Member Contributer Duc2V4 Posted April 17, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted April 17, 2014 Ok so I just got back from the tire place with a set of Michelin PR4's. GT's. Not sure if its me or the bike but it feels like Im driving a stiff brick in the front. Im hoping that is the tire actually hugging the road but am still skeptical. This feels nothing like my stock tires. The whole bike feels lighter and more tip prone(didnt drop it). Still needs to break in I guess. BTW, the GT is meant for heavier bikes than the VFR and that's a possible reason for the "brick" feeling, or like said above, check the air pressure. Not sure. When I ordered the Bridgestone T30s. I had my local dealer check mfr recommendation through his distributor. The answer was that their GT was recommended for the VFR1200. At 600 lbs curb weight, I can see it go both ways. If you're serious sport tourer that ride 2-up with 3 hard cases worth of gear, GT tires would work. OTOH, if you ride mostly solo and no luggage, and you don't weigh much, then you might consider regular ST tires a better fit. R1200RT and Norge 8V both have GT sport touring tires as OEM, and they don't weigh much more than the VFR1200. The Michelin "promo" video for the PR4 had the VFR1200 as an example of bike that would use the PR4 but the GT was specifically mentioned for the BMW but never referenced for the VFR1200, but who knows, maybe they changed their criteria for the GT?. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Volfy Posted April 17, 2014 Share Posted April 17, 2014 "Intended use" is sometimes a better guideline than simply the bike itself. These "GT" tires are typically built with extra belt(s) to take the addition load of a heavy ST. A heavily loaded RT's rear tire will likely see very similar load to a heavily loaded VFR1200's rear tire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wattsbrian Posted April 24, 2014 Author Share Posted April 24, 2014 The tire pressure is fine. The tire people at one shop talked to also recommended the GT tires even with out the luggage. The shop I actually had the work done said the same thing except he recommended the non GT's if I wasnt hauling weight or luggage. I ride with a set of E41 side cases usually and have on occasion put my E55 top case on for some rides, hence I went for the GT tires. I spoke to the dealer about my concerns and went on to say the GT and the non were equally fine. I have been riding it now for a few days and I feel like I am getting used to the difference in feel more and more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TNRabbit Posted April 24, 2014 Share Posted April 24, 2014 With the stiffer sidewall, you can run lower tire pressure with the GT. I have about 500 miles on a set of the standard PR4s & love them in all conditions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Switchblade Posted April 24, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted April 24, 2014 Just thought of something : Tires For Dummies !!! A how to book on buying motorcycle tires . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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