MCN Sports touring touring tire comparo

[walton66]

Nice article on the MCN YouTube channel tonight comparing sports touring tires. Going to need a new set before Summer and based on this might consider something other than the PR4. A little more research is in order first.

[Tri750]

Research ? Like with a lab coat and bubbling beakers and stuff ?

[Selden]

It all depends on your needs. I want high mileage, but I need an 18" rear tire, which limits my choices.

 

I was impressed that the guy was riding the tires blind; didn't know what tire he was riding.

 

To quote: "Pirelli are telling me that anything over 6 is a very good tire... so if any of these tires score over 6 they are absolutely fine." He scored the Michelin at 7.2, and said "This is a really good all around tire; it's more touring than sporty, very good in cold conditions, very good in the wet, and gives very good comfort. It's very much on the touring side of things; it's not that sporty..."

 

Nothing was said in the test about longevity. I got 10,000 miles from my last to PRs, 14000 miles from a PR4 rear, and the current PR3 is at 10,000 miles, with lots of tread still left.

 

For someone with an R1100RT with 18" rear wheel, the Dunlop Roadsmart III and the Metzeler Roadtec 01 aren't options. The Bridgestone T30 seems to available as a closeout, at a very attractive price.

 

I think my first set of tires after buying my RT was Continental RoadAttack, and while they were OK, I got only about 7000 miles out of them, and toward the end they howled badly. Pirelli Angels, about the same. (Why wasn't Pirelli in this test???).

 

I stopped thinking I was Ricky Racer about 20 years ago, and the PR4 meets my needs better than anything I have tried to date. My only complaint is that the cross tread sipes on the front tire howls at fairly low mileage.

[walton66]

Meaning I'd like to more about mileage and see a few more reviews. I am totally pleased with my PR4s but not above trying something else. Without a fleet of bikes doing a bunch of riding, it's up to people like us to chat about mileage and mileage related characteristics.

[walton66]

Link

[realshelby]

These type of tire tests are not really useful to me. I think about any of the major brands have a tire that is going to hold very well in the wet, dry, and carry the load well enough. Wet traction seems to be a buzz term lately. Why I don't know. First of all I slow down in the wet, second I have not had issues with any tire for years that made me think they were not good in wet conditions. These tire tests are all done on new tires. What do they act like at 6-8,000 miles?

 

Now when they pick 10 owners and have them put a LOT of miles on 2 or 3 different brands/models of tires over a year or so, that is the test I want to read!

[walton66]

Agreed, and I'll sign up to be one of the mileage riders. I try not to ride when it's wet but that's not always possible. I've been caught out on the road a few times on the PR4 and have been highly satisfied with the grip and feel. But, if new tires come along that might be better, I want to know.

[PadG]

I also will need new tires, probably before summer. I love the PR4GT, and was quite surprised to see it last in the test! OTOH, my '15 came with Z8s, and I do like them, but thought that PR4GT handles better.

 

It is very curious to me that the test was helped/sponsored by Pirelli, and yet the Angel GT was not one of the candidate! I really want to know, because that is a candidate for me to buy instead of the PR4GT, based on many good things that I have read here and in another forum!

[Daxamundo]

I just ordered a set of the Bridgestone T30 Evo tires (GT spec) for my K1600. I think I will have them on by the weekend. The T30 Evo is the newer version of the T30, which might explain why some of the T30s out there are in the bargain bin. Having said that, I got the T30 Evo's for $235, so that's a great price too.

[Bernie]

I also will need new tires, probably before summer. I love the PR4GT, and was quite surprised to see it last in the test! OTOH, my '15 came with Z8s, and I do like them, but thought that PR4GT handles better.

 

It is very curious to me that the test was helped/sponsored by Pirelli, and yet the Angel GT was not one of the candidate! I really want to know, because that is a candidate for me to buy instead of the PR4GT, based on many good things that I have read here and in another forum!

 

First of all, Pirelli owns Metzeler, and the tester says so in the beginning of the video. Second at 0:36 they are showing a stack of tires, there is a picture of a front and rear Pirelli Angel GT tires, 2nd pair from the top.

