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Michelin tires, gt vs. No Gt, 4 vs.5 1150 rt


joeb

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I do like the Michelin prs. But do I need the Gts . I almost never have a pax. Do the 5s have any advantage over the 4 s ?

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I'm no expert, not even a very good rider, but I do like the twisties in the mountains and that twisty thing on the handlebar.  The 5 seem a little better to me, more sure-footed.  The price difference makes it a hard decision.  Never had an issue with either 4's or 5's but I don't mind spending more just because.  Tried the Metzlers, they were good, have run several Dunlops and they were ok and better tire mileage on the rear.  I'm running a R5GT on the rear of my '00 K1200RS (and a Bridgestone T31F-GT on the front because I literally ran out of rubber on the sides of the R5 at START in Maggie Valley several weeks ago).  

 

On my ST1300 there is an R5 GT on the front and a 'stone T30 on the rear because that 700 lb bike with the big V4 EATS rear tires.  Had to do sumthin.

 

Kinda depends on your riding style, the load, the road surfaces in your area, wet riding, etc.  

 

The 5 has cross sipes and the 4 doesn't.  Part of that is "marketing" for sure, but how much??  There must be other differences (compound ??), too.  I thought the PR3's were the best until the 4's came out. 

 

ANY of them can handle way more than I can dish out.  

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My 14RT wethead weights about the same as your R1150RT (I had an 02) the 14RT calls for the GT (heavy weight) tire.  Two years ago I talked with a Michelin rep at the BMW National in Billings.  At that time the Pilot 5  GT wasn't out yet he said I should stay with the Pilot Road 4 GT tire.  He then told me the difference was a stiffer face of the tire not the sidewall as I have always thought.  The side walls of both Pilot Road 4 and Pilot 5 is soft compared with other tires, I change my own so I know this from having to work hard at it and sometimes needing help removing and installing any other tire then Michelin. 

 

I just put my first set of Pilot 5 GT's on my bike and only have a test ride but I have to say that seem great!  I've always liked the Pilot Road 4 GT's, my trip out to the National will tell me more about the 5's.  Just as a point of reference I had about 1500 sMiles on a set of Bridgestone T31 GT's , they are a nice tire and did really well in the Ozark corners.  I only changed them out because of my upcoming trip.  For the money they are great but I needed help  removing them to install the 5's. 

 

To really make your head spin, my 02R1150RT never had a GT or heavy weight tire, I put 80,000 sMiles on that bike. 

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Thank you. Seems Michelin has made up my mind for me as they no longer offer the PR4s

(Non GT) in my size. The 5s are about $40  more per tire and I've been happy with the 4 s. Have not heard any glowing reviews on the 5s that justify the expense over the 4s. I've been happy with my Metzler roadtec 01s but have very little experience with them in a real soaker rain, where as I have many wet miles on the PR4. From what I've seen the Metzlers are more expensive than the Michelin also. Metzler seem to last longer than Michelin,  but the wet grip is more important to me.

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3 hours ago, joeb said:

Thank you. Seems Michelin has made up my mind for me as they no longer offer the PR4s

(Non GT) in my size.

 

joeb

 

I'm riding an 1100RT, and Michelin no longer makes a rear 18 inch tire, so I won't discuss rear tires, just the front.  The roads where I live are rough on tires, and I am spirited when riding.  Here are my last few front tires:

PR4-GT - 5,938 miles 

Angel GT - 4,403 mi 

PR4-GT - 5,930 mi 

PR4-GT - 5,524 mi 

Road 5 - 4,617 mi 

Road 5 - 4,633 mi 

Road 5 - 4,589 mi 

Before these, it was mostly PR3 fronts, with PR3 rear until they stopped distributing them. Also a few Dunlop RS3, but won't use them again.

 

I'm using the Angel GT (160/60 - 18) on the rear, which is why I tried it on the front.  The Michelin Road 5 is a very good tire. Great grip, very predictable and confidence inspiring.  I would say exactly the same things about the Michelin Pilot Road 4-GT.  It's pretty obvious why I am sticking with the PR4-GT.  

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15 hours ago, strataj said:

My 14RT wethead weights about the same as your R1150RT (I had an 02) the 14RT calls for the GT (heavy weight) tire.  Two years ago I talked with a Michelin rep at the BMW National in Billings.  At that time the Pilot 5  GT wasn't out yet he said I should stay with the Pilot Road 4 GT tire.  He then told me the difference was a stiffer face of the tire not the sidewall as I have always thought.  The side walls of both Pilot Road 4 and Pilot 5 is soft compared with other tires, I change my own so I know this from having to work hard at it and sometimes needing help removing and installing any other tire then Michelin. 

 

I just put my first set of Pilot 5 GT's on my bike and only have a test ride but I have to say that seem great!  I've always liked the Pilot Road 4 GT's, my trip out to the National will tell me more about the 5's.  Just as a point of reference I had about 1500 sMiles on a set of Bridgestone T31 GT's , they are a nice tire and did really well in the Ozark corners.  I only changed them out because of my upcoming trip.  For the money they are great but I needed help  removing them to install the 5's. 

 

To really make your head spin, my 02R1150RT never had a GT or heavy weight tire, I put 80,000 sMiles on that bike. 

Strataj you remind me of me!   The National in Billings was 2015, 6 years ago.  

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6 hours ago, fatbob said:

Strataj you remind me of me!   The National in Billings was 2015, 6 years ago. 

Your right, hell it must of been Lebanon Tennessee I meet with the Michelin rep.  Lots of rally's now off to Great Falls

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Thanks, interesting milages. My pr4sare usually gone by 9000. My Metzlers are now just over 9 and maybe 1000 to go so, comparable.

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Right now I have a Road 5 and a Road 5 Gt...

Personally I thought that tires couldn't  be better than Road 4's. I rode 200 miles in a HEAVY Idaho rainstorm with 4's at, reasonably 

high speeds with a packed bike, and NEVER lost traction, except when I rolled over painted lines on the highway.

I trusted then so much I purchased the next incarnation, the 5's. The GT is on the rear. 7k on the front and 4K on the rear.

The traction and smoothness in the ride are top notch and keep me very happy I picked Michelin. As these tires wear, the ride doesn't change. Still smooth with great traction. I'll be shooting their commercial later this week...

Great Tires! But most of all, Worry Free...which is paramount when riding in the middle of no where.

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Yeah, I will add that the PR4-GT is the BEST front tire I have had as far as even tire wear. To some extent, every other tire I have run has had some amount of left side excess wear. I’m riding the same bike and ride the same roads and the PR4-GT is worn evenly when it comes off. 

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