That's right, I did it. KnightofNi already started off the Oil thread, so I figured I'd start the tire thread!! <insert evil laugh here. :e:v
For myself, I ditched the old D207's on my monster years ago and have been running Pirelli Diablo's ever since. Might give the Pilot's a try next...
dj
Pirelli Diablos.
I know I'm not supposed to take this post seriously, but I'm an engineer; I can't help myself r:e)
I've run both Diablo Corsa III and Pilot Power. They'be both been great on the road and track (though I think I've had the opportunity to drive the Powers a lot harder in rain ;D), but I've gotten better mileage out of the Powers and they cost less wt:
can I be a jerk here for a minute?
Dont take me too seriously, but why don't more of you guys buy sport-touring tires? If you're riding on the street, there is no need for anything else. It just wears a helluva lot faster.
Sport Touring tires last quite a bit longer than super sport tires. And they allow lean angles and grip far and beyond what you can do on the street.
So they last longer and work just as good, and many times they are cheaper. So why not use them?
Just about any new tyres will make a big improvement to the bike. I just took off the original Pirelli Diablos that came with the bike from the factory. Me and the previous owner managed to get 14,500 KM (just over 9,000 miles) from them.
I went with Michelin Pilot Road 2. Largely because its usually on the cold side where I live and sport touring tyres operate at lower temps. I've only ridden 7k's from the bike shop to home but I could tell they are going to give me a lot more confidence. mo:t:
Cetme, you're not being a jerk.
I've run a Pirelli Diablo Strada rear with a regular Diablo front, and it worked just fine.
Actually, pretty good, as the wear rate was closer matched front to rear.
I've run a Corsa front and regular Diablo rear combo too, just didn't last as long as the previous one.
I've been running Pilot Road 2's the last 2000 miles and so far so good. [thumbsup]
Quote from: CETME on May 07, 2008, 07:25:54 PM
can I be a jerk here for a minute?
Dont take me too seriously, but why don't more of you guys buy sport-touring tires? If you're riding on the street, there is no need for anything else. It just wears a helluva lot faster.
Sport Touring tires last quite a bit longer than super sport tires. And they allow lean angles and grip far and beyond what you can do on the street.
So they last longer and work just as good, and many times they are cheaper. So why not use them?
To each their own as always. But as with anything, there are various scenarios. I for one use the pure sport derived tires cuz I want that extra bit of cushion (extra grip) when I'm draggin somethin and one of those "various scenarios" jumps out at me. Gravel, water, animals etc. The sport tires are just more reliable/capable in a not-so-average situation. I find too that in the longer lasting tires, they develop a "profile" in as little as halfway on to later in life and are actually a detriment to the way the bike handles. Glaringly apparent when new skins are installed. Plus when I go do a track day I have the weapon I need. wt: But that's just me and my .02 worth... carry on.
I'm running Pirelli Diablos but the rear is worn out. I'm trying to decide if I should just replace the rear with an other Pirelli Diablo or if I should go ahead & get a full set of Michelin Pilot Road 2s.
I live & ride in the city & don't plan on doing much highway riding or long trips.
Any thoughts?
-m
I have used Pirellis for a long time then switched to Michelins on one bike - latest and greatest and all that. I couldn't really tell the difference at my level of riding. I'm switching back to Pirelli just because we've done so many miles together. Maybe the diablo rosso this time.
Dunlops FTW!
pilot powers
have heard good things about the conti's though.
Quote from: hypurone on May 08, 2008, 08:11:49 AM
To each their own as always. But as with anything, there are various scenarios. I for one use the pure sport derived tires cuz I want that extra bit of cushion (extra grip) when I'm draggin somethin and one of those "various scenarios" jumps out at me. Gravel, water, animals etc. The sport tires are just more reliable/capable in a not-so-average situation. I find too that in the longer lasting tires, they develop a "profile" in as little as halfway on to later in life and are actually a detriment to the way the bike handles. Glaringly apparent when new skins are installed. Plus when I go do a track day I have the weapon I need. wt: But that's just me and my .02 worth... carry on.
