Ducati Monster Forum

...any thoughts/opinions/suggestions?
Need to buy new set and found these going for $550/set @ MCAS

Hi Melvin.......

My son in law has just put those on his Buell and is really pleased with them......don't quote me here, but am pretty sure they replace the 2cts that i currently have on my Monster. They will be my next set for sure.....think i heard Matty saying that they are also a couple of kilos lighter too...

brian

 Put a pilot pure on the front on Friday $230 fitted to rim only.
had a pilot power previous.
As for the Tyre round and black and a dopey looking tread pattern compared to the power.
And there is now way i could ride that hard to tell the difference between the two Tyre's or any Tyre for that matter.
But if the sales spiel is true they must be good [thumbsup].

Oh and it did give me a slight edge on Mattyv on the Bells line on Saturday. :D
 

That price is okay. I did get a set from Bike Biz for $440 and I think they still have them at that price.
That is not fitted though, yes they are a replacement to the 2CT Pilot Power.
The tread pattern is very different to regular PP's and the percentage of hard/soft area has changed greatly.
Added bonus is that they are 2.2lbs/1kg lighter than most comparable rubber on the market.

hmm .... in that case it looks like i might have to travel to Parra in the nearest future

G'day,
This week I was quoted $500 for a set of "Pilot Road 2" fitted from Balmain Motorcycle Tyres, also a 2CT.

Might be worth a phone call on the Pures for you depending on where you are.
Balmain Motorcycles Sydney
14 Mansfield street
Rozelle NSW 2039
(02) 9818 4547

All I'm saying is I cannot believe how durable my Michies are, this 2ct is amazing!

(I fall into the Rob S catagory I believe)

They usually do pretty good deals at Balmain. The Road 2's are a bit older now though, I'd still expect to pay
a higher price for the Pure's right now as they are the newest tech out.
The only reason Bike Biz are/were doing that price is because they did a huge bulk buy and I hear the importer
is surprised and all too pleased that they are selling them that low.

+1 here too Spider I have clocked up nearly 8000 ks on mine and they still look new
no sign of squaring off on the rear at all.
I had a feel of Rob's front  Pilot Pure and it did feel a lot stickier to the touch I would be just wondering about the longevity
compared with the 2CT .
Looks like they are going to be on my bike for a lot longer before I get to try the Pure.

Just an FYI the Pilot Pure is also a 2CT it is newer generation with a lesser % of harder compound in the
centre and a greater % of stickier rubber on the corners.

That is comparing it to the Pilot Power 2CT not compared to the Pilot Road 2CT which is more touring focused tyre.
Then of course there is the regular Pilot Power which is single compound right through.

I have a friend who races a gsxr1k at Thunderbolt in NJ and is also a track official there. Talked to him a few days ago about tires. He has been using the 2CT for a long time and he said switching to the Power Pure was an amazing difference. He HIGHLY recommended them for anyone who wants full race tire quality while maintaining street riding ability. He did say to avoid wet public roads though..

They will be my next tire for sure.

That's great info but I'm sure they can't be any more skatey than the Supercorsa Pro's in the wet.
I bought these so if I did come across wet roads I'd feel more confident than what I have now!
I'm hoping he's talking about having the bike cranked over on any serious lean angle is the issue and not just
general riding trying to get out of the bad conditions.  :-\

(http://www.michelinmotorcycle.com/img/sport_comparo_lg.jpg)

I have Michelin Power Pures on my M1100 front and rear.  $500 the pair fitted.  Its early days yet, but so far me likey  [thumbsup] .  Rode on wet roads last weekend and they gave me no cause for concern.  Wacky lookin' tread pattern though....

Matty, that's what the geeks are saying on the subject:

"UNSPRUNG WEIGHT .... Shaving 2lbs off the weight of a modern sport bike which tips the scales at 400lbs might not seem such a big deal.
Yet it is, since the saving in question concerns a part of the bike that is not covered by the suspension.
So-called unsprung weight.
In other words, the lower a bike's unsprung weight, the easier it is to switch from leaning into a right-hand turn to leaning into a left-hander. And vice-versa.
Gyroscopic forces mean that running a 2lbs lighter tyre is equivalent to saving 6lbs on rims or 8lbs on brake discs"

... or 20lbs off the gut going by those ratios!

Woohoo!

