So I'm getting near that time when I have to start thinking about replacing my tires. I'm down almost to the wear bar on my Michelin Pilots on the rear. The front is in better shape.
As far as I've read what I have on there now (came with the motorcycle when I bought it) is a very good, very popular tire. I in fact am quite happy with them thus far. My only other comparison point really was the new Batalax tires I had put on my restored '86 VF500f... and that was an orange to my niner's apple.
As the guys on NASIOC say, you can only pick 2 of the following 3, fast/cheap/reliable, and I've found that to be a pretty reasonable mantra to apply all around. I've accepted the fact that replacing this tire will not be cheap if I get something that is 'good'. I'm not a rider that goes to the track, gets my butt off the seat in corners or does burnouts/wheelies (not my bag baby!). My tire actually wore a tad flat in the middle, as I consider myself more of a 'sport touring' kind of rider.
My main adversary here is not knowing how long this tire lasted me. It was on the bike when I got it, and I've ridden 4.5k since I got it. The tire did not have a flat spot worn in the middle that I noticed when new (to me).
What I seek is opinions on a plan of action. I'd rather get something that will last more miles and not be as much of a 'sport' tire. I do ride 2up touring in the summer, but that does not make up more than 15ish% of my total miles.
If I can get another rear without replacing my front (as I've been told with motorcycle tires it's important to have 'matching' f/r sets) Im sold on the same thing seeing as they're 'good tires' and will more seriously entertain switching when I need it next.
Thanks or the $0.02
-Peter
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This message was brought to you in part, actually in all, by Peter B
'02 TJ Sahara '04 WRX Wgn '02 CB900f '919'
If you're happy with it then stick with the pilots. Matching front and rear is a pseudo oil thread debate some say do some say don't. Michelin tires are designed to work as a pair. If you are what you claim to be then the pilot road 2 or 3 will be a better match for your style of riding. But you need to buy as a pair! The PR2s are what most are running on here. The PR3s are the new version and have better wet traction.
Gone to The Dark Side. Sent from my SGSII:SR
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Never Trade the Thrills of Living for the Security of Existence.
I was pushing the weight limit with myself, cargo, and passenger for most of the riding season. I pulled around 12k miles in the PR2's. Watch your tire pressures and suspension, think I cupped both f/r. Hard riding solo as well.
There is so much good stuff to choose from.
You sound as though Michelin Roads would be ideal for you, or equivalent.
You could also consider a 2CT front with a Road rear.
If you do a fair bit of cold pavement riding, stick with Roads front and back. (or equivalent)
pilot roads 2 are the way to go. you have pretty much the exact same commute style as i do right now. i have about 1k left on my rear but i picked up a nail and it wont hold air at the proper pressure without backing the nail out so the rear is getting replaced. currently have ~12k on it right now and it was ran under pressured for most of it's life. this is because i didnt own an air compressor at home and i got really sick of paying $0.75 every time to pump a few psi into the tire. since i got an air compressor for christmas, that'll change for my next rear!
great tires. you'll love em. they're a huge upgrade over the pilots which i've also used before. slick as snot in the rain and doesnt do commute duties well. its worth it to change both tires to pilot road 2s. motorcycle super store is having a sale on them right now with free shipping. check it out.
For me, a non-racer that somehow manages to erase the chicken strips, I prefer a matched set. I think I can tell the difference between a tire that's been through many, many heat cycles compared to one that is brand new. The older tire gets harder...and therefore more slippery. I'm not comfortable riding a bike where one end tends to slide signficantly more than the other end.
If I'm sliding, I want it to be either: equally sliding front and rear, or, sliding because I have the throttle open, and it's the rear doing the sliding.
Or because of sand or ice! Which just happened to me. But as soon as the PR2s caught i was off. little "Oh Shit" but it was just as fast as the tires grabbed! i forgot to mention that currently i run a set of PR2 with about 4k on them and they look brand new tread wise.
Gone to The Dark Side. Sent from my SGSII:SR
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Never Trade the Thrills of Living for the Security of Existence.
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'04 Honda 919, Candy apple red met., 17/44t sprockets,f-16 windscreen,delkevic ss exhaust,Tharbars,givi engine bars, billet alum. led turns w/ running lights,red adj.levers from china, bar end mirrors,grip heaters,adj. foot peg brackets,adj. bar risers,dunlop Q2(that are better than your pp 2ct,lol)bike wired for gps and phone charger
you wouldn't catch me slapping a pair of Q2's onto my 9ner for any reason. they just dont give me the mileage i need out of them. screw what the article says. best lap time isn't the only measurement. lets see how long it lasts on the street.
[QUOTE=mcromo44;480970]There is so much good stuff to choose from.
You sound as though Michelin Roads would be ideal for you, or equivalent.
You could also consider a 2CT front with a Road rear.
