HP2 Sport tire choices

josephvman · 11-02-2011, 06:57 AM

I think I'm down to my last 500 miles or so on the K3's that came on my Sport, and was wondering what the go-to tire seems to be for this bike. It looks like I'll end up getting around 3k out of the K3's, all street. I've used Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsa's and BT016's on other bikes, and was very happy with them. I did a search and it looks like the BT016 is pretty well-liked on the Sport, but it has been around for a few years now, and tire technology is really moving quickly.

throttlemeister · throttlemeister's Garage

According to tests, the best road sport tire at the moment is the new BT016 Pro (don't get fooled by the name, it is a completely new tire), even beating Michelin in the wet.

SergioK · 11-02-2011, 07:51 AM

I've had great experience with the BT016's... they aren't a fan of sand (if you ask my r1100s) but my HP2Sport is now shod with the Diablo Corsas... I think the temps are a bit too cold lately for them (or I'm running too high PSI) and next time around I'll go back to the 016.

roger albert · 11-02-2011, 07:56 AM

Also worth noting is that Bridgestone continually updates their compounds (at least annually) for most tires, street and race alike, so a model having been around a while, doesn't necessarily have to be stale. I happen to have a little insight to the Bstones, and so make that claim there, but am not sure how much other manufs may or may not do the same.

Dr. Curve · 11-02-2011, 08:52 AM

I went from the Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsa's to the new Metz M5 Sportec units and never looked back. They don't take long to heat, have softer tread compound out near the edge, stay planted in the wet, mount up very round and true, and are competivitly priced. The HP2 loves them, but I still am just under 10000 miles on it................valves still within spec!

throttlemeister · throttlemeister's Garage

Actually the M5 doesn't have multiple compounds. Compound-wise, it's old-skool single compound. The tech is in the belts. They use 3 different belt tensions for the center, side and edge to provide similar characteristics as others do with multi compound threads.

The Rossi Corsa is a multicompound tire though.

I think it is pretty smart what Metzeler are doing, if I look at the wear patterns of the Rossi Corsa and the MPR3. These tires show that while the idea is great, wear of different compounds isn't always exactly ideal between the edges of the different compounds.

josephvman · 11-02-2011, 09:10 AM

What differences did you notice between the three tires you've used, specifically the two Metzeler's? I'm not crazy about the K3's, but I have a hard time explaining why. They just seem to lack feel to me, but I'm not sure how much of it is the different feel from the Telelever compared to my other bikes. I'm running the advised pressures on the K3's, but maybe I should try backing them down 2-3 lbs. I do like the way the K3's turn it easily.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr. Curve

I went from the Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsa's to the new Metz M5 Sportec units and never looked back. They don't take long to heat, have softer tread compound out near the edge, stay planted in the wet, mount up very round and true, and are competivitly priced. The HP2 loves them, but I still am just under 10000 miles on it................valves still within spec!

throttlemeister · throttlemeister's Garage

In my opinion, the K3's are rubbish unless you can get some real heat into them.

roger albert · 11-02-2011, 09:32 AM

I'm with TM. OK, I don't think they're complete rubbish, but have only ever liked them on a track. There's just not enough heat to get good grip with them on the street. If you're not near the limit, that's academic though, so run whatever feels good to you.

I've been playing with some of the Contis mixed in with Bstone lately. The Race-Attack-Street makes a pretty good street tire, though I didn't care for it on the track (too hard and very hard to warm up). Running some Conti RaceAttack Slicks now and liking them, after some geometry changes. Have a couple of customers doing well on the RaceAttackDOTs, but only on the track. Fun to experiement with new things.

I'm leaning to running the Conti Slicks a lot next year.

josephvman · 11-02-2011, 09:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by throttlemeister

Actually the M5 doesn't have multiple compounds. Compound-wise, it's old-skool single compound. The tech is in the belts. They use 3 different belt tensions for the center, side and edge to provide similar characteristics as others do with multi compound threads.

The Rossi Corsa is a multicompound tire though.

I think it is pretty smart what Metzeler are doing, if I look at the wear patterns of the Rossi Corsa and the MPR3. These tires show that while the idea is great, wear of different compounds isn't always exactly ideal between the edges of the different compounds.

You can actually see the different compounds on a lot of them, especially after some wear. It makes sense that if you can see it, you can feel it as the tire transitions.

The pace of change with tire technology is truly incredible, and probably responsible for most of the overall performance gains in street bikes over the past few years.

Dr. Curve · 11-02-2011, 09:43 AM

Thanks for the correction on the M5's. I know something is very different about them and I thought they must have some type of progressive compound, but its nice to know that they are looking at the internal belts rather than just the compound alone. Whatever they have done.......it works and these new Metz M5 units really perform. I have them of both the HP2 and my original 98 R11S. Very pleased.

Bigred455 · 11-02-2011, 02:58 PM

I'm just about through my second set of PilotPures on my HP2, so I'm reading this thread with much interest.