Also keep in mind that MCN is a magazine/YouTube Channel based in England and SportTouring in Europe is not the same as SportTouring in the USA.

I think it is much cooler in the video then 10-12 degrees C, since in the beginning of the video you can snow mash on the road, offline.

As for my own experience, riding a R1200RT in the SE USA, I believe the Pirelli Angel GT is a slightly better sport tire then the Michelin PR-4GT. It really starts to excel, when it wears. Even though they both develop this ridge or edge on the front tires when worn, the PR-4 GT starts to really track pavement irregularities and becomes very tippsy in corners. The Angel GT does not show any of the vicious handling that the PR-4 GT displays.

Of course these things will not affect most riders, as they normally replace the tires when this develops or they live in an area where the tires wear evenly across the whole circumference.

The Pirelli Angel GT doesn't last as long as the PR-4GT, and I always have to change Metzeler and Pirelli tires because the cords are coming through, as for Michelin PR-3 & PR4 GT's I will change them always a little to early. There is a lot of rubber in a Michelin Pilot Road 3 and 4 tire, and if you can deal with the strange handling when the tires are worn, you can get a lot of miles out of the tires well past the the life of the TWI's.

In the rain both tires do very well, even when badly worn, but then I ride a underpowered 2007 R1200RT.

Just my .5 cents worth of knowledge.

Happy motoring.

[Selden]

I just ordered a set of the Bridgestone T30 Evo tires (GT spec) for my K1600. I think I will have them on by the weekend. The T30 Evo is the newer version of the T30, which might explain why some of the T30s out there are in the bargain bin. Having said that, I got the T30 Evo's for $235, so that's a great price too.

 

Ah, that explains the "clearance" prices.

[realshelby]

I just ordered a set of the Bridgestone T30 Evo tires (GT spec) for my K1600. I think I will have them on by the weekend. The T30 Evo is the newer version of the T30, which might explain why some of the T30s out there are in the bargain bin. Having said that, I got the T30 Evo's for $235, so that's a great price too.

 

Ah, that explains the "clearance" prices.

 

I have been buying T30's for over 2 years for under $220 a set ( $218 delivered for the RT ). Now that the T30 Evo is out, they seem to be discontinuing the old T30. The T30 Evo is $226 delivered. Everyday price at Americanmototire. There may be longer lasting tires, there may be softer compound tires, but I think the T30 was very hard to beat all around and if it comes at a value price compared to the Michelin I don't hold that against it. My concern is that the new T30 Evo will get less mileage than the original T30. Just like my PR4's got less mileage than the PR3's on the same bike.

[Dave_in_TX]

I just ordered a set of the Bridgestone T30 Evo tires (GT spec) for my K1600. I think I will have them on by the weekend. The T30 Evo is the newer version of the T30, which might explain why some of the T30s out there are in the bargain bin. Having said that, I got the T30 Evo's for $235, so that's a great price too.

 

Ah, that explains the "clearance" prices.

 

I have been buying T30's for over 2 years for under $220 a set ( $218 delivered for the RT ). Now that the T30 Evo is out, they seem to be discontinuing the old T30. The T30 Evo is $226 delivered. Everyday price at Americanmototire. There may be longer lasting tires, there may be softer compound tires, but I think the T30 was very hard to beat all around and if it comes at a value price compared to the Michelin I don't hold that against it. My concern is that the new T30 Evo will get less mileage than the original T30. Just like my PR4's got less mileage than the PR3's on the same bike.

 

+1 on the T30s

[gordiet]

I also will need new tires, probably before summer. I love the PR4GT, and was quite surprised to see it last in the test! OTOH, my '15 came with Z8s, and I do like them, but thought that PR4GT handles better.

 

It is very curious to me that the test was helped/sponsored by Pirelli, and yet the Angel GT was not one of the candidate! I really want to know, because that is a candidate for me to buy instead of the PR4GT, based on many good things that I have read here and in another forum!

 

First of all, Pirelli owns Metzeler, and the tester says so in the beginning of the video. Second at 0:36 they are showing a stack of tires, there is a picture of a front and rear Pirelli Angel GT tires, 2nd pair from the top.

