Best do it all tyre?
Discussion
Hi everyone, I have a ZX9R E2 which needs new tires and am slightly baffled by the range of tyres available.
I currently have a Bridgestone T030 on the back which hasnt lasted as well as i thought it should - it needs to be replaced after 3500 miles. I tend to gravitate towards sports touring tyres as I like to ride all year round. I currently use the bike for blasting around Devon and Cornwall. A pending job change means I'll also start using it to commute between Devon and Portsmouth (weekly not daily!) unless the weather is forecast to be utterly miserable - fortunately there's very little motorway between the two!
I reckon I should be looking at the Michelin PR5 or the Metzeler Roadtec 01. However if im only getting 3500 miles out of a sports touring tyre should i just go for a softer tyre like the M7RR for the increase in dry grip given manufacturers are now claiming wet grip for their sports orientated tyres is vastly improved?
Any thoughts or recommendations gratefully received.
I currently have a Bridgestone T030 on the back which hasnt lasted as well as i thought it should - it needs to be replaced after 3500 miles. I tend to gravitate towards sports touring tyres as I like to ride all year round. I currently use the bike for blasting around Devon and Cornwall. A pending job change means I'll also start using it to commute between Devon and Portsmouth (weekly not daily!) unless the weather is forecast to be utterly miserable - fortunately there's very little motorway between the two!
I reckon I should be looking at the Michelin PR5 or the Metzeler Roadtec 01. However if im only getting 3500 miles out of a sports touring tyre should i just go for a softer tyre like the M7RR for the increase in dry grip given manufacturers are now claiming wet grip for their sports orientated tyres is vastly improved?
Any thoughts or recommendations gratefully received.
I'd go for the PR5 as it offers much more wet grip than just about any other tyre out there whilst offering great dry weather performance too, you can't use all of the available grip of a modern sports tyre on the road so why compromise the wet weather performance?
I fitted supersport tyres to my bike this time and I wish I hadn't as I've been using it for commuting in the rain and the lack of grip at times is worrying, I never had a moment on the PR4's I'd used previously.
I fitted supersport tyres to my bike this time and I wish I hadn't as I've been using it for commuting in the rain and the lack of grip at times is worrying, I never had a moment on the PR4's I'd used previously.
I’m running PR5s on my Triumph Explorer, I’ve used PR3 and 4 on other bikes with good results.
Dry grip is great, I’ve been right to the edge of the rear tyre with no worries. Wet grip is amazing, very confidence inspiring even in severe rain.
They last well too, I’d expect about 5k miles out of the rear. That’s with a fairly throttle happy rider on a heavy bike.
Honestly I can’t fault them, I won’t be fitting anything else.
Dry grip is great, I’ve been right to the edge of the rear tyre with no worries. Wet grip is amazing, very confidence inspiring even in severe rain.
They last well too, I’d expect about 5k miles out of the rear. That’s with a fairly throttle happy rider on a heavy bike.
Honestly I can’t fault them, I won’t be fitting anything else.
Been rocking Road 5s for a couple of months - Brilliant tyre!
Grip is amazing in both dry and wet conditions.
My last tyres (Battlax - not sure which model) would slip in wet weather on bends, giving me a couple of brown-trouser moments.
Road 5's just keep gripping! Very confidence inspiring.
Saw a group of about 6 new police bikes few weeks back - all had Road 5's fitted. Make of that what you will.
Grip is amazing in both dry and wet conditions.
My last tyres (Battlax - not sure which model) would slip in wet weather on bends, giving me a couple of brown-trouser moments.
Road 5's just keep gripping! Very confidence inspiring.
Saw a group of about 6 new police bikes few weeks back - all had Road 5's fitted. Make of that what you will.
My brother used to swear by Pilot Roads and I've just taken the PR4's off his last bike (it will only be used in the dry) and put DRC 2's on.
But for my commuting bike I have always used Pilot Road's or Metzler MT-01's. I find the MT-01's have a faster profile and are just as good as the PR4's (haven't tried the 5's).
The PR's are more than ok for fast use. On his last track day, my brother was at the sharp end of the inters on PR4's and an old RSV Mille and it was only towards the end of the session the rear started having issues.
But for my commuting bike I have always used Pilot Road's or Metzler MT-01's. I find the MT-01's have a faster profile and are just as good as the PR4's (haven't tried the 5's).
The PR's are more than ok for fast use. On his last track day, my brother was at the sharp end of the inters on PR4's and an old RSV Mille and it was only towards the end of the session the rear started having issues.
Another PR5 vote from me. I have a set fitted to my H2 SX and they've done 5500 miles so far and still have life in them. They've manged the Old Gits trip to the Dolomites where peg scrapping was the order of the day, as well as commuting 150 miles per day into London, we or dry, without a single issue.
I had the Roadtech 01s on my K1300S and they were good tyres but "white lined" from almost new so didn't feel comfortable when filtering on my commute. If I wasn't commuting I'd give them serious thought.
I had the Roadtech 01s on my K1300S and they were good tyres but "white lined" from almost new so didn't feel comfortable when filtering on my commute. If I wasn't commuting I'd give them serious thought.
Sea Demon said:
On my Fireblades and SV's I used to use Pirelli Angel GT's - I found them to be really good in the dry/wet & ok for the odd track day too.
I have them on my old CBR600, and think they're absolutely fine, but they are pretty old tyres now, sees unlikely they'd be able to compete with the PR5s, and latest Metzelers.Not sure what the correct answer is though. I mean the PR5s would get my money simply because Michelin are clearly throwing a s
t load at the R&D of these tyres based on the number of revisions over a relatively short space of time. 
The pr4's are a bit st in comparison to the others.
I could not wait to get them off the couple of bikes I had them on. They were worse in the wet than the pr3 and weren't enough better in the dry (They moved around a bit less) to warrant it.
I'd certainly never take them on a warm trackday as they melted in about 3 laps. It was outlap, one or 2 fast laps and then be on your toes for the rest of the session.
t in comparison to the others. I could not wait to get them off the couple of bikes I had them on. They were worse in the wet than the pr3 and weren't enough better in the dry (They moved around a bit less) to warrant it.
I'd certainly never take them on a warm trackday as they melted in about 3 laps. It was outlap, one or 2 fast laps and then be on your toes for the rest of the session.
Pravus1 said:
The pr4's are a bit st in comparison to the others.
I could not wait to get them off the couple of bikes I had them on. They were worse in the wet than the pr3 and weren't enough better in the dry (They moved around a bit less) to warrant it.
I'd certainly never take them on a warm trackday as they melted in about 3 laps. It was outlap, one or 2 fast laps and then be on your toes for the rest of the session.
I’ve had 3s, 4’s and 5’s.t in comparison to the others. I could not wait to get them off the couple of bikes I had them on. They were worse in the wet than the pr3 and weren't enough better in the dry (They moved around a bit less) to warrant it.
I'd certainly never take them on a warm trackday as they melted in about 3 laps. It was outlap, one or 2 fast laps and then be on your toes for the rest of the session.
I loved the 3, didn’t gel with the 4 so much and love the 5. The 4 didn’t really do anything wrong and I didn’t exactly hang about but I preferred the feel of the 3 and 5.
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