=EN (http://two-wheels.michelin.com/2w/front/index.jsp?codeRubrique=2092004104045&codePage=2092004104045_09092004142252&lang=EN)

I have completed about 600 Kms on these tires now - and a lot of that was in the wet, the rest of it was through damp twisty roads - and dry expressway conditions.

I can say that so far the tire lives up to its promise of great stability at speed and traction in the wet. The rubber compound feels good to the touch - and I am looking forward to some more spirited riding on them and taking them to the track also to see how they hold up against the BT 014s.
 
If the Pilot Road 2 ct's are a natural progression of these, I can imagine they must be really something.

Lots of peoplewhere I live are running Pirelli. No first hand experience - except a few mild laps in an 848 fitted with OEM supercorsa's - I wonder if something of the likes of the Corsa 3 or the Diablo Rosso's will offer grip more immediately - at the expense of longer term durability..?

Then there's the new Pirelli Angel...

A follow up to my thread about sport tires vs sport-touring tires and maximizing the potential of a sport-touring tire.

Well I bought a pair of Michelin Pilot Road tires off ebay for $259 shipped, then a $40 mount and balance from National City Motorcycles (shout out to Rob and John).

Skeptical as a mofo, I rode with the San Diego Ducati club on one of their Sunday rides to Portrero. I pretty much too it easy on the ride as I had new tires and I was new to the group. Well, these guys hauled ass!  [moto]

After breaking for food, on the return trip (fully caffeinated) I turned it up a notch. I fully engaged the tire in all turns and my confidence level was pretty high. No slippage whatsoever. After I got home, I checked the tires and I was just touching the little Michelin man and arrow. I have a bit more to go but I was impressed and confident.

I'll post a pic when I get home. In any event, my conclusion is that ST tires are suitable for canyon carving and sport tires are to be left for the track.

I commute daily through the twisties in both dry and wet weather and the Pilot Road 2CTs are still going strong for me after 9000 miles. [thumbsup]

Good news for me!  I'll be trying those on Molly next it sounds like, maybe just the regular Road though.

JM

Why bother with the ol skool version?

I ride Diablo Stratas and I will never own another pair as long as I ride a sport bike. For touring they would be great. I have about 3000 miles on without any real sign of wear. The problem is they slip on Gorilla Snot and my friend who also rides a Duc was in front of me doin about 75 through a tunnel and he went to lean in to the turn and held his line. I leaned into the turn and two wheel drifted over two lanes only to have the tires finally grip the pavement 2 feet from the retaining wall. Needless to say I thought it was the end of all ends for me!

I just posted elsewhere before I (duh!) noticed this thread: I having BT-021'sa fitted to my '01 M900, replacing the Pilot Sports that were on there. I do no track days and the bike is mainly a commuter. Dealer (The Most Excellent Joe at SuperMoto Italia) recommended the 021's for the way I ride in order to get the most mileage.

Anybody have any experience with these tires over a few thousand miles?

My bike came with Pirelli Diablo's, here where I live, rains a lot, tires lasted about 5k and I replaced them with Dunlop D220 and what a change they made in dry and wet[sadly Dunlop discontinued these], my next set of tires will most probably be a set of Dunlops RoadSmart in OEM size.
From my experience in autos, Bridgestone, too much $$ and no life, too soft, Michelin, well, for me the best tires around but, out of my budget and Continental's, have read too many mixed reviews and I don't do track days(where I've read they excell)[no tracks in Panama]...
Since I had an accident, and my budget is very very limited, I'll install some Shinko's, untill I can get on my feet again, and then I'll get the Dunlops.

I just fitted my Supersport with its first set of Pirelli Diablo Rosso tires in 180/55-17 and 120/70-17.  These replaced a set of Pilot Powers in 170/60-17 and 120/70-17 which wore out following about 1500 miles of abuse in mostly sport riding.  I fitted the Rossos in preparation for a track day here in Albuquerque.

The Rossos heat up quickly (I felt comfortable pushing them after about 2 laps of scuffing-in) and have amazing edge grip for a DOT compound street/track tire.  Their profile encourages smooth, positive steering inputs without feeling like the bike is "falling in".  Wear after approximately 90 minutes of track time is substantial, with enough rubber pellets and goop hanging off of them to remind me of some race tires I used back in the late 80s.  The rear slid predictably and gave plenty of notice that it was considering doing so.  I didn't push the front hard enough to tell you about it's slide characteristics during this particular outing, so I guess you're on your own figuring that out.

At $135 rear and $105 front, I'll definitely be buying more Diablo Rossos.

i just put 400 kays of riding tight twisty cravel covered road on a set of rosso too and after taking the powers of , theres only a couple of things really to say about them they are more stickier than the powers but with greater tread depth so should last longer than the pp,the rosso,s  are more stable cranked right over as cloner said i put that down to having wire in the side walls and that solid rubber band with no tread on them the bike s2r 1000 does turn in easer and stayed there even under braking deep in the corner, by mid trip i was thowing the bike around alot more than i  normally do but couldnt get the front to let go it just stayed planted ,i often scrape my boots but yesterday the pegs got scraped , for the roads around here they were brilliant and when they hit the loose gravel they slid and griped with out a wobble bloody brilliant tryes bazz [thumbsup] 

Pirelli Angels - After a spirited ride on a very tight and technical road I have to say they stick nicely.  I only had one slip incident, and it could have easily been my throttle application as my tires that led to the slip.  These are on my 900SS ~

JM

Pirelli Dragon Super Corsa Pro - OEM on the 848 SBK***

Stickiest tires I've ever ridden in all conditions, responsive, lightweight, great feel.
They seem to hook up right off the bat, cold. The coldest I've ridden them in was around 40F, albeit conservatively.
I've never gotten them to slip or spin after break in until they were very treadless. My normal ridding is done at about 65 - 80Fdegrees ambient temp.

I rode about 5,000 miles on the rear before the shape was gone and the center was bald.
There is very little tread on them new, about 4mm. About half as much tread as the Diablo Corse III's.
I went through two rear tires in 10,000 miles with a decent amount of tread on the outer edges.

The front lasted about 6,500 miles.

I'm now trying the Diablo Corse III's hoping to get more miles out of them.
So far, also very confident and sticky tires.


***These are the most expensive street tires Pirelli offers, touted as their top of the line street/track day tire.

BT56, 5850 miles... [puke]

(http://i42.tinypic.com/15yslfl.png)

No threads were visible 20 miles before this photo was taken. Wondering if it'll make it through the week (PR2s already in the mail, luckily).

That tire will be fine as long as you don't ride the bike :P

Fixed it for ya.   [thumbsup]

No kidding! [laugh]

I neglected to mention that I rode through 10 miles of molten tar on two separate occasions and literally had to saw it off the centerline each time... burnouts didn't seem to do the trick no matter how long I tried. ???

I need new front and rear tires and am looking at getting a set of Metzeler RoadTech Z6's.  The tires I have now (Pirelli's, don't ask what kind) were on the bike when I bought it used so I don't really know how good tires should feel as they had a good amount of wear when I bought it.  I plan on riding more this year and doing mostly local or city riding to and from work and weekend, country road riding.  I'm looking for something not terribly expensive and that will inspire more confidence (I dropped it last summer and really want to dig in a little and boost myself back up)  Any suggestions would be much appreciated!!!

Try Sport Touring tires if you're not into canyon carving or track days. They offer more depth of tread and still have lots of grip.

Currently I'm running Dunlop D220[discontinued, although some stores still carry them] and they're great in wet and dry; I've leaned my bike more with these tires than with the OEM Pirelli set it came with.

Might take a look at the following, http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/1/28/396/1/0/0/DEPARTMENT/Street-Bike-Sport-Touring-Tires-Tires.aspx#&&Back=159-0 (http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/1/28/396/1/0/0/DEPARTMENT/Street-Bike-Sport-Touring-Tires-Tires.aspx#&&Back=159-0) and http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/1/28/396/1/0/0/DEPARTMENT/Street-Bike-Sport-Touring-Tires-Tires.aspx#&&Back=351-0 (http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/1/28/396/1/0/0/DEPARTMENT/Street-Bike-Sport-Touring-Tires-Tires.aspx#&&Back=351-0)

My 0.02...

If I was buying a sport touring tire it would be a Michelin Pilot Road 2.

I love my Road2s. I got about 18000 km out of a front, and 15000km out of a rear. And I don't ride that slowly on my 06 S2R1k.

I have a trackday coming up, and I managed to get my hands on a set of the Power Pure: this is the replacement for the Power 2CT and are a very sticky tyre. Supposedly have a narrower hard centre, and softer sides. They're also meant to be light. First impression is they are indeed sticky... there's a couple of tight corners here where I can manage to get the Road2s a bit unsettled; the Pures just stick and stick and stick. Come up to temperature nicely, too.

Will have a report on what they're like at the track next Sunday.

For everyday riding/commuting/touring, I'll stick with the Road2s. Their longevity is fantastic AND they stick nicely on the sides, too. Great in the wet. But I'm a big fan of these Pures; if all I was after were tyres I'd use on weekends for hitting the twisties, it'd be these guys.

My understanding is the Pure is in addition to the Power 2ct...not yet replacing.

If you look closely you'll notice the profiles are drastically different.

wow....
I definately am only getting 3k miles a rear. couple trips to the mountains and lots of wheelies per rear are taking care of that I guess. 
I've been running qualifiers for now and switching to PP's

In Aus they've discontinued the Power 2CT and aren't getting any more stock in, just the Pure.