My experience with K3's is just like yours Joseph, I never felt confident with them (incl running less and more pressures) and actually pulled them off well before they were done. I then went to BT016s and found no faults with them. The Pures came out and I put them on, it seemed like the bike was more prone to wheelie but other than that, didnt seem much different. I needed a new set for a trip and all i could find was BT016s so they went back on and I still loved them. Then another set of Pures, this is where I am at now. Lately I have been feeling like they lack the confidence in the cooler weather, so the next set will be BT016s again unless someone convinced me otherwise. I'm usually getting 4500-6500 out of both the Pures and BT016s, except one set of 016s when I was spending time chasing Dee Jones and Gary Lackey.

Dr. Curve · 11-02-2011, 03:32 PM

I have sure spent some quality time running with and chasing both Dee and Gary.........and I would rather do it next time on the new Sportec M5 units especially when on the HP2. Why do people not like the Metzler tires..........cost perhaps, they are more than the tires being mentioned but isn't the rubber to the road a good place to spend it?

roger albert · 11-02-2011, 03:47 PM

Don't think it's a cost issue at all. Open minded people try a lot of things, and then go with what works for them. Pretty simple. Overall, not as many people lean Metzeler. They're perfectly good, of course, but many like others better. Most of the tires are pretty darn good now. The M series seem fine. The Ks just dont' warm well.

Bigred455 · 11-02-2011, 04:08 PM

Dr. Curve, cost is always a factor which is why I go with tires I know work. I personally dont have the budget where I can always "try" a tire in hopes that it works better than one I find little to no fault with. If the BT016s leave me wanting more I will look towards something else, but if I have no problem with them why would I switch and chance getting something I dont like? As I just posted I like the Pures, but now the weather is getting cooler and they are losing my confidence so I'm going back to a tire I know works. Just my opinion.

PFFOG · 11-02-2011, 04:20 PM

Dr, how has the wear been on the M-5's? I love the M-3's, and wonder if the 5's have comparable wear?

Dr. Curve · 11-02-2011, 05:19 PM

Fog, the M 5s are not wearing down in the center as quickly as the M3s did........but there is no comparison between the old M3s and newer M5s. Roger is right, as are others here, in that if something is doing it right........stick with it. I sure loved the Pirelli Diablo series I used for two sets on the HP2 after removing the original Michelins. This M5 set on the HP2 now seems a lot better to me than they were however.

I had BS tires on several of the S units and always liked them, but as time went on I gravitated over to the German tires and don't venture too far from there. I run Continental rain tires on the BMW 525 Wagon and might would try one of their bike tires again someday. They were the only tires we used back in the /5 days.

josephvman · 11-03-2011, 06:29 AM

I don't think it's cost at all. The Metzelers are priced closely with the top Pirelli's, and maybe 15% more than the BS. I've never really given much thought to tire prices, and I'm far from being a wealthy guy but there are places to save money and tires aren't the place for me.

It seems to me that Metzeler has a marketing/branding problem more than anything. They've been the go-to premium tire for touring riders, particularly BMW, for decades (the automatic ME88/ME33 pick) and I think the perception amongst sport riders is that Metzeler makes old-man tires. Frankly, I think I'm pretty tuned into the sport, and they weren't on my radar when I needed new rubber, and never considered that they were on the cutting edge with BS and Pirelli. Pirelli has done a brilliant job of advertising and marketing their stuff. Most of us are seeing this from a North American perspective as well, and it's possible that Metzeler is perceived very differently in other markets.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr. Curve

I have sure spent some quality time running with and chasing both Dee and Gary.........and I would rather do it next time on the new Sportec M5 units especially when on the HP2. Why do people not like the Metzler tires..........cost perhaps, they are more than the tires being mentioned but isn't the rubber to the road a good place to spend it?

Noblehops · 11-03-2011, 08:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by josephvman

I don't think it's cost at all. The Metzelers are priced closely with the top Pirelli's, and maybe 15% more than the BS. I've never really given much thought to tire prices, and I'm far from being a wealthy guy but there are places to save money and tires aren't the place for me.

It seems to me that Metzeler has a marketing/branding problem more than anything. They've been the go-to premium tire for touring riders, particularly BMW, for decades (the automatic ME88/ME33 pick) and I think the perception amongst sport riders is that Metzeler makes old-man tires. Frankly, I think I'm pretty tuned into the sport, and they weren't on my radar when I needed new rubber, and never considered that they were on the cutting edge with BS and Pirelli. Pirelli has done a brilliant job of advertising and marketing their stuff. Most of us are seeing this from a North American perspective as well, and it's possible that Metzeler is perceived very differently in other markets.

I've had many sets of Metzelers and had great results with them. Club raced on the ME33/ME1 Comp K combo for two years. Ran them on my K-bike and my ST1100.

I've tried a few different tires on my adventure bikes, including Conti Trail Attack, Bridgestone TrailWings, Michelin Anakees and Metzeler Tourances. I am a huge fan of the Tourance, with the Anakee second. That tire wears like iron, handles great, and continues to do so for many thousand miles. It resists squaring off as well as anything, grips perfectly well enough for me to fill up squids' mirrors and does pretty well on dirt roads, if aired down. Fantastic tires.

So I'm a fan and I agree, it's not the place I look to save a few bucks.

N.

Dr. Curve · 11-03-2011, 02:12 PM

I thought that Pirelli and Metz motorcycle tires were owned by the same company or made in the same factory, anybody sniff this as well? They are very close, with the M5 having the slight edge right at this time, IMHOOC.