Hoops, hides, skins or just plain tires

[steventhechef]

Dave got it in one but he is the tyre Queen, err I mean King. Sorry Dave.

I ran the original 020's for a few months after I bought my RS. I ride pretty hard but not as hard as Dave!

They chattered into corners and felt uneasy up front. When changing down and decelerating they skip and wiggle because of the harder compound.. Never confidence inspiring.

I moved to the BT014's and they were heaps better. They don't last as long but are "quite" grippy but still cup after about 7,000km on the front.

Dave runs (ran) the BT002 race compound - because that is the sort of boy his is!!

I was going to go with them or the PP 2CT this time around but got a great deal on the D208 RR's and went with those under recommendation from my tyre guy.

I had the front on for a day before I broke my ankle and have now resumed and just put the rear on.

Initially I feel very confident with them. I feel that I can get it over further and at greater speeds into corners and it is only day 3!! I have about .5cm of chicken strips left but haven't been up the mountains as of yet..

Maybe on the weekend..

BTR01 you need to choose the tyre that is good for you. If you commute and don't do too many corners maybe the 020's are OK for your usage. They do give great mileage but at a cost (grip and security)..

Heaps of people still have them and like them, they are just not my cup of chai.. Make the decision that is good for you. Good luck

[BTR01]

Steven, Dave,

Thanks for Le Education! I feel like I'm starting to get all schooled up, again! LOL

As for right now, I'll probably run the 020s for a little while long since, while I do love the curves, I'm pretty much just doing straight lines these days, anyway (did I say unfortunately). My ride is pretty short, but it beats the hell out of public trans!

Unfortunately drivers in this area mostly can't drive worth a *amn! So I might end up switching to something that might be a bit better controlwise in the not too distant future. I'm thinking about keeping an eye out for a good deal on either the Conti Sport or Road Attacks. From what I've read ( mainly on CanyonChasers.net), they might be exactly what I'm looking for. Not sure if I'll ever see a track day, but I don't think that it would be a bad thing to have some rubber under me that's capable of such a feet! Nes Pais?! ;0)

[DaveM]

Here is a bit of interesting or boring info when mixing tyres.

Depending on how much into tyres you are.

I have currently mounted a Michelin Pilot Power single comp rear and a Pilot race medium front.

Lately I have been using BT 002's which are an excellent handling and gripping tyre if you play in the twisties and don't do anything else and last me about 3,000kms a set. (3 sets + 1 extra rear)

Now today I had a pretty hard ride with my younger friend on his '05 ZX6 636. On one particular section of tight winding steep road that I can do very fast I got a lot of squirming from the rear which I have never had from the previous 3 or 4 sets of PP's I have had.

I experienced this squirming twice (once going up and once going down)and backed off a bit, then it was ok again. It felt like the tyre was a bit flat which it was not.

Tyres were running 33 fnt and 36 rear.

When I got home I found the front is very balled up right to the edge and the rear PP is actually around the edge a little on both sides onto the side wall about 2mm and very worn looking but not balled up.

My conclusion is that if you have a race upfront which is grippier than the rear then you could over work the rear which I think I did, it was starting to feel a bit loose at the back, until I backed off.

So this is something that will not be new to those of you who race or do advanced track days, but I havent put this mix on the road and I probably won't do it again.
It didn't feel dangerous but it isn't confidence inspiring either.

My take on all of this bumph is maybe it is better to stick with the same compounds if you intend pushing the envelope a bit..... or expect to get the back loose a bit if you are going hard.

There you go for what it's worth.

DaveM

[ruscook]

Interesting feedback Dave - thanks!

It shows how bloody hard you push that Sprint too :-)

For those of us that don't push as hard as you (almost all of us???), I still think the softer/grippier front with the rear being the compromise of wear/grip a rider is willing to fund, is a good combo.

Of course if I didn't commute (or do a total of 28000km in 9 1/2months) I might be able to afford stickier tyres front and rear :-) .

Given my realities inc I don't ride as close to the edge (pun intended) as you, then I think getting ALL the confidence I can in a front that will still outlast a rear (but not 2) is worth it - for me.

Russ

[DaveM]

No worries mate,
and I am sure I agree with you in most situations it would probably be ok, but not when doing what I was doing today.

I have almost chewed up your PP rear and also some how have put a 30mm cut that is very deep from near the outside edge in towards the centre which I am not happy about, & I don't know how I did this.

I will most likely replace the PP on the rear with a Pilot race medium this week to evenly match the front which is working very nicely.
(the PP was good while it lasted so thanks again)

Once they are gone I am going back to BT 002's they make the twisties a doddle.