Range here is pretty much Road2, Power, Power Pure, Power One.

At least they've still kept the more triangular power so riders can have a choice of shape.

I guess I'll be moving up to the power one for the track as all the old Power Race in 180 are gone.

My riding is probably 85% commuting - about 20 miles each way.  Most of that is twisties (although it was straight roads on the commute for the first 20k I put on the bike.)

Got 8-9k out of the original BT056 rear and 17k 14k  out of the BT056 front that came on the bike.

Since then I've gone through three more rears - all at about the same 8k mileage.  One rear was run to the warning stripe above the cord - the rest found nails, etc.  Two of those rears were Pilot Power 2CT's and the other was a BT056.  I'm now on my fifth rear - another PP2CT and I feel very confident on those tires.

For the front I'm closing in on 18k on a PP2CT and it's about time for a replacement.  I'm tempted to try the new Pure, but at the moment I'd rather not drop extra $ on a tire that might not last as long.  When I have some extra cash I'll give them a go, but for now I'll stick with what's working.

I had the estimated mileage on my original front wrong - got 14k out of the BT056 and 22k out of the PP2CT which I just replaced last month with another of the same.  

I won't comment on their longevity but... I loved the Pures on the track. I reckon they were up to temp within a corner or two. Someone else with them (on a VFR800 - non-VTEC) reckoned they were squirmier for longer they were brilliant on the Monster.

Very tasty - rear's already fitted to my gixxer trackbike now. Will do the front once I get back from fieldwork (need a new Road2 front for the Monster).

S2R w/ 20k miles.  O.E. Pirelli Supersport rear went 7k miles.  Front went 15k.  Stuck w/ Supersport for the front again and a Rosso for the rear, it lasted 9.5k.  Now I've got a Dunlop Roadsmart on the rear and the Pirelli up front.  I'm doing 130 miles a day and need the tires to last as long as possible.  Got the Dunlop on special and if it performs well, I'll stick w/ them.  I don't notice any goofy handling when leaned over w/ the mismatched tires either.  Almost went w/ the Michelins, but I work for Goodyear and had to support the company.   ;)

Later

I have Pilot Road 2 (not 2ct) love them, although next tire will be the 2ct. For me it takes lots of miles to get anywhere with twisties, so lots of straight driving. Roads are perfect for that. so far have somewhere between 4-5k miles on front and 3.5k miles on rear. Starting to square abit, but like I said lots of straight line driving. Still have some chicken strips on them, so I pushed them all the way, but have never had any slippage (less than 100 miles in the wet though).

For me I wish I had spend the extra $20-30 and went with the 2ct because I think they would have better touring milage. But either way totally worth it. I think I spent between $200-250 shipped between both tires.

OK OK OK , so Goodyear owns Dunlop? Did I read it right?

I can see I've joined this party very late.  Just figured I'd put my two cents in.  I have Metzler Z6's on my bike now.  I like them, they handle great.  One thing I don't care for is how quickly they react.  I will probably go with a slightly wider rear next time around.  I have also run the Pirelli Diablos (sport I think? definately not the corsas), and the Metzler M1 Sportec's.  I am switching back to the M1's next time.  For my money, they make my bike feel like it's on rails.  Mileage isn't quite as good as some, but I can at least get one good season of riding in (5,000 - 7,000 miles).

You might consider looking at a rounder profile front instead. [thumbsup]

So I'm in the market to get my 620 some new shoes. The front was worn pretty unevenly when I bought it a couple months ago and I'm thinking I might as well get a matching rear (they don't match currently). Live in downtown DC and have been commuting about 10-12 miles each way every day that it's not raining with as much afternoon fun riding as I can manage through suburbia, which seems to extend for miles and miles and miles, and into the (slightly) less populated parts of MD. Although I'm a relatively new rider, I'm interested in getting some cornering experience at a track school/day (probably next spring). So of course, I want everything...and this is what I was thinking.

Diablo Rosso Corsa vs Sportmax Q2:

The reviews seem to indicate that either of these tires is an ideal candidate for street riding with the occasional track day thrown in to spice it up. The reviews I have found seem to be those "infomercial" type reviews supported by the manufacturer (i.e. likely biased). Anyone have FHE with either/both of these tires? I don't mind spending good money on tires, but I also don't want to have to replace them every 3-4 months. I teach at a university so I couldn't afford a habit like that. Am I way off base? Is there another tire I should be looking at as well? Thanks for your input/feedback.

2009 696. I have 12,150 miles approx. I swapped the rear Battlax at just under 3K and switched it to a Dunlop Roadsmart. I just replaced front and rear with new Roadsmarts and I will report back at some point to see how I like the front. The rear tire has been great though. How can one complain about a tire that really hooks up especially if wet, and gets about 9K? Granted 2-3k was highway, but who cares. Great Tires.

I have a set of angel st's that replaced my corsa 3's. I'm not very aggressive at riding and spend most of my miles running around the back roads and the Skyline Drive area in Va. I've only got about 600 miles on my st's and no rain but so far I don't notice a huge differance from the Corsa III's.  Two and 1/2 miles from work and they grip just fine cold. (don't really push them). They won the world endurance race according to the sidewalls. I really miss the orange lettering that was on my Corsa III though

Can anyone comment on Continental Conti Motions? I am replacing a set of BT-021 that have lasted me all of 4k. The rear still has a few thousand left in it, but the front is knackered.

The Motions are all that I can afford at the moment.

Just put on a set of Dunlop Sportmax Q2s.  Been running Pilot Power 2CTs pretty consistently prior to this, which I like.  But I kept hearing the Dunlops were good, so decided to give them a shot.  And the price was right - ($210 for front and rear, no shipping, from Competition Accessories  ;D)

I've only got about 120 miles on them, but I gotta say, so far I like them a lot.  They have a "slower" turn-in than the 2 CTs, or maybe a better term would be more neutral.  The 2CTs tend to "fall in" to turns, which I'd gotten used to, so at first the Q2s felt strange.  But now that I'm

I just put a new Q2 on the back and like it. The Q2 feels good back there. Nice feel and neutral turn in. The tire guy said that the Q2 lasts longer than the Pure and since they were the same price I got it. He said the center compound was good for wear.

It's a 180/55. Funny thing, it's a big 180, it fills the swingarm/hugger like a 190/55 Pilot Power I had on previously. I reckon there's only 3-5mm in it.

(Looks like my earlier post got truncated for some reason - here's the re-post):

Just put on a set of Dunlop Sportmax Q2s.  Been running Pilot Power 2CTs pretty consistently prior to this, which I like.  But I kept hearing the Dunlops were good, so decided to give them a shot.  And the price was right - ($210 for front and rear, no shipping, from Competition Accessories  ;D)

I've only got about 120 miles on them, but I gotta say, so far I like them a lot.  They have a "slower" turn-in than the 2 CTs, or maybe a better term would be more neutral.  The 2CTs tend to "fall in" to turns, which I'd gotten used to, so at first the Q2s felt strange.  But now that I'm getting more used to them, I think I prefer the Dunlops.  They feel really, really planted in corners, very stable. 

I haven't pushed them too hard yet, but they are definitely confidence inspiring, and am looking forward to doing a more spirited canyon carve this weekend.  Can do another report after some real time on them.  But so far...daddy likey!   [thumbsup]

I think you might want to look at the Pirelli Diablo Rosso as well - I have Angel ST and like them a lot.
I also have two frineds that I would say are more aggressive than me - one has Diablo Rosso's on his GSX1K - he does a lot of track days and touring, the other guy has the Rosso Corsa - and just completed a Track day on them - but no real touring miles yet.
He's also on a GSX.
The second guy wants all out grip - which won't freak him out if it rains, the first guy wanted more ability to cover miles - with enough grip for track days.

Both are happy with their choices.

Me? I like something that won't square prematurely, and can handle some stick when it get's to the twisties - so far happy with the Angels - I can see that they warm and grip nicely when I get a little lean on.

I've run a couple sets of Michelin Pilot Powers on a 2001 900SS.  Not the 2CT dual-compound version... I was running the stock 170-series rear, and the 2CT doesn't come in that size.

I loved them.  Confidence-inspiring in the dry or wet, good ultimate grip, breakaway was progressive.  These tires stuck like glue when warm, and even when they were cold they never unpleasantly surprised me.

Only issue I ran into was that the rear started to show signs of flatspotting at 4k miles this last time around, but that's because I had moved, and every ride had at least 25 miles of superslab.  I was also riding with a passenger a LOT more often, again on the superslab.  Not the kind of use the Pilot Power was designed for.  I was going to switch to the Pilot Road 2's next time around, probably in ~2000 miles.

My family has experience with stock Dunlops on two Honda CBR 600RRs... they absolutely sucked.  Both bikes went sliding out from under their riders.  I also had a set of Dunlops on one of my cars, and they would never hook up, even on hot, dry pavement.  After these experiences, I refuse to run Dunlops.

One of my brothers has a Daytona 675 with the stock Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa Pro (OEM compound, not the SC1 or SC2 race compounds), and those stick like glue in the dry, but they're less than confidence-inspiring in the wet.  I'd have no problem using those on a sportbike, on the condition that I avoided wet roads.

So anyway... I'd run Michelins or Pirellis.  Never Dunlops.  Michelins are expensive, sure, but they're awesome tires.  When you only have two little tiny contact patches between your bike and the ground, in my opinion, money spent on quality tires is money well spent.