Also keep in mind that MCN is a magazine/YouTube Channel based in England and SportTouring in Europe is not the same as SportTouring in the USA.

I think it is much cooler in the video then 10-12 degrees C, since in the beginning of the video you can snow mash on the road, offline.

As for my own experience, riding a R1200RT in the SE USA, I believe the Pirelli Angel GT is a slightly better sport tire then the Michelin PR-4GT. It really starts to excel, when it wears. Even though they both develop this ridge or edge on the front tires when worn, the PR-4 GT starts to really track pavement irregularities and becomes very tippsy in corners. The Angel GT does not show any of the vicious handling that the PR-4 GT displays.

Of course these things will not affect most riders, as they normally replace the tires when this develops or they live in an area where the tires wear evenly across the whole circumference.

The Pirelli Angel GT doesn't last as long as the PR-4GT, and I always have to change Metzeler and Pirelli tires because the cords are coming through, as for Michelin PR-3 & PR4 GT's I will change them always a little to early. There is a lot of rubber in a Michelin Pilot Road 3 and 4 tire, and if you can deal with the strange handling when the tires are worn, you can get a lot of miles out of the tires well past the the life of the TWI's.

In the rain both tires do very well, even when badly worn, but then I ride a underpowered 2007 R1200RT. I tried APIs

Just my .5 cents worth of knowledge.

Happy motoring.

 

I've run PR4GT on both my K1600GTL and my R1200RTLC since I've owned them and have never experienced any vicious handling! I ride them fairly hard at times. The Pirellis that I tried were junk. Couldn't get any mileage out them at all.

 

GT

[Bernie]

I also will need new tires, probably before summer. I love the PR4GT, and was quite surprised to see it last in the test! OTOH, my '15 came with Z8s, and I do like them, but thought that PR4GT handles better.

 

It is very curious to me that the test was helped/sponsored by Pirelli, and yet the Angel GT was not one of the candidate! I really want to know, because that is a candidate for me to buy instead of the PR4GT, based on many good things that I have read here and in another forum!

 

First of all, Pirelli owns Metzeler, and the tester says so in the beginning of the video. Second at 0:36 they are showing a stack of tires, there is a picture of a front and rear Pirelli Angel GT tires, 2nd pair from the top.

Also keep in mind that MCN is a magazine/YouTube Channel based in England and SportTouring in Europe is not the same as SportTouring in the USA.

I think it is much cooler in the video then 10-12 degrees C, since in the beginning of the video you can snow mash on the road, offline.

As for my own experience, riding a R1200RT in the SE USA, I believe the Pirelli Angel GT is a slightly better sport tire then the Michelin PR-4GT. It really starts to excel, when it wears. Even though they both develop this ridge or edge on the front tires when worn, the PR-4 GT starts to really track pavement irregularities and becomes very tippsy in corners. The Angel GT does not show any of the vicious handling that the PR-4 GT displays.

Of course these things will not affect most riders, as they normally replace the tires when this develops or they live in an area where the tires wear evenly across the whole circumference.

The Pirelli Angel GT doesn't last as long as the PR-4GT, and I always have to change Metzeler and Pirelli tires because the cords are coming through, as for Michelin PR-3 & PR4 GT's I will change them always a little to early. There is a lot of rubber in a Michelin Pilot Road 3 and 4 tire, and if you can deal with the strange handling when the tires are worn, you can get a lot of miles out of the tires well past the the life of the TWI's.

In the rain both tires do very well, even when badly worn, but then I ride a underpowered 2007 R1200RT. I tried APIs

Just my .5 cents worth of knowledge.

Happy motoring.

 

I've run PR4GT on both my K1600GTL and my R1200RTLC since I've owned them and have never experienced any vicious handling! I ride them fairly hard at times. The Pirellis that I tried were junk. Couldn't get any mileage out them at all.

