SPORT TOURING Tires

Discussion in 'General VFR Discussions' started by James Bond, Mar 26, 2017.

  1. James Bond

    James Bond Member

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    Just wondering TWO things about the latest SPORT TOURING tires for a VFR.


    In your experience, 1)WHAT IS THE BEST HANDLING TIRE?

    and 2) WHAT IS THE SOFTEST RIDING TIRE?



    For me, Bridgestones of any model are, by far the hardest riding tires I've ever owned. They're beating me up but handle and stick well.

    The best riding ST tires were the Michelin PR 2's I used to run and may go back to. They stick well.

    Let's hear some real life experience. Sport Touring tires only. I have to get away from Bridgestones. Tired of getting beaten up. ; )
     
  2. Lint

    Lint Member

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    I guess you could try Pirelli Angels. I like my T30s. What pressure do you use? Per a phone call to Bridgestone, max should be 36psi front, 42 rear, as Honda says. Have you tried lowering the pressure a couple of psi?
    Bridgestone says that for aggressive canyon riding and tracks, you can go 34/36 psi. Okay around with those pressures.
     
  3. RVFR

    RVFR Member

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    What's the definition of a sport touring tire ? IMO it's a tire that works for you in what you are trying or like out of a tire. Me, pretty easy decision, hands down the best for what I want out of a tire, going on 10+ years, they have never failed me. Great feed back stick like glue love the pattern seeing decent mileage to boot and work very well in the damp. IDK, for me, It's a no brainier Pirelli Diablo Rosso II
     
  4. John451

    John451 Member

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    If you have a few minutes check out belows youtube review " Best Touring Motorcycle Tires of 2017 " though it says Touring the tires reviewed are in the " sports touring " class.

    I've just gone from Michelin PR4s and replaced them with what they determined to best tire all round, the Metzeler Roadtec 01s. Have to agree with all he said about the PR4s so hopefully what he said about the Roadtec 01s are also accurate after I've given them a good whirl.

    [video=youtube;w1leVfe5EGg]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1leVfe5EGg[/video]

    One thing to remember on the Roadtec 01s is in Australia and UK Metzeler recommended a Standard on both the front and back unless touring 2up with full panniers / luggage then the heavier ply HWM Rear is recommended but in the USA they recommend for the VFR800 a standard front with HWM ( Heavy weight Motorcycle ) Rear by default.
     
  5. OZ VFR

    OZ VFR Member

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    I'm using the Pirelli Diablo Rosso III's and I love them.
    Love the feed back, love the turn in, love the way they hold a line and how hard you can brake.
    But milage is not that important to me as I don't commute, 8500km from rear, don't yet know about front, 3500km so far and holding well.
     
  6. John451

    John451 Member

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    Admit was a close toss up at the tire place between the Rosso 3s and the Roadtec 01s, loved the Rosso 2s had prior to the R4s so was interested in the Rosso 3s but wanted a bit more life so am hoping the Roadtecs give me similar characteristics to the Rosso 2s ie linear turning in, confidence pushing to the edge.

    Was not 100% happy with the Michelin R4s squirm on the edge though that was only noticed when pushing hard doing laps of the fun 41km part of the Oxley with 2 mates on their GSXR1000s, didn't notice any negative issues with the previous Rosso 2s when ridden with meaning through tight twisties behind the same mates though admit the Michelin R4s did what they say on the tin by providing awesome cold and wet weather grip with a quality ride on some of our rougher back roads.
     
  7. James Bond

    James Bond Member

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    I use manufacturer recommended 36/42.
     
  8. Jeff_Barrett

    Jeff_Barrett Member

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    I like my Bridgestone T30 EVO (GT-Spec) ... it's a good balance of everything and a reasonable price.

    I'm using the recommended tire pressures from the manual.
     
  9. 34468 Randy

    34468 Randy Secret Insider

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    OEM DUNLOP! JK of course. I have been riding with the Michelins for several years after two go around with Dunlops. Last two sets have been the PR4 but to be honest with you, I did not find any improvement on the PR4 over the PR2. Same thing with the PR3 I ran one year. The 2's are a little cheaper than the 4's or the 3's were so I went back to the 2 after the 3 for a year. But I do ride a lot in the rain and Michelin claims the 4's are quite a bit better on wet roads. Even though I don't notice this while riding, for the sake of a couple dollars, I am taking their word for it for the sake of the best safety I can muster in my commute.