Just my $0.02...

I ride 2009 696 Duc Monster. I ride to work about 50 miles, 3-4 times/week plus on my days off on twist and turn roads. I'd say mostly 95% dry road since I live in AZ. I will need to change my tires, esp. the rear. The tires are still original tires and so far the bike has 6200 miles. If I'm not mistaken, from what I gathered, looks like a lot of ppl like the Pilot Road 2 CT?? Correct me if I'm wrong. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks! [moto]

I agree with you on the Michelins being expensive; but, I currently run Dunlop D220 in OEM size 120/60R17 and 160/60R17 on my M620D, these are great, where I live rains for 10 months in a row and they're holding up after about 5500kms or 3500mls ... Nothing bad to say from them either wet or dry.

The OEM Pirelli Diablo, dry road, OK[depending on surface] on the wet ... me stays home and walks ...

Due to money issues, will be installing a pair of Continental, too many names to remember, sorry .. will post once they're installed and broken in ...

my 0.02 ...

S2R800 - 90% commuting

My tires always seem to wear out or get holes in them, so I've tried a few different ones (and I can't afford a new set of Michelins every 3 months).  The stock battlax (BT-016?) squared off pretty quick.  I switched to the Shinko 009 Ravens, and was pretty happy with them for about 10 or 15k miles (2 fronts and 4 rears).  When the last set of Ravens fell prey to a nail, I switched to the Conti-motions, and was well pleased with them (turn-in was quicker and felt better than the Ravens, seemed to wear better).  I got a screw in the rear tire recently, and couldn't find the Conti-motions anywhere, so I went back to Shinko for the 006 Podiums.  They seem to "wander" in the ruts and are a bit twitchier in the cross-winds (straight-line) but work well in the corners.  I haven't ridden these in the rain yet, but they seem to do well over sand/gravel/dirt so I expect their rain performance to be acceptable.

mergatroyd,

thanks for the comments on Shinko ... was thinking on trying them on as for extrange reason, one guy sales them here in my OEM size 1260/60+160/60R17...

Update on the Podiums:

I noticed today that they seem to have calmed down (now that I have 400 or so miles on them).  I recall now that even the Ravens were a little twitchy in the beginning.  The rain groove in the front tire seems to take a little while to normalize (and it took longer than I expected).

After more sets of PP 2ct's than I want to think about, I just ordered a set of Road 2's.

Not being an extremely aggressive rider, and commuting more, what are the big differences am I going to notice?

Hopefully a few more miles.

Will they be a lot less sticky in the corners?

Bick,

The 2's have been replaced by threes, better for wet weather.

After much deliberation, I've just put on another set of PP's. My dealer thought that I'm riding it kinda hard and that I may feel some slippage with the roads. After this set I'm going to give them a try anyway. Good luck and keep us posted with what you think.

Road 2s take a little bit to warm up and have a slightly stiff, heavy feel to them.  Take it just a bit easy when they are cold or when the road is wet.  They steer very nicely and give good feedback. Once hot and on a dry road they stick quite well. FYI Avon Storms are also a sport touring tire, but sort of the opposite.  They stick really well compared to most tires, even non-touring tires in the cold and in the wet, but steer a little more slowly and don't have quite the level of precision/feel that a sport tire will usually have.  If pushed really hard in hot weather they can get pretty hot and feel slightly greasy, though they still stick fine.  I gumballed mine without being too insane while loaded for a 6-week tour.  Great mileage from them though (a touch more than I got for PR2s).

Thought I posted in here before...  ???

Anyway, Pirelli Angel ST's on my S4, virtually all commuting, some sporty riding.

They feel just fine.  :)

5k miles on the rear, 3k miles on the front.

Still ~5mm of tread depth on the rear.
Maybe get 10k miles out of it?
I'll believe that when I see it.  [coffee]

I'm waiting for my pirelli angel st  ;D
i have it on aprilia shiver 750 and the tire is great!!! so far 6k km and still looks great [thumbsup]

Just unmounted a pr2 rear yesterday. Doa at 5500 miles on ktm 950 smr.

The first half of its life it stuck great in wet or dry with practically no warm up.

The last half of its life it was 90% in the dry and 50-60% in the wet for grip

I hopped to see more mileage but such is life. 

Replaced f/r with plain old diablos I got a great deal on.

S2R800: Ran the stock Diablo's to 9K before replacing. As you can guess, I'm not that spirited a rider and now I'm 95% commuting 30 mi each way in Central Oregon, which means it can rain/snow/rain/snow at any time. For instance this morning, it was 39 degrees F when I left the house and it will get into the 70's on my ride home (I'm just glad it's over 30 degrees now... yay!). Lastly, have about 2+ mi of dirt road to contend with each way (gotta love living out in the sticks)...

So with all of that said, looking to replace my current Pirelli Phantoms (got a great deal on them,  $75 for the pair), which are already flattening out at 3K mi. Any suggestions? Don't have a ton of money, probably looking to purchase later on this summer...

Thank you for your time!
marvel

check

http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/1/28/DV/Street-Bike-Tires.aspx (http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/1/28/DV/Street-Bike-Tires.aspx) 

or

http://www.kneedraggers.com/catalog/Tires (http://www.kneedraggers.com/catalog/Tires)

or

http://www.chaparral-racing.com/motorcycle-tires (http://www.chaparral-racing.com/motorcycle-tires)

hope it helps

Update on the Pirelli Angel ST's on my S4.

Still feel just fine.  Smiley

7k miles on the rear, 5k miles on the front.

^ no flat spot?

Flat is about 1 1/2" wide on the rear, 1" on the front.

On the past week-end i get a second flat tire issue on my new diablo rosso II.[bang] So i decided to avoid living with 2 patch on my tire, and i was not in my home town, i asked to a shop near by to change it with the same one. Of course the guy told me he had any diablo, so offer me a Dunlop Q2 which i accepted because i was very far from home...
 
Since i made this change when i reach 75-80 mph, i feel a vibration that was not there before... :-\
My concern is about questionning the balancing wheel job or this choice of knew tire??

On a lot of bike forum, race track people seem happy with this Q2..

Maybe some of you know this tire model..

Balance job, tire not culprit ...

I did a tire change to a customer who didn't want them balanced, installed my old Dunlop D220 on his bike, GS500E ... no problemo ...

Thanks Darkmonster!!

I will get a new balance job!

You're welcome Spck31

I'm blessed to live 5.4 miles from some of the best mountain twist anywhere. This accounts for 90% plus of my riding.

I've been running the 2ct's for around 2k now. They are wearing super even and once to temp are quite grippy.

I may opt for something even more stick prone, but only if I can justify the switch. Really diggin these shoes.

Pirelli Angel ST's

Now at ~6400 miles on the front, ~8500 on the rear.
Vast majority of mileage is commuting.

Rear tire has about a 2" wide flat spot in the center.
Front is getting a little cuppy.

Tread depth on the rear is about 3mm, but tread doesn't go all the way to the center.
Tread depth on the front is 3mm at the center.
Had 5mm of rear tread at 5k miles.
Seems a pretty safe bet that the rear will go over 10k.

Putting new Pirelli Rosso Corsas on the Monster. Got  'em cheap. Took 'em off the track bike and put Pirelli SBK slicks on instead. Probably last 5 minutes, but will be a hell of a lot of fun!

Replacing worn out Q2s and the difference in the size of the 180 rears is substantial. The rear Q2  looks like a 190 in comparison. I'll have better chain clearance with the Rosso Corsas. Edit: there is s good 10-15mm clearance from the chain, whereas the Q2s gave barely 5mm clearance. The Rosso Corsa front is also not s tall tyre.

Just shows that different makes of tyres with the same numbers messure different in profile, width and shape.

We'll see how long they last.

Well I have put a few hundred miles on them and they feel very confidence inspiring.

I can say that they are the best tyres I have ever used bar race slicks off the warmers. Excellent feel and feedback, they steer with precision and respond very quickly to steering imputs, but did not fall in like I thought they might, which is good. The feedback on turn in is excellent. The grip and confidence that goes with them is great.There is a sure footed feel accompanied with great agility. That dual trait is very impressive.

I have not used them in the wet and the tread is that of a cut slick, minimal but more than a Power One!

Like I have said, I don't think they will last long.

If money is no option and you must have the stickiest sports tyre, then I can recommend them, (I was just lucky to get them).

Speeddog - what psi are you running? I've got a flat spot on my angel ST's about 2" and bumped the pressure up to 40. Seemed to help. Forgot the mileage but have been impressed so far with mine

I ride like a pussy so mine don't wear  edge to edge.

I run about 34 or 35 psi in the rear Angel.

I've got almost 10k on the rear, fitted it just a bit over a year ago.
Almost a 2" flat spot in the center.

I'm guessing the roads that I'm normally on just aren't very abrasive.

Conti Sport Attack  [thumbsup] [thumbsup] [thumbsup] [thumbsup] [thumbsup]
6OOO Klm so far and hardley worn ,amazing grip in dry or wet all the way to the now non existant chickens.
Heat up fast and feel nice and sticky when you run your hand over them after a short ride.
Reasonably fast tip in but very stable through a corner, unlike the PP Pures  [puke]
Which were unstable and very scary after only half worn after to many heat cycles they went hard and slippery.
I will be getting these again and will also put a set on the wife's Monster.
Seriously good Tyre check out this review  http://www.canyonchasers.net/reviews/tires/conti-sport-atk-rev.php (http://www.canyonchasers.net/reviews/tires/conti-sport-atk-rev.php)

Switched to Dunlop Q2s recently and have to say these tires are great. Have done 1 track day on them and just love the grip they give. Also seem to wear better than the Bridgestone BT-016s that I was previously running.