 

GT

 

Great, good for you. I am a slow poke from NE FL, where the roads straight and designed for drainage and for handling in curves. We also use shark teeth in our pavement for extra grip when it rains. LOL

[2bikersandabordercollie]

I had PR4s on my K1600, 3 of them last year. I am sick of my dismal tire wear so I have gone over to the Darkside; my front is still a PR4. I expect s MUCH better tire wear with only minimal impact on handling. I like to ride and have fun, but I save the real hooliganism for our S1000XR.

[walton66]

and therein lies the problem with all tire tests and comparisons. Where one rides and what are the road surfaces like plays so much in any discussion concerning mileage. Now I've not yet been on a ride with Bernie, hope to soon, but I'm not buying the slowpoke adjective he uses to describe his riding

 

I like to see and hear these discussions just so I can get an idea of what it's like up there in the real world.

[Highway41]

I also will need new tires, probably before summer. I love the PR4GT, and was quite surprised to see it last in the test! OTOH, my '15 came with Z8s, and I do like them, but thought that PR4GT handles better.

 

It is very curious to me that the test was helped/sponsored by Pirelli, and yet the Angel GT was not one of the candidate! I really want to know, because that is a candidate for me to buy instead of the PR4GT, based on many good things that I have read here and in another forum!

 

First of all, Pirelli owns Metzeler, and the tester says so in the beginning of the video. Second at 0:36 they are showing a stack of tires, there is a picture of a front and rear Pirelli Angel GT tires, 2nd pair from the top.

Also keep in mind that MCN is a magazine/YouTube Channel based in England and SportTouring in Europe is not the same as SportTouring in the USA.

I think it is much cooler in the video then 10-12 degrees C, since in the beginning of the video you can snow mash on the road, offline.

As for my own experience, riding a R1200RT in the SE USA, I believe the Pirelli Angel GT is a slightly better sport tire then the Michelin PR-4GT. It really starts to excel, when it wears. Even though they both develop this ridge or edge on the front tires when worn, the PR-4 GT starts to really track pavement irregularities and becomes very tippsy in corners. The Angel GT does not show any of the vicious handling that the PR-4 GT displays.

Of course these things will not affect most riders, as they normally replace the tires when this develops or they live in an area where the tires wear evenly across the whole circumference.

The Pirelli Angel GT doesn't last as long as the PR-4GT, and I always have to change Metzeler and Pirelli tires because the cords are coming through, as for Michelin PR-3 & PR4 GT's I will change them always a little to early. There is a lot of rubber in a Michelin Pilot Road 3 and 4 tire, and if you can deal with the strange handling when the tires are worn, you can get a lot of miles out of the tires well past the the life of the TWI's.

In the rain both tires do very well, even when badly worn, but then I ride a underpowered 2007 R1200RT. I tried APIs

Just my .5 cents worth of knowledge.

Happy motoring.

 

I've run PR4GT on both my K1600GTL and my R1200RTLC since I've owned them and have never experienced any vicious handling! I ride them fairly hard at times. The Pirellis that I tried were junk. Couldn't get any mileage out them at all.

 

GT

 

Perhaps I put more miles on my last set of PR4s (16K front 13K rear) than you but the handling was evil during the last 10-15% of the miles. I didn't use that term when I wrote of why I like the PR4s but did use it to describe their handling to others including Bernie.

 

Was surprised at how the PR4s came out in the MCN comparo but it was a very limited test and might be different in the summer, a different locale, or when advertising contracts are up for renewal.

 

Bill

[Indy Dave]

A riding buddy with a Honda ST1300 mentioned that he felt the PR4's 'slide' a bit. While I didn't think he meant that literally, I could relate immediately to what he was saying. I also think Bernie's observations are probably more precise. I, too, feel the tire as it wears gets a little tippy and I find it's a bit unsettling and takes some getting used to. I'm not sure I am yet - but I'm not as alarmed.

 

Bernie a slowpoke?! HA!!!

 

2bikers - what 'Darkside' tire did you put on the rear?

 

And yes, tire comparisons have soo many differing factors - rider, bike, pavement, riding style, etc etc. And they are all very short term tests. A tire pretty much always feels great when it's new! But how do these multi-compound tires fare and change characteristics over the life cycle of the tire?