If you do a fair bit of cold pavement riding, stick with Roads front and back. (or equivalent)[/QUOTe
your right about the roads ...know guys on sport bikes that travel 20.000 or more miles a season...was looking at there roads with 16000 miles on them,,i was amazed with the wear they where getting...they where riding 600 so wear would be a little better then on a heavier bike....16000 shouldent be a problem if just touring
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dont need a bike to ride the fast lane
you wouldn't catch me slapping a pair of Q2's onto my 9ner for any reason. they just dont give me the mileage i need out of them. screw what the article says. best lap time isn't the only measurement. lets see how long it lasts on the street.
9000miles so far
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'04 Honda 919, Candy apple red met., 17/44t sprockets,f-16 windscreen,delkevic ss exhaust,Tharbars,givi engine bars, billet alum. led turns w/ running lights,red adj.levers from china, bar end mirrors,grip heaters,adj. foot peg brackets,adj. bar risers,dunlop Q2(that are better than your pp 2ct,lol)bike wired for gps and phone charger
facts are getting in the way again.......its human bike nature when someone buys something for there bike like ..tires... oil ect ect.. its the best...even if no first hand or second hand knowledge is known about other products..
..
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dont need a bike to ride the fast lane
Just to throw in something from the 'commuter' side of the fence, I am running Avon Storms STs on my 919 which is used for daily commuting. Plenty of life left after more than 6K of all weather usage. Been exceedingly pleased by their cold and wet weather traction - something that I've been displeased with on some of the more 'traditional' sportbike-oriented tires. They're especially impressive on fun things like rain-covered road paint markings, wet polished road cobbles (what idiot city manager thinks installing those is a good idea??) and when crossing slick metal road plates. Nice and stable in all conditions.
I have the road 3's and have ran a plethora of tires ( pilot powers, power 2ct, power pure, bridgestone bt 16, bt 21) while they are all good tires I really like the way the road 3's are handling I am waiting to see how they wear for me, but they seem great so far....
Killed the stock tyres fast. Been through PR2 - a excellent tyre and I am presently on sticky Pilot Powers and very happy with them. Planning on trying some Dunlop Q2's next time as they are getting rave reviews.
Have a look on Jake Wilson - tyres are shit cheap in the USA, so cheap in fact that I imported my PP's from there to New Zealand and saved myself several hundreds of dollars.
So ignore the $ and buy the correct tyre for your riding style.
Just to throw in something from the 'commuter' side of the fence, I am running Avon Storms STs on my 919 which is used for daily commuting. Plenty of life left after more than 6K of all weather usage. Been exceedingly pleased by their cold and wet weather traction - something that I've been displeased with on some of the more 'traditional' sportbike-oriented tires. They're especially impressive on fun things like rain-covered road paint markings, wet polished road cobbles (what idiot city manager thinks installing those is a good idea??) and when crossing slick metal road plates. Nice and stable in all conditions.
Cold, and wet pavement (sprinkler over-spray, mountain dew in the summer) are most certainly things I see enough of to list at the top of concerns...
Longevity of the tire still remains my #2 requirement to traction. Being my first time really looking in to tires outside of trying to do a stock-replacement (on the '86 mentioned in the OP) I'm surprised to see that no tire really has a 'mileage rating' like a car tire (even though they almost never last as long as they're rated).
I've not seen anyone mention the Battalax or Continental Conti Road Attack, or any Pirelli tires... just an observation there.
Thanks all for the opinions thus far!
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This message was brought to you in part, actually in all, by Peter B
'02 TJ Sahara '04 WRX Wgn '02 CB900f '919'
Well, to add to the mix, I'm running Pirelli Diablos, and have no negatives to report about them, but it's only 2500km since I put them on. Around town they have been safe and sound. Doing a road trip in a couple of weeks and might be able to report more, but they are way better for handling than the old, worn, non-matched Michelins that were on before.
They were a helluva deal from Jake Wilson when I got them. Delivered to my door in NZ, and still saved money on local retail prices!
I've not seen anyone mention the Battalax or Continental Conti Road Attack, or any Pirelli tires... just an observation there.
Thanks all for the opinions thus far!
see the third post about yours and I do... I ran the battalax bt-16 up front, horrible milage (worst Ive seen on my bike) wore it out in about 3-4 thousand miles and actually wore the sides out in Fla before the center which is un heard of without track days, it was paired with a bt 21 which paired ok but wasn't spectacular... But I am in love with my road 3's, they are insane
facts are getting in the way again.......its human bike nature when someone buys something for there bike like ..tires... oil ect ect.. its the best...even if no first hand or second hand knowledge is known about other products..
..
your right this is my first set of tires i've ever owned and i really only have 59 feet b4 the belts showed
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'04 Honda 919, Candy apple red met., 17/44t sprockets,f-16 windscreen,delkevic ss exhaust,Tharbars,givi engine bars, billet alum. led turns w/ running lights,red adj.levers from china, bar end mirrors,grip heaters,adj. foot peg brackets,adj. bar risers,dunlop Q2(that are better than your pp 2ct,lol)bike wired for gps and phone charger
you wouldn't catch me slapping a pair of Q2's onto my 9ner for any reason. they just dont give me the mileage i need out of them. screw what the article says. best lap time isn't the only measurement. lets see how long it lasts on the street.
