[kebrider]

For some online tire reviews are dicey. Those "some" being riders who venture to the sport end of sport touring. No breakthrough observation for sure but we at VFRD have a great resource in Baileyrock when it comes to useable feedback on tires.

First you have to throw out any review that goes like "They stick like glue and I got (anything over 5K) miles out of them". Then throw out the "I put them on this morning and did a 100 mile run, they feel awesome". No problem with these posts, it's all good, just saying that if you want useable feedback on tire performance and wear you have to get information from a rider that uses tires in a similar manner and rides similar miles/year. The difference in tire performance/life at full throttle/max lean is dramatic.

So based on BR's well known recommendation I installed a Pilot Road 2 on the back of the 5th gen. Touched a peg with it the first weekend with no drama so it is off to a decent start. I will post any revelations from the tire if it is newsworthy but BR's thread on the Road 2 is all anyone really needs. The one downside of the new tire is my 4500 mile Diablo Corsa 3 on the front is toast and I didn't even think about looking at the thing close because it had only lived through one rear and the Cosa 3 front has freakishly long wear characteristics for a high level sport tire. New front coming tomorrow.

But why did the front wear so fast, or better yet how did a one-rear-tire front tire get 4500 miles on it?! The answer is Dunlop Roadsmart. I should have taken a picture because after 4570 miles (4572 exactly..I spreadsheet all my tires and have a huge database with cost-per-mile figures on all and no I'm not OC...OK maybe a little...can we move on)...every other wear bar was even with the tread. So the tire wasn't even bald at 4500 miles of the occasional squiddly riding, the same squidlyness that routinely toasted a Diablo Corsa in 2000 miles, a Bridgestone 020 in 2700 miles, or a Diablo Strada in 3200 miles. The wear of the RS is all new territory for me.

How about performance? Not as good as top flight sport hoops but not hatefull and perfectly acceptable for street riding. The dual compound tire's defining "feature" is its more flat than round. This makes for great stability but adds a bit of turn-in resistance, even more than the R2. If you don't like chicken strips this your tire because you are on the very edge way before you reach the bikes max lean angle. The tire is "wiggly" at this point but slides are predictable, slow and very controllable. The RS is not a peg dragging tire but for the price they stick well and absolutely wear better than anything I have tried.

One caveat. I probably was 3 to 5 MPH slower on corner speed with the RS rear so maybe a direct mileage comparison is unfair but the fact is I never had a bad ride with the RS so I would recommend the tire to anyone who rides for fun, not for being the fastest guy on a ride. The Roadsmart won't make you a rolling chicane but they did slow me down slightly.

Talking money, at 12,000 miles a year (my average) my trusty spreadsheet says go with the Dunlops because they save over $300.00 dollars/yr over premium sport rubber (PP, Corsa 3) or basically a free set of tires.

Hope the PR2 improves on both performance and price.

KEB

[motogpfan]

But do they stick like glue?

[bluespecv03]

Love my PR2 rear so far. 3500 miles, mostly straight line, still looking like new, and they stuck well for my tame riding up at Deal's Gap.

[alwaysaware]

I just had a set installed last Friday. I paid $308.00 plus the mounting and disposal fees (approx $350.00). The first hundred miles they tell you to take it slow and don't lean in. Well right after the install, I rode 60miles in wet weather and they really held. This morning on the way to work again, wet weather. No slip at all. I starting to like these tires alot. They are my first set.

[BaileyRock]

Nice write up Keb!

I've not tried the RS, but from your detailed review I think I wouldn't be happy unless I slowed my Pace a little, not a bad idea though.

Looking forward to your Road 2 review!

BR

PS don't swallow!

[V4 Rosso]

kebrider, on Jun 1 2009, 02:33 PM, said:

I never had a bad ride with the RS so I would recommend the tire to anyone who rides for fun, not for being the fastest guy on a ride.

Sounds like I made the right choise wanting to try something new after the PR2.