 

[2bikersandabordercollie]

2bikers - what 'Darkside' tire did you put on the rear?

 

 

General AS-03 is what I wanted, but I ended up with a tire-depot Chinese tire (it was really discounted, last one left). I'll go over to the general next, as I've heard some good things about it on my bike as dark-side. I still have my last PR4 and can mount it back on my wheel if I feel the need.

[PadG]

I also will need new tires, probably before summer. I love the PR4GT, and was quite surprised to see it last in the test! OTOH, my '15 came with Z8s, and I do like them, but thought that PR4GT handles better.

 

It is very curious to me that the test was helped/sponsored by Pirelli, and yet the Angel GT was not one of the candidate! I really want to know, because that is a candidate for me to buy instead of the PR4GT, based on many good things that I have read here and in another forum!

 

First of all, Pirelli owns Metzeler, and the tester says so in the beginning of the video. Second at 0:36 they are showing a stack of tires, there is a picture of a front and rear Pirelli Angel GT tires, 2nd pair from the top.

Also keep in mind that MCN is a magazine/YouTube Channel based in England and SportTouring in Europe is not the same as SportTouring in the USA.

I think it is much cooler in the video then 10-12 degrees C, since in the beginning of the video you can snow mash on the road, offline.

As for my own experience, riding a R1200RT in the SE USA, I believe the Pirelli Angel GT is a slightly better sport tire then the Michelin PR-4GT. It really starts to excel, when it wears. Even though they both develop this ridge or edge on the front tires when worn, the PR-4 GT starts to really track pavement irregularities and becomes very tippsy in corners. The Angel GT does not show any of the vicious handling that the PR-4 GT displays.

Of course these things will not affect most riders, as they normally replace the tires when this develops or they live in an area where the tires wear evenly across the whole circumference.

The Pirelli Angel GT doesn't last as long as the PR-4GT, and I always have to change Metzeler and Pirelli tires because the cords are coming through, as for Michelin PR-3 & PR4 GT's I will change them always a little to early. There is a lot of rubber in a Michelin Pilot Road 3 and 4 tire, and if you can deal with the strange handling when the tires are worn, you can get a lot of miles out of the tires well past the the life of the TWI's.

In the rain both tires do very well, even when badly worn, but then I ride a underpowered 2007 R1200RT.

Just my .5 cents worth of knowledge.

Happy motoring.

Thanks for the feedback! I didn't know that Pirelli own Metzler. I think that you are the first person that I have read, who says that the PR4GT are "tipsy" in cornering when the tires are worn! Usually, I read the opposite, in that they develop flat areas which makes it harder to initiate a turn. No, I am not doubting your words nor the other guys' words, because I sincerely believe that how the tire wear and handles is a function of the rider's riding style along with other factors that you had listed! Your comment is especially helpful because you gave a good comparison of the two tires that I am interested in.

 

BTW, don't knock the '07!!!! That was one fine bike, and I had a lot of fun on it!!!

[Fathom]

 

 

Well, I found this to be a real eye-opener. I've been running the Michelin Pilot Road series (latest edition of each) for 6 or 7 years now on 3 different bikes, and have always sworn by them. When my current set are worn, I might just try a set of the Metzler Roadtec 01. If they're as predicatable as the PRs and provide better road feel / quicker transitions, I'll be a convert for sure.

 

[Fathom]

As for PadG's observations on the PR-4GT's handing when they're worn, I'm right there with you on that. When they're done, they really let you know. My personal bugaboo is grooved pavement (the condition common in the U.S. when road crews have graded the surface & created furrows in the direction of travel in advance of laying down new asphalt). Not sure any MC tire handles that altogether well, but PR-4GT's seem to get particularly squirrely on it, regardless of mileage / wear. Otherwise, I've found them to be top-notch, even when riding in a torrential downpour, when the sipes seem to evacuate a ton of water with every revolution, thereby continuing to provide a surprising level of stability & traction. I ride in the cold all winter as well, and unlike my experience with Bridgestones (which have all the compliance and stick of wooden wagon wheels in the cold), the Michelins have performed consistently & admirably.