Got my Pilot Road 2's fitted this afternoon at Balmain, feels like a totally new bike. Soo much smoother and quieter on the road. I cant believe it.

The Pure's looked out of my league and riding style for now (L)

One more thing, can I get a second opinion on pressures? 36 rear and 33 fronts?
-Rod

For road riding that sounds about right ... but individual preferences may vary by a couple of psi.

Been there to ask for $ ....... $440 and $500 respectively. not too bad

Where are these high prices coming from?

Motorcycle superstore has a new set of power pure's for $267 with free shipping.

http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/1/28/394/28134/ITEM/Michelin-Power-Pure-Front-Tire.aspx (http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/1/28/394/28134/ITEM/Michelin-Power-Pure-Front-Tire.aspx)

http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/1/28/394/28140/ITEM/Michelin-Power-Pure-Rear-Tire.aspx (http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/1/28/394/28140/ITEM/Michelin-Power-Pure-Rear-Tire.aspx)

well, yes, we know that US prices are lower but ..............
to ship 2 tyres would have to cost at least US$70 so that's US$340 which is +/- AUD$400....than you have to have them fitted which is about AUD$60
the total would be around AUD$460....hardly a saving

shipping is expensive. last year i had to buy a front rim. the guy left a good tyre on it and shipping it from LA cost a genuine US$120 as per stickers on a box. so i imagine that weight of 2 tyres would be compatible
than you also have to remember that many US companies don't ship o/s or if they do, they make so much fuss with payment like faxing c/card details (hardracing.com - they have the Pure for US$250/set)

all in all ......... not worth bothering (IMO)

Although Melvin has already more or less explained ... the direct answer is these prices are from Australia (or within Australia).

You may have accidently stumbled into Ozmo-land without realising.

seems like a scary place Ozmo-land. Where stuff costs more and there is nothing you can do about it.

That's why the 'Monsters for Sale' board is such a depressing place for Aussies.

Stuff does cost more.  Its the price we pay for living in a small market place.  But you gotta remember that we earn more dollars (numerically) than Seppos and that whenever you see a $$ price on this board you gotta subtract around 20% to arrive at the US$ equivalent.

I would rather have to pay a little more and get to live here  [thumbsup]
than in the poluted overcrowded Nth hemi [puke]

Agree about the small market ... not necessarily about the earnings (know people that have gone over there dollar-for-dollar - and/but that was when our dollar was a LOT worse off than it is now).

Plus I don't think you are anywhere near it with 20% when it comes to new bikes (and obviously tyres) which was the point I was trying to make.

Overcrowded? I live in the woods, my nearest neighbor is 1/2 mile away.  Free to shoot guns and drink beer all day and night here.  ;D

I'm not saying that things here cost only 20% more than in the US.  I'm reminding US observers that when we talk about $500..... that its an amount less than that in US Dollars (around US$425). Since the exchange rate has recently improved again, its more like only 15% rather than 20%.  

But you're right, even allowing for the exchange rate we still get stiffed.  

I wonder if the US tires work for us upside down and on the other side of the road, would it mean we'd have to put them on backwards? (just kidding!)

But seriously, I think you may need to add the local, state and federal taxes to the advertised price also as they vary, but I'm not too sure on that one.

Check out those chicken strips [cheeky]

I am obviously not one to talk but it was funny in my head

I'll be at  the same place shortly.
The Supercorsa's are getting pretty thin now.

Bugger.  Got a nail in my almost new rear Power Pure today  :(.    

I was NOT in the vicinity. !!  Got nothing to do with me whatsoever.  :o :o :o

Hate that!

Huh? I dont get it  ???  Are you a magnet chick?  [laugh]

Yeah, enough to make ya  [puke].

 [laugh] [laugh] [laugh]

Both Monsterdorf and Matty got nails in their tyres whilst riding with me when I was on my little trip.

went for a first ride today. city via p.i.t.s via warriors to the scenic route up to the sound-off (done that part 3x return up and down  [evil] )
the tyres felt beyond my wildest..
v quick to turn in, felt like glued to the road. with every turn i felt that i could go faster and lean deeper but common sense luckily prevailed

my question: apparently they need to have slightly higher pressure due to their unique construction/shape ....... or is it a croc of shit? anyone can confirm or deny?
read on a jap bike forum post by a moderator that for a bike 170-180kg the correct pressure is to be:

Road
F ... 2.5 bar (36 psi)
R ... 2.9 bar (42 psi)

Track
F ... 2.3 bar (33 psi)
R ... 2.1 bar (30 psi)

any comments?