Interesting... I switched to sport touring tires because the pure sports tires develop a flat-spot too quickly, which messes with the handling. Dual compond ST tires seem to go further before getting this flat-spot. But as you said, its scenario dependent. I commute on mine, so I'm only in the twisties about 10% of the time. I also think that the ST tires are a better all around general purpose tire, providing better performance in a variety of conditions (like rain), but I could be wrong. I think that the pure sports tires will mostly be of benefit in extreme twisty riding on clean roads....
I've been on the Pilot Powers and have loved them, but I do 90% twisities. From what I hear a steeper profile then the Diablo's which I've like much better. When i get my monster back up and running I plan to run the Pilot Road 2's since I'll be doing more straight up and down riding on that one.
Quote from: darylbowden on May 08, 2008, 11:27:24 AM
Dunlops FTW!
i must say, i did enjoy the pair of dunlop qualifiers i had on my 900.
For me the sport vs. ST tire comes down to this:
I do one track day a year; not enough to justify having a second set of wheels and tires, yet I need more than an ST tire can deliver on that one day. So I pay the price of accelerated wear.
Yet I still want good street performance. I've found the Pilot Power to give good rain handling and decent tread life. That's my compromise. When I get the ST3S for my primary road bike, I'll put ST tires on that ;D
I've had great success with the Dunlop Qualifiers and Pilot Powers. Only real difference of note between them is initial lean in the Michelin seems steeper and so dives a tad quicker. Got 6k out of my Dunlops I'm at 3k so far on the Pilots.
I've run Diablos since they came out. Then the Diablo Corsas, then the Corsa 3s. I love them. They have a very round profile, which gives very smooth and predictable side to side transitions. Good grip and feel on street or track, and fairly solid in the wet too. And mileage isn't half bad from them either.
I recently switched to a set of Pilot Powers... I picked up a nail in the rear, and the front was due to be replaced, and all I had on the shelf were Michelins... and I was pleasantly surprised. They have gobs of grip, they heat up quickly, and wear really well. They have a slightly more pointed profile than the Pirellis, so they tend to "fall" into a turn, rather than roll. This isn't a bad thing though. The pointed profile gives a taller tire, at the center... you may have to adjust rear ride height to trim you steering head angle back to where it was or it will be a squirrely ride... but the taller center gives you a larger contact area when leaned over. Once you get past the difference in transitional feel, these things rock! wt:
Through a series of coincidence... my girlfriend got a puncture, and I had these under my bench, so now she's running my Pilots... I'm running a set of Bridgestone BT-002R DOT spec race tires. Since currently I can't ride, due to back surgery, all I can tell you is that they are black, round, hold air, and roll the bike nicely when I push it around. [cheeky]
Quote from: CETME on May 07, 2008, 07:25:54 PM
can I be a jerk here for a minute?
Dont take me too seriously, but why don't more of you guys buy sport-touring tires? If you're riding on the street, there is no need for anything else. It just wears a helluva lot faster.
Sport Touring tires last quite a bit longer than super sport tires. And they allow lean angles and grip far and beyond what you can do on the street.
So they last longer and work just as good, and many times they are cheaper. So why not use them?
I used to run sport tourers since my bike is only a wee seven fitty and I ride all year. After hearing all the good stuff about Pilot Powers I bought a set. They have beetter cold/wet traction and last as long as the Metzeler Z6 tires I used to run
Quote from: Ivan on May 08, 2008, 11:39:49 AM
Interesting... I switched to sport touring tires because the pure sports tires develop a flat-spot too quickly, which messes with the handling. Dual compond ST tires seem to go further before getting this flat-spot. But as you said, its scenario dependent. I commute on mine, so I'm only in the twisties about 10% of the time. I also think that the ST tires are a better all around general purpose tire, providing better performance in a variety of conditions (like rain), but I could be wrong. I think that the pure sports tires will mostly be of benefit in extreme twisty riding on clean roads....
