| Author | Message | ||
     99savage |
OK - You have convinced me that the Michelin Road Pilots are the way to go. BUT maybe 5 - 10% of Uly's travels are on hard packed, maintained, dirt & gravel, county roads. Not trying to be a cross country rider but can't & don't want to avoid the marked, dirt & gravel roads. - The best everything is found along the obscure routes the Tom-Tom picks. Before ordering the Road Pilots would like some xprt opinions on their suitability for the use they will be put to. If they are a dumb idea for these circumstances what do you suggest? | ||
| Union_man |
I think that the ability to ride "off road" with tires designed for the road depends on the ability and skill of the rider. The more aggressive the tread is the better it will perform in the dirt. That said I ride about 20% on unpaved roads. I ride on PR2's and manage just fine.  | ||
| Arcticktm |
My PR2's were OK for hard packed dirt. It was scary on anything wet, especially the hard clay some roads here in west NC are. Since I do mostly twisty roads, the front also wore out on both sides before the middle, so I just put on a Scorpion Trail front. when my PR2 wore out in the rear, I replaced it with a Dunlop Roadsmart, which is outlasting the PR2 by a fair margin, and feels just as good to me. Time will tell if the Scorp Trail front is any better in gravel/dirt than the PR2 was. Can't be any worse. I am an ex enduro racer, so the off-pavement part is definitely not new or scary to me. | ||
| Tankhead |
I just received the Shinko Ravens. They look good. Deep tread. Hopefully last longer than the Scorps. I am at 8000 with them. | ||
| Etennuly |
PRII's have been my best experience with a street tire. Very pleased with that. The tread is not conducive to wet grass or mud at all. But I have done many dirt roads and trails without worry in the dry. I have cut open the bald carcass of these tires and they are much tougher than the scorpion syncs. I would not worry about cutting down the Pilot Road II with rocks, although I have done it( a direct hit on pavement at 55 mph with a sharp piece of shale. I believe it would have cut down my truck tires in this instance). I am looking to try the Pilot Road III if these ever wear out. | ||
| Yamafreak |
Good luck with the Ravens. One of mine was out of round.  | ||
| Buellhusker |
Yamafrek, I had the same experience with the Raven rear tire. 180 degree of the tire was worn down into the wear bars and the other side 180 degree had 1 to 2 /32nds tread depth before the wear bars at 3,200 miles. And it started shaking a little. Stupid me mounted up another one and when its gone, never again. | ||
| Zollie |
Usually ran Road tires doing gravel, moored over a few times in the mud, fitted these, going to test weekend doing ~600km rugged terrain.. 150 rear 120 front (rear) with tubes http://www.damduiker.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2011 /03/ulysses_120_150_17.jpg | ||
| Growl |
Looks knobby! What tires? | ||
| Growl |
Oh, I see (in another tire thread) that you wrote: "currently running 150 Kenda Big Block rear with Tube, and 120 Kinhs Tire kt 966 front with tube, no problems so far.." I'm guessing you meant Kings Kt 966 rear tire mounted on the front... I'm looking forward to a ride report after you get more experience on this tire combo! | ||
| Tankhead |
I thought those problems on the ravens were the earlier 08/09 models. The reviews that I have been reading for 2010/11 have been good. | ||
| Uly_man |
99savage. The Pilot 2s are the best road tyre I have had on the Uly. They are, however, not a trail tyre and the bike is not a trail bike either. Its to tall and to heavy. It can work but not in the wet with road rubber any more than the GS can. A bit of green lane stuff, on road rubber, is ok but if you want to go "rock hopping" your going to have problems. The Uly is a tall "all-round" road bike that can keep up with sports bike but not top end. |
