Which tires do you like the best for SPORT-touring on your 1250?

[Stiggy]

On 11/16/2023 at 3:49 PM, Lance Taylor said:

Stiggy,

 

Sorry for the delay, but I didn't trust my bathroom scale as the weight that I came up with was 17-lbs?

This is the "standard" RS4 that I was weighing.

So to provide an accurate weight, I grabbed the tire and headed over to the local UPS store and had them give me the accurate weight of .......17-lbs.

 

I don't know what to say?

I suspect that my scale might run a bit light for some reason? Either that or Wal-Mart  sold me a 'light' 4 lb. bag of sugar....

It would seem that my scale might be off by 10%. That would put me at a 15 lb. (?) tire.

Since it's just sitting here waiting for the Pilot 6 to wear out anyway, I'll take mine to work the next time that I take my car and put it on our UPS scale just to confirm.

 

[Stiggy]

FWIW, I've heard of many folks that don't balance the rear tire on many brands of bikes over the years. (I don't know if you can feel that or not....)

[bimmers]

So far I didn't balance it and I could not feel it on straight highway riding at different speeds.

I do believe in balancing the tires for safety and tire wear. Imagine not balancing your car tires, what are the chances they would be perfect without any weights? Minimal!

Thanks for the suggestions and links.

 

H

[Stiggy]

On 11/16/2023 at 3:49 PM, Lance Taylor said:

Stiggy,

 

Sorry for the delay, but I didn't trust my bathroom scale as the weight that I came up with was 17-lbs?

This is the "standard" RS4 that I was weighing.

So to provide an accurate weight, I grabbed the tire and headed over to the local UPS store and had them give me the accurate weight of .......17-lbs.

 

I don't know what to say?

Cap, I was apparently right about my home scale. It reads about 10% light.

At the office UPS scale this morning, my 180/55-17 RS4 GT weighs 15.25 lbs.

 

Clearly, it isn't extra rubber in the construction to make it a GT, if your standard RS 4 weighs in at 17 lbs.

[Rougarou]

On 11/18/2023 at 3:50 PM, Stiggy said:

FWIW, I've heard of many folks that don't balance the rear tire on many brands of bikes over the years. (I don't know if you can feel that or not....)

 

True, I've never balanced the rear tire.  

[alexp]

It all depends in what kind of asphalt you are using it.  When I lived in the Bay Area, The Metzlers were awesome but not for the Volcanic Hawaii asphalt.  They only last 5 to 6k.  The Dunlops last longer but they are too hard and develops cuping very soon and gets noisy.  IMHO I'm very happy with the Road 6 Touring.  

[craydds]

I'm on my third set of Dunlop Roadsmart IV's.  Love 'em.  Yes, I mount and balance them myself. Balance both front and rear.  Marc Parnes balancer: http://www.marcparnes.com/BMW_Motorcycle_Wheel_Balancer.htm .  Presently my rear tire has over 12K miles and it's almost down to the wear bars; going to see how many miles I can squeeze  out of it.  (will definitely get a new set before my upcoming 4000 mile trip)

[brorke]

22 hours ago, craydds said:

I'm on my third set of Dunlop Roadsmart IV's.  Love 'em.  Yes, I mount and balance them myself. Balance both front and rear.  Marc Parnes balancer: http://www.marcparnes.com/BMW_Motorcycle_Wheel_Balancer.htm .  Presently my rear tire has over 12K miles and it's almost down to the wear bars; going to see how many miles I can squeeze  out of it.  (will definitely get a new set before my upcoming 4000 mile trip)

Same here....Previously tried Pilot Road 4,5 and 6 GT's on my 2019 RT. Dunlop Road Smart IV's are my favorite. Love the feel and seem to be wearing the best

[craydds]

2 hours ago, brorke said:

Same here....Previously tried Pilot Road 4,5 and 6 GT's on my 2019 RT. Dunlop Road Smart IV's are my favorite. Love the feel and seem to be wearing the best

I actually possess two used rear RS4 tires. One I pulled off because it had 8000 miles on it, and I had a 4000 mile trip ahead.  Better be safe than sorry, right?  Now I know that  tire could have easily made the trip; it's sitting in my garage and still looks rather new.