If anything, turn-in seemed a little slower to me (than the - admittedly shagged out) Bridgestone Battlax 16s I had on originally.   

Don't know about 42 for the rear but I run 36/36 in my Supercorsa's right now.
I'll try that in the Pure's when they go on shortly.

On another note, didn't you want some company heading up there. Would have been happy to head out with you today.

It could be that they were distracted.  Are you distracting?

 
Moi?   [roll]    Never.   ;)

well, that's a different info from the one i found ..... any one else can shed some more light?

I'm running 34psi front/36psi rear for no especially good reason......   seems to ride... handle... stop... and keep the rims off the bitumen well enough so far (nails notwithstanding).

I heard that on I4 bikes the pressures are way higher than on our bikes. Don't know if it's true but those numbers coming from a Jap bike forum seem to corroborate that.

Where is p.i.t.s and sound-off ??

P.I.T.T.S is Pie in the Sky and Sound Off is a spot where there was an exhaust sound off once. Both are on Old Pacific Hwy.  [thumbsup]

Oh yeah, Pures I am running 32F/34R, just like I did with Powers.

In your opinion, do the Pures have a more rounded profile to the Powers or a similar triangular profile/shape?
I'd like a more rounded profile as my bike turns in on a thought already. I've got enough agility and could use a bit more stability, specially under brakes and on initial turn in (suspensions pretty sorted front and rear with revalve, springs, etc).

Michelin has one of the roundest profile tryes on the market, well IMO anyways.
Pures look to be no different.

In talking to the mechanic this morning, the Pures & Powers both have a similar, steeper profile. The Pilot Roads are more rounded, whilst still being an excellent tyre. Just had the Pilot Roads fitted today.

I think that Michelin are steeper than Pirelli's, but I haven't looked at the current crop of Pirelli's to compare, so I could be just talking out my arse as far as that's concerned. Yeah, no comments necessary!!  ;D

now i should be able to answer this, as i have had Michelin powers and now Pirelli's, but i cant say i have looked into the profile that much. i must say i do at the moment love my Pirelli's seem to stick better to the road for me.

For me I can say the Supercorsa Pro's are very fast compared to PP's
The Michelin seem to have a more progressive turn-in.  ???

Just put a pure power on the fron of my bike. I feel I have lost some road feel from the std power. Let you know how it wears over the next couple of months.

Rob

Well played Sir.

I'm assuming they work OK on the track then?

Yep he looked pretty good on'em.
I had him clocked at 2:18 and that was in just the 3rd session of the morning.
That does look like it has a little cold tear though.
Did you perhaps go a little harder later in the day?

no, i didn't go any harder
all through out the day i had so much room for error you could drive a bus through it. i soooo didn't want to lay the bike down. had fun, had a tops day; that all that matters
and didn't have "a moment" once ..... i'm a happy boy

After a good 400-500k's on the new rubber now I have more of an idea of what they are like.
I can say I was very used to the way Supercorsa Pro's felt.

Comparatively you can just chuck you bike into corners on the Suercorsa's on the Pilot Pure's you kinda need
to caress it a little more. They just grip differently, there is more feeling on the edge of the Pure's
it translates to more information as opposed to Supercorsa's which just stick like velcro.

After a good first ride I'm sure I'll get more in tune with them in the coming weeks/months
as for road noise that I heard on an S2R 800 recently I didn't hear anything today.
That might have been because of the roads/exhaust/open airbox, but I really didn't hear the same thing.

Tyre report.

Pure power on the front of my bike handles well with good feel.


Great tyre but it is very noisy on certain road surfaces.

Rob out

Geeze Rob,

                  I have never thought about road noise coming from a tyre, unless it was a trailie going past me, they seem to hum a bit, is the noise really that bad?





                                        Mmick

Hey Mick how ya been?

Yes mate thought my bike had a problem noise then I would hit the hot mix and the noise would go. The noise appears on the large stone  roads mix.

Other than that a good tyre.

Rob

I concur with the road noise.

