Tyres, tyres, tyres

[G]

Hi Betty,

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

HTH

G

[heatherp]

Thanks.

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

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

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

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

[FIFO]

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

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

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

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

[Betty]

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

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

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

[Yellow Meanie]

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

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

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

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

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

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

[Betty]

Excellent, thanks Mr Meanie.

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

[Q777]

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

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

[Mr.S2R]

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

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

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

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

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

[heatherp]

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

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

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

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

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

[Mr.S2R]

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

[Betty]

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

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

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

[Mr.S2R]

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

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

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

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

[Betty]

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

[bikeless]

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

[ozducati]

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