Does anyone have any experience with the Dunlop Sportmax Roadsmart II's? I am ready for front/rear on my M1100 and thought I would give these a try. I probably do 80% commuting. 17,000 miles total in 2 years.

I had great experience with the D220 and the RoadSmarts . . . great on dry and wet .  .  .

Living on angeles crest, I rode out a set of pilot road 2cts in 3000 miles, twice, then went to Sportmax GPs when I moved to colorado and low speed highsided during take-off because the tires wouldn't heat up enough to ride...  I'm on Road 2CTs again.  On the mountain, I wore through to belts front and rear on the sides of the tires.  I doubt I'll have that problem here

I finally had the Dunlop Roadsmart II's fitted to my '09 M1100. Unfortunately when they called to tell me my bike was ready for pickup I was pretty deep into a HEAVY rum & coke so the bike will sit there until Tuesday.

I have just over 18,000 miles on the bike and do about 80% commuting, I'll let you know how they hold up.


Mark

Cords starting to show in my angel ST rear with a little over 7000 miles. Sides are practically unused.
Need to lean more often. I'm planning on replaceing with the same thing. Front is good. Anybody have  a suggestion other than another angel ?

bdub

Same I got a few years ago . . . keep them paired

Crap.

I made a bet with someone that the angel st I ordered wouldn't last 5000 miles on my KTM.

so ....

I don't have full confidence ill win.

Sounds like donut time. 

(We'll need video.  [popcorn] )

what he said . . .

No burnouts was one of the rules. . .

so . . . we have to put miles on tit . . . gotta ride  . . . lots
slide in turns lots . . .just ride ! ! !

Well, here's the thing.  People talked about getting 7-8000 miles out of a pilot road 2 on bikes like mine (like an s4r, twin, 4v, dohc)

I got 5500 and that was a stretch.

I never get what other people get.  Ever.

I use a lot of throttle, and a lot of engine braking.  Both of those eat rubber.

I'm just doomed to buying a rear tire every year and a front every other year (fronts seem to last a while)

Given how much time they spend in the air, I'm not terribly surprised.

KTM's built in tire saver.

They respect the environment :D

I got 2500kms from the first Pirelli OEM Diablo I got with the bike , , , don't ask please . .. Then I got a set of Dunlop Qualifiers not the new ones . .  got about 7000kms of the rear got a new one and at about 2500kms had the accident where the front had a cut so had to replace them . . under a lot of advice from this forum and pm, got a set of Michelin Power Pilot, series 1, great tires . . . jsut after 1000kms[600mls] at last got the little hairs cmnpletely off great grip, had to lear they're not as round as Dunlop or Pirelli so leaning was faster . . .have been playing around with tp to find them . . . hope to do it soon . .  cause now,. I'll have to set up for wet  . . . but avg for me has been 5000mls rear . . . so, either I do not know how to ride or what cause I dont rip the bike when I'm on it . .

Just put on a new rear angel. Sides were perfect, center cords showing slightly.
Got 6,878 miles on the old one. Since I don't lean that much (commuting, cruising around,stuff like that). I real happy, the grip is beyond my riding skills and rain running is a non-issue.

Great tires, not as grippy as the corsa 3's I switched from but still beyond my skill level.

I now have a 1000mls on the Michelin PR3s on the s4 and have to say they have made me a bit of a hooligan I'm even trying to get the knee down and I'm a tad over 45 and I'm supposed to have more sense.

who said such a thing?! :o

I'm about 200 miles in an an angel st rear.

I like this tire. I like the profile. Its predictable tip over all the way to the edge.

Excellent dry traction. No miles in the wet yet.

So far I'm all smiles.

1000 mile update.

I still like the Angel. . . even though the flat spot has started in the center.

Wet traction is good enough for a power wheelie in standing water [evil]

I LOVED the Angels on my 900SS.  Wet traction was excellent, and I had around 3500 on them when I sold the bike and they still had plenty of tread left!

Anybody ever run Bridgestone BT-016? I can get a BT-016 Pro and a BT-016 rear for $221.

What about Bridgestone S20?  I can run those for $230.

I would LOVE to run Angels, but they're pricey now it seems.

JM

I think I was right around $200 for just a 180 rear (regular diablo on the front)

That sounds like my findings, I can get a set Pilot Powers for $220, ContiMotions for $170 or Angels for $275 (but I would have to use a 170 rear and I'm not sure I want to).  I've never tried Powers, so I may give them a shot.  I got great grip from the ContiMotions, but mileage wasn't great.

JM

Last set I got was Michelin Power Pilots, they're great, not so many miles yet, between weather and working from now . . .But, they do grip, still looking fr the TP to use them . . . 32/34 like I had the Dunlops seem not to properly work but when 32/32 . . . mpg goes way down . . .32/33 seems to be working the compromise but, never letting go of the grip . . . my 0.02 . ..

When my Diablo Rosso Corsas wear out I'll be fitting Conti Motions because I got them so cheap. They are a new tyre down here, so not much data on them.
Anyone have advice on tyre pressures?
I'm on a lightened M900 by 35lbs and I weigh 190. Grip means more to me than wear.

I've been running ContiMotions.  I usually run 35R and 33F which eems to do ok.  I can easily drag knees and hard parts on them.  They haven't lasted as well as I thought a stort-tour tire should, BUT for the price, they're really hard to beat.  I think I got about 4000 miles out of mine.

However, I have some funky wear, and while I've had a similar pattern  on Pirellis and Dunlops, it is by far the worst on the ContiMotion so far.  It's a really noticeable lip on the leading edge of the tread.  It's probably more my suspension than the tire.

JM

Thanks journeyman. I'll give those pressures a go.

Pirelli Angel 160/60-17.

Rear of my M750 commuter.

Down to the cord at 11.7k miles, 4 months and a week.

Worked great, other than the wearing out part.  [laugh]

Pirelli Angel soft , best  rated motorcycle tire I heard. I bought a set to my Hyper 1100. After 4000 miles of hard riding in Pennsylvania the tires are like brand new. The middle section of the tire is very hard compound the side is same as diablo rosso corsas (softer to stick well).
I recommend I try  to all of you -and you will be happy with as much as I do. I do not even want to try other brand anymore.

I have been running Avon Storm II Ultras on my modded 1999 Kawasaki ZRX1100 (100 hp at the rear wheel) for four sets now.  On one set I got 10K out of the rear and 9K out of the front.  Last rear was replaced at about 8K and the front is still on the bike but about due for replacement.  I ride mostly mountain roads, not much on the freeway or straight roads.  So, mine have not "squared off" too much.  They have been great tires.  Very confidence inspiring.

So, I am putting a set on the 2000 Monster 900 I recently purchased.  We'll see how they work on the Monster.  I was going to go with Avon's stickier tire but the place I bought them (American Moto Tire) did not have that tire in a 170 rear. 

The Ducati and the ZRX wear the same size tires, which is interesting.

The first tires I put on the ZRX were Bridgestone BT-021s and the fronts cupped and the rears "squared off."  They didn't last long, either.  So, no more Bridgestones for me.  My wife's Yamaha FZ-6 has some Michelin Pilot Powers that have worn well.

Anyone try these?

http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/14/72/962/6175/ITEM/Shinko-003-Stealth-Front-Tire.aspx (http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/14/72/962/6175/ITEM/Shinko-003-Stealth-Front-Tire.aspx)

I have the regular ones on my 450 sm (not the ultra soft) and they seem fine. I'm wondering how they'd do on a big bike though. I'm due for a front.

My S4 in thailand Pirrelli  Diablo Rosso corsa 3 s are shagged to the bone , thay have lasted really well but i only rate them 80%  for handling stability and comfort but 100% braking and 90% for grip , I really wanted Dunlops Q2 as i have had fantastic 100% results with m750 and SS750 in UK but none available here  ,at the moment
choice here is limited and tyres very expensive due to import tax ,for instance  pilot Road 3s are $450 a pair

they have Michelin Pilot road 3 in stock but i worry about reports that they dont work well in hot weather , should i go for them or not ,, Diablo rossos are available again too but i really want to try something different , I can get Pilot powers as well which might be better??? , and roadsmarts as well and all sorts of bridgestones but i have never ever liked bridgestone,  they seem very hard and uncomfortable tyres I have 3 days to make a decision

its very hot and sometimes very wet here now but hot hot & very 90f + with high humidity  all the time

Hi guys,
I am running Pirelli Rossa II on my m696. Previous was stock Battlax. I had 30\32 PSI pressure on old ones. And I damaged rim running on Rossa's at that pressure. Rossa is much softer and the country I live has very bad roads. Now I am running 39/39 PSI. While max pressure printed on tire is 42.
39\39 is good for me but I would like to set them to 40-41. Will it cause any problems running on max pressure? And what about if I am riding 50% time with passenger?

 At the higher pressure the center of the tire will wear faster, making a flat spot, and you will have less traction in corners as the contact patch will not be able to spread and get more rubber in contact with the pavement.
 You will get less "cupping" of the tread blocks, though.

