Touring Tires

OK, so I think I've discovered that I like touring...

Anyways, since I mostly commute on my bike, and I don't go to the racetrack, do you think I should get street tires (Dunlop Qualifiers or Metzler M3) or should I get a dual compound touring tire.

My riding style:

I ride canyons with friends, but not really racing...more of a "fast-pace" since I'm usually coming around the turns last. Since I commute, most of my tire's time is spent in the middle (resulting in the current squaring of my tire). I do long distances at least twice a month (between 200-800 miles per trip) and have been averaging just about 1,000 miles a month.

With that being said, I want a tire that will perform in canyons if I go out with some people and we decide to go bombing through familiar terrain, but I also want something that's going to hold up as well as my stock tire has for the long trips I've been taking and the day to day commute with minimal squaring. So it sounds like I'm looking for dual compound.

With all of that information, I'm not looking for the BEST tire out there, but what are people running and I'd probably like to get 5,000 miles out of my tires at least, since I'll have put 8,000 on my stock tires.

oh: how much did you pay for your tire and WHERE did you get it? (if you say online, say what website please)


**I will probably be buying a new rear tire (first new tire for this bike) in the coming weeks as I'm doing 1,000 miles this weekend and the tire is starting to feel like it's squaring off.

Well as much as I want to say get the Avon storm since I am a big fan of Avon, Dont buy it. They wear out very quickly. Awesome in the rain, but that is thier only real strong point.

I have the Michelin Pilot Road 1 compound and I find it to be a good combination of touring tire and canyon carver. I have heard very horrible things about the 2 compound version of this tire, so I do not recommend it. Speak to Cali Rider if you have further questions about the 2 compound tire. I have approximately 5k miles on my rear Pilot Road and it still looks new. I got 8k miles out of the stock Dunlop and I expect at least that much out of this michelin. Depending on what kind of riding I am doing in the future, I may move to the Pilot Power for better grip in the canyons.:thumbup:

MarinaFazer said:

OK, so I think I've discovered that I like touring...

.

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Enjoy touring...Me, too!! I've had very good performance and mileage life out of Michelin Pilot Roads. On my BMW I'd average 14,000+ miles on the a pair, and so far have put nearly 90,000 miles total on sets of Michelin Pilot Roads on that bike with excellent results. I picked up a nail on my FZ6 within its first 500 miles and put a Michelin Pilot Road on the rear to replace the OEM Bridgestone. I now have about 9,000 miles on that rear Michelin and it's easily got another 3,000-4,000 miles left before the wear bars start showiing. I found the OEM Bridgestones handled poorly (skidding sensation in fast curves). Of course, YMMV.
Good luck in the hunt.

As much as I hate Dunlop (or at least their D207's), I really must say that the Dunlop Roadsmart tires are pretty kick ass. They are designed as a "Sport Touring" tire... so I expect at least 10k out of them.

I had a set of Pirelli Diablo's on my VTR, which KICKED ASS, but for what it sounds like what you want, would stay away from. I just had to throw that in.

KG

Pirelli Diablo strata is what i'm switching it a extended mileage sport tire I have one on the front right now just waiting 3000 miles for the pilot power to wear out on the back. look them up they got good reviews for mileage and there a good price.

Bridegstone BT-021's. There the next generation of the 020's. The rear tire has a 2" strip of hard rubber and the rest of the tread is a softer compound like on the BT-014. So far I have about 1000 miles on mine, so far so good. They seem to absorb road bumps well and I have 40 pounds in the rear and doesn't seem hard at all.

rvbiker said:

Bridegstone BT-021's. There the next generation of the 020's. The rear tire has a 2\" strip of hard rubber and the rest of the tread is a softer compound like on the BT-014. So far I have about 1000 miles on mine, so far so good. They seem to absorb road bumps well and I have 40 pounds in the rear and doesn't seem hard at all.

