Tire dilema on R1200RT

[cali_beemer]

Okay, so I just bought this R1200RT last night. A nice bike and I have had alot of differnet beemers. The bike has a almost new rear michelin piliot road tire in the back but a very bald michelin piliot road up front. The natural thought would be to just replace it with the same thing, right? Well, just from experience on my old R1100RT, I never cared for the michelin tires. I have always been a big fan of the Bridgestone B020 tires from my ST1300 and a couple of other bikes I have had them on. Is it okay to mix and match? Does bridgestone even make a set for this bike? I really dont want to just put on anothe michelin but I dont have the money to swap out the back tire as well and it only has about 500- 1000 miles on it. What should I do

[Tony_K]

Sounds like a personal problem to me...

[bakerzdosen]

You could get a BT021 if you wanted for the front tire. Mixing won't be that big of a deal.

 

They don't make the Pilot Roads any more. However, the PR2's are typically well reviewed.

 

If you really want the Bridgestone, get it. Depending on how you ride, the two tires may just need replacing at the same time.

[rglassma]

I can't speak for the Bridgestones on my '05 RT but I had them on my LT and they were not great tires.. I have used the Dunlop Roadsmarts on the front of my RT with a PR on the back and it was an awesome pair !!!! No problem what so ever. Once the rear PR was worn out, I put another roadsmart on the rear and the front continues to wear normally. Great tires.

 

Neither Bridgestone, Dunlop or Michelin will recommend you mix tires. In fact they will recommend against it..

 

That is my experience.

[10ovr]

motorcycle-superstore.com has mich Pilot Roads still in stock,,,Good price to,,,

[cali_beemer]

I can't speak for the Bridgestones on my '05 RT but I had them on my LT and they were not great tires.. I have used the Dunlop Roadsmarts on the front of my RT with a PR on the back and it was an awesome pair !!!! No problem what so ever. Once the rear PR was worn out, I put another roadsmart on the rear and the front continues to wear normally. Great tires.

 

Neither Bridgestone, Dunlop or Michelin will recommend you mix tires. In fact they will recommend against it..

 

That is my experience.

 

Thanks, I may look into the dunlop. I had the bridgestones on my LT as well and loved them except they wore so fast. I had them agian on my St1300 and loved them but they got excellent mileage on that bike.

 

Has anyne used the Metxler Z6 on the 1200RT?

[Paco]

I've got OEM Metzeler Z6 tires on my R1200RT. I have no problems whatsoever with them, but I would like to have obvious treadwear indicators on the rear. In mostly straight Texas highway use, the front is wearing very evenly, and the rear has the expected flattened center wear.

 

Based on what I have read I might be trying the Dunlop Roadsmarts to replace the Z6's when the time comes.

 

Mileage and satisfaction with particular tires seems to vary widely between different riders.

 

and of course "Your Mileage May Vary".

 

 

[GregB]

As much as I love the Dunlop Roadsmarts on my R1200RT, I think you would find better tires for "mostly straight" use. They tend toward sporty in feel with very little effort to turn in. I would describe them as ultra responsive. They respond instantly to weight shift, handlebar input, etc. Probably not the best for highway droning. I love them but am interested in their sporty nature. I have spoken to others that put them on K bikes and found them to have different charachteristics so be aware that I am ONLY referring to the R1200RT.

[Sailorlite]

OEM Metzeler Z6's here too. After 4K miles, both front and rear seem to be wearing evenly and equally. I'm guessing they'll be replaced at 7-8K miles. Also, the rear has that extra "C" specification - not sure how necessary that is.

 

 

[RoadJunkie]

Paco hit the nail on the head regarding the Z6 tread wear indicators. It is very difficult to tell when your tire is finished. I wore a tire out to the threads and did not realize it. consequently, I would not have another Z6 on my RT. Also, I have run tires of dissimilar manufacture with no problems. Unless your really aggressive--where potential friction differences would be apparent--I don't think you should have a problem.

[Mister Tee]

My experience with Michelin tires has been absolutely great. I've been running Pilot Powers on my sportbike for several years, and I'm about 8,000 miles in to my present set of Pilot Road 2's on the RT, and so far they have simply been outstanding tires in terms of wear, handling and traction.