Ok then......my question to you all is......forgetting cost outlay........if you had the choice, which tyre would you prefer.......?    My 2CT'S are wearing down so i would appreciate your input..........

you need either ear plugs or louder pipes  [thumbsup]

With ear mould plugs you don't hear much.
Without plugs there is some noise.
As for pipes I'd be thinking my system is plenty loud enough.

It just seems to be a small-ish problem with the new design.

I think the noise is contributed by the tyre being so light. there is not alot of rubber to absorb the noise. Other than that the tyre sticks like shit to a blanket! [thumbsup]

What're they humming Mick??  [cheeky]


Maybe old rock or a bit of opera!! (Snigger!)  [roll] [laugh] [moto]

I cant say that I've noticed any greater road noise from my Pures.... 

doesn't it ever !! i'm doing my "test corner" near my house 10k's faster than before  [evil]  [thumbsup]

Brian, to answer your question.

I've been a fan of Bridgestones for some time, I usually put the stickiest front on, then something on the back that will last a bit longer and I usually end up wearing the sides of the front out and the middle of the rear at the same time. But (always one of them) I'm looking at the new Metzeler sportec M5 interact, the technology looks like the best of both worlds, longevity and grip.

Hope this hasnt clouded the issue of 'how long is your piece of string'.











                                               Mmick

I forgot to mention, there is a nice little write up in AMCN on page 54 issue Vol 60 No3

Read into it what you will.






                                          Mmick

Interested in how you go with the Metzelers Mick.  Just another one on my list to try one day.

thanks Mick

how about now, Matty, after the track day?

They were okay kinda like the old Power Pilots a little squirmy in the corners
For the track the other tyres were better but I do like the new ones also.

Do you think that is why people are suggesting running slightly higher pressures?

Yep good point quite possibly a reason.
Maybe I also have no idea what I am saying and a better rider would be feeling something different.

The German Motorcycle Mag called "Motorad" did a huge review of all current tyres. They had several groups including Sport/Touring, Sport and HyperSport.

In the Sport/Touring the Michelin 2CT tied with the Pirelli Angel ST.

In the Sport the Dunlop Sportsmart 1st, Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsa 2nd and the Pilot Pure a distant 5th. Interestingly they state that if you like Michelin stick with the Pilot Power 2CT.

In the Hypersport they rated the Metzler Racetec K3 best followed by Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa SP and then Dunlop GP Racer, Michelin Pilot Power One, et al.

Here is the link for those of you interested:

http://www.motorradonline.de/de/zubehoer/reifen/reifenspezial/test-motorrad-reifen-2010-touren--sport-und-hypersportreifen/306788 (http://www.motorradonline.de/de/zubehoer/reifen/reifenspezial/test-motorrad-reifen-2010-touren--sport-und-hypersportreifen/306788)

I love german magazines!

thanks  [thumbsup]

Thanks MD.  It's quite funny reading it in translation so thankyou for your summary.  Glad to know I made a good choice with the Pirelli Angel.

Yep . Me too  ;D

I'm still not completely convinced yet. I'm sure they will get better as I get more in tune with them.
That is not to say they are bad at all I think I was just really used the other rubber.

There are a few people that have told me that the road angel is a great tyre. 

sydney performance motorcycles in taren point south sydney have these on sale cheap!! my brother put a set of powers on his gsxr1000 for under $400! im more a commuter so i went with the road2's on my monster.
http://www.spmotorcycles.com.au/ (http://www.spmotorcycles.com.au/)

Frustratement!

Just tried to get a quote from Balmain motorcycles on Pilot Power or Pilot Power Pure for my 695 (160/60 rear), only to find that Michelin allegedly aren't importing the pures in 160 width, and that they're no longer bringing in the powers, so they're flogging off their remaining stock of 180 and 190 width tyres.

They suggested Pirelli Rosso as a suitable alternative.

Can anyone vouch for them?

Go the Angels ! :)

I have Rosso and before that I had the powers I find the Rosso work better with different types of road conditions and even stick better

I think Nick had these on one of his previous bikes and liked them. I will ask him to reply with the details.
Kaz.

I have Rosso and like them as well

Have tried & liked Rosso and now have and love Angels.

Yep. There's alot a Love  :P

Well in the absence of "oh my god, they're awful!" responses, I reckon I'll give them a go.

But now what do I do with the Michelin man sticker I got on ebay?

Oh my.  These new tyre thingies do work well.  Who would have thought that there was a better tyre than a three year old, squared off Bridgestone BT56?