The other rear had a puncture and was "non-pluggable".  Only 5000 miles on the tire.  I dismounted the tire, repaired it with a righteous patch, and put it on the shelf.

Therefore, I have two used rear tires with many miles of rubber remaining (date stamps are well within acceptable).  I should get another 11,000 combined miles between the two tires.

 

[brorke]

27 minutes ago, craydds said:

I actually possess two used rear RS4 tires. One I pulled off because it had 8000 miles on it, and I had a 4000 mile trip ahead.  Better be safe than sorry, right?  Now I know that  tire could have easily made the trip; it's sitting in my garage and still looks rather new.

The other rear had a puncture and was "non-pluggable".  Only 5000 miles on the tire.  I dismounted the tire, repaired it with a righteous patch, and put it on the shelf.

Therefore, I have two used rear tires with many miles of rubber remaining (date stamps are well within acceptable).  I should get another 11,000 combined miles between the two tires.

 

This is my first set of the RS4's on the bike right now. I will be THRILLED to get 8-10K out of the rear. I ride 2-up about 65% of the time. Semi-aggressive...nothing too crazy. Only managed 4500 +/- out of the Michelin rears. Dunlop at about 4k now and looks real good

[craydds]

10 hours ago, brorke said:

This is my first set of the RS4's on the bike right now. I will be THRILLED to get 8-10K out of the rear. I ride 2-up about 65% of the time. Semi-aggressive...nothing too crazy. Only managed 4500 +/- out of the Michelin rears. Dunlop at about 4k now and looks real good

Bet you can easily get 8-10K.  Keep the rear pressure up; I recommend 44 psi for two-up and heavier loads. I alway run 42 psi; 44 psi when fully loaded.  Front tire at 36 to 38 psi, again depending upon load.  Love the feel, love the handling.  I would run these tires on my track bike!

[JCtx]

Could never find reliable weight comparisons between the 2, but by all accounts, seems like the RS4s are heavier (probably because they don't offer a non-GT variant). And they also appear to cup easier, plus only the rear is CT2 (dual compound), compared to both Road6s now, so I'm going with the sure bet. Just ordered Road6s from MaxBMW (no tax for me). Will investigate where I can post if anybody in El Paso TX has a tire changer that wants to share it (for a fee). The dealer has a history of scratching wheels, plus they charge an arm and a leg. So rather pay a local beemer brother instead. Hope I can find somebody.

[Stiggy]

RS4's do come in a 'standard'  version and a GT version. You have to shop Europe to get it (GT) as they are not sold in the U.S. (TyrePro in Greece via E-Bay.)

(I have one in the shop awaiting my current Michelin to wear out.)

 

 

[JCtx]

I was under the impression the US tires were the GT version, without saying GT on the tire. But guess that's wrong, huh? And that being the case, the GT version should be even heavier, so glad I chose the R6s.

[Stiggy]

21 minutes ago, JCtx said:

I was under the impression the US tires were the GT version, without saying GT on the tire. But guess that's wrong, huh? And that being the case, the GT version should be even heavier, so glad I chose the R6s.

Correct. I called Dunlop directly and was advised that the GT doesn't get shipped to the States.

I am curious as to how much more  (if any,) mileage I get out of this one vs what you guys have been getting out of the standard.

FWIW, with shipping from Greece, the cost was comparable to a Michelin Pilot 6 GT shipped to my house (about $290.)

 

As to weight, forum member CAP weighed his standard and I weighed mine GT and (despite UPS scale differences,) the GT does not significantly weigh any more than the standard.

[slavetotheroad]

Avon Spirit ST on my GS.

[JCtx]

On 1/27/2024 at 12:09 PM, Stiggy said:

I am curious as to how much more  (if any,) mileage I get out of this one vs what you guys have been getting out of the standard.

It should be the same. Reportedly, the only difference on the GT is stiffer sidewalls, which makes it harder to install/remove. And adds like 1 to 2 pounds to the weight (on the rear). I use the standard ones, since I always ride solo, I'm relatively light at 162# (plus gear, and a small tail bag), and my bike is relatively light (527#) compared to an RT. The regular tires feel awesome even at full lean. I use 36F/40R psi cold.

