Need new tyres - need grip and longevity - touring tyres?

[Mad Dave]

Hey Guys,

I'm after some advice about tyres. I've currently got Pilot Power 2CTs on my R1 and they offer awesome grip and have no doubt saved me more than once when i've overcooked a bend and had to lay it right down.

BUT

They just don't last long enough, and I doubt I could lay my hands on some even if I did want them.

Now, I had Continental Road Attacks on my TL1000R and they gripped really well, on road and track, and looked like they'd wear pretty well too. Thing is, the TL1000R weighed more than my R1 and had more torque so was probably more able to get the required heat in the tyre than my R1 is - so would they be suitable? A friend of mine runs BT020s on his ZX6R and says once they're warm they're fine - and he certainly doesn't hang about.

SO

Who has a recommendation for a tyre that will grip well under hard road use, and still last a long time?



Dave

[The T Boy]

The Bridgestone BT021s I put on my old SV were wearing pretty well before I sold it. Not sure how long they would have lasted and as they're a relatively new tyre (I think they replace the 020) you might not be able to get much info on longevity. They grip well enough though and I'll probably be putting them on the Sprint ST when the time comes.

[podman]

Was an interesting article in "Bike" magazine a few months back which suggested hat road riders dont need any more from a tyre than the modern sports/tourers type of tyre offers.

Im inclined to agree from what im hearing from lots of other people.

Give them a try? i will next time around

[Hooli]

most touring tyres are sports tyres with a harder center strip as i understand it. so you get all the grip when laid over anyway.
ive got a road attack on the back of my RF, seems to be wearing at about half the speed of my old pilot sport & rides nicer in my opinion.

[Mad Dave]

Sounds like the Road Attacks may be a good choice though - I rode right off the side of them on track and had no problems..

[hornetrider]

I've got 020's on the 'priller but haven't had the bike long so can't really comment on them except to say I don't have the confidence in them that I do the Hornet, though that may be me getting to know the bike.

I run Avons on the Hornet - the sport touring tire AV45/46 which have now been replaced by the Avon Storm. Get about 8k out of the front and around 5 from the rear, its a great tire with all the grip I'll ever need (pegs down and boots scraping) so I just don't see the need for a sportier tire.

[Kiwi_uk]

My wife is running Pilot Road 2's and she loves them. She has them on her Firestorm and was running Diablo's before that.

Two of my mates are running them on their Tuono's and one of them also has them on his XJR1300 and both rave and wet and dry grip.

[black-k1]

hornetrider said:

I've got 020's on the 'priller but haven't had the bike long so can't really comment on them except to say I don't have the confidence in them that I do the Hornet, though that may be me getting to know the bike.

I had 020's on my Firestorm a few years ago. The back let go twice after sessions of "enthusiastic" cornering and use of the throttle. I'm not sure they work well on big twins and after my second "event", where it dumped me off, I checked the Bridgestone web site again and noticed that they had stopped recommending the 020's for the Firestorm!

[Busamav]

I run Avon vypers now that they superseded the Avon SP's.

Swear by them , plus , if you want unbelievable longevity and still good performance , stiick an AV46 on the rear , the Busa will go 4k on one of them with no problem .

Only trouble is , theres no fashionable marketing to make them look a cool tyre to have , so people will look down on you for having them lol

[R1_JON]

BT014

[Mad Dave]

Busamav said:

I run Avon vypers now that they superseded the Avon SP's.

Swear by them , plus , if you want unbelievable longevity and still good performance , stiick an AV46 on the rear , the Busa will go 4k on one of them with no problem .

Only trouble is , theres no fashionable marketing to make them look a cool tyre to have , so people will look down on you for having them lol

Ooh cheers, ill have a look at those...


Jon - my mate had BT014s on his ZX6R and the rear lasted about half an hour - they're more towards the sports end than touring?

[brummiewedge]

Metzeler Sportec M3's, really underated tyre and have £40 cash back at the moment, i have them on my Tuono and after a blast around Holland coinciding with the Dutch GP, they still look mint, even though there was lots of straight line stuff.

[Mon Ami Mate]

Mad Dave said:

Hey Guys,

I'm after some advice about tyres. I've currently got Pilot Power 2CTs on my R1 and they offer awesome grip and have no doubt saved me more than once when i've overcooked a bend and had to lay it right down.

BUT

They just don't last long enough, and I doubt I could lay my hands on some even if I did want them.