I know that, SpikeC [beer]. But what does max pressure on tyre means? What will happen if I ride at max pressure?

On your Monster, if you ride at max pressure, the tire will not warm up as well and traction will suffer.

So how warm tire actually gets at normal pressure?
There is summer right now and road is hot as kitchen pan. Can't believe that tire will remain cold at that ambient temperatures.

I didn't say it will stay cold.

I said it won't perform the way it was designed to because it won't reach the temperature it's supposed to.

 What I said.

but it does not explanes pretty much.
I talked with my buddies tonight and was said that high pressure will damage the rim as the low pressure, that hard pressurized tire will damage rim on bumps and potholes.. Sounds like bullshit for me.
I am ok with less traction, it is 14T m696, there is no so much speeds, and I don't won't damage rim on bump and instantly lose control because of instantly flattened tire.

Pilot Power 3's:

So I had these installed with 3k on the bike. First rear picked up a staple at 500 miles so I elected to replace it. These have been great to date awesome wear, no flat spotting, almost instant warm up (although it is California  ;) when I tend to get a bit ham fisted on corner exits, it will predictable slide a bit which just tells me to slow down a bit I'm on a public road and have all intentions of going home in the same condition I left.

I'm now at 7k+ and no issues so far and they appear that they're approaching the halfway mark. Best wear I've seen yet from a Michelin. [thumbsup]

Any recommendations for those looking to run motard wheels (3" front/4" rear) on a dual purpose bike, say 120/70/17 & 150-160/60/17?
 Any brands stand out in those sizes.

Role would be mainly touring with pillion and gear on country highways and mountain back roads and occasional good dirt roads thrown in.

I just changed the rear and I have 26,000 on the bike now so the rear lasted 8,000 miles. It could have gone a bit longer but not much. The front still looks pretty good.

And I probably did 90% commuting.

Mark

3" and 4" you'd probably want to run 110 - 150. You can run sportdemons in those sizes though need 150/70-17 on the back and they're excellent. Only FHE I have with them is on the woman's baby Ninja but it's good... even had some at pace rides on some good gravel and dirt on it though. Scorpion trails wouldn't be bad either if you want it to be slightly more dirt focussed - I think that's what the strudle runs, but they make them in smaller sizes too.
If you were less worried about the dirt, Pilot Powers come in a 150 rear which would be fine. If you want to really be excellent on the road going around corners, we run supercorsas on the woman's RGV which is 110 front 150 rear.

Pilot Power 3 update:

So I'm now at 8k and the tires have 5k on them. I'll probably get another couple hundred miles and replace them. The center strips could easily go anoth 500+ but the sides are pretty well shaved down to the wear bars. I've already got a second set of these. So far theyve been a good value and great performers.

Angel ST rear is smoked at 4300 miles. A 1 inch strip of cords is showing in the center. No burnous, just lots of commuting.

KTM 950 $MR

Wow.

I've gotten >10k on 2 Angel ST's in 90% commuting.

I do not understand this concept!

Some other smr guys have gone 7000ish but it seems most of us are killing rears at less than 5k.

All I can guess is heavy throttle and heavy engine braking lead to the wear.

Looked at my M750 logbook, I got 11,733 miles out of a 160/60 Angel ST.

Bulk of that was easy 75%freeway/25%suburban commute.
But including ~2000 miles on a summer coastal tour last year, loaded down with me and 75# of gear.

But an M750 is not an 950SMR, and my roads are not your roads.

The condition of the roads will make a huge difference in the longevity of tires.  Rougher roads will eat up tires faster...as will heavy acceleration and engine braking/rear braking on the rear tire. 

That's a good point, however, I would say the roads I'm normally on are in pretty good shape!

What is a good low cost commuting tire?

for me it would depend on:

1. what is low cost for you?
2. what is commuting for you?
3. no 'spirited' rides?
4. rain riding?
5. long lasting?

a lot to consider in order to even think of a suggestion . . .

1. lower relative to other brand/model tires of the same size
2. rides that consist of getting from A-->B as the main goal.
3. possibly but extra performance is not an area of concern
4. not as a rule but if I am caught in the rain I prefer to have traction
5. yes

Then I can either recommend:

Dunlop D220, use it and is "overall good", where I am rains 10 months of the year and they lasted around 10 000kms/6000kms, had to be replaced due to accident and cut front tire. I did scrape once a footpeg with this one ;D

Michelin Pilot Road, either the 2 or 3 version . . .

This is as far as personal experience; right now I am running Pilot Power, don't ride much in the rain nowadays.

Used 'take offs"

good source?

Thought I'd chime in on this thread. Was walking through my garage the other day, looked down at my rear tire and WTF?

(http://i842.photobucket.com/albums/zz345/chriskuecker/C280CC61-D980-4D7F-8845-361382785DA9_zpsc2f7kof4.jpg) (http://s842.photobucket.com/user/chriskuecker/media/C280CC61-D980-4D7F-8845-361382785DA9_zpsc2f7kof4.jpg.html)

That's a Continental ContiMotion 180/55. I know they're a budget tire, but I still expected it to last longer than the 4,000 miles it has lasted, especially being a dual-compound tire. I should add that there is plenty of tread life left along the edges - roads are so straight around here that it's impossible to not wear out the middle of the tire well before the shoulders. The front still has good life left on it, so I paid the $112 for another Conti rear hoping that the two of them wear out at the same time and I can replace both with a nicer set.

Aside from wearing out fast, I really don't have any complaints on the ContiMotions, especially for what you pay for them.

I've been running a set of Avon Storm II Ultras on the Monster for about 6K miles now and have a lot more miles on both front and rear.  I generally do more riding on twisty roads than straight but just took a 680 mile ride through Death Valley and a lot of that was pretty straight or gradual curves with maybe 50-75 miles of real twisties. 

I have the Avons on all our bikes: 1999 Kawasaki ZRX, 2000 Monster 900 and Yamaha FZ-6 and have gotten great mileage out of each set.  And I like the way they feel.  Very confidence inspiring.  Edge to edge on the Monster's rear tire tells you something.   

 I have a set of Pilot Power 3s on my Bimota DB5R. I passed 4k miles recently and they still look great. 2k miles were in and around the Portland area, and 2k were on the road, some highway and some twisty secondary. For the grip these give in the corners I am very impressed with their longevity. The previous Conti Road Attacks were gone in 3k. You can really see the dual compound!

(http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc274/spikethebike/IMG_0035.jpg) (http://s216.photobucket.com/user/spikethebike/media/IMG_0035.jpg.html)

Recently replaced the front Pirelli Angel ST on my M750.

Still some tread left, but the profile was getting a bit odd.

21,180 miles.

[Dolph]

On a 620, would you run a 60 or 70 profile front tyre? It appears they come with a 120/60/17 front. Looks a bit "tucky" to the eye, but if its oem,?  What do you guys reckon?

I put 70's on unless the owner specifically wants the 60.

Helps the rims stay round.

Thanks mate. The roads are pretty crap here, so a good idea.

Just swapped my Angel st for Michelin road 4s. Only my second set of Michelins ever. Got over 12000 on my front angel.
Michelins seem nice, only have about 50 miles on them so far. Has anyone noticed road noise or humming from the front
of road 4s? Or is my front bearing going bad?

bdub

They are tires that are used at the track for racers or track day riders. Middle of tire is basically brand new and the edges are worn. I try to sell my track day take offs for $60/set. Dunlap Q3's 120/180 and the sides aren't burnt, just worn enough for me to replace.

So,after 4 sets of PP3's I decided to try something different. Mostly due to having lunch with the Dunlop fellas and them buying me a beer. [thumbsup]

I've levered on a set of Q3's and can say wow, what a difference, first day up on Palomar I warmed them up with a speed limit run up the MTN to look for popo and help scrub off any mold release. On the way down they were feeling fine so, lets drop a knee and see how they are. They are much more forgiving than the PP3's and the steering is nearly effortless.

I'm sure that these won't last as long (got 5,000 miles from the PP3), but I really love the way they're feeling under me.

I need to replace my Dunlop RoadSmart and have been looking around at reviews, the jury seems to think that the Michelin 4s are a great tyre. I see you have had yours since October and was wondering if you could give me a update?
Don

Hey Don,  I still haven't run my tires in the rain much, but the little I have they were very good.
I "feel" I'm getting better leans but that is probably just new tires.

Did you get a set? How are they for you?

If your rides include some of the dirty stuff, Shinko 705s are now available in 170/60/17 rear and 120/70/17 front... for about half the cost of a set of TKC-80s.

They seem to do pretty good on gravel roads and such, and if they wear like they do on an ADV bike they won't break the bank on mileage.

Michelin tyre pressure.

Fitted another Michelin Pilot Power 3 today. The tyre guy (very experienced bloke) said that the Pilot Power 3 and Pilot Road 4 series require higher tyre pressures than what people are used to. He said the tyre construction is much lighter than say what Dunlop run and that a pressure range of say 36 front/38 rear. I often use the 33/36 or 32/35 as a base line with street tyres, but he said I should have a few more psi with these tyres due to the light sidewall construction. Sounds like a carryover from the Pilot Pure style of light construction. The bloke also said that lower pressures than suggested will lead to abnormal wear. He is not a Michelin rep, the shop sells Dunlops, Pirellis, etc, he said it's just a tyre characteristic. I'm wondering if the new extra tread patterns are causing issues with wear and this is a way to mitigate it.