[strataj]

16 hours ago, JCtx said:

It should be the same. Reportedly, the only difference on the GT is stiffer sidewalls, which makes it harder to install/remove. And adds like 1 to 2 pounds to the weight (on the rear). I use the standard ones, since I always ride solo, I'm relatively light at 162# (plus gear, and a small tail bag), and my bike is relatively light (527#) compared to an RT. The regular tires feel awesome even at full lean. I use 36F/40R psi cold.

I was told by the Michlin rep the GT tire has extra support (may not be the correct wording) on the face of the tire not the sidewall. 

[Bernie]

Tire companies do not recommend the use GT version of their tires for XR, R & RS type bikes.

 

[Stiggy]

 

 

If you type "Michelin Tires for R1200RT in the search bar, your first link that pops up:

 

 

Michelin Tires

https://www.michelinman.com › manufacturers › r-1200-rt

and follow the prompts, (brand, motorcycle, year, etc) it offers 2  choices for my 2017 RT , the Road 6 GT and the Pilot 4 GT.

 

I assume manufacturers are not recommending GT's for the (lighter) " sport"  bikes?

 

 

 

[JCtx]

On 1/29/2024 at 5:59 AM, Bernie said:

Tire companies do not recommend the use GT version of their tires for XR, R & RS type bikes.

That makes sense Bernie. Although it could be a gray area for heavier folks who ride with a pillion (and/or bags), close to the payload limit, which is a whopping 487 lbs on my R. But in my case, zero reason for GTs.

[ADulay]

Just had both tires replaced as the front Michelin 6GT had 19,000 miles on it while the rear was still looking good at 12,500.

 

Replaced them both as the rear had a nagging slow leak in it that I just couldn't track down but was losing a few pounds of air a day while at rest.

 

Obviously that high mileage front tire was horrible to ride on in any kind of twisty but I needed it to make the distance to match up with the 30K oil change.

 

So, now I'm good for Daytona and Sturgis without any big maintenance costs coming up.

 

AD (R1250RT)

[wbw6cos]

Must be nice.   5,092 miles on my Road 6 GT (rear.)    

 

[ADulay]

Yeah, that's what my rear tire generally looks like when I finally get it swapped out, but not at 5000 miles!

 

Wow.

 

AD

[JSCOTT]

On 2/22/2024 at 12:01 PM, wbw6cos said:

Must be nice.   5,092 miles on my Road 6 GT (rear.)    

 

 

Did you swap in a black muffler 

[wbw6cos]

Nah, could be the lack of proper lighting.  However, it is pretty filthy on the inside.

 

[JCtx]

Hey gang, finally have the tires off the bike now, and new Road6s waiting to get swapped (probably tomorrow). Really hoping that (non-BMW) dealer doesn't do any damage (actually trust them better than the BMW one . Ha ha). And my question to you is if there's a way to test the TPM sensors with the GS911 without having to ride the bike. Or if I need one of those TPMS 'wake-up' tool, and which kind, since I only have one (50448). Thank you.

 

As a side comment, took the opportunity to flush brake fluid, and do it thoroughly (cleaning and retracting pistons), since the front wheel was off anyway. And also after seeing that BMW didn't install the bleed valve where it's supposed to go on the front calipers, which is on the other side of the caliper (there's a plug instead), and not no top of the supply line. Therefore, absolutely no fluid from the caliper is getting flushed, so it's imperative to push the pistons in, to minimize the amount of old fluid in there. I have a tip: Remove the pads before removing the front calipers, so you don't have to retract the dirty pistons into the caliper, possibly lessening the life of the seals; it literally takes a minute each. And another tip: the only line on the reservoir 'glass' is the MIN one, so make sure you fill it up above that. Since my  brakes are like new, I just left a visible bubble on top of the 'glass', to make it easier to check fluid level; otherwise is hard to know if it's full or empty. But even if pads are somewhat worn, I always top brake fluid near the max line when doing a flush, and just adjust level when changing pads... although I typically do a flush right at that time , so no need for that. Finally, if you fully retract the pistons, it takes exactly 20 full pumps to make the brakes functional again, so DO NOT forget to do that, or you'd definitely crash when trying to brake. Oh, and also remember to put the pads in if you just want to sit the pistons where they should go, like I did.... but forgot to put the freaking pads in. At 16 pumps, it seemed like too many, and when I took a peek in there, one piston was almost completely out (oopsy), but fortunately no fluid leaked. It was already wobbly when trying to push it in, so I was literally one pump away from disaster. I never had that kind of senior moment before, so a reminder that at 62, we 'old farts' need to do more checks on our service procedures to avoid those 'senior moments'. And yes, all 3 bleed valves are tight. Ha ha. Hope this helps.