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Agreed... BT-021 or Metzeler Road tech ME Z6

I have a fresh set of Metzeler Z6's sitting waiting on my broken leg to heal.

rvbiker said:

Bridegstone BT-021's. There the next generation of the 020's. The rear tire has a 2\" strip of hard rubber and the rest of the tread is a softer compound like on the BT-014. So far I have about 1000 miles on mine, so far so good. They seem to absorb road bumps well and I have 40 pounds in the rear and doesn't seem hard at all.

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You should put a review in the tire section. :rockon:

I have read good things about this tire.

Also, to the "original poster", you might want to look at the Conti Road Attacks. If I were to compare these(conti, BT) side by side I would buy the cheaper.

rsw81 said:

I have the Michelin Pilot Road 1 compound and I find it to be a good combination of touring tire and canyon carver. I have heard very horrible things about the 2 compound version of this tire, so I do not recommend it. Speak to Cali Rider if you have further questions about the 2 compound tire. I have approximately 5k miles on my rear Pilot Road and it still looks new. I got 8k miles out of the stock Dunlop and I expect at least that much out of this michelin. Depending on what kind of riding I am doing in the future, I may move to the Pilot Power for better grip in the canyons.:thumbup:

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I totally disagree about the Michelin Pilot Road 2CT tires, i have them front & back, ride in all conditions, every day (500km a week) and they are wearing very well, evenly, and it looks like i will get about 10000 - 11000km's out of my rear, and even more out of my front.

Awesome in the wet, and with the dual compound, great in the twisties once you let them warm up a little. I would go as far to say, these tires are the best tires i have ever had.

Maybe there was a bad batch, but i have only heard & experienced very positive things about Michelin Piolt Road 2ct's.

I too have the Pilot road 2's and I'm very happy with them, here's another link to Pilot road 2, if you look at the table of the test done by the German Motorrad magazine you can see that the PR2's came out on top, and the amazing thing was they were better in the wet than the Metzler sports tyres they were compared to.

My tyres are also wearing out very evenly, the only thing I don't know is how they would wear if you constantly only rode twisties, as the edges are made with a softer rubber which help to give better grip in the corners, whilst the main body is made of a harder rubber to give better milage.

Cloggy said:

My tyres are also wearing out very evenly, the only thing I don't know is how they would wear if you constantly only rode twisties, as the edges are made with a softer rubber which help to give better grip in the corners, whilst the main body is made of a harder rubber to give better milage.

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I ride approximately 15km's a day at least up and down the hill,through the twisties on my Michelin Pilot Road 2ct's, and wear is still even, my chicken strips are about 1cm wide, so they do get a workout.

:Flash:

I have heard poor things about the 1 compound as opposed to the 2 compound. My roommate has the Pilot Road 2's and he loves them. His tires have not shown alot tread wear and are doing so evenly.

I believe my next set of tires will be the PR2's.

-bryan

Motorcycle Superstore - Motorcycle Accessories and Motorcycle Gear

They have a great selection of tires
I've bought Pirelli's and Metzelers from them....great place.:thumbup:

I just put on Pirelli Diablo Stradas and have just under 600 miles on them now. No complaints and the rubber side has stayed down. I saw someplace on the net that the contour of these tires are in between a sport touring and sport tire and they do seem to turn in quicker then the stock tires. So I guess they are a sport-sport-touring??

any thoughts on the new Dunlop Roadsmart Sport Touring tire? My dealer has a better-than-the-internet price on the rear tire right now and I might take him up on it when I get back from the weekend!

any reviews on that specific tire?

im still waiting on my pr2 but motoxoutlet.com is a good cheap store for tires. the cheepest i seen at all on any tire. good prices and good phone service just kinda slow in shiping

wow bigred, that price beats the dealer by $15, and the rest of the internet by $25! How slow is shipping? I'm not desperate for a tire, but at that price, I might order it now and be ready for a tire in two-three weeks!

bigredfireguy said:

im still waiting on my pr2 but motoxoutlet.com is a good cheap store for tires. the cheepest i seen at all on any tire. good prices and good phone service just kinda slow in shiping

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You may want to check Motorcycle Tires and Accessories depending on the tire you are looking to buy. I have found that different places have better prices on certain brands.