Excellent point that I forgot to mention. Dual compound tires rock!! I am on the Corsa III's right now with a dual compound rear and they are top dawgs in my book. I have had the Powers in a non 2CT format and they were ok. Nothing to write home about. My favs are Metzeler's, specifically their Sportec's. But since Pirelli owns Metzeler and uses their MIRS process and steel belts (very nice) I gave the Corsa III's a try, awesome!! wt: The bike was always nervous on the Michelins no matter what I did as far as pressures, suspension etc. As soon as I put the Pirelli's on with the steel belts and different front profile, the bike is rock solid everywhere. be::
Quote from: CETME on May 07, 2008, 07:25:54 PM
can I be a jerk here for a minute?
Dont take me too seriously, but why don't more of you guys buy sport-touring tires? If you're riding on the street, there is no need for anything else. It just wears a helluva lot faster.
Sport Touring tires last quite a bit longer than super sport tires. And they allow lean angles and grip far and beyond what you can do on the street.
So they last longer and work just as good, and many times they are cheaper. So why not use them?
I'm running pilot powers on my monster, and have on multiple occasions on the street pushed the tires till they lost grip on a corner... to be honest, I probably shouldn't be pushing the monster till I'm leaned all the way off and the peg is folding and the exhaust touches down, but where's the fun in riding if we don't push it from time to time.
I agree, that most riders don't need super sport tires, and it should be noted that they will get a lot more life out of sport touring tires. Still I wouldn't say you can't use the grip that super sport tires offer on the street. Often tires are forced to make up for poor road surface on the street.
I have a 2007 SR4R and I'm very happy with the Pilot Power I have there now. The monster is my first street bike in years, my other bike (track only) is a 2001 Yamaha R1. I ran a shit load of tires on my old bike from Bridgestones, Metzler and a series of super sport Dunlop tires.
Recently I put a pair of Michellin Pilot Powers on the R1 and headed up to Willow Springs. All I gotta say is WOW! I ran 36F/36R and the bike was on rails and the tires heat up super quick! I have no issues leaning the bike over on those tires. If they are good enough for the track then they should be equally amazing on the street on my monster.
Here is an old pic of my R1 before I turned it into a pretzel, later to become a franken-bike still kicking and running.
(http://www.mysimplelife.com/pix/albums/userpics/pahrump_ontrack/LA5Q7753.jpg)
Quote from: A.duc.H.duc. on May 09, 2008, 09:11:42 AM
I'm running pilot powers on my monster, and have on multiple occasions on the street pushed the tires till they lost grip on a corner... to be honest, I probably shouldn't be pushing the monster till I'm leaned all the way off and the peg is folding and the exhaust touches down, but where's the fun in riding if we don't push it from time to time.
I agree, that most riders don't need super sport tires, and it should be noted that they will get a lot more life out of sport touring tires. Still I wouldn't say you can't use the grip that super sport tires offer on the street. Often tires are forced to make up for poor road surface on the street.
<rant on>
I wasn't gonna say it but since the cat is out of the bag! The only tire I ever crashed on, from pushing it hard (on the track) were Pilot Powers. They gave absolutely NO usable warning! Just railin along and the rear was gone in a heartbeat. Every other tire gave me a wiggle, small slide and hook up again or somethin. Not those F*in Michelins. I will never use em again. pu::
<rant off>
Holy jumpin'! How do you get 3000 miles out of a PP rear, like I heard one of the earlier posters say? I just hit cord at 1485 miles on mine, all street riding on back roads (most at sorta pleasurable speeds). Do the CT's last a bit longer? If so, I want them next.
Mitch
BTW - the BT-002's are awesome on the track. But they've gotta last even less on the road.
Quote from: AndrewNS on May 09, 2008, 06:11:23 PM
Holy jumpin'! How do you get 3000 miles out of a PP rear, like I heard one of the earlier posters say? I just hit cord at 1485 miles on mine, all street riding on back roads (most at sorta pleasurable speeds). Do the CT's last a bit longer? If so, I want them next.
Mitch
BTW - the BT-002's are awesome on the track. But they've gotta last even less on the road.
My first guess is you're running too little pressure. If you run the pilots soft they get really hot and sticky. Excellent for grip, but you leave a good portion of your rubber stuck to the pavement.