Give it to me ;D :-*

I think I'm aspiring to running Michelins.

All I need is the swingarm, axle, rear brakes, wheel, rearsets and exhaust system from an s2r, and I'm set.

 [beer]

Maybe just an S2R-1000  [cheeky]

I can also say now after a good run up to Newcastle and back last weekend that I am getting in tune with these tyres.
Coming back down the old pac in the dark  :o was a bit like that, a bit of an eye opener.

I am liking them more and more.

You went with the Pirelli Rosso's then Suzy? Dare I ask how much they were?

Ive got a few hundered left on my Rosso.... I love them. Am most probably going to stick with them, however am toying with the idea of Angels. Anyone had any experience with them?

I think you'll find there are a few who have them on.

Heather, Gino and Oz Ducati.
It has got a bid off track, not something we do often here!
But yes there are people who have them and they are all  ;D I believe.

I think - not entirely certain - but I think i'm liking them less.  Found the back end trying to step out on me at the weekend when I got a bit handy with the throttle - never experienced this with my BT16s.  Could just be my American mentality though  ;)

How worn is it Unge?

Not very.

 :(

Yup.  They were $500, fitted.  I made the mistake of looking at tyre prices in US internet stores, so I've been sobbing in my beer ever since.

Haha, I hate looking at the web after a purchase.

Any sites in particular? Had a quick since the dollar got over its bout of the flu...
Hrm.. Wonder what shipping would be worth.

I have a new insight to these tyres, that is the Pilot Pures.
As Rob had said to make the tyre lighter than it's competitors they have made a thinner
tyre casing. This is what might be causing the odd feeling hen riding on different surfaces.
I noticed on the mis-matched surfaces on the weekend that the rear tram lined a bit, making me feel like the rear was going flat.

So i am wondering if this thinner casing is the cause. It's not that the tyre doesn't grip, there is plenty of grip it is more the odd behavior under differing road surfaces and possibly at different psi.

Just my next view on these tyres.   

+1

I was told Power Pures acheive lightness by having no steel belting.... that instead they're using Kevlar (could be BS, I dunno??). 

I think your right about the kevlar as when I watched the bloke put the tyre on my rim the tyre was so flexable. It kinda had the same characteristics of a bicycle road tyre.

Rob

to drag up an old(ish) post, how is everyone going with tyres aforementioned? been looking at a set of pures for my m750, but open to other ideas. damn that 160 rear, eh suzy! kinda limits the options...


this be lies, unless i'm staring at old stock in the shop, but both Metro and PS in ringwood have them in a 160/60, and can still order them in.

Nibs
There has been some more recent tyre discussion here:
http://www.ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=43539.msg783856#msg783856 (http://www.ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=43539.msg783856#msg783856)

So now we have at least four tyre threads.  Maybe we should have made it a sticky.  [roll]

Nah... then it'd just wear out really fast.

Nibor.... After 4000kms I'm still not totally convinced by my Pures.  As Matty has said elsewhere... there's no problem with em sticking... they grip fine.  And they turn in nicely (which for me means not too quickly)... and @ 4k they're still looking like they have heaps of life left in em.....   But...  :-\...  there's something slightly unsettling about them on mixed surfaces... they're not very happy traversing white lines... or those lines of bitumen sealant...  Then again... if I end up getting 10,000kms out of em.... I might forgive em their small sins...  [coffee]

At this point I prefer my previous BT16s over the Power Pures.... but BT16s didnt last too long.  Cant have it all, can ya?

hmmm
i'm just after something stickier than the road 2ct's i've got now, but still give decent km. then again i've got 20,000km out of the rear so far, the front looks like it could do another 10 thou at least! dont think anything sticky is gonna match that :(

i've read that thread heather, just thought i'd drag up an old one :P

20,000k out of a rear!
"Holy rubber life Batman"

I have never heard of people getting more than 12-15k out of tyres.

Don't think anything is gonna stick after 20 000kms  :o :o :o

I think you'd notice the difference no matter what you put on Nibs.  [laugh]

hmm spose 17-18 thou would be more accurate. it's well past the wear indicators in the middle, thread is worn flush right in centre, but not exposing any belts yet! plenty of tread left on the sides though haha. give it another month i think :)

Tires are the most important component of a motorcycle!

Don't risk running beat tires to save a few bucks!!!