Lap time IS a measurement of importance for what Q2's were designed for, and what that tire shootout was comparing.
You speak of mileage, and like I said, The PRs should be compared to the Angel STs and tires of that class. The new Roadsmarts...hmm.
I've not seen anyone mention the Battalax or Continental Conti Road Attack, or any Pirelli tires... just an observation there.
Thanks all for the opinions thus far!
I've run Conti Road Attacks before on a Suzuki 1200 and they were a great tyre. The RA2 is improved again. They are on the sportier side of sport touring so stick well but won't last as long as a PR2/3.
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'04 Honda 919, Candy apple red met., 17/44t sprockets,f-16 windscreen,delkevic ss exhaust,Tharbars,givi engine bars, billet alum. led turns w/ running lights,red adj.levers from china, bar end mirrors,grip heaters,adj. foot peg brackets,adj. bar risers,dunlop Q2(that are better than your pp 2ct,lol)bike wired for gps and phone charger
Ditto. I'm so partial to them, if they fit any of my bikes I buy them without even looking at anything else. The 919 is the 3rd bike I've had them on. Well technically these are RA2's this time. I got well over 10K miles on my SV.
Quote:
Originally Posted by AllanB
I've run Conti Road Attacks before on a Suzuki 1200 and they were a great tyre. The RA2 is improved again. They are on the sportier side of sport touring so stick well but won't last as long as a PR2/3.
I'm liking the Dunlop supertax tires... As I'm not going to put them on till the spring its still in the research stage, but I can get one for $200 and with the conversations I've had with the guys at the shop I normally go to they really liked the previous model.
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This message was brought to you in part, actually in all, by Peter B
'02 TJ Sahara '04 WRX Wgn '02 CB900f '919'
I ditched the PP2's for angle st's and have never looked back. high pressure to maximise wear and they stick in all weather. in the wet they are unreal! never slip on slide or act the fool.... lol
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'04 Honda 919, Candy apple red met., 17/44t sprockets,f-16 windscreen,delkevic ss exhaust,Tharbars,givi engine bars, billet alum. led turns w/ running lights,red adj.levers from china, bar end mirrors,grip heaters,adj. foot peg brackets,adj. bar risers,dunlop Q2(that are better than your pp 2ct,lol)bike wired for gps and phone charger
Put a set of the Conti Road Attack 2's on at the end of the year. Have about 1K on them. Love em. Ridden in the rain, dry, hot and cold. Great traction all the way around.
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I refuse to tiptoe through life only to arrive safely at death!
For a sporty Michelin the Pilot Power is excellent value.
however....
seeing that you're in the northwest, if you do any sort of riding in the rain, and i mean ANY sort of riding in the rain, your best bet will be the pilot road 2's or 3's (updated version). i ride rain or shine and i've used the powers, power pures and they're slick in the rain! the road 2's are my personal favorite right now. clocked up 16k miles on my rear tire and could of done another 1k til i hit the wear bars but picked up a nail.
seeing that you're in the northwest, if you do any sort of riding in the rain, and i mean ANY sort of riding in the rain, your best bet will be the pilot road 2's or 3's (updated version). i ride rain or shine and i've used the powers, power pures and they're slick in the rain! the road 2's are my personal favorite right now. clocked up 16k miles on my rear tire and could of done another 1k til i hit the wear bars but picked up a nail.
Yes, I'm 90 miles north of Portland and I do ride in the rain, else the 919 would be parked most of the time given our weather
This past October it was more like a monsoon rain storm I rode 45 miles home in
So, sounds like I best stay away from the Honda shop's recommendation, but in fairness he probably assumes that I'm a fair weather rider
What's the difference between your Road 2's and the Road 3's ?
Also, I am considering taking the 919 to a track day class at the new Ridge track late spring or early summer. The Ridge Motorsports Park
This will be first for me and maybe just one time thing, but it's something I've always wanted to do.
So I also want a tire that would be ok for a track day in the event I actually do it, although it will be more for fun and to just do it
Thanks for all the advice
Looking to purchase a new set before spring arrives
i havent tried the pr 3's yet but several members on here have and gave positive reviews. they're just an updated version of the pr 2's so either way you cant go wrong! you'll love em, trust me! even more, you'll love the mileage you'll get out of em since you commute. believe it or not, but they hold up well to track use as well. at least that's what i've heard. i've yet to try a track day but is my goal for the year.
...its human bike nature when someone buys something for there bike like ..tires... oil ect ect.. its the best...even if no first hand or second hand knowledge is known about other products..
My 9'er had a low side slide.....She's down but not out......and about to rise from the ashes! 
jab not intended at you...towards the other know it alls who never owned the tires your talking about...so eat me 
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