[jbryant53]

I have a z6 on the front and the B021 bridgestone on the rear of my 06 RT, it is so far a good combo...

 

I'll try the roadsmarts or PR2 when these wear out..

 

the rear 021 has about 8K and is wearing good with least another 3-4K before it will need replacing..front has about 4K and is ok..

 

the mixing of tires isn't a real big deal as long as you are not running like you are on a race bike IMHO..which don't mean much..

 

I have mixed tires on my roadstar, UC and the wing with no adverse reactions..I check the pressure often and keep a close eye on my tires..

[Paco]

Greg,

 

Thank you for your comment about Roadsmart tires on an RT1200 for "straight line use". Does that mean that those tires make the bike less stable in crosswinds and in wash coming off of 18-wheelers on the Interstates?

 

 

[JayW]

Neither Bridgestone, Dunlop or Michelin will recommend you mix tires. In fact they will recommend against it..

 

Notwithstanding this advice, I have mixed tire brands many times with no apparent ill effects.

 

Jay

[rglassma]

I can't speak for the Bridgestones on my '05 RT but I had them on my LT and they were not great tires.. I have used the Dunlop Roadsmarts on the front of my RT with a PR on the back and it was an awesome pair !!!! No problem what so ever. Once the rear PR was worn out, I put another roadsmart on the rear and the front continues to wear normally. Great tires.

 

Neither Bridgestone, Dunlop or Michelin will recommend you mix tires. In fact they will recommend against it..

 

That is my experience.

 

Thanks, I may look into the dunlop. I had the bridgestones on my LT as well and loved them except they wore so fast. I had them agian on my St1300 and loved them but they got excellent mileage on that bike.

 

Has anyne used the Metxler Z6 on the 1200RT?

 

I don't think you can go wrong with the Dunlops. Everyone I know that has tried them loves them including me. The Z6s have very little wear indication. It is very difficult to tell when they are worn in the middle of the tire ... I know alot of people that use them without a problem but I doubt you will get more mileage out of them then your Pilot Roads. The dual compound of the Roadsmarts on the rear seem to be showing little wear at all if any after over 1000 miles. I know the pilot road 2 has dual compound as well, but feedback I have received shows very little additional wear over the original Pilot Roads.

 

That is not first hand experience mind you. But, the Dunlops seem to be a bit less expensive here in Denver. Last rear I got cost me just over 120.00 ... The fronts I can find for under 100.00 ... With the dual compound on the rear, handling characteristics, and high wearability, they seem like a winner and worth trying ...

 

Good luck.

[GregB]

Greg,

 

Thank you for your comment about Roadsmart tires on an RT1200 for "straight line use". Does that mean that those tires make the bike less stable in crosswinds and in wash coming off of 18-wheelers on the Interstates?

I have little problem with wind or big trucks but, of course, prefer to ride around neither. I did notice in one recent really bad windy freeway area, where I was around a dozen different bikes of most every type, that my RT was doing better in the wind than anything except a Hayabusa where the guy was laying on the tank to expose as little area to the wind as possible. One guy on that silly CanAm three wheeler was being blown around so bad that I was hesitant to pass him in the car pool lane. It was windy enough that it was closed to "high profile" traffic - tall trucks and motorhomes.

 

My caveat about the Roadsmarts is that they are very responsive. So if you are paying attention, riding in a sporty manner, riding twisties, etc. they are just wonderful. It is just that when you are droning along, they are very responsive to small changes like shifting your weight, small hand inputs, passenger movement. That is what makes me think that someone who lives in an area of mostly straight roads might prefer a different tire.

 

I think they are wonderful.

[rglassma]

Greg,

 

I respect your opinion, but I have to disagree. I believe that the dual compound on the rear is designed to provide high mileage on straight roads . I think the single compound on the front is more of a compromise with stickiness and long life. The Dunlops are very responsive tires. That is really important on the highway in an emergency situation. The bike will respond more quickly.

 

High winds can be an issue both on highways and in the canyons. But, I know alot of bikes that have alot more difficulty in high winds then I do on my RT no matter what tires they use. My old LT was a perfect example. It would be blown all over the world because it had such a large profile.

 

I think the benefits way outway the disadvantages.

[revdoc]

Sure like my Avon's