New Tyre recommendations, anyone?

[JoeB]

My Michelin Pilot road 2's are now due for replacement. I was reasonably happy with them - from a wear perspective, I have gotten almost 8000km from them with some reasonably aggressive riding in the last 13 weeks.

However, the lack of 'feel' I got through the tyres was pretty…. well AVERAGE.  So I'll look for something else.

I'll be honest and state from the outset that I'm not a dunlop guy, my last set of D208GP's were pretty sticky but also lacked feel.

I was looking to get another set of Metzeler Racetec's, but it appears (as it does every year) that the racetec's have changed again, so I'm not sure if I need the  soft front / intermediate rear combo anymore.

I've also heard that the pirelli diablo corsa is not bad….

anyone got some recommendations or feedback on currently available (standard) sizes?

TIA

[Raux]

I was talked up by a Pirelli rep at WDW2012 about the Metzler Z08 (they own Metzler)
I was running the PR2s and he chastized me

I love the PR2s, and will likely go with the PR3s.

for the feel, try working with your tire pressures.

[JoeB]

I went and got a set of Metzeler Racetec K3's today. The weather is a little colder than normal for summer - only 16ºC which is about 20 less than it should be, so the ride home was a little cautious as I scrubbed them in, getting the last remaining bits of mold release off the tyres. Immediately on the ride home the difference was noticeable. feel was good, grip level felt high, despite me not pushing it very hard, and the turn in  accurate and quick as was the directional change, yet straight line stability was also pretty damn good.

After the really average experience I had (for the second time) with Michelins, I was not able to be persuaded into buying pilot power 3's, despite my local mechanic's recommendation they were fantastic and his absolute agreement that the road 2's were sh*t tyres. He also advised me that getting 8000km out of road 2's would mean I'd be lucky to get 5000 out of the racetec's, and I'm OK with that. I was going to go a level lower and buy the Sportec M5's except he didn't have a 180/55 rear, only a 190/50. So I forked a few extra for the stickier K3's.

Bearing in mind they will not be great in the wet, just means I'll be a little more careful. We'll see how we go. but so far, I'm really happy with the feel and the grip.

[BastrdHK]

No one uses mold release on the tread portions of the tire these days.  its a common myth carried over from the 20th century.  You should still be careful for the first several miles as you get comfortable with the new tires, but once warmed up they are ready to go.

I don't think you can go wrong with most modern brands/compounds.  I have ridden Metzlers and they were great.   I disagree about Michelins, however, I have been more than pleased with Pilot Powers, 2CTs and Pures.  I look forward to what the Power 3 offers.

[blocbul]

I have PR3's on my M750 (carb '2000) and these tires are incredible. I drive everyday on all weather (including a little bit of snow recently) and I must say I never got tires with better grip and confidence level than these ones.
Before I had a set of Dunlop D208 .... very poor grip on wet and they do not last very long.
Also had Dunlop Road Smart 2, they are much better that 208s but clearly inferior to Michelin PR3s.
I will sign off again for PR3s for sure!

[Triple J]

Saying the PR2s are shit tires is funny. They're very good tires, provided they're used as intended...sport touring. I used PR2s commuting year round in Seattle weather, and on a couple trips with plenty of twisty roads. They were great tires, especially in the rain. They aren't supersport tires though, so of course they won't have the grip of the Metzler K3s.

[Slide Panda]

So two sets of tires, that you report little feel from? What is the condition of your suspension? Have the forks been serviced within a year? The shock within two? If the answer to either of those, is no then you might wish to spend some time and effort on some maintenance work on your suspension. Of course it's variable, but the general street bike recommendations from a Penske tech I talked to was fork fresh up annually, and around two years for the shock.

[ducpainter]

Another item to consider checking on a 13 year old bike is steering head bearings.

You'd be amazed how worn ones can affect feel...in a bad way.

[JoeB]

Steering head bearings are fine.

The K3's fixed all of the issues I had with the pr2's. turn-in feel & response is back. Grip can be 'felt' instead of 'guessed' (i.e. better communication)
stability is better, directional changes better. This is without making any adjustments from normal (i.e. returning the adjustments to standard)

So it's not a case of suspension settings. Many different adjustments were tried, but just could not get the bike to settle and provide good feedback.
Before I bought the k3's I booked the bike in for annual service with my suspension guru. He also checked the frame for cracks, after taking it for a ride himself.

The suspension is 'standard s4' - showa front and sachs rear.  Although it has major circuit rework and custom valving in the rear and the forks are new racetech internals which have been modified to suit riding style the roads I ride and the conditions (climate). Springs on both ends are custom rate also.

His suggestion was that the next step is to get a stronger set of triple clamps with some adjustment for head angle. Then it's out to the track for some more testing. The bumpiness of my local roads is a major contributor to the problem, making it very difficult to set up 'just right'.

It's a combination that just didnt work. And it is not a very michelin thing, because their pilot power tyres are great. But after the pr2's I'm sticking with a known quantity.