Dunlop are going the direction of heavy sidewall construction allowing lower pressures (especially their race tyres) and Pirelli appear to be more that way, so it seems that Michelin are going their own way on this. I wonder if this approach/philosophy has had ramifications at the racing level with the tyre issues Michelin are having at Moto GP?

I decided to try some different pressures starting with 34-35/36-37.

Anyone also heard this advice or different?

I have noticed that I feel low pressure when running pilots sooner than others.  I run 32-34 in the front, 34-36 in the rear, higher as the weather gets cooler and lower when the weather is getting warmer.  On the other hand, from the Michelin website:

Front    120/70 ZR 17 M/C (58W) F TL    Front pressure    2.1 bar    2.1 bar
Rear            180/55 ZR 17 M/C (73W) R TL    Rear pressure    2.3 bar    2.3 bar

We also tend to run higher pressure in NYC due to crappy roads.

I've always run 32F/34R with Michelin street tires. Maybe a pound or two less when the temps drop to the 40's

You'll flat spot that rear pretty fast at 37 pounds.

Yep, that's what Im thinking. I dont know how the things would warm up at those pressures on a cold day.
I went for a ride for a couple of hours tonight. I felt happier with the tyres at the lower pressures I normally run. It was cold (but dry) tonight about 10 C. I won't go over 34/36, probably sit around 33/35 and see how they wear.

I still think 34/36 is too high.

Michelin tires are nothing like Dunlops for sure, but they don't need high pressures.

 I put  over 6k miles on a pilot power 3 at 35psi and it had very even wear. The only reason I replaced it at that time was because I was about to leave for California and my buddy insisted that it would not last, but I was sure that it had another k in it easy.

G'day Spike. Was that a rear tyre? I'm guessing it was.
That's great news, I'll go back to my normal tyre pressures.

I bet the bloke I spoke to is used to heavier bikes or bikes with a front end weight bias. The Hyper is very light, as is the front.

Not relevant to Michelins, but I run 32/34 with my Pirelli Angel GTs.

I've found that the Michelins tend to have a floppy carcass, compared to the others.

Bridgestones, stiff carcass.

I mounted up a Shinko on the front of a bike once, counseled the owner against it, but he wanted it.
That thing was a brick.
To be fair it felt like it had been (inadvertently) baked.

They are noticebly lighter tyres. A pound or two more shouldnt hurt. 3 or 4 or 5 or 6 sounds a bit much.

Liking the turn in on the Power 3s.

I've now ridden my father's M900 with the Shinko 705s... not too shabby if your ride includes some gravel. His suspension is a bit weathered, but the tires allow a surprising amount of front braking in the skiddy stuff.

Anyone try the Pirelli Rosso III? They are a new release. Pirelli used to be the most expensive tyre down here, but an Angel ST rear is now 50 bucks cheaper than a Michy PR4.

My bike is now sporting Bridgestone Battlax Hypersport S21 tires.  Incredible!  Improved turn in and a smooth ride.

Sorry, this is kind of a cross post from another thread. I didn't know this one was here.

Here is a picture of my Angel GT with over 12,000 miles on it. Looks like it's probably got 4-5 more.

(http://i1153.photobucket.com/albums/p513/NAKID1/E90F9A29-EE9C-46D9-B025-AD3B0BAA2C46_zps1othlarz.jpg) (http://s1153.photobucket.com/user/NAKID1/media/E90F9A29-EE9C-46D9-B025-AD3B0BAA2C46_zps1othlarz.jpg.html)

Although it is a different size than the stock (190/55/17 vs 180/60/17) I haven't too much of an issue with the Traction Control. I did bump the settings from a 4 to a 3 for some mild intervention during sharp corner exits. No noticeable slippage.
I would rather stay stock size as this one has my speedo (and thus odometer) reading slightly higher than it should.

You missed it for 8 1/2 years? [roll] :-*

I tend to not even notice the pinned threads...

You're not alone.

I posted in racing and track days, but anyone try Dunlop superbike slicks? I used them years ago and found they gave less grip than Micheys but really talked to you.
Coming off Pirelli SBK slicks that are toast. Bike is Gixxer 750 which are now recommended 120/190 in current slicks (used to be 120/180).

So I replaced the rear with another Angel GT. I wasn't yet showing cord, but it was quite thin. It lasted a total of just over 13000 miles. I'm happy with that!

Anyone come across Michelin Pilot Street in 120/70/17 & 180/55/17? Supposed to be a sportier version of the Pilot Road 2 tyres with a more triangulated profile?

My Michy Pilot Power 3 rear only lasted a few thousand kms on the Hyper. Put a Pilot Road 4 on the back for some longevity. The PP3 front shows minimal wear however 8).

Doing similar with my M900. Pilot Road 2 on the rear and Pilot Power 3 on the front.
I had to fit the PP3 up front after trying a Metzler Roadtec Z8 sport touring tyre. The Z8 appears to be well suited to heavier sport touring bikes and my svelte little Monster could not warm up the tyre even on hot days and hard runs. I got back from a three hour ride on a 90° day and the Z8 was cool to the touch while the rear Michy was warm. I had the front regularly chirp under braking and once lock up at 60 mph. Reducing psi did not fix this. Clearly a too heavy construction and hard compound for my 175kg dry M900.
I'm sure not a bad tyre, but more a bad tyre selection on my part. The PP3 up front will restore my confidence.

Tyre update.
Confidence restored. After a morning ride with temps starting at 75° and ending at 100° through our local mountains and valleys, feel and grip returned with both the front PP3 and rear PR2 getting nice and warm becoming grippy quite quickly. This allowed good lean angles and acceleration off corners with smoother, faster corner entries and transitions through the esses. Braking feedback returned as did front end feel carrying momentum into corners. While I limit trail braking and hard braking over bad bumps on the street,  I could do so with caution.  I was comfortable part hanging off "one cheek street style" and did some great hill climbing. Made for enjoyable riding at a spirited (but not silly) pace. A riding mate noticed the difference.
In this environment the Monster shines.

Since changing from the Metzler Z8 Roadtec to the Michelin Pilot Power 3, my bike's speedo reads differently. Speed checking against my buddy's MTS1100 at 100kmh (60mphish), revealed the Metzler having a taller profile reading 9-10km low while the Michy read 3km high. Since both were 120/70/17 tyres, it demonstrates how different tyre brands and even tyre models vary in size despite the numbers on the sidewall. It's certainly a tall tyre to throw the speedo out as much as it did. Shades of how 180/55/17 Dunlop Qualifiers were as wide as other brands 190s.

Michelin Road 5 now on sale. Anyone tried them?

Michelin Power 3 looks to be replaced by Power RS. Anyone tried them?

Eric likes them. I haven't tried them yet.

 [thumbsup] cheers.
Michelin are doubling over the belt in the tyre wall/bead area for a siffer carcass there with a more compliant centre. Stiffer side wall with soft compound and more compliant centre with a harder compound if I read correctly. Interesting to see if the tyre pressures might come down a little like Dunlop.

Fitted a Road 5 on the rear to go with the Power 3 up front. Hope to ride this week and see how the Road 5 goes. I'm assured by my tyre people that the Road 5 has both more all round grip and longevity than the Road 4. Next front will be a Power RS.

I’ll be testing that RS front and Road 5 rear combo myself in the next few weeks.

Let us know. [thumbsup]

Power 3 front, Road 5 rear combination feels good. The Road 5 rear has an agile profile which I felt immediately, but still maintains straight line stability. I'm guessing the compliant centre carcass helps there. Grip felt good like a sports tyre ten years ago.

This seems to be a pretty long-lived thread with sporadic input .... anyway, I´ve used the Bridgestone S20 for a bout 3 years, swapping to the new S21´s this summer. I think they are great, dry, wet, road, track. They have also rated very well in various tests, most recently in Perf Bikes test. As far as I´m concerned, I´d recommend them to anyone short of pure track riders.   

S21s are on my bike.  Love them!

What kind of longevity you get with the Bridgies? A street sports tyre like a Q3 or Power3/RS?What pressures do you run? I haven't run Bridgies in ages.

I really can't say too much about mileage since I have not recorded that, and since so much has been on track. There was still thread left on the S20's but I thought they started to feel a bit vague on track.
I run 1.9 / 2.1 r/f on track, and something like 2.3 / 2.1 on road (solo, 33 / 30 psi). The track pressures would work on road as well, but a bit more protects the rims, if nothing else. So far, anything up to 2.5 / 2.3 has worked fine (36 / 33 psi).

I run 34/36 because of our battlefield quality roads, but they are happy with 32/34 (street).  I expect maybe 6-7k miles out of the rear.

To me, turn in is as good as the Power3, seems more stable and the ride is a little better. 

Thanks fellas.

I liked the Dunlop Q3+ so much I replaced with same today.  Maybe its the suspension changes, but these tires wear very evenly for me right through to the end.  Especially the front stayed nice and rounded.  Didn't monitor miles, but they lasted longer than previous Pilot types I've typically used.  Neutral profile.  Warm up quickly.  I ride exclusively twisties.  Was tempted to try the Power RS and had them both in my hand, but decided not to mess with a good thing (yet).

BK

Fair enough.

These next set will only be my second set of Michelin’s for the Monster.

If they go well I’ll probably stick with them (no pun intended) but until recently (4 years ago) I’ve been a Dunlop bloke.

If those Bridgies are cheaper, I may try them next time.

I've generally felt good with Michies on the street and Dunlop at the track.