[Bernie]

I also will need new tires, probably before summer. I love the PR4GT, and was quite surprised to see it last in the test! OTOH, my '15 came with Z8s, and I do like them, but thought that PR4GT handles better.

 

It is very curious to me that the test was helped/sponsored by Pirelli, and yet the Angel GT was not one of the candidate! I really want to know, because that is a candidate for me to buy instead of the PR4GT, based on many good things that I have read here and in another forum!

 

First of all, Pirelli owns Metzeler, and the tester says so in the beginning of the video. Second at 0:36 they are showing a stack of tires, there is a picture of a front and rear Pirelli Angel GT tires, 2nd pair from the top.

Also keep in mind that MCN is a magazine/YouTube Channel based in England and SportTouring in Europe is not the same as SportTouring in the USA.

I think it is much cooler in the video then 10-12 degrees C, since in the beginning of the video you can snow mash on the road, offline.

As for my own experience, riding a R1200RT in the SE USA, I believe the Pirelli Angel GT is a slightly better sport tire then the Michelin PR-4GT. It really starts to excel, when it wears. Even though they both develop this ridge or edge on the front tires when worn, the PR-4 GT starts to really track pavement irregularities and becomes very tippsy in corners. The Angel GT does not show any of the vicious handling that the PR-4 GT displays.

Of course these things will not affect most riders, as they normally replace the tires when this develops or they live in an area where the tires wear evenly across the whole circumference.

The Pirelli Angel GT doesn't last as long as the PR-4GT, and I always have to change Metzeler and Pirelli tires because the cords are coming through, as for Michelin PR-3 & PR4 GT's I will change them always a little to early. There is a lot of rubber in a Michelin Pilot Road 3 and 4 tire, and if you can deal with the strange handling when the tires are worn, you can get a lot of miles out of the tires well past the the life of the TWI's.

In the rain both tires do very well, even when badly worn, but then I ride a underpowered 2007 R1200RT.

Just my .5 cents worth of knowledge.

Happy motoring.

Thanks for the feedback! I didn't know that Pirelli own Metzler. I think that you are the first person that I have read, who says that the PR4GT are "tipsy" in cornering when the tires are worn! Usually, I read the opposite, in that they develop flat areas which makes it harder to initiate a turn. No, I am not doubting your words nor the other guys' words, because I sincerely believe that how the tire wear and handles is a function of the rider's riding style along with other factors that you had listed! Your comment is especially helpful because you gave a good comparison of the two tires that I am interested in.

 

BTW, don't knock the '07!!!! That was one fine bike, and I had a lot of fun on it!!!

 

Good afternoon, PadG. What I meant by tipsy is the feel you get when the bike is leaned over and you suddenly roll off the flat spotted area on the front tire, because you had to tighten your line.

For some reason the Pirelli doesn't do that, even when flat spotted. And yes, I use the same air pressure on both brands. Of course this could be caused by a difference in the stiffness of the side walls?????

As for rain, we down here in the south have these thunderstorms called: "frog stragglers", neither tire is a problem for me in the rain, new or worn.

As for the 2007 R1200RT, I absolutely love the bike for the last 163,000+ (s)miles and don't think the newer RT's are that much better.

Also please keep in mind that a K1600GT/L will eat tires at twice the rate then a RT, since it has almost twice the power and a little bit more weight.

[gordiet]

The new RT has 125 HP and the GTL has one 160 HP. That's not quite twice as much. I also own a GTL and they are heavy. GT

[Selden]

 

Well, I found this to be a real eye-opener. I've been running the Michelin Pilot Road series (latest edition of each) for 6 or 7 years now on 3 different bikes, and have always sworn by them. When my current set are worn, I might just try a set of the Metzler Roadtec 01. If they're as predicatable as the PRs and provide better road feel / quicker transitions, I'll be a convert for sure.

 

To be complete, MCN should repeat the same test on a rainy day. I suspect the rankings would be different.