[Bernie]

Well, don’t forget to torque down the caliber mounting bolts, we did have a member loose his rear caliber for some unexplained reason and it removed all his spokes at highway speed. Not a very pleasant experience.

Always double check your work, regardless of your age.

[JCtx]

Oh yeah. I always double (or triple) check everything, and has never screwed up anything yet. What happened with the pads is it was a 'temporary' step I added to the process, since weather was nasty today, and I wanted to finish the brake bleeding job. So decided to put the front wheel back, and get the pistons expanded to where they should be, to finish the job... and forgot to put the pads in. But even if a piston had come out, I have the tools to do the job properly, but would have spent a couple of extra hours having to cycle the ABS pump with the GS911, so glad I didn't have to go thru that. Ha ha.

[Toruk]

On 1/29/2024 at 7:59 AM, Bernie said:

Tire companies do not recommend the use GT version of their tires for XR, R & RS type bikes.

 

My RS built May 2023 came from the factory with Road 5 GTs. At 5400 miles they still look great. When needed I will switch to Road 6 (non-GTs).

[Yuro]

On 9/5/2023 at 12:12 AM, JCtx said:

IEDIT: Just checked Revzilla, and they have the Road5s for $401.08, and the Road6s for $474.42. My question is if the Road6s are 73 bucks (or roughly 18%) better than the 5s. The only drawback of the 5s is they might be old, but would have to ask Revzilla how much. My question is if the 6s last longer, and how much. I don't really need any more grip than the 5s provide. I had them on my MT10, and were awesome. Thank you.

I know this post is old.  Just sparked a couple observations:   1.  Prices are quite good at American Moto Tire.   2.  Road 5's are going to be older tires because Michelin doesn't make them anymore.  If you're going to burn them up in one season, then it doesn't make a ton of difference.  3. Road 5s made some tread noise when leaned over.  It never bothered me but bothers some people.   For me, so long as the noise isn't while the bike is upright, it's OK.   4.  I had 2 rear tire punctures very early in the life of my Road 5s.  Michelin road tires feel great but they're lighter than almost any other tire...good for low unsprung weight, but I think they do puncture a little easier, FWIW.  5. Since I went to the dark side and bought a GSA, the tire sizes are different.  I can buy Road 6 for it, but a friend recommended Conti Trail Attack 3.  I really like them for my GSA.  It's a "90/10" tire.   90% road.   I never seek to run on unpaved, but sometimes it happens due to mapping errors etc.   I don't turn around so long as I know the road doesn't dead-end.   I have a bit more confidence that these TA3s won't puncture.  3 riding seasons so far and no tire repairs.   GREAT.    Oh...and they handle very, very well.    Michelin has just come out with a similar tire and Pirelli has a Scorpion tire that's also 90/10.   Avoid the Bridgestone 041s that were stock on GS's for a while.  They're 80/20 and the noisiest front tread I've ever heard.   Don't know why, but from 20mph up, they just howl.  

[Yuro]

On 12/14/2023 at 7:13 PM, alexp said:

It all depends in what kind of asphalt you are using it.  When I lived in the Bay Area, The Metzlers were awesome but not for the Volcanic Hawaii asphalt.  They only last 5 to 6k.  The Dunlops last longer but they are too hard and develops cuping very soon and gets noisy.  IMHO I'm very happy with the Road 6 Touring.  

