Being new-ish to this forum, I hope that I am not offending anyone by asking a question that probably surfaces from time to time. Yes...it is the "whats the best tire for my bike" question. At least I didn't ask about oil...yet ;)
That being said, what tires do you guys prefer for your 6th gen? I just picked up a 6th gen and even during a brief and easy spirited test ride when buying the bike, I could not get over how BAD the stock Dunlops are. I mean, wow. The bike might as well be riding on hockey pucks.
So they need to go!
I have a preference for Michelin and Pirelli tires. Not to say that any other tires out there are bad, since every company has good tires these days. But my riding style and preference and budget lean towards Michelin and Pirelli.
Rain is sure to be on the menu so I am looking primarily at the Road 3 and Angel ST. I have Angel STs on my 5th gen but havent had much time on them yet, and not in the rain. And I dont really want to be biased because I want the best for a 6th gen, not what works on the 5th gen obviously.
So if you have any thoughts on what you guys prefer between these two tires, let me know what experience that you have had with them.
I once had a dark haired guy riding a '98 walk off and leave me on a really twisty road. Oh and it was pouring rain and he was running Pirellis. I haven't had a chance to try any but I'm sure they're good. I can definitely vouch for the Michelins whether it's the PR2 or PR3, rain or shine.
Toss a coin and take a trip. Then try the other one when you wear them out and see which you prefer.
I've got a 4th gen and have run Pilot Powers(best grip but 2k and there toast) :PR2 similar in feel to the Powers but get about 4-5K and the PR3, which I don't like the feel of front tire(handles like a truck)
I've got a 4th gen and have run Pilot Powers(best grip but 2k and there toast) :PR2 similar in feel to the Powers but get about 4-5K and the PR3, which I don't like the feel of front tire(handles like a truck)
???? I got 10,000 miles out of my PR2. but yeah, kind of agree with you on the front tire thing. Went from a PP2 to a PR3. biiig difference
I use the PR3's and am pretty happy, the big difference is how they feel with different pressures. Since having my suspension redone and recommended tire pressures of F34psi and R36 PSI there was a difference in "Feel".
New tires (PR3's) , suspension and 5 hours of wet riding I felt comfortable with what I have. There's about 7,000kms on them now and they will see the next trip out fine.
If you don't mind longer warm-up times another decent choice is Bridgestone BT-016's. There are several issues with Michelin and Pirelli tires, just FYI. If you run 100% on the track those tires aren't too bad but for the street they really fall short. I know this won't be very politically correct given the other responses to this thread, I'm just speaking from personal experience riding my own bikes and years of setting up other people's bikes.
If you don't mind longer warm-up times another decent choice is Bridgestone BT-016's. There are several issues with Michelin and Pirelli tires, just FYI. If you run 100% on the track those tires aren't too bad but for the street they really fall short. I know this won't be very politically correct given the other responses to this thread, I'm just speaking from personal experience riding my own bikes and years of setting up other people's bikes.
A bt 16 or Q2 might be okay if looking strictly at performance, but some people like more than 2000 mile out of a tire. What is your issue with Michelin, over all perfromance and life I've yet to see anything outperform over all.
Not really answering your question but. I ran PR2's and liked them OK. Got 10,000km out of them. Probably 2000km left in both front & rear tyre but the front tyre felt so horrible that i had to change. Fitted Metzeler Z8's. The Z8's are soooooo much better than the PR2's. The Z8's are quieter, steer better, roll nicely into a corner and stay there, do not stand up under brakes in a corner, ride better, are excellent in the wet, hold pressure for a long time and generally seem to have knocked 50kg of the (apparent) weight of the bike when moving.
After 1500km, the Z8's hardly show any sign of wear. I hope this trend continues as i want as many km's as possible for the $ outlay. The Z8's have so much more capability than i use. I can ride as fast as i did on the PR2's with much less effort and a wider safety margin.
The Pirelli Angel ST might be as good or better than the Z8's but i will never find out. Unless the Z8's suddenly start wearing unacceptably, Z8's will be going on again when time to replace. Highly recommended.
I hope your Z8's hold up to the test of mileage. However it's always an unfair comparo when I compare my new tires to the ones I've just taken off. I think I remember how they were when they were new, but perhaps not. The new ones ALWAYS feel better in every way. I think if you are buying modern technology tires and fitting the proper tire to type of bike and style of riding, it's hard to go wrong these days. Are the Z8's a brand new tire? Maybe they are not carried in the US as much as AU?
I put PR3's on this spring and have a bit over 8k miles on them now. The front is still good, but the rear is done. I'm ordering a new PR3 rear to get me into next summer. I commute on my VFR about 600 miles per week, so I need a tire to last. No 2000 mile tires for me :tour:
Not really answering your question but. I ran PR2's and liked them OK. Got 10,000km out of them. Probably 2000km left in both front & rear tyre but the front tyre felt so horrible that i had to change. Fitted Metzeler Z8's. The Z8's are soooooo much better than the PR2's. The Z8's are quieter, steer better, roll nicely into a corner and stay there, do not stand up under brakes in a corner, ride better, are excellent in the wet, hold pressure for a long time and generally seem to have knocked 50kg of the (apparent) weight of the bike when moving.
After 1500km, the Z8's hardly show any sign of wear. I hope this trend continues as i want as many km's as possible for the $ outlay. The Z8's have so much more capability than i use. I can ride as fast as i did on the PR2's with much less effort and a wider safety margin.
