tire shopping...need a little advice

[rivi]

I need to replace the worn Michelin Pilot Roads on my R12S. I liked these tires.

Before I get another set I'd like some feedback on other brands and what works best for you. I'm not interested in the super sticky pure sports tire.

I'm not that aggressive as a rider - some fast, some slow, and a little sport touring.

What other brands market 2CT tires? Are they as good as the Pilot Roads and will they last equally as long?

I am not home presently but would like to have the tires delivered before my return. I know I have a 190 rear but can't remember if it's a 55 series or 50. Which is best for the R12S?

[KMoore]

Pirelli Angel GT's have been very good on my R1100S. They have been excellent in the wet, probably as good as any of the sports tyres I have tried in the dry, long lasting and wear evenly on the sides and centre and front to rear for my sort of riding. I don't commute and only use the bike for reasonably spirited riding in our mountain regions and the roads it takes to get there. I have done 6,000 ks on this set and may get another 1,000 before having to replace them. I normally get up to 3,000 ks out of sports tyres like Pilot Powers.

[throttlemeister]

Bridgestone T30 is better, and lasts longer. (than the PR2)

[bradzdotcom]

do you like the way the bike rides now?

tires are like tennis shoes. lots of choices out there.
and 99% of guys don't realize how much the tire contributes to the ride...and suspension performance.

between the tire squishing and squashing around, plus the tire pressure you're running, the tires are actually the first inch or so of suspension.

you can set up a bike's suspension to work perfectly with sticky, shreddable tires. but put on a set of long distance touring tires and you'd be hating life.

quick burning, soft tires also have soft sidewalls. rock hard touring tires are the opposite.

if you follow motoGP, you'll see those guys make tons of suspension changes to a bike when they switch from soft to medium compound, or changie a couple of psi front or rear.
even in pro mx, the suspension guys are tuning to match the tires their rider chooses throughout race day.

the tire helps determine what the suspension has to deal with.
when encountering a bump, a soft tire might make a friendly handshake with the suspension, while a hard tire could give it a quick slap in the face.

i think you'll find that the bridgestones & pirellis have a slightly softer sidewall than the michelins.

that softer tire/softer sidewall can help take out the little stutter bumps, and give a more progressive feel under hard front braking.

can't speak to mileage: i burn off about 12 cents a mile worth of tire on my bike, and seem to be visitng the shop for new tennis shoes way too often.

you know it's bad when you realize that you already flipped through their waiting room magazines....the last time you were there.

[Suds]

My Angel GTs have 10,000 kms on them and I am hoping for another 5,000 kms. Is this wishful thinking, or will they be down to the thread before that ? I am going on a 4000 km ride in June and was hoping to replace them after this ride not before.

[AZ-J]

Michelin Power Powders!

[throttlemeister]

Originally Posted by bradzdotcom

i think you'll find that the bridgestones & pirellis have a slightly softer sidewall than the michelins.

Are you sure about that Brad? I think you might have that in reverse? The latest Pirelli (Diablo Rosso) and Bridgestones (S20 & T30) I mounted were a bit of a ***** to get on the rim because their sidewalls were so stiff, whereas the Michelins were so soft you can squinch the sidewall together with just one hand.

Story still very much right though.

[bradzdotcom]

no, just going from experience and history TM.
it also depends on the blend of tire materials. some of them are really stiff, then they warm up and get spongy.
haven't spooned one on myself lately, and have the non-skinned knuckles to prove it!

ah, for the days when i could do a tire in 2 minutes, from start to bolted back up.....spent a whole summer learning that craft!

[Don Ro]

Originally Posted by throttlemeister

Are you sure about that Brad? I think you might have that in reverse? The latest Pirelli (Diablo Rosso) and Bridgestones (S20 & T30) I mounted were a bit of a ***** to get on the rim because their sidewalls were so stiff, whereas the Michelins were so soft you can squinch the sidewall together with just one hand.

Story still very much right though.