 

Biggest variables on tire life....1. Long interstate rides at high speed (Chicago to Denver comes to mind), especially at high temps, are very tough on the centers of the rear tires...all rear tires, especially with bigger bikes like RTs that push a lot of air out of the way.   2. Abrasive surfaces (like pumice in the volcanic rock used in Hawaii and the NW USA.  The pavement around Mt. St. Helen, for instance, is crazy sticky for leaning the bike over, but it will wear out the sidewalls pretty quick....and you do not want to fall on that stuff at speed...It's a belt-sander!  Wear great gear or slow down.  Comparing tire life is great but the biggest thing affecting it is the conditions you happen to encounter.    

[Yuro]

On 2/22/2024 at 11:01 AM, wbw6cos said:

Must be nice.   5,092 miles on my Road 6 GT (rear.)    

 

 

This is typical long-run interstate wear.   Iron butt tires!

[wbw6cos]

Negative, Ghost Rider.   Shift Cam Power, Baby!  Jack rabbit starts, red light to red light on my 9.2 mile one way commute with some hard Shift Assist downshifting mixed in.   

 

[JCtx]

Hey guys, so no way to test that TPM sensors weren't damaged by the tire change, except riding the bike? I could swear I read somewhere the GS911 was able to do that. Maybe not. Or maybe it needs a special 'wake-up' tool. Will try searching again. Will tell dealer not to change anything other than tires (like TPM seals, etc), but won't be able to watch how they change the tires, so need to make sure sensors weren't damaged.

 

Crappy weather today too, so will change them tomorrow. I removed the valves (and put crappier ones to take them in), and left the tires deflated (to make it easier to dealer), and was surprised how freaking thin the middle of the rear tire feels on those Z8s. And I wasn't on the wear bars yet (almost). I almost feel like I could poke a hole with my finger. Ha ha. We'll see how the Road6s are when done. What I like about the Road6s is the fronts are now dual-compound too, which wasn't the case with Road5s. And I prefer to have the lightest tires possible; I always pay attention where I tread, so not worried about that (just 1 flat about 3 decades ago).

[wbw6cos]

Get a wake-up tool that matches the BMW Motorrad frequency for TPMS, per Boxflyer.   Once the sensor is awake, it will need to be recognized by the bike; a GS-911 will do the trick.

 

 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072BK693N?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1

 

 

 

 

 

 

[JCtx]

I have a TPM tool that looks exactly like that one, and same brand, shape, and color... but it says 'GL-50448', rather than 'OEC-T5'. Any idea if it's the same? Hope so. And I just need to check that my sensors are alive and well after the tire change, not program new ones. That's why I thought it was an easier process, but will check that video, and see if I can use it for my purposes of just checking that sensors are good. Thank you.

 

EDIT: Seems like I could select 'learn ACTIVATED tire sensor', and just put the same ID as shown (which I can record for future reference), and see what happens? I could do it now too, to find out what happens first, but want to hear from an expert; don't want to screw anything up. Or get the freaking bike out of the hole it's in, and just take it for a quick ride, if nobody is sure how to just check that sensors are good. Thanks gang.

[Shelterwoods]

Metzler Roadtec 01SE, or Michelin Road 6 GT; these last seem to be preferred by motor officers though I have no experience, the Metzlers have been very good to me (6 - 7,000 miles per).

[JCtx]

Hey gang, got the tires changed. Was charged $65 total for both, so very happy about that. I didn't see any damage at the shop due to the white grease all over, but there was after cleaning both wheels. Oh well. Not a huge deal, since it was probably a total of about 8 linear inches on all 4 sides, and nothing major (mostly paint damage). I figured I'd probably have damaged them too, since you have to rub the crap out of the wheel with almost any changer. Will notify shop of the damage, so they don't promise not to damage wheels, but I'll definitely use them again. Used a black paint Sharpie, and damage is invisible now, so great news.

Oh, and I figured a very easy way to test the sensors... and it worked. I just turned the ignition on, put the info screen, woke up the sensors with my 50448 gizmo, and BAM!, both tire pressures showed up, so no need to ride the bike. Now it's ready for some action. Just need to balance the wheels now. Hopefully no more weight than before, but we'll see.