Now, I had Continental Road Attacks on my TL1000R and they gripped really well, on road and track, and looked like they'd wear pretty well too. Thing is, the TL1000R weighed more than my R1 and had more torque so was probably more able to get the required heat in the tyre than my R1 is - so would they be suitable? A friend of mine runs BT020s on his ZX6R and says once they're warm they're fine - and he certainly doesn't hang about.

SO

Who has a recommendation for a tyre that will grip well under hard road use, and still last a long time?



Dave

I'm still using BT020s on my ZZR1200. They do take a little while to get up to temperature (but so do I!). Once warm though they grip very well (not that much comes past me unless the going gets very nadgery, and that's got more to do with the fact that the bike's a big old bus and I'm an aging fat bastard with only one properly working leg). My front tyre currently needs replacing and has done 6000 miles. I get about 3000 from a rear. I know the 020 has been discontinued, I hope that whatever it has been replaced with will be similarly capable.

[dern]

podman said:

Was an interesting article in "Bike" magazine a few months back which suggested hat road riders dont need any more from a tyre than the modern sports/tourers type of tyre offers.

This sounds reasonable but confidence isn't about grip alone and I absolutely hated the BT014s and they way they felt. I'm nowhere near as quick as many people on here but definitely feel more comfortable on ncts that on 014s and I don't (quite) get to the edge of the tyre. Therefore if I moved away from the sporty tyres to a more touring oriented tyre would they feel even less confidence inspiring? Perhaps if I got used to the bike moving about more I would be happy to use longer lasting tyres but based on my experience with the 014s I like that connected feel that the ncts give.

[R1_JON]

Mad Dave said:

Busamav said:

I run Avon vypers now that they superseded the Avon SP's.

Swear by them , plus , if you want unbelievable longevity and still good performance , stiick an AV46 on the rear , the Busa will go 4k on one of them with no problem .

Only trouble is , theres no fashionable marketing to make them look a cool tyre to have , so people will look down on you for having them lol

Ooh cheers, ill have a look at those...


Jon - my mate had BT014s on his ZX6R and the rear lasted about half an hour - they're more towards the sports end than touring?

I think it really is down to personal preference. I love BT014's.

With regards to longetivity, I guess it comes down to your expectations. I get through two sets a year which gives me about 3000 miles and 4 track days.

[Oilyyyy]

It really is down to confidence - I used to run an 020 rear and 010 front and i couldn't make them giveway if i tried, I ran them off the edge - My current bike had Diablo's and i just couldn't get the confidence up with them as i felt the front start to move a couple of times - just changed them out again, to a pair of D208RRs that i had in the shed (being a cheapskate) - just need it to stop raining for a flipping moment and i can scub them in!

Edited by Oilyyyy on Thursday 16th August 17:09

[brakenow]

Ditto what oilyyy said....020 rear...010 front, worked for me.

[Mad Dave]

Thanks for all the advice chaps - i'm going to go for some touring tyres and see how I get on! Not sure which ones yet but ill do some research on the ones you guys have mentioned.

re Mileage - I do about 5-6k miles a year, usually including a trackday, and it would be great to do it on one set of tyres if at all possible!

I remember doing about 16k miles in 18 months on my ZX7R, on Pilot Powers - I seemed to be changing tyres constantly! Won't be doing that again in a hurry, it meant my 7R was relatively worthless

[Biker's Nemesis]

Mad Dave, If you want good mileage try a Bridgestone BT57, with a BT56ss front, or try the Pirelli Supercorsa Pro rear (SC2). My bike spends most of it's life on one wheel and I get 3000 miles out of them. Had Bridgestone BT14's that would only last between 1000-1500 miles, and no I can't explain it.

I've got a few spare, you could have one for nowt if you wanted one.

[Hooli]

dern said:

podman said:

Was an interesting article in "Bike" magazine a few months back which suggested hat road riders dont need any more from a tyre than the modern sports/tourers type of tyre offers.

This sounds reasonable but confidence isn't about grip alone and I absolutely hated the BT014s and they way they felt. I'm nowhere near as quick as many people on here but definitely feel more comfortable on ncts that on 014s and I don't (quite) get to the edge of the tyre. Therefore if I moved away from the sporty tyres to a more touring oriented tyre would they feel even less confidence inspiring? Perhaps if I got used to the bike moving about more I would be happy to use longer lasting tyres but based on my experience with the 014s I like that connected feel that the ncts give.

i went from a pilot sport to a road attack & to be honest i trust the bike a lot more now, it feels more stable & less skittish. i guess tyres, just like everything else, suit certain riders.