Can give a first impression of Pirelli MT60RS tyres on my M750, (120/70/17 & 160/60/17). Surprisingly good on paved roads with nice turn in and linear steering response on that model bike. Grip on Tarmac felt quite hi for a block type tyre without squirm. Feel quite secure with these tyres. I will report on wet weather grip when I get a chance. While not knobbies they give reasonable traction on dirt roads and evenly graded trails. They should feel better on dirt roads with the pressures dropped. They are probably classed as a 70/30-80/20% road/off road tyre. The Corsa version is used as a wet race tyre. Only been 300 miles on these tyres so I don't know how they will wear.
Update: my pillion and I rode through the local valley today and mountains at night and although at a safe pace I can report that grip at lean angles was impressive. While not a hyper sport tyre the grip felt akin to a quality sports touring tyre. I felt confident and secure from tyre feedback with significant lean angles at a moderate pace. An impressive tyre.

Another bit of useless info about these tyres is that the front 120/70/17 is almost a 75 or 80 in profile and the rear 160/60/17 is more like a 150 possibly giving some indication of their dual sport orientation.

Going to make the change from Michelin Pilot Power 3 to a Power RS front tyre on my M900. Now the weather is cooler and Ive loaded up the front suspension for more feel with stock fork height and 20mm + rear ride height on rebuilt forks. What is happening with the Power 3 mid corner is instability due to the soft side walls when the air pressure is less than 35psi. I checked with my tyre guy and he said that 36psi worked well and when I tested that pressure it did feel much better, but now the warm up takes too long. I run the rear Road 5 at 35psi. Hmmm, firm front and softer rear tyre pressures, anyone would think I was used to race tyres.  ;D
The Power RS reportedly has heavier side walls and softer compounds for quicker warm up and more stability with less psi . It appears I like a hard sidewall and lower pressures like a race tyre (surprise surprise), so maybe I'm a Dunlop man after all.
Another different characteristic of the Power RS front tyre is it's rounder profile with a more even turn in. I have not liked the last minute fall in of the Power 3 and my apparent under inflation has made it worse. My tyre guy said that the belts were not correctly locked into position with the lower psi I was using and the tyre would suddenly give at greater lean angles. He was correct.

Anyone got any tips?

No tips, but I used to run the back  power 3 at 36-38.  Less than 34 you felt it.  Love the Bridgestone S21s on my bike.

What characteristics about the 21's you like?

Quick but unlike previous sport Bridgestones, gentle turn in, stick when cold and a comfy ride. 

What pressures would you run?

I've never run Michelin street tires at anything but 32/34.

You've already said that's not working for you.

It's not ok with the Power3 front, but I've run similar pressures to yourself with other Michelin tyres over the years. I reckon that's what threw me with this Power3. I'm actually having to run it higher (35-36) than the Road 5 rear (34-35) for stability. What Michies you running at present?

Power Slicks... :P  29/22

I've never run the new 'numbered' Powers or the Roads. Just the original Power, and some 2 CT's. I don't think you need much more than the original Power wrt traction. I also didn't see any increase in life with the 2CT's supposedly harder center.

I run 34-36 because of our bad roads.  Bent wheels suck >:(   

It's a Power3 thing Nate.  Real soft side walls.

Yeah, you have the city potholes to deal with but our roads, other than the highway, can't be considered anything but cart paths that have been paved...

over and over and over again.

Like I said, the original Power's, and 2 CT's, are everything I want, or need, in a tire. Many track riders use them for an all purpose dry/wet tire.

My impression on the dual-compound tires developed from previous single-compound tires, they keep the same compound in the center and use a softer one on the sides.
So cornering grip goes up and life stays ~same.

I've spent quite a lot of time on Angel GT/ST, generally they last 12k miles, I even got 20k out of an ST front.
They work fine at a reasonably quick street pace, no bad behavior.

There'd be a lot fewer tire companies around if all of the tires lasted like that.

The rule of thumb psi for bigger capacity sportsbikes of 32-34/34-36 seems to be challenged by the new approaches of tyre mfrs.

I'll let you know when I buy a new approach tire. [thumbsup]

 I think Michelin realised their mistake.
I'll get a Power RS for the front next time and go back to 32-33psi. ;)

IMO, Michelin has made several.

I'm not a fan of one compound for everyone when it comes to track tires. Used to be you could choose soft, med, or hard(durable). I always ran soft fronts and the hardest rear I could buy for longevity. I'm not racing, and don't mind letting tires come up to temp. I'm also not sponsored, and tires are expensive. Now, with the 'Evo' tires there's no choice.

I will admit that when I stopped riding like Petrucci, and carried more corner speed, the rear tire longevity increased. Turns out the bike will make the corner if you let go of the brake and let it. :P

The factories do take wrong turns at times or the market can't get its head around how to best use new concepts. I baulk at 36 psi in a front street tyre to make it stable because it goes against what I have known for so long. I guess the market corporate psyche also has trouble adapting. When I tell customers the Pirelli SBK slicks on my track bike need 32-33 front and 27 rear hot after an hour on tyre warmers they look utterly confused.

The PP3 was criticised for a lack of stability and the RS reportedly rectifies that.

I think the soft carcass tyres are too pressure sensitive and the average rider doesn't check their tyre pressures regularly enough. 9 out of 10 customers tyres are significantly under inflated and I regularly change customer tyres due to excessive wear caused by under inflation.   

The Pilot Road 3 sport touring tyre was superseded very quickly by the PR4 and deleted from the range. The Pilot Pure concept did not last long either. Instability at traditional psi due to the extremely light carcass at traditional pressures. The light bodied tyres supported by higher pressures feel very strange to me and I dare say the market.

I'm fortunate that my local tyre shop has a few guys who have raced or worked in high level race teams. Those guys get good industry information. I was not expecting a front sport tyre to need 36 psi to work properly.
Dunlop seem to be committed to the heavy carcass/lower psi formula for sport tyres from what they've learned from their Ntek slicks. Maybe I should make a change?

I used to pounce on my A Grade mates used slicks like a vulture. ;D

The way of the world is to dumb things down to the lowest common denominator.

I hope Michelin doesn't change their philosophy and start producing Dunlops. They're a PITA to change. You can almost install a Michelin without a spoon. You can definitely install the first side by just pushing it over the rim.

I only raced at club level where five or six lap sprint races were the norm. Every lap was the last lap. The tyre warmers were cranked up. ;D

Dunlop's are beasts.

I think Michelin may have gone more that way with the rear Road 5 from how it feels on my Monster (and what I've read). I like it. I will use a Power RS front with a Road 5 rear when this PP3 wears out.
I like the sport front/sport touring rear combo. I am tempted to try a similar combination by Dunlop or Pirelli, say a Q3/Roadsmart or Rosso/Angel combo. Then there's Bridgestone. Truth is, I'll be drawn to whichever mfr has the cheapest deal ;D

As winter is coming I will soon have some ride impressions of how Pirelli MT60RS dual sport tyres perform in wet conditions on tarmac, that is, unless we have a drought. Still, a dry winter here tends to be very, very cold with lichen and moss forming on some mountain roads creating a treacherously greasy surface that appears dry.

Tomorrow's wet, so I will report how the Pirelli MT60RS tyres work on wet roads. I hate wet weather riding.

Well I rode home from work and it was pissing down. Although I had some good results racing in wet conditions back in the day, I absolutely hate street riding in the rain.

The modest torque of the little 750 did not overwhelm traction and the Pirelli MT60RS tyres actually felt quite confidence inspiring in feel and ride quality. While the tyres  obviously have more grip in the dry they subjectively feel better in the wet (the Corsa versions are used as SBK wets). The tyre squirm one feels pushing in the dry becomes a welcome compliance in low grip conditions. This led to a planted feel and secure ride quality.

Anyway, I'm impressed with the tyres on this lower hp bike.

Metzler make a new Karoo Street dual sport tyre, 70/30 for paved road/dirt road use. They have a 150/70/17 and a 170/60/17, but no 160 size. How wide are Metzlers for their given width compared to say Dunlop who are generous or Pirelli who are conservative for a given width. The Pirelli 160/60/17 MT60RS on my M750 looks like a 150 when fitted.  Can I get away with running the Karoo Street 170 on my M750's 4.5 inch rim or would the 150 be best? The Pirellis work well but the Metzlers are cheaper. ;D
Cheers

Gonna try a combo on my M1100Evo. Pirelli Rosso II on the rear and a Rosso Corsa II front.

No Rosso III?

I've currently got a III on the rear, and a worn out II on the front... I should have just spent the money and had both replaced.   :-X

Rosso II's are being sold off at bargain prices. ;D Pirelli's are very expensive here. Runout deals for II's at $219, but $350 for a III! Then you gotta buy the front tyre!
How do you find them?

Dunno, here in America, we just call the shop and say "gimme!"   ;D

I never had any problems with the Deuce, it's a good tire.

 [thumbsup]

Never thought of myself as a Pirelli man but all my bikes are currently running them. My M1100Evo has a Rosso Corsa II front and Rosso II rear. M750 "Scrambler" runs an MT60RS at each end and my GSXR750 has SBK slicks.

As per the above tyres my pressures are closer to the race pattern.

Gixxer, SBK slicks soft front/medium rear, 32 front, 27 rear, hot (1 hour on warmers), this is the race pattern for tyre pressures with more pressure in the front.

Evo 1100, DR Corsa II 34 front, DR II 32 rear, cold.