Quote from: hypurone on May 09, 2008, 05:33:55 PM
<rant on>
I wasn't gonna say it but since the cat is out of the bag! The only tire I ever crashed on, from pushing it hard (on the track) were Pilot Powers. They gave absolutely NO usable warning! Just railin along and the rear was gone in a heartbeat. Every other tire gave me a wiggle, small slide and hook up again or somethin. Not those F*in Michelins. I will never use em again. pu::
<rant off>
Same here. One minute I'm dragging knees, the next the bike is sliding away from me with absolutely no warning.
They are great in the rain and will last about 6K miles, but if you like to push the bike to the limits, they are not the tire for you.
Quote from: silentbob on May 09, 2008, 11:54:29 PM
Same here. One minute I'm dragging knees, the next the bike is sliding away from me with absolutely no warning.
They are great in the rain and will last about 6K miles, but if you like to push the bike to the limits, they are not the tire for you.
So what is your weapon of choice these days? As I stated earlier I am currently on the Corsa III's w/ a dual compound rear. But am itchin' to go back to the Metzeler Sportec's, they have a new M3 out. Have you tried it by any chance?
Quote from: hypurone on May 10, 2008, 02:45:52 PM
So what is your weapon of choice these days? As I stated earlier I am currently on the Corsa III's w/ a dual compound rear. But am itchin' to go back to the Metzeler Sportec's, they have a new M3 out. Have you tried it by any chance?
That's odd. It looks like my post was truncated. I went on to say that I have been running the super corsa pros on the 1098 and I really like them. I can get about 4K miles out of a set. They are nice and sticky, give good feedback (I have lost the front and been able to save it), and they don't cold tear like the pilot power.
I thought about trying the M3 after the pilot powers, but since I got the 1098 with the SC, I haven't been that motivated to try something else.
The stock rear Pirelli Diablos was replaced at 9K. I could of probably ran it for another 1K or so. The stock Diablo front probably had about another 3K to go.
My replacement is the Pirelli Diablo Rosso (1k mi). The profile of the Rossos are about the same as the Diablos. The Rossos seem to heat up quicker, and seem to provide a bit more grip. I'm guessing I'm not gonna get 9K out of the rear though. If I can get 5K out of the rear, I'll be happy.
Quote from: silentbob on May 10, 2008, 03:14:05 PM
That's odd. It looks like my post was truncated. I went on to say that I have been running the super corsa pros on the 1098 and I really like them. I can get about 4K miles out of a set. They are nice and sticky, give good feedback (I have lost the front and been able to save it), and they don't cold tear like the pilot power.
I thought about trying the M3 after the pilot powers, but since I got the 1098 with the SC, I haven't been that motivated to try something else.
I'll most likely go back to the Sportec's when these are done. These were just such a good deal at the time and used the same contruction methods. We'll see...
Quote from: DarkStaR on May 10, 2008, 03:58:38 PM
The stock rear Pirelli Diablos was replaced at 9K. I could of probably ran it for another 1K or so. The stock Diablo front probably had about another 3K to go.
My replacement is the Pirelli Diablo Rosso (1k mi). The profile of the Rossos are about the same as the Diablos. The Rossos seem to heat up quicker, and seem to provide a bit more grip. I'm guessing I'm not gonna get 9K out of the rear though. If I can get 5K out of the rear, I'll be happy.
Let us know what kind of mileage you end up with on the rear. I believe the Rosso's are replacing all previous Corsa lines and Pirelli is (obviously) claiming it will deliver a good compromise between grip and wear.
Quote from: hypurone on May 12, 2008, 07:21:04 AM
Let us know what kind of mileage you end up with on the rear. I believe the Rosso's are replacing all previous Corsa lines and Pirelli is (obviously) claiming it will deliver a good compromise between grip and wear.
Will do.
So can you give me a good ST tires? Might try it after my metzelers..
As a matter of principle, I will not support the monopoly Pirreli has in WSBK & BSB.
I have the Power 2CT's fitted and find them WAY better than the Pilot Sports.