The Pirelli Angel ST might be as good or better than the Z8's but i will never find out. Unless the Z8's suddenly start wearing unacceptably, Z8's will be going on again when time to replace. Highly recommended.
Have you ridden z'6 's ??
That way you can give me an accurate comparison of the Z8
I've got a 4th gen and have run Pilot Powers(best grip but 2k and there toast) :PR2 similar in feel to the Powers but get about 4-5K and the PR3, which I don't like the feel of front tire(handles like a truck)
???? I got 10,000 miles out of my PR2. but yeah, kind of agree with you on the front tire thing. Went from a PP2 to a PR3. biiig difference
I've got almost 10K on my PP2/PR2 combo, the front is done but the rear has a K or so left. Looking to order a new set, are the PR3's that bad? How about a PP2/PR3 combo? I can still find the PP2/PR2 combo for sale but would consider something other than Michelin. I'll have to look at the ZX8's. Looking for something to carry me through the winter incl. rain days.
I use the PR3's and am pretty happy, the big difference is how they feel with different pressures. Since having my suspension redone and recommended tire pressures of F34psi and R36 PSI there was a difference in "Feel". New tires (PR3's) , suspension and 5 hours of wet riding I felt comfortable with what I have. There's about 7,000kms on them now and they will see the next trip out fine.
Maybe I'm making something out of nothing since no one else has commented, but...... 2 pounds lower than Honda recommends for the front isn't a lot, but the 6 pounds less in the rear is quite a significant difference. Do quite a few members run their pressures that much lower than recommended? I'm running PR2s, (second set), at 42 rear, 36 front and have more grip than I have balls.
Tire threads can become religious battlegrounds, but there really is not a right or wrong answer. Although if anyone on the forum recommended Shinko it would really raise a lot of eyebrows. In my mind what is more important than what tire you put on the bike is the condition of the tire that is on the bike. Flat spotted, cupping, bald, showing belts... that really is the wrong tire for any bike regardless of who the manufacturer is. Tires really are a matter of personal choice.
One key point that nobody has made yet is that geography and riding style DO make a difference, as do the type of roads. What for you defines a good tire? Is money no object but you want something that really sticks to a curve? Are you budget minded and looking for something that is long lived that will handle slab? Are you putting your bike on the track?
Different tires perform differently depending on conditions. If you live in Canada and see a lot of slab you are more likely to favour a sport touring tire (i.e Pilot Road) whereas if you live in North Carolina and hit the twisties regularly a sport tire (i.e. Pilot Power) may be better suited to your needs. However if you live in Arizona and deal with high temperatures you may favour a Battleax 023. All of these tires are the right tire for specific conditions. You wouldn't want to run a Pilot Road on the track, nor would you want to run a Pilot Pure on the street. The tires are built for different conditions.
I do a lot of distance trips and that means a wide range of conditions both in terms of temperature and road type. Personally I lean towards the Pilot Road 2s. They wear fairly decently and I like the feel of them. In my opinion they offer good value for the money for my own riding style. But having said that cost and availability are also factors that tie in for me. During last year's long tour I changed tires three times, and the choice of rubber was based on what was available in the right size. On the road you don't have a lot of choice. I willingly mix tires - both tires don't wear at the same rate so it is normal for me to mix new and worn tires. It doesn't bother me. I also willingly mix types of tire - Pirelli on the front, Michelin on the rear - in my experience it doesn't make that big of difference as long as the tires are in good shape. Generally I will stay with the same type of tire (sport touring). (As a side note based on personal experience Pilot Power doesn't feel as confident as a Pilot Road in low temperatures and sleet/snow).
Regardless of what type of tire you put on the bike it will feel good when it is new - new tires always seem to handle much nicer than worn.
There really is no "wrong" answer when it comes to tires. Oil, on the other hand... :goofy:
I have not used the Z6. From what i have read on the www, those that have gone from Z6 to Z8 say the Z8 is an improvement, especially in the wet. My first ride on the Z8's was in the wet and i could not believe how good they felt. My mate was with me on PR2's and he had no issues. What was doing it for me was the way the bike rolled effortlessly into corners, not pushing the front end like it did with the PR2's. Honestly, i ended up riding in the wet, no differently than in the dry. On a recent ride with 2 other guys, one with PR2's and the other Dunlops i think, the road was dry but some corners had water running across them from recent heavy rains. Both other riders reported slides, especially front end where the Z8's did not move at all.
CharlesW
I ran the PR2's at 36F & 42R. If the front did not have 36 in it, it felt horrible for some time till it pumped itself up. Metzeler recommend lower pressures for the Z8 both F & R. I have run 34 & 35 in the front and both feel fine straight off. The ride quality of the Z8's is so much better than the PR2's but show no signs of squishiness (i think i just made that word up) when tipping into a corner and once lent over. They do not deflect at all over bumps & lumps, just keep steering beautifully.
What first got me interested in the Z8 was during a trip last year. Met a guy on a Suzi Bandit with Z8's who was on his way back to Sydney after riding to Perth. There is lots of boring upright riding on that trip using the centre of the tyre. He had done 7000+km and the back tyre could have done the trip again easily. I was about 800km into my trip and the rear PR2 was flattening off noticeably from running upright all day (about 4000km on the rear at the trip start).
The Z8's suit my riding style (they actually compliment it) and work well with a VFR800. Synergy.