The exception is the M750 "Scrambler" being more towards the street pattern with its dual sport tyres. MT60RS, 34 front, 35 rear, cold.

Any recommendations for a street combo for a new rider? I've been looking at new springs/oil for the front and rear to keep it simple but would like to get new tires for piece of mind. I like Michelin car tires but know nothing about motorcycle tires, I'll be riding in the dry but assume I'll get rained on at some point next season.

Michelin make good bike tyres. If you're mainly riding in the dry you could try Road 5's front and rear or a Road 5 rear and Power RS front for extra front end grip and peace of mind. Road 5s are also a good wet tyre.

We went for a good 200 mile canyon/mountain ride before my city went into re-lockdown. Must say, after 20 mins of riding I really felt the tyres "come in" to warm up temp. It was quite noticeable and more obvious than usual with other tyres bar racing slicks. Tyres were Pirelli Rosso Corsa II ftont and Rosso II rear. Really felt grip levels kick in and then I could use lean angles I preferred. It was nice to be given the nod when to go.

Did you find the Rosso II rear a little squirrley while it was still cold?

Yes , both ends were IMO, then after awhile, the feeling of great grip letting me use lean angles on cold greasy roads that surprised me.

OK... then it's not just me.

I was out for a quicky ride last week... my front tire is 3 years old and it's time for a new one, but I just haven't gotten it over to the shop... and I hit some road sealer on relatively warm tires... thank goodness I spend the money on good tires, I don't know if it would have held otherwise.

Road sealer meaning soft tar they put in cracks to make "snake" lines? If so its like putty and you feel the tyre squirm over it. In summer it deforms under the tyre and in winter it just slips.

Here in America... we have what is called 'chip seal'... that is a layer of tar sealant sprinkled with rock 'chips', and rolled in.  It's fairly durable, but regular traffic over it will work the rock down into the sealant... leaving patches of slurrpury tar.  Mix that in with a hot Texas afternoon...

Ah I see, I wish they sprinkled ours with rock chips. It is too soft.

But we do also have the tar snakes you speak of. Very regional.

Bugger, many states and councils I guess.

I've cooked the Rosso II rear in 3000 miles and put on a Rosso III. The tyre was dried out via repeated heat cycles rather than worn tread. There was a susbstantial loss of grip and feel. It was probably a result of how I ride and the pressures I prefer. I prefer a stiffer tyre carcass with lower pressures, (probably should go back to Dunlops. ;D).

Imo the Rosso III feels like a developmental improvement again with more edge grip, feel and quicker warm up. I think it has a stiffer side wall and carcass which feels better to me. I guess technology marches on.

That pretty much matches my experience.  Looking back at my maintenance log, I burnt up my first II in 2000mi, the second at 2600mi.  My III has been on for 2100mi, and it's still looking pretty good.  I put a III front on, finally, after 6600mi, just this past November... I have but 200mi on it, so far.  The III is definitely a better tire...

So its not just me then.
Good to know. Wasn't sure if I got a bad one or I was just not treating it right.

Consulting my tyre bloke, I reckon I will try a Supercorsa front SP and Rosso Corsa II on the rear next pair. He said that all the major tyre mfrs are making lighter construction tyres to reduce unsprung weight and rotating mass and that recommended tyre pressures have increased as a result.

However he said I can run the rear Rosso III as low as 32 psi to get it to work in the cold weather. At 32 psi the tyre still feels stable and takes awhile to warm up.

Maybe Dunlop are an exception.

I run my Rosso III at 37psi and it seems to work pretty well.  I run my R III front at 32psi, but don't necessarily like how it feels.

 The Pirelli site has the psi at 32/34 for the Monster with the Rosso range including the Rosso Corsa range. I'm running Pirelli tyres on all my bikes at present which run a premium of $100 more per pair over Dunlops down here. Current circumstances will see me switch to Dunlops for the Evo and Metzler Karoo Street for the scramblerfied M750. That will be close to a $200 saving across those bikes. I'll have to see what deal I can get for my track bike.
One characteristic of the Pirelli Rosso range is how quickly they steer. Tip in is so fast on that it's disconcerting and I have had to back off on the force of steering inputs. All said and done, the Aussie price structure will determine my future tyre choices

I don't think my Ohlins shock is set up right, so the back end feels squirrley.  I need to have the suspension set up properly before I get all excited about micromanaging my tire pressure.

Using factory recommended pressures is micro-managing...how?

Lower pressure, meaning the correct setting, will improve the feel. [thumbsup]

When I had the stock Sachs shock on it, at 46-47psi it felt very, very stable... and I had experimented with different pressures a bit.  Once I put the Ohlins on it, it hasn't felt right since, and I've even adjusted it some to try to find a good setting, but I just don't know enough about suspension setup.  There is a guy here in Dallas that will come to you and help you set your suspension... I'll be giving him a call after the 1st of the Year.

46-47 lbs cold is likely over the maximum inflation pressure stated by Pirelli. That is bad regardless how it makes your bike feel. That info is on the sidewall. You don't have to believe me, but correct tire pressure is the first step to suspension set up. What happens to the motogp guys when their tire pressure rises because they're following someone?

Open your manual, and set the pressures as recommended by Ducati, or Pirelli if you don't believe Ducati, as a starting point. Is that necessarily the best pressure for you? Maybe not.

This video...
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaIuWKfnGEI
will help you decide what's best for you, and I think Dave has the creds for a person to listen.

https://www.pirelli.com/tyres/en-ww/motorcycle/all-tyres/fitment/ducati/monster-1100-evo-2010

Hope this helps.

This discussion brings to mind an article I read many years ago in one of the cycle rags...

This guy went to a motorcycle race, to where all the spectator bikes were parked.  He surveyed the tire conditions and even took some pressure readings.  I don't remember the numbers, but it was a staggering amount of tires that were either a) unserviceable, some even into the threads, and/or b) under or over inflated.  It was a very interesting article.

I'll have to review my pressure sets... maybe I'm wrong on my rear pressure, but that's what I have written down on my cheat sheet.

I regularly get customer bikes with 20-25 psi . [bang]

...and right now, as we enter Winter, most riders don't know they have to change the air in their tires from Summer air to Winter air, or risk serious tread wear issues.   ;D

Ah, that summer air... ;D

Trying Metzler Karoo Street tyres on my scramblerfied M750 after three sets of Pirelli MT60RS.

While the little Monster takes a 160/60/17 rear tyre the Karoo Steet only has 150/80 and 170/60 options. My trusted tyre consultant said to use the 170 with this particular tyre. They are a similar tyre to the Pirellis but with a slightly greater bias towards dirt roads. In Australia the Metzlers are about a hundred bucks cheaper per pair.

I note that the Karoo 120/70 front is not as high a profile or as pointed as the the Pirelli MT60RS of the same size, but the big difference imo is the feeling with the rear tyre.

First 150 mile impression here.
http://www.ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=76629.new#new

I used to run Pirelli MT21's on my XR... but boy howdy they got slick fast!  The Dunlops I run, now, not quite so much.  I've always been afraid of moving to a more street oriented tire... and losing what traction I have in the dirt... although it would be fun to flog it in the turns with a tire that wouldn't step out on you.  ;)

I'm really preferring these Karoo Streets. They have a rounder, less pointy profile which feels more linear to me.

On that note, the next tyres I'll try on the 1100evo will be Dunlop Q3's + or Sportsmart's. Both price and profile shape will most likely suit me.

Dunlop have renamed and reorganised some tyres down here. There were so many tyres it was confusing so they rationalized the range i guess. The Alpha 14's are now Q14's and more road oriented than the Q4's which require tyre warmers. The Sportsmart III tyre is gone with the reorganisation of the range. So now it's the Roadsmart range, then the Q14 road hypersport, Q4 production track tyre then the production race tyres, then slicks.
Has this occurred stateside?

Looks like Dunlop USA was bought by Sumitomo. We have the Roadsmart Series...3 and 4, and what's called a 'Mutant'. Then there's the Q3, and 4, and what's called a Sportsmart. The website here says Q4 does not require tire warmers.

Didn't go as far as finding slicks.

Yeah I have read that, interesting that the local shops Dunlop catalogue said to use tyre warmers for track use. Your Q series tyres are made locally, which is great. Maybe ours are from Japan.
I ordered what the catalogue now calls Q14's which appear to have replaced Q3+ and Alpha14's . Customers have to pre order due to supply issues to have tyres when needed and the shop stores them for you. Signs of the times.

Dunlop 14's are sitting next to my Gixxer at present. The rear Rosso III on my 1100Evo is at 50% so I got a Supercorsa SP to replace the worn front Rosso Corsa II. Dunlops are in short supply here so I grabbed the Supercorsa as a stop gap. I'm told they warm up quick and stick like glue, for awhile.

So Dunlop Alpha 14's will soon go onto the Monster and I have Dunlop slicks (front soft, rear medium) for the Gixxer. Will let you know how they go compared to the Pirellis.

Prior to my Ducati, I was always a big Dunlop fan.  My CBR1000F demanded a specific Dunlop front tire profile, or you got terrible headshake.  I still run Dunlops on my XR... the Pirelli MT21's got very hard and slick very fast, the Dunlop 606's last a bit longer.

I've always run Bridgestones on everything but tried the Michelin Pilot Rd 5s at my last tire change then took a 3 day ride in the mountains. the Michelins are legit. Waiting to see how many miles I can get out of them.