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Dualsportdad
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 16, 2014 - 10:10 pm: | 
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I would worry more about how good a rider you are in the gravel more than I'd worry about the tire.
If I could post pictures from my tablet I'd show plenty of pictures of my buells with in the gravel and sugar sand on street tires. |
Smac
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 30, 2014 - 02:06 pm: |
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Df3112,
If you are trying to stay around the $200/set tire range, you can buy a set of Michelin Pilot Power (assuming not off-road use) for $220. I use these every tire change on my CBR929rr. My all-time favorite though is the Michelin PR2 which you can get a set for $262. The PR2's handle just about as well as the PP's, but last quite a bit longer. These prices include shipping from Jake Wilson. My 2 cents for road-only tires. |
Uly_man
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 30, 2014 - 05:50 pm: |
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"Michelin PR2 which you can get a set for $262". You are lucky people as they would cost you $100 plus more here AND you pay a lot less for Buell parts as well. About 30% if my math is right. |
Smac
| | Posted on Thursday, July 31, 2014 - 11:34 am: |
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Uly man,
But you guys have better weather & better food on the other side of the pond!  |
Hughlysses
| | Posted on Thursday, July 31, 2014 - 12:53 pm: |
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While we're having a tire discussion...
I just got back from a week of riding in the mountains and my rear Michelin PR3 is down to the wear indicators. I believe I'm on my second rear PR3 and 2nd front PR3. Michelin has cleverly engineered these things so that you never wear out both tires at once, so that if you want to run matched sets, you either have to take off a perfectly good tire or run PR3's forever.
I've been happy with the treadlife on the PR3's but I preferred the handling of the OEM Pirelli Scorpion Syncs, which are NLA. I can't say exactly what it is, but the bike just steers differently with PR3s. Every time I'm in the twisties I notice it, and I miss my Syncs.
I may buy another PR3 rear, I may live with mis-matched tires for a while, or I may even change them both and put the less than 50% worn front PR3 up for sale. That ebay seller has the Conti Trail Attacks for $200/set shipped or only $99 for just the rear (!).
Is there anyone else out there that really loved the Syncs? Is there a tire that handles more like the Syncs than the PR3's do? IIRC, somebody here said they didn't like the current Pirelli equivalent, the Scorpion Trail, nearly as well as the Syncs.
Any comments/suggestions would be appreciated. |
Teeps
| | Posted on Thursday, July 31, 2014 - 12:59 pm: |
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Hugh,
My Uly is on tire set #6 in 33,000 miles.
There is nothing like the handling of a new front tire.
Each time the front tire had probably several K miles left. But the wear profile is such that the bike "flops" into the turns.
A new skin up front and the bike predictably and gently rolls into the turns.
I like new tires... |
Smac
| | Posted on Thursday, July 31, 2014 - 02:22 pm: |
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Hugh,
The Michelin Pilot Road tires are considered sport-touring tires so performance is slightly sacrificed for longevity. If you are looking for something a little more sport-oriented, I would recommend the Michelin Pilot Power family of tires.
Follow the link below and click on the pdf titled "2014 Fitment Guide" & check out page 12...it details the entire lineup & describes the use/benefits of each tire (I tried to attach just pg 12 but the file size was too large).
http://motorcycle.michelinman.com/tires/michelin-p ilot-power
Anyway, hope that helps. I'm a Michelin fan, but the other tire manufacturers have a similar lineup....I would just recommend a "sport" tire vs. a "sport-touring" tire if you desire better handling. |
Hughlysses
| | Posted on Thursday, July 31, 2014 - 03:30 pm: |
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Sean- Thanks for the suggestion.
I don't have any issues with the grip of the PR3's, and the Syncs were technically a "sport touring" tire as well (the tread pattern was mainly cosmetic rather than functional), so I'm pretty sure the PR3's grip at least as well as they did. I think what's different between the Pirelli and Michelin is the contour, especially of the front tire, which significantly changes how the bike steers and reacts in hard turns. It's not necessarily worse, it's just different.
I sent Pirelli an e-mail just to see what they'll say; I asked which of their current tires is most likely to steer like the Syncs. |
Uly_man
| | Posted on Thursday, July 31, 2014 - 04:11 pm: |
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It is VERY common for a rear to wear faster than a front, on most bikes, and is normal.
With Scorps or PR2s I have never got as may miles from the rubber and they still hold there profile on a Uly. You do not need Pilot Power rubber on a Uly as the PR2s are VERY good and the Powers will wear the centers out much faster and ruin the handling.
The PSI numbers makers give you is just a guide. For faster or slower turning just adjust the tire pressures by plus or minus 2 psi until you find how you like it. Also remember that a tire will act differently once it warms up so you will need to account for that change of state. |
Hughlysses
| | Posted on Thursday, July 31, 2014 - 05:18 pm: |
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It is VERY common for a rear to wear faster than a front, on most bikes, and is normal.
Marc- The issue I have with the PR3's is this: all previous tires I've used tend to wear 2 backs to 1 front, or very close to it. You put on new tires, run ~5000-7000 miles, put on a new rear tire, run ~5000-7000 more and replace both tires. The Michelins seem to wear something like 4 backs to 3 fronts. I run ~10k miles, replace the rear, and then the front wears out before the next rear replacement, so I buy another front, and so on. Both tires are never worn out at the same time.
I suspect it is very clever engineering by Michelin to make sure you keep using their tires.  |
Df3112
| | Posted on Wednesday, August 20, 2014 - 11:26 pm: |
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Update:
Went with the Shinko's! I and more than pleased! Handle great, Track straight and great in the rain. |
Reepicheep
| | Posted on Thursday, August 21, 2014 - 08:52 am: |
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I just loaned my wheel balancer to a buddy because the new Shinko on the front of his Blackbird had a nasty shimmy.
He balanced it, and still had the shimmy.
We think the rim is straight (still checking), but there was at least 5mm right to left movement of the rubber carcass when you spin the thing on the balancer. |
Df3112
| | Posted on Thursday, August 21, 2014 - 03:05 pm: |
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That is severe! Best check to make sure the tires are seated to the rim correctly. |
Djohnk
| | Posted on Friday, August 22, 2014 - 08:01 pm: |
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I ran through one set of Ravens front and rear ... they were great for the first 3/4 of their life (I think almost any new tire is great compared to the old one) ... then the rear tire really squared off. Felt really weird going around corners.
I now run the dual-compound Michelin. I just changed my PR-3 rear for a PR-4. The PR-3 I think lasted farther than the Raven, and was pretty good right up until the end. I have really been satisfied with the Michelin PR-#'s, even factoring in the price. |
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