To Deals Gap on Dunlop Roadsmart 2's.

Discussion in 'General VFR Discussions' started by JIMLARCH, Sep 17, 2014.

  1. JIMLARCH

    JIMLARCH New Member

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    I have just returned from a trip to Deals Gap. Before I went I put new Roadsmart 2's on my 1995 VFR750. I noticed the first time I rode them how nice they were, but couldn't make a fair assessment seeing as the Roadsmart 1's I had taken off were badly squared after 8000 miles. Anything would feel good!

    On the ride down it was interstate so mainly upright. I was rained on a number of times, one time being drops so large they looked like dimes. The bike was very stable in the wet.

    I stayed in Franklin, NC, and on my first ride up 28 to the Gap I was amazed how grippy and quick steering the bike felt. The previous 8 years I had used my GSXR1000 so I wasn't expecting to have anywhere as much fun in the twisties. I was wrong. Sure the bike is somewhat heavy and a good 50 hp shy of my gixxer, but provided you are in the right gear, and don't do anything stupid, it handles like it's on rails.

    The tires have a very solid feel to them. I'd even say they were confidence inspiring. I ran 36 front and 42 rear. They didn't slip at any time. They also balled up very little on the edges, unlike my gixxer, but then again I feel that's a horsepower thing.

    The ride back was pretty uneventful. The only thing of interest was when I was riding through the mountains of WV. It had been raining but the roads were pretty much dry. I was going downhill doing around 75 mph when I made a change from the passing to curb lane. The passing lane was almost dry, while the curb lane was dry. I wouldn't call it an aggressive lane change, but maybe swifter than a regular one. As I did it I could feel the tires slightly lose grip. Once hitting the dry section the bike was fine. I think I encountered a slippery section of road and the tires coped very well.

    After two thousand five hundred miles the tires look almost new. I would recommend these tires, and unless they square off as badly as the Roadsmart 1's, will buy them again.
     
  2. Scubalong

    Scubalong Official Greeter?

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    Glad you have a good time and safe ride :thumb:
     
  3. carlgustav

    carlgustav New Member

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    Been running the RS2's for a while now, maybe 2 yrs, and like them as well. They have not let me down, either distance riding with a lot of slab, or distance on backroads, or weekend fun. I run 34/34 for fun & 36/38 for travel, works for me. Actually planning to try the PR4s on the 800 next time. I'm not one who keeps a diary of tire impressions, nor can I keep up with the myriad of manufacturers choices available, so I've settled on running Dunlops/Michelins on my 3 bikes presently in use. Feeling how tires behave is a skill I'm still trying to develop, mind you.

    ACE
     
  4. manxie

    manxie New Member

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    Ive ran these tyres now for 4 months, theyre confidence inspiring to say the least. Not tried them in the wet yet, but have heard theyre almost as good as michilens but far better than them in the dry.
     
  5. tyarosevich

    tyarosevich New Member

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    Thought about chiming in on this thread yesterday, decided against it, but given all the positive feedback on the R2s I just have to. Not beeing a dick naysayer, just want to give an alternative opinion.

    I ran the Pilot 2s, then the Roadsmarts, then the Roadsmart 2s on my '09 VFR before my current Pirelli Angel GTs. I thought the Roadsmarts were a little better than the Pilots, but to be honest I can't say there was an appreciable difference between the Roadsmart and R2. I think the R2s are pretty bad, mainly because they give very poor feedback and turn in a little sluggish. They *do* have enough grip, for sure, and solid wet performance, but riding on them is almost like riding on soft gravel. All the time.

    By contrast, the Pirelli Angels just blew the R2s out of the water. Night and day. No contest. And note that the R2s I replaced with Pirellis had around 2500 miles on them, so they were still in good shape.

    So to anyone considering the R2s, I advise against it. They are probably on sale in a lot of places because they are getting utterly clobbered by the Angels and the Pilot 4s in each and every professional review in existence, so if you're dollar conscious I guess go for it if you get a good deal. But at the end of the day if you offered me a set of R2s for $150 versus Angels for $300, I'd pass on the R2 every time.
     
  6. JIMLARCH

    JIMLARCH New Member

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    I find your observations interesting, bult I disagree with you completely. Opinions on tires are subjective. I once bought a set of Bt14's (when they were the latest Bt) off a guy with 50 miles on them. He took them off his new GSXR1000 and said they were rubbish. I wasn't sure how he came to that opinion seeing as he had 2" chicken strips. I used them on my GSXR1000 at the Gap and they worked fine to the edges and balled up nicely.

    I wasn't really expecting the R 2's to be as good as they were, and for a bike tire designed for a somewhat heavy tourer, used on a VFR, they are excellent. As I stated in my original post, I was riding the VFR on roads I normally ride my GSXR1000 on, so I had the VFR and tires to compare to my GSXR and the Bt16 tires on it. I had the bike to the edge of the R 2's. It was stable and there was plenty of feedback from them. They turned in fine, but I did hang off the bike, as I would on my GSXR. There was no slip, but then again with only 90 plus hp on a VFR that's not too surprising.

    I don't know where you got the gravel feel from your R 2's, but I found them very planted, with good feedback. I haven't ridden the Pilots or Pirelli's so I can't give any opinions on them. I will say that I have plenty of race experience, have owned 3 GSXR1000's all of which I took to the gap. I'm not the fastest guy out there, but I am certainly not one of the slow guys either. The R 2's are a very good tire, and for 95% of everyday riding they are all you need on a VFR. So if you have a set of R 2's going for $150, please contact me. Oh, no thanks on the $300 Pirelli/Pilots.
     
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