Member Contributer Duc2V4 Posted February 28, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted February 28, 2014 Don't know about your situation wgregt, but I know that on my Duc, the tires I had were pretty old and it took one turn on an "clean" uncluttered corner to convince me my tires had had it! That being said, from what I understand, as long as your tires are being used and not sitting around "aging", they will be usable longer. Something about them "moving" and "breathing" (for a lack of a better term) keeps the rubber "fresh". So if they're sitting on a shelf, their "freshness" would be suspect IMO. Of course environment has a lot to do with this as well I'm sure. I'd rather go with a fresh set and spend the money on new tires, vs. spending money on new side panels and other possible repairs. Besides, I have a tire changer now so even less money I need to spend on tire changes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer MaxSwell Posted February 28, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted February 28, 2014 I've used Dunlop RoadSmarts (dual compount) - lasted 10,000 + mi but got loose near the end. I had to buy a front tire on the road once; the only tire available was a Pirelli Diablo - which worked very well, never slid and lastet 10,000+ whether used with a RoadSmart rear, a PR2 rear, or PR3 rear. And I've run PR2 front and rear and PR3 front and rear. Also good for around 10,000 mi. My favorites have been PR3 combo. I've averaged 18,000 mi/yr and ride in all weather and am frequently load with luggage. I usually do not do a bunch of railing on technical roads like The Dragon, but enough to keep life interesting. I do not drag knees. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WGREGT Posted February 28, 2014 Share Posted February 28, 2014 18k. That's what I'm talking about! Nicely done! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer jlrotax583 Posted February 28, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted February 28, 2014 I also will be spooning on some new rubber and something I have not seen brought up is tire "durability" or "toughness" and is this a function of the tire weight? I will be commuting (solo, no gear) more through the 2014 pothole capital of the world known as Detroit and need to make sure whatever tire I pick up is up to the beating. So, as I narrow the selection, is it logical to go with the heaviest, best rated tire? Suggestions? Or do you guys think that there is no durability advantage and I should stick with a lighter tire which I would prefer. Thanks!!! Jon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer YoshiHNS Posted February 28, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted February 28, 2014 I would just spoon some PR2/3/4s or the Angel GTs and call it a day. I'm not really sure what you mean by lighter and heavier tires. It's just sticky sport rubber, or harder commuting rubber. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Duc2V4 Posted February 28, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted February 28, 2014 I think what he might be referring to is the "B" tires that are meant for the heavier touring bikes. I think the new PR4 has new naming classifications, I believe that the PR4 GT is for the heavier weight cruisers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer jlrotax583 Posted February 28, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted February 28, 2014 I guess I was just curious if anyone has had any experience damaging tires and rims, and if a heavier tire was worthwhile. I always thought heavier tires were for load capacity and not nessesarily impact capability, but logic would say that a heavier tire will withstand impacts more than a lighter duty tire. Does anyone have any experience whether one brand is more robust than another given same weight ect? thanks! Jon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer YoshiHNS Posted February 28, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted February 28, 2014 Just make sure your tires have the proper amount of air in them and you should be fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer MadScientist Posted February 28, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted February 28, 2014 +1 on pressures. The roads I drive in Milwaukee are probably very similar to those you will encounter in Detroit. The salt, ice, and plows continuously push chunks of road surface out, right now, they look similar to those you see in war footage. Sometimes I feel worried that I will rip the front suspension off my car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer wagzhp Posted February 28, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted February 28, 2014 Running a Dunlop Q2 on the front and a Road smart out back is a good combo as well... I've never understood why people want to run mismatched tires. I understand you get a grippy front tire and then a rear tire that will last longer, but I've never run mismatched tires on my car; the last thing I'll do is run them on a motorcycle. Tires are designed to be run in sets. I don't mean this in a negative way towards you at all, I'm just speaking in general. - Anthony I run "mismatched" tires (sport front/ sport-touring rear) on my VFR because the way that I normally ride they now wear out as a set. I wish I could find a similar setup for my M3, the camber has the front showing cords on the inside when the rears still have another half life left. Sounds like you are running too much toe-in on the front. Have the alignment shop dial out about .5 degree the next time you get an alignment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer wagzhp Posted February 28, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted February 28, 2014 I also will be spooning on some new rubber and something I have not seen brought up is tire "durability" or "toughness" and is this a function of the tire weight? I will be commuting (solo, no gear) more through the 2014 pothole capital of the world known as Detroit and need to make sure whatever tire I pick up is up to the beating. So, as I narrow the selection, is it logical to go with the heaviest, best rated tire? Suggestions? Or do you guys think that there is no durability advantage and I should stick with a lighter tire which I would prefer. Thanks!!! Jon For pot hole combat, you need to keep the tire pressures on the high end of the recommended range. You need the air pressure to keep your rims intact. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer CornerCarver Posted February 28, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted February 28, 2014 Running a Dunlop Q2 on the front and a Road smart out back is a good combo as well... I've never understood why people want to run mismatched tires. I understand you get a grippy front tire and then a rear tire that will last longer, but I've never run mismatched tires on my car; the last thing I'll do is run them on a motorcycle. Tires are designed to be run in sets. I don't mean this in a negative way towards you at all, I'm just speaking in general. - Anthony I run "mismatched" tires (sport front/ sport-touring rear) on my VFR because the way that I normally ride they now wear out as a set. I wish I could find a similar setup for my M3, the camber has the front showing cords on the inside when the rears still have another half life left. Sounds like you are running too much toe-in on the front. Have the alignment shop dial out about .5 degree the next time you get an alignment. The guy that does my alignments is highly sought out by autocross enthusiasts. When the Porsche club have their southeast meeting in the area, he and his alignment rack get booked for days before and after the event. He recommends aftermarket camber plates so he can fine tune it a bit more but I only put about 3-5K miles a year on this car. If the camber were corrected to eliminate the tire wear it would plow like a tractor when I push it hard into corners. Now it only does that when I don't get the rpm's high enough for the supercharger to "free up" the rear wheels and get the car to rotate in a U-turn. In the North GA mountains my tire wear complaints disappear behind my huge grin. This car is the closest thing to a 4-wheeled motorcycle I have ever experienced! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adg44 Posted March 1, 2014 Author Share Posted March 1, 2014 I'm not completely convinced that the born date on a tire would make me get rid of it. I have mounted and used some pretty damn old rubber now & then and if I have an unused set that I get on sale at some point I just keep them around until I need them. I'm pretty skeptical that the age matters at all. When I bought my two VF500Fs (2008 and 2009, I think), they each came with rubber that was decades old. Like OEM kinda old. I rode the crap outta them until they were bald, then replaced them. No issues. Same thing with my 1000R. Old tires, and never been an issue. (and by OLD I mean, still really good tread, just a really early birthdate on them.) This is a horrible idea. :) As we know, tires are made from rubber, and rubber naturally dries out. The compounds in the rubber do need to go through heat cycles to fully maximize the tire life, but UV exposure also dries them out quickly. That's why on trucks with tailgate mounted spare wheels, the wheel/tire is always covered. Most people take these off, but they don't realize they are just drying out their tire. When I was speaking with Continental a couple of years ago, they told me 5 years is max shelf life for a tire, and after that they should not be used. This is considering they are stored in a climate controlled warehouse and have good humidity and no UV exposure, so it's on the high end. You can have a tire with still plenty of tread left, but it can be completely shot, even if it's not dry rotting. The compound can get hard and then it won't grip, and you know what happens next. Don't risk it for what totals less than $300 for a new set of tires installed. - Anthony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Lorne Posted March 1, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted March 1, 2014 Fwiw, Michelin have been my tire of choice since around 2000 - first with Pilot Sport and then the various flavours of Pilot Power. Just last week I got another set of PP3, the previous set having lasted almost 12K km or ~8K miles. Style of riding, temperature, rain, pavement, and of course the bike all affect your mileage. The long road trips which make up the majority of my riding lend themselves to longer tire life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikesmini080877 Posted March 1, 2014 Share Posted March 1, 2014 I'm running continental road attack 2 GT tyres on the front and back on my 5th gen and really like them. They warm up really quickly and are super grippy and give me plenty of confidence in the front end when pushing fairly hard on the road through a national park near me. So far after 2000 Km's they haven't squared off in the centre and look pretty much like new. Sounds wanky but they are also a nice looking tyre due to the tread pattern. I've always been a Michelin fan but I'm a convert with these now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer kebrider Posted March 1, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted March 1, 2014 The Angel GTs raised the bar a notch for me with grip, steering and wear. The consistency with which Bridgestone builds tires these days combined with excellent pricing makes them a solid choice so I will be testing the new T30s soon, their latest sport tour tires. My brief time on them in Florida say they could be special. Will know soon. KEB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adg44 Posted March 1, 2014 Author Share Posted March 1, 2014 As an update to this thread, Bridgestone is supposed to be releasing the S20 evo in March, which claims much better tread wear for the rear tire and more grip. And yes, the T30 is the replacement for the BT-023. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer kebrider Posted March 1, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted March 1, 2014 As an update to this thread, Bridgestone is supposed to be releasing the S20 evo in March, which claims much better tread wear for the rear tire and more grip. And yes, the T30 is the replacement for the BT-023. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk The rear certainly has less grip than the S20 front but I still usually wear out the front a little bit quicker or at the same time. I buy the S20s strictly for fun not for durability. Consistent fun. The M5 Metzlers I picked up during the promo last year feel very similar with only slightly quicker turn-in. Best part of the S20s though is they may only last ~1,500 miles but they feel great right to the last mile. Not many tires have that quality. KEB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer vfr350 Posted March 1, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted March 1, 2014 I'm running continental road attack 2 GT tyres on the front and back on my 5th gen and really like them. They warm up really quickly and are super grippy and give me plenty of confidence in the front end when pushing fairly hard on the road through a national park near me. So far after 2000 Km's they haven't squared off in the centre and look pretty much like new. Sounds wanky but they are also a nice looking tyre due to the tread pattern. I've always been a Michelin fan but I'm a convert with these now. ok so why the GT's over the regular ra2's? is there a need for the extra load factor or you like a stiffer tyre? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adg44 Posted March 1, 2014 Author Share Posted March 1, 2014 So I've found on Amazon through JC Motors the ContiRoadAttack 2s for $252.38 shipped, which is a fantastic deal. The decision now is if I want to try a more sports oriented tire, or stick with these tires which I think are hands down the best tires I've ever used. My curiosity is telling me to try something else, but I could go for some Pilot Powers or Battlax S20s and then be pissed if they wear out in 3k miles. I also looked into the Pirelli Angel GTs, and I had a good experience with the Pirelli Diablos that were on my K1200S, but they are over $300 for the set and I highly doubt they will be better than the Contis. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer vfr350 Posted March 1, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted March 1, 2014 So I've found on Amazon through JC Motors the ContiRoadAttack 2s for $252.38 shipped, which is a fantastic deal. The decision now is if I want to try a more sports oriented tire, or stick with these tires which I think are hands down the best tires I've ever used. My curiosity is telling me to try something else, but I could go for some Pilot Powers or Battlax S20s and then be pissed if they wear out in 3k miles. I also looked into the Pirelli Angel GTs, and I had a good experience with the Pirelli Diablos that were on my K1200S, but they are over $300 for the set and I highly doubt they will be better than the Contis. do you think one could get the supplier to give you the born on dates before purchasing? bike mechanic said they always have great deals on older stock tires. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adg44 Posted March 1, 2014 Author Share Posted March 1, 2014 do you think one could get the supplier to give you the born on dates before purchasing? bike mechanic said they always have great deals on older stock tires. Hah - you are reading my mind. I was going to call them before I ordered to see if they had them in stock and could tell me the dates, or if these were being shipped from a distribution center (which is likely how most of these online retailers sell their tires), and in that case there would be no way to tell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikesmini080877 Posted March 2, 2014 Share Posted March 2, 2014 I'm running continental road attack 2 GT tyres on the front and back on my 5th gen and really like them. They warm up really quickly and are super grippy and give me plenty of confidence in the front end when pushing fairly hard on the road through a national park near me. So far after 2000 Km's they haven't squared off in the centre and look pretty much like new. Sounds wanky but they are also a nice looking tyre due to the tread pattern. I've always been a Michelin fan but I'm a convert with these now. ok so why the GT's over the regular ra2's? is there a need for the extra load factor or you like a stiffer tyre? These tyres were on the bike when I bought it. The PO had just fitted them 5 days before I bought the bike and had only put 5kms on them riding back from the shop before I bought it so I had to scrub them in and from day one you could lean them over safely at decent speed without fear of coming off until they were fully scrubbed in. These were the first tyres I've basically never had to scrub in. Hope this helps Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer zupatun Posted March 2, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted March 2, 2014 This is common among sport touring crowd who lean toward the "sport" side of the equation. For track days I run a matched set of supersport tires. I love the Dunlop Q's as well as Pirellis for the track. I've run the Q on the front and a Road smart out back for street and commuting with nart a problem. Matt in Haymarket Virginia. Anthony, besides the price deal w the Conti's do you have any other complaints? I have had my eyes on those for my next set. Nope, they were the best street tires I have ever used. Running a Dunlop Q2 on the front and a Road smart out back is a good combo as well... I've never understood why people want to run mismatched tires. I understand you get a grippy front tire and then a rear tire that will last longer, but I've never run mismatched tires on my car; the last thing I'll do is run them on a motorcycle. Tires are designed to be run in sets. I don't mean this in a negative way towards you at all, I'm just speaking in general. - Anthony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adg44 Posted March 2, 2014 Author Share Posted March 2, 2014 I'm running continental road attack 2 GT tyres on the front and back on my 5th gen and really like them. They warm up really quickly and are super grippy and give me plenty of confidence in the front end when pushing fairly hard on the road through a national park near me. So far after 2000 Km's they haven't squared off in the centre and look pretty much like new. Sounds wanky but they are also a nice looking tyre due to the tread pattern. I've always been a Michelin fan but I'm a convert with these now. ok so why the GT's over the regular ra2's? is there a need for the extra load factor or you like a stiffer tyre? These tyres were on the bike when I bought it. The PO had just fitted them 5 days before I bought the bike and had only put 5kms on them riding back from the shop before I bought it so I had to scrub them in and from day one you could lean them over safely at decent speed without fear of coming off until they were fully scrubbed in. These were the first tyres I've basically never had to scrub in. Hope this helps We don't need the GT tires on our VFR. The GT is for heavy touring bikes, which the VFR is not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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