DaveM

[DaveB]

I got my bike in Feb, & although I'd ridden on damp roads, I hadn't ridden it in full wet conditions until Saturday, when it was torrential rain in the morning. I ought to add that I had not, until Sat, ridden a m/c in the wet for nearly 20 years. I gave it a lot of thought before setting out. I got my head right and was not at all nervous. I definitely did not *****foot around on a mixture of urban roads and a short stretch of motorway. I avoided the manhole covers and watched out for the adverse cambers.

The Michelin PPs were faultless. Now our wet season has started they'll be plenty more wet riding over the next few months. These tyres are pretty darn good in the dry & now they've started to prove themselves in the wet it'll take a lot of convincing for me to change to anything else. They've done 4,500 km and the rear has only just started to go a bit square.
A big so far.

DaveB.

[DaveB]

Dave, you've given this advice many times. Now I think I see what you mean. I wanted tyres that gave a good mix of grip, handling and mileage & I think I've found them, with all the help that this forum gives. If I was 20 years younger & knee scraping in the canyons I'd choose something else. It now makes sense, thanks!

DaveB.

[Lambo]

Hi DaveM,

Rather than go back to 002's just yet as you've mentioned you can no longer get them "cheap", how about for the entertainment and or interest of members try something else comparable in performance and intended purpose, all of these suggestions in sequence would be cool.

1:Continental Race Attacks
2:Metzeler Race Tech
3:Michelin Power Race
4:Pirelli Super Corsa

What do you reckon big boy, you up to it

Regards, Lambo

[DaveM]

Originally Posted by Lambo

Hi DaveM,

Rather than go back to 002's just yet as you've mentioned you can no longer get them "cheap", how about for the entertainment and or interest of members try something else comparable in performance and intended purpose, all of these suggestions in sequence would be cool.

1:Continental Race Attacks
2:Metzeler Race Tech
3:Michelin Power Race
4:Pirelli Super Corsa

What do you reckon big boy, you up to it

Regards, Lambo

Hi Lambo,
well I certainly won't say I couldn't do that but I'd need a little time off work! Errr and unfortunately that isn't going to happen.

How ever I can comment on Michelin Power Race mediums and the Bridgestone Battlax BT 002 Race mediums because I have had both very recently.

In fact I am fitting a new Pilot Race to the rear today to match the front.

The Metzler I havent used in four years so my info will be old. My last experience with them was on my Gixxer 600 and I had several sets averaging around 2,500 - 3000kms a rear, nice grippy tyre in the dry, handled pretty ok but very very soft, even for a race tyre, this may have improved. My riding buddy with Honda VTR at the same time was only getting 2000kms from the rears.

The Pirelli Super Corsa 3 (last Pirelli's I had were Dragon Evo's or some such) are reportedly excellent but also very soft. Which I think is dissapointing because here in Oz they are a very expensive tyre and even though they are good, (I havent heard any bad reports except wear) IMHO they are not good value for money. If you can get em cheap then they would be ok. I havent personally used these because of price and poor milage reported by riders I know.

The Bridgestone Battlax BT 002 race medium is my favourite tyre, extreme grip, superb handling, transitions well, allows braking in high speed corners with very minimal bike "stand up" (hand if you stuff something up). This tyre is supremely stable in all situations, like most race tyres that aren't "wets" thay are not that flash in the rain but I've been on worse.
The 002's have no nasty habits and are my favourite tyre for what it's made for road/track. You can ride very smoothly and fast on these puppies.

Michelin Pilot Race medium, I havent had a set for 3 years until today but I can say this:
Very very sticky, turn in is very fast, a tad faster than the BT 002's IMHO.
Excellent handling but do not feel quite as stable as the Bridgestone like PP's on uneven surfaces can be a little twitchy and follow grooves a bit which the 002 doesn't do so much. Bit ordinary in the wet. Be careful.
In short a great tyre, makes your machine feel very sports bike like.

I should add especially for not so experienced or recently returned to biking riders.
These tyres are essentially race type tyres and do not have good grip unless you work them very hard (and you shouldn't do that if you are a newbie). You would not want them for a trip (you will just wear out the centre) or to commute on, they mostly aren't that good in the wet either with a possible exception being the Pirelli which is more of a very soft sports tyre.
If you ride very quick in mountain conditions (and nothing much else) or do track days these are great fun.

They DO handle better than normal Sports tryes and are more grippy when hot but they won't get hot with just cruising around and then grip is probably less than normal tyres, this will be especially true in cool or damp conditions.

Also none of the above will last very long at all.

Howzat Lambo?

DaveM

[DaveM]

Thanks Stiles,
that is confriming what I thought and everything I have heard already, always nice to get first hand information though

Here's a pic from my album after my morning ride Front Pilot race medium.



DaveM