    A riding friend of mine, who is far more advanced rider than I swears by the Metzelers. next time around I may give them a try. I do follow Honda's recommended tire pressure. Their engineers are far more in the know that I am and it is their financial misfortune if they suggest something wrong and dangerous. Regardless of all this, I find that the center of the tire wears flat a lot quicker than the shoulders do but then most of my miles are commuting miles so I guess that is to be expected.
     
  10. Jeff_Barrett

    Jeff_Barrett Member

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    I like the PR2 rear ... I just hate the way the front scallops because of the 'v' siping ... this is partly due to suspension setup as well but we're kinda limited unless we send out our stuff to JD.
     
  11. JIMLARCH

    JIMLARCH New Member

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    Dunlop Roadsmarts. Excellent grip and wear characteristics.
     
  12. mlap5150

    mlap5150 New Member

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    I'm currently running a PP3 front and PR4 rear, 10k+ miles on the set (including a track day) and still going strong, good ride and grip too.
     
  13. Lint

    Lint Member

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    How did you get 10k out of a PR4 with a track day? I did 80 miles of track day at Chuckwalla with a brand new PR4, and only got 6500 out of the rear after. I probably lost 3mm of tread there.
     
  14. James Bond

    James Bond Member

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    I doubt if the OEM Dunlop would even burn well.
     
  15. OOTV

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    I think it's safe to say that every situation is going to be different. The same rider on the same bike can compare two different sets of tires but two different riders on two different bikes cannot compare the same tire. Even with the former example the comparison can only really be on how the tires felt and held up in similar conditions.

    Although there are elements of truth and possibilities with everyone's report of their tires, not everyone will get the same results. If most reports about a particular tire suggest high mileage, it's a good chance this is inherit in that tire model and that it may be possible to get that 10k+ miles out of them nearly every time. However, if one out of a dozen riders gets more mileage than others, it could just be the way that one person rides. With tire reports, there is a lot of subjective info but there is also a certain amount of truth.
     
  16. Terry Smith

    Terry Smith Member

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    I've just put T30 Evo's on my VTR, and have Roadtec 01's on the VFR. Both are good, but the Roadtec's are definitely a softer riding gentler tyre, and make for a more relaxing and confident ride. T30's definitely err more on the sporty side, steer faster and have a harder feel to them.
     
  17. SML

    SML New Member

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    I can report that the Dunlop Sportmax on my VFR do slip very well in the wet.

    I'm interested in all your info and experiences for my decision on a purchase of new tyres. There's a great variety of roads I ride, some rural highway on the way to hilly and mountainous winding backroads. Lots of blind corners. It's a high rainfall region so there's often water seeping across the roads even when it hasn't rained for a while. Other obstacles of leaves, gravel, sandy sediment awash on the roads, cracks and potholes.

    I'd rather be confident with tyre grip stability over wear longevity. Looking for the best tyres for my conditions regardless of price.
     
  18. GigemVFR

    GigemVFR New Member

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    I got caught in a deluge one day coming home and my Michelin PR2s stuck like a cat on carpet (to quote someone here, LOL) in the rain. The water was a few inches deep in the streets in some areas and I had to slow down to crawl as I could barely see. I had actually come to the realization that I would go down at some point on the way home and had just accepted the fact in my head and figured I would worry about when it happened. However, I made it home and never really felt I had lost grip except in couple areas. Granted, I took backroads on the way home and stayed off highways but with the amount of water on the roads, I was impressed. Actually had to pull over and wait a couple times and take cover as the wind and rain so bad could not see. I am leaning towards trying to Roadtec 01s next but for longevity, ride and price, PR2 hard to beat. I mainly commute and ride for fun, no track days yet.
     
  19. Lint

    Lint Member

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    I think you should trust in your tires more. I had BT016 tires on the Triumph I used to own. I ride in the rain often and even tho they are not rain tires, I kept having to slow myself down on the freeway, even going up a long grade with water running down it on the opposite direction. Tire tech has advanced so much since then. My PR3 tires I used to own and my current T30EVO all are great in the rain. Ironically, the PR4 tires I had on my VFR wore out before they ever saw rain due to the drought we were in.
     
  20. Gator

    Gator Insider

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    The same way you can get better gas mileage. Not screaming the bike around. lol Keep hammering it Lint, that is why they make knee pucks.
     
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