ifiddles
Well-known member
@shanekingsley Burlington Cycle had PR4 in stock when I asked about them in February...
New tires for new season 2020 - options, supplier, installer
- Thread starter MarioRRR
- Start date
Thanks!
Trials
Well-known member
So how do you like them, are they any good, or have you tried them in rain yet?
Aens
Well-known member
I have had 2 sets of the Road 5's on my KTM 790 Duke(not GT which is for heavier bikes). The tires work great on the street. Rain traction is good enough as well but honestly not willing to really push it in the rain. Puttering around town with damp roads are no problem. Even had a chance to try them in a rain storm and they performed well enough. First set lasted around 11k but that also included two weeks at the gap. Second set is on pace for roughly the same. Grip is more than sufficient for any spirited rides through the twisties. Feedback is good through the bars. Works well in the cold as well, even below zero.
I've used Mikeymoto for last 3 or 4 tire changes. $20/wheel for carry in. Good value. If he charges $40/wheel for ride in that is a great price.
Never used a dealer to remove wheels for tire change. When wheel is off it's a great time to service brakes in terms of pads, pad pins, caliper pins/slides, pistons etc... Much easier to do all of this when the wheel is off. Also check splines, dampers , o-rings for shaft drive bikes. And, finally, great time to clean up under fender area, swingarm, forks etc... that you can't reach when the wheel is on.
From a tire perspective I've used the T30, T30 EVO and just put on a fresh set of T31 GT's. All good tires, if short lived, with 7,500 km and 8,500 km respectively. I'm hoping the T31 GT lasts longer.
Never used a dealer to remove wheels for tire change. When wheel is off it's a great time to service brakes in terms of pads, pad pins, caliper pins/slides, pistons etc... Much easier to do all of this when the wheel is off. Also check splines, dampers , o-rings for shaft drive bikes. And, finally, great time to clean up under fender area, swingarm, forks etc... that you can't reach when the wheel is on.
From a tire perspective I've used the T30, T30 EVO and just put on a fresh set of T31 GT's. All good tires, if short lived, with 7,500 km and 8,500 km respectively. I'm hoping the T31 GT lasts longer.
In general they are good tires however in my opinion not worth the money.
After driving them for a couple of weeks, they feel way to flexible, especially on the curves. Nice looking tire, pretty sticky but to flexible. No tested in rain. Just my personal opinion.
Mark Duc
Well-known member
I just put a set of T31's on my Concours. Mainly went with them, because they last long. Spoke to a guy who is CHP and they ride Connies. He said they routinley get over 18 000km on a set. Pete's Superbike - great price - a buddy of mine has a manual tire machine. Wouldn't dream of doing it with spoons, myself. That 190 rear didn't go on easy.
I'm at 18,000km on mine right now, down to the wear bars, but with a little bit of life left on dry roads. I would agree the tires are definitely more flexible than the PR4's. They stick amazing in the corners for sure when riding the bike hard. I also haven't tried them out in the rain either. I did order another Road 5 rear tire anyways and will put it on sometime late in the season. If I can get this kind of mileage off a tire and it sticks this well with no cupping near the end of the tire's life, I'm happy.
I hate feeling when back tire is flexing and skipping away from my track. For this reason I don’t like them. I believe bigger water groves compromise this issue. Even t31feels more stable than PR5’s.
Thread revive.
So it's my turn to go shopping for tires.
Let me know your opinions
So far on my list are
Pirelli Angel GT II
Best price I found is $404 Shipped from Pete's ($23 shipping fee)
Michelin Pilot Road 4
Best price I found is $422 Shipped from Pete's ($23 shipping fee)
Bridgestone Battlax T31
Best price I found is $372 Shipped from Revco (free shipping) PLUS $50 VISA Card from Bridgestone. Eventually bringing the price down to $322
Taking the cost and tire into consideration I think this is the best deal.
Other Options
Dunlop Roadsmart III
Michelin Power Pilot 2
I will call around tomorrow to see if any local shops can match the prices to the best of their ability as I prefer to support them.
Any other tire recommendations?
So it's my turn to go shopping for tires.
Let me know your opinions
So far on my list are
Pirelli Angel GT II
Best price I found is $404 Shipped from Pete's ($23 shipping fee)
Michelin Pilot Road 4
Best price I found is $422 Shipped from Pete's ($23 shipping fee)
Bridgestone Battlax T31
Best price I found is $372 Shipped from Revco (free shipping) PLUS $50 VISA Card from Bridgestone. Eventually bringing the price down to $322
Taking the cost and tire into consideration I think this is the best deal.
Other Options
Dunlop Roadsmart III
Michelin Power Pilot 2
I will call around tomorrow to see if any local shops can match the prices to the best of their ability as I prefer to support them.
Any other tire recommendations?
They will be first on my call list tomorrow as they are local to me. Closed on Mondays.
I spoke with Pro6 Cycle today and their price for RoadSmart 3's was $343 w/tax plus install. Also a very good price.
Do they make the Michelin Road 5’s in your tire sizes? They are a nice tire for street.
I like and ride on the Pilot Road 4’s.
Yes they do.
But those are taking me into the upper limits of what I want and probably need to spend.
With my riding habits and the amount of KMS I put on the bike per season I feel like the upper shelf of tires is not needed.
I am hoping that by the time I wear through any of the tires I purchase I will change bikes.
Priller
Well-known member
Just dug up the Ride 2020 sport-touring tire test, and they ranked them as follows:
1. Metzeler Roadtec 01 SE
2. Dunlop Roadsmart III
3. Pirelli Angel GT II
4. Continental Road Attack 3
5. Michelin Road 5
6. Bridgestone T31
Test bike was an R1250RS at temps of 12-14C, blind test with two riders. Recent Metzeler tires often seem to rate well in Euro tests, but I've always found them expensive and hard to find here...
Aens
Well-known member
Did the article explain why they went with the regular Road 5's instead of the Road 5 GTs for the R1250RS? The GT version is supposed to be used on heavier bikes.
I've used the Roadsmart 3's which were great except over tire snakes. My go to's are the Road 5's. I've gone through 2 sets of them and I'm probably going with a 4th set before this season is over.
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Relax
Well-known member
How's the mileage wear on the Roadsmart 3's compared to the Road 5's?
Priller
Well-known member
I'll go back to the article in a bit and summarize their take on the tire.
That said, the RS weighs 536 lbs wet, so it's pretty average for a litre-plus bike. Right in the same range as most big ADV bikes and a good bit lighter than full-dress tourers.
They're also pretty clear that all the tires are decent, so it's shades of good. Personal preference and riding style will also play a part, and there's no test for that...
Edit: Seems you called it. Here's their verdict: "People love the Road 5 and its easy to see why but they didn't suit our RS that well - our fitter says they have the softest construction. Would work well on a lighter bike." For comparison's sake, the Michelins were rated 80/100 and the Metzelers were 91/100. All were ranked based on improvement from the OE tires.
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