Bridgestone Battlax T30 Sport-Touring Tires Review
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Bill Stermer
January 30, 2014
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Bridgestone Battlax T30 Sport-Touring Tires Review | Rider Magazine
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Copyright © 2015 • Rider Magazine •
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"I had a set of the Battlax T30s mounted on my BMW R 1100 RS, and the installer noted that the carcass was quite stiff."
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"I have now put more than 2,300 miles on the Battlax T30s, and have found that they indeed feel stiff, ..."

[RIQUE]

Dunlop Q3 the most amazing modern tire around. Its cheap and its fantastic. Do a search on this forum for the Q3. There quite a few of us here that swear by this tire.
My first set has around 7000KM and look fine. They grip asphalt like spiders and look the part too.

[Don Ro]

They all seem to like the Q3's...but no 170 rear.
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Dunlop Sportmax Q3 Motorcycle Tire Review - Motorcycle USA
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Dunlop Sportmax Q3 Sportbike Tires- Road Test Review: Proof that carbon fiber and sportbike tires mix well.
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Test: Dunlop Sportmax Q3 - Cycle News
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A humble track-day guy’s Dunlop Q3 review | The Ride So Far

[RIQUE]

Originally Posted by Don Ro

They all seem to like the Q3's...but no 170 rear.
.
Dunlop Sportmax Q3 Motorcycle Tire Review - Motorcycle USA
.
Dunlop Sportmax Q3 Sportbike Tires- Road Test Review: Proof that carbon fiber and sportbike tires mix well.
.
Test: Dunlop Sportmax Q3 - Cycle News
.
A humble track-day guy’s Dunlop Q3 review | The Ride So Far

He has a 190 rear so he´s fine.

[bradzdotcom]

Originally Posted by Don Ro

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"I had a set of the Battlax T30s mounted on my BMW R 1100 RS, and the installer noted that the carcass was quite stiff."

Since the T stands for Touring, then yes, they would be stiff. Any touring tire is probably going to be noticeably stiffer than a S (sport) tire.

you can buy tires that have rubber about as soft as the rubber on the eraser side of a pencil.
you can also buy tires that are as stiff as the plastic wheels found on barbie's malibu corvette.

[Don Ro]

Originally Posted by RIQUE

He has a 190 rear so he´s fine.

I was thinking of my own R11S 170 rear, actually.
'Looking for tires my own self.
I'm thinking also about an eventual new set for my 'tard.

[groundhog105]

I usually run what's on sale between pilot roads, Bridgestone, Pirelli or Dunlop. Just finishing up a set of the Bridgestone 023 on my 1200ST and will get 8500 out of them. Most of the name brand tires are using duel compound rubber on their sport and sport touring tires. I recommend you watch the sales and buy a major brand that is the best price.

[rivi]

Thanks for the replies.

I think I'll go with which ever brand can be had for the best price. I'm not opposed to trying something different as this will give me a comparison.

Is the 190/55 the one to get or the 50? I have the wide wheel option...

[RIQUE]

Originally Posted by Don Ro

I was thinking of my own R11S 170 rear, actually.
'Looking for tires my own self.
I'm thinking also about an eventual new set for my 'tard.

On my 1100 I had the same problem. I got me a rear 5.5 and installed 180 Q3. Awsome. I suggest that if you don´t want to do the same you can use the Q2 just as good and available in 170

[sgoodwin]

Looking for price rivi , try these...........

http://www.amazon.com/CONTINENTAL-MOTION-70zr17-Front-50zr17/dp/B007N6SRVI/ref=sr_1_15?m=A3TN6L67UOBHZZ&s=merchant-items&ie=UTF8&qid=1421467306&sr=1-15

[Mitch1100]

Just fitted Michelin PR4's to my BCR after 13,500 kms from PR 2's with no cupping or squaring. Very pleased with them.

[AZ-J]

The Michelin Power Powders are so soft on the sides you can push them in!