[philbytx]

On Texas chip and seal roads, tires last about the same mileage and all feel like they grip just great! Best I get out of a rear is 4-5K, fronts 6-7K with the worst tire for wear being the Conti Road Attack. With 75/80mph speed limits and great roads, you just CANNOT ride like a granny LOL !

 

Last 3 sets have been Pirelli Angels with the last 2 the Angel GT. Very confidence inspiring, nice tip in and were noticeably better than the Conti's whenever I hit high pressure tarmac or concrete road surfaces. Excellent in the wet as well....

 

Considering the mileage, I was even considering putting Shinko's on but was dissuaded by our local shop, who had seen some tires returned with bulges (delaminations). I'm sticking with the Pirelli's....I like 'em !

 

 

 

[Limecreek]

The results did not surprise me. I keep coming back to try each new generation of Pilot Road tires and each time am disappointed with the way they handle. The extra mileage is just not worth the trade-off in performance. The fronts cup easily, they are squirmy when pushed hard and generally handle like crap after the first 1/3 of their life. Do they perform well in the rain? Yeah, I'll give them that, but I don't spend much time riding in the rain in TX. Oh, and they are one of the most expensive tires out there too. Pft.

 

Clearly other riders like them or they wouldn't sell a bunch of them. They just are not my cup of tea.

 

Cheers!

[Indy Dave]

The results did not surprise me. I keep coming back to try each new generation of Pilot Road tires and each time am disappointed with the way they handle. The extra mileage is just not worth the trade-off in performance. The fronts cup easily, they are squirmy when pushed hard and generally handle like crap after the first 1/3 of their life. Do they perform well in the rain? Yeah, I'll give them that, but I don't spend much time riding in the rain in TX. Oh, and they are one of the most expensive tires out there too. Pft.

 

Clearly other riders like them or they wouldn't sell a bunch of them. They just are not my cup of tea.

 

Cheers!

 

So instead you ride on . . . ??

[joeb]

For what it's worth. Tires are like pizza. Aside from their basic shape, everyone seems to have Their favorite. That's why there are a thousand pizzerias in Chicago. Can I say that my pizza choice is superior to yours ? Of course mine is , but for the aficionados of the other 999 , it really doesn't matter. It's a personal choice with many right answers. Now, my 2 cents which due to inflation ( wouldn't it make more sense to call it deflation ? ) which is probably only worth 1 cent ,is this. Any premium tire brand on dry pavement will probably be more than adequate for any rider short of a road racer. Now, is my opinion relevant ? Back to the pizza thing . Pizzerias have more than one table in them because sometimes more than one person has similar taste. My personal taste in pizza is, I push my RT hard. Love the twisties . Wet or dry. If your tastes are similar to mine my observations may add one more pizzeria to your choices.

First off, I think the driver has more bearing on overall bike performance than the equipment. I've seen overloaded GS's with tires that looked more suited to a trials bike out pace race prepped super bikes with sticky tires in the twisties. He is a great rider ( nuts ? ). With that being said , I do prefer the Michelin PR4s for 2 reasons. # 1 : The wet. I personally have not found a tire that feels as good in the wet. Very solid and grippy. # 2 : I also get more mileage out of the PRs than other tires. I have not found any of the undesirable characteristics that some have bemoaned. All tires change with wear and being adaptable to changeable conditions is part of the joy of riding. As I said " for what's it's worth ". Now for some reason I seem to have a craving to take the bike out and look for a slice of pizza. Think I'll try some place new today.

[Limecreek]

The results did not surprise me. I keep coming back to try each new generation of Pilot Road tires and each time am disappointed with the way they handle. The extra mileage is just not worth the trade-off in performance. The fronts cup easily, they are squirmy when pushed hard and generally handle like crap after the first 1/3 of their life. Do they perform well in the rain? Yeah, I'll give them that, but I don't spend much time riding in the rain in TX. Oh, and they are one of the most expensive tires out there too. Pft.

 

Clearly other riders like them or they wouldn't sell a bunch of them. They just are not my cup of tea.

 

Cheers!

 

So instead you ride on . . . ??

 

Angel GT's A-Spec and the Z8 interacts.