Quote from: hypurone on May 10, 2008, 02:45:52 PM
So what is your weapon of choice these days? As I stated earlier I am currently on the Corsa III's w/ a dual compound rear. But am itchin' to go back to the Metzeler Sportec's, they have a new M3 out. Have you tried it by any chance?
I just got a new set of M3's mounted up front and rear, but I only have them scrubbed in so far. Damn Colorado May!
I'll hopefully get to do some twisties on them this weekend and I'll let you know what I think.
FWIW, I really wanted to try a Z6 rear and a M3 front, but I talked with Metz and they really advised against it. I think that would be a good combo of grip and tire life. Oh well....
What do y'all know of Metzeler's? I don't see the name around much but they seem like a solid tire. Anybody?
Read the post above yours. A number of guys on TOB ran with Metz's and seemed to like them. You might try a search on there for the archived posts.
Yeah, the post above mine was the reason I posted it here. Can you help me out with what "TOB" means?
TOB = The Old Board
http://www.ducatimonster.org/forums/search.php?searchid=57080
Quote from: COWBOY on May 27, 2008, 01:53:10 PM
TOB = The Old Board
http://www.*************.org/forums/search.php?searchid=57080
Fixed it for you, VS style.
Quote from: FireInTheHole on May 27, 2008, 12:14:18 PM
What do y'all know of Metzeler's? I don't see the name around much but they seem like a solid tire. Anybody?
They are my fav tire though these Pirelli's are growin on me! I absolutely love a dual compound. That is the one thing the Metz's don't currently offer. They are a great tire though, I have pushed them to the limit at the track and on the street and they are ALWAYS predictable.
Quote from: hypurone on May 27, 2008, 02:27:58 PM
They are my fav tire though these Pirelli's are growin on me! I absolutely love a dual compound. That is the one thing the Metz's don't currently offer. They are a great tire though, I have pushed them to the limit at the track and on the street and they are ALWAYS predictable.
Sorry guys, kinda forgot about the one.
My experience so far is exactly the same as above. So far they are very confidence inspiring, and needless to say, are worlds better than the Dunlops I had on there. I definitely think they are on par, if not better, than the Powers. These seem to handle great in the rain, unlike the Powers. We still have lots of gravel on the twisties here, so I haven't totally unleashed with them, but it will only be another week or so now.
I doubt anyone here would be disappointed with the M3's. My bro has Z6's on his R1150R and they seem to work good for him. I'm sure they would've been fine for me too, but I wanted to try a true sport tire for once. So far so good!
[drink]
Good deal...
I went ahead and snatched a rear M3 up. Couldn't pass it up for the price and those nails....damn nails.
Side question:
How do you scrub-in a tire? I mean, I know but I'm curious how others do it. Do you worry about an initial heat cycle? Low pressure riding for a little bit? Figure 8's in the parking lot?
Quote from: FireInTheHole on May 29, 2008, 07:23:09 AM
----------------snip------------------
Side question:
How do you scrub-in a tire? I mean, I know but I'm curious how others do it. Do you worry about an initial heat cycle? Low pressure riding for a little bit? Figure 8's in the parking lot?
IMO, no worries about the initial heat cycle, we're talking about street tires, right?
No low tire pressure.
Be careful for the first few miles, watch for water or slick surfaces.
No aggressive turn or throttle inputs, I've seen guys almost deck it making the first turn out of the shop driveway.
Go to a secluded area; parking lot or cul-de-sac, with pavement or rough concrete, not a parking structure with the polished concrete.
Do slow, tight circles each direction, leaning the bike more than your body (IE opposite of hanging-off).
That should scrub it enough that you can ride a conservative pace out to a twisty road, where you can progressively work it over to your max lean.
Quote from: FireInTheHole on May 29, 2008, 07:23:09 AM
Good deal...
I went ahead and snatched a rear M3 up. Couldn't pass it up for the price and those nails....damn nails.
Side question:
How do you scrub-in a tire? I mean, I know but I'm curious how others do it. Do you worry about an initial heat cycle? Low pressure riding for a little bit? Figure 8's in the parking lot?