[JCtx]

Just balanced my wheels, and the front was worse than the OEM tire, but I never checked the balance, so not sure if it was perfect (like it is now). It had 30 gr, and required 42 gr now, which is 40% more, but still an acceptable amount. But the freaking rear is bonkers bad; it required a whopping 89 gr to balance. The Z8 only 35 gr, and it was perfect; WTF? Did some research, and the limit is reportedly 3.5 oz, or 98 gr. It's pretty close to that, but perfectly balanced now. It should be fine, right? I don't want any more damage on my wheel, which I already touched up, and cleaned (plus the hassle of having to take it to dealer again). So prefer to leave it alone if there are no negative consequences. Read that several GSs required even more than mine (91, 95, and 98 gr), and owners said no issues at all. But highly disappointed at Michelin for not marking their stupid tires which are obviously not anywhere close to balanced. Geez. Next time might go with RoadSmart4s if they're marked. It's ridiculous having to add that much weight. Rant over. Thanks for your input gang.

[Bernie]

On the rear wheel it is very important that the adapter for the wheel is solid and centered in the large opening when you mount the wheel on your balancer.

Most MC shops do not have the proper adapter. If you want to make sure it is balanced correctly you may want to have them recheck it or get a Mark Parnes balance setup for the BMW R bikes.

[JCtx]

Hey Bernie, you probably missed I balance my wheels. And yes, with a Marc Parnes; the same setup I used to balance the stock wheel/tire with 35 gr. And also yes, the adapter was correctly installed, but will try again right now just to double-check, before permanently attaching the weights. Anyway, with the wheel perfectly balanced now, isn't the equivalent of having installed a slightly heavier tire, like the RoadSmart4? Everything looks good: bead seated at both sides, tire inflated to the 40 psi I use, and correct rotation on the tires. I'm going to visually check run-out too after spinning the tire, and report back.

[Bernie]

You should be good then. I don't think it matters which brand tire you use. Your weights are opposite of the valve stem?

[JCtx]

Just re-checked the balance, starting from zero (installing adapter again, etc), and wheel is perfectly balanced. No visible radial run-out, meaning adapter is correctly installed; just a little bit of axial run-out -side to side-, probably due to adapter tolerance, but that shouldn't affect balancing. And no, the weights are not opposite the valve stem, but that's probably not the heavy point anyway, since the TPM sensors are offset a few inches from there. Wish I had a tire changer, to balance the wheels by themselves first, but I don't. Anyway, both wheels have the weights at comparable locations: With valve stems pointed at me at the 12 o'clock positions, front wheel has them at 4:30, and rear at 7:30 (stock one had them at 8:30 o'clock after I balanced it when new, so not too far away). Front wheel had stock weights at 6 o'clock... BUT also my RT and K1300S, so it'd be way too much coincidence all 3 had the heavy spot right there; I bet the factory places them at 6 o'clock by default. I bet my front wheel wasn't perfectly balanced, but never checked it. So do you think I should be fine like that? I figured it's just like if the tire was a bit heavier, no? Not ideal, of course, since at high speeds, that extra weight translates to a few lbs, due to centrifugal forces. But a heavier tire like the RoadSmart4 would be even worse, since the extra weight is farther out than the wheel. Looking forward to your input, to finish the job. Thank you.

[Bernie]

Sounds like you will be fine.

I don't think the few extra grams will affect your handling or your top speed. 

 

[JCtx]

Thanks a lot Bernie. It could affect top speed by a MPH or two, but I don't plan to get anywhere near that anyway, so no issues with that. Ha ha. But again, it would be no different than if I had fitted a heavier RoadSmart4 anyway, which is what I'm probably going to do next time... unless Michelin starts marking their freaking tires again. Thanks you again, and hope you're enjoying your weekend. Take care.

 

[Hati]

Or you could just use balancing beads and be done with it, no weights to add or stuff around with. Invisible and always balances against the active heavy side. That, by the way changes, as the tyre wears.

 

3 sets of tyres on 2 different bikes over 4 years speak for themselves. Over 11000 MILES (17800 km) on a set of Road 6 GTs ridden two up 95% of the time. 

 

No, I am not affiliated, paying for my own beads. I just did my due research and tried it and now sticking with it. Just saying...

[Scotto336]

Recently put Roadtec 01 SEs on my RT and I love them.  Handle great and grip is very good right out of the driveway in 40F temperature.  Can't comment on wear yet.

[scout6]

These seem like a good choice.