Another cool thing about the Metz's and the Pirelli's that I like, is there is very little "scrub-in" req'd. Other than normal turns and nothing "hairball" right out of the gate. If I was hamfisted on the throttle while turning at the first few lights it was a bit wiggly other than that, just run em like you normally do easing up the pace and you are good to go.
Quote from: duckwrench13 on May 08, 2008, 08:09:14 PMI'm running a set of Bridgestone BT-002R DOT spec race tires. Since currently I can't ride, due to back surgery, all I can tell you is that they are black, round, hold air, and roll the bike nicely when I push it around. [cheeky]
My new rig has these on it right now. I'll tell you have they work this weekend :D
Wow got them home tonight.. boy are they soft tires!
The rear is a BT-002R Type 3 (Medium) and you can grab the edge and literally twist the rubber... The front is a Type 4 (soft)
I just ordered up a set of Bridgestone BT 21.
I'll report once they are on and have enough miles to give feedback on.
I actually liked the bt56 that came on my bike.
If I don't like the 21's I've been looking at Conti road attacks too.
Okay BT-002 PRO's are out... BT-003's are in... I only got my front in the mail today.. WTF UPS? Where's my REAR!
(http://i38.tinypic.com/doo41c.jpg)
Quote from: onederer on June 12, 2008, 01:25:51 PM
I just ordered up a set of Bridgestone BT 21.
I'll report once they are on and have enough miles to give feedback on.
I actually liked the bt56 that came on my bike.
If I don't like the 21's I've been looking at Conti road attacks too.
I installed BT21's last week. So far they have been excellent FOR STREET USE. I dont ride at triple digit speeds but below that limit I can tell you that they have good warm up and excellent grip in the dry. No experience with wet but the tread pattern suggest they might be good for this as well. Running 34psi front 36 rear. Only downside is that there is a LOT of wheel noise. A LOT. I'm hoping this gets a little softer once the tires wear in but that is yet to be seen.
I'll post mileage when they're done in the tire review thread. Last thing, they are very good for the cost conscious. Got front and rear installed for 225. Thats hard to beat.
Pilot Powers.....w/o question!....excellent dry, excellent wet, and I can get 6k+ out of 'em. I run 35psi front and rear in 90* heat, and they will hold the most aggressive lines.
Looking forward to fitting 2CTs next
Well I used some Brdigestone BT-002 STREET's this weekend... this is the now OLD compound they don't make anymore.
In case you didn't know they dropped the BT-002 STREET and just make the BT-002 PRO's Medium compound. They are simply called BT-002. The old BT-002's have been replaced by the BT-003's.
Okay back on track. I had a set of BT-002 Streets and my PRO's were shot so I decided to mount them up and use them while I waited for my rear BT-003 to show up. Well the STREET didn't exactly make me feel confident in the corners. I wasn't blistering fast pace but I was cutting down my times each lap and making an attempt on a solid B to B+ pace. Well then I found the limit of the Streets. I came in pretty hot and layed it over asking a pretty good amount out of my front... Then the front just started to drift my steering inputs weren't being recognized I was being dragged to the outside of the turn. Then I lowsided.
Overall BT-002 Streets seem like a solid street, C/B- pace trackday tire. Asking much more then that and you're going to need to be cautious with traction limitations. But for the most part no one is going to be using these tires cause they are discontinued. If you're looking for tires make sure you get the new ones which are going to give you much more traction.
Well this weekend I took the Monster to the track (since my 675 is still down). I had a rear flat so I needed to buy new tires and I wasn't going to make the same mistake as last time.
Since the Monster runs a pretty small tire I had a choice of 160 UK made Dunlop D209 rear or some 170 Dunlop Slicks. Decided to run the DOT Race UK 209's since they are supposed to be "the shiznit" especially when compared to the American made 209's.
Well they gripped all day like no other no matter how much I threw at them. Due to the lack of HP on the monster I had to really carry speed into the corners since my competition was against 600's and 1000's.
I held my own all day and had all the confidence in the world in the tires.
I highly recommend stepping up to some DOT race tires when you hit the track. A trackday set of tires is much cheaper then fixing your bike when your hard as a rock street tires reach their traction limit.