Tire Recommendations

[George Frame]

I'm leaving for Colorado and points North (from Oklahoma) next month and plan to purchase a new set of tires. I have an 03 R1150RS and just turned 8K on the original Metzlers. The rear is cupped and the center is wearing thin. Likewise for the front. Is 8K normal expected tire life or should I expect more? I would appreciate hearing opinions as to which brand of tire would provide the best all around service for my bike and riding style which is pretty conservative. Thanks.

[ignatz]

I had Michelin 90-x's on and they cupped something auful. The rear tire made a humming noise in long sweeping turns. At first I thought my final drive was going out. I put the new Pilot road tires on so hopefully they will hold up better than the older Michilins. No matter how bad they looked the bike allways handled fine. I'm also a conservative rider. Acording to my log book the last rear tire lasted 12,500 and the front lasted 7500...I wonder if 2-up riding agravates the cupping problem cause my R1100rs is strictly a 2-up bike..Rob

[Terry]

Rob,

M90s and M100s (on other bikes) put me off Michelins completely for a while. However I'm now on my second set of Pilot Roads on the RS and remain happy with them for long life and wet grip. I've got about 8k miles on this set at the moment and although the front is just beginning to square slightly I reckon they'lll get to 10k miles - good enough in my book.

[MikeH]

8 K. is good milaege for a rear tyre, but a bit low for a front - depends how you ride. Personally, I would stick with the Metzelers - the MEZ4's are a good tyre and the MEZ6's are supposed to be even better.

I've been swayed by other peoples recommendations in the past and have tried Bridgstones, Michelin etc. Nothing has performed as well as the Metzelers IMHO. YMMV

[Rando]

I was a die-hard Metzler fan for a long time. Until I tried the Pilot Roads. I think they handle really well in the twisties and also in the rain. I know that I will get more miles out of them then the Metzler's. BTW, I loved the Mez 4 and thought the 6 would be even better. It grips really well, the mileage leaves something to be desired.

[Terry]

I've been swayed by other peoples recommendations in the past

That's the rub isn't it - different tyres really change the handling charactersitics of the bike - let alone issues of wet grip, longevity etc. And no two of us ride the same way, let alone on the same roads, conditions etc

The trouble is - it's an expensive way to find out your preferences - unless you're really wealthy you're not going to give up a tyre you can't get along with if it has 10k life left in it.

As you say, YMMV (IANAL, IMHO, FWIW, ROFL, ETC).

About the only comforting factor is that price is not much of an issue - prices may vary by supplier but there's not much difference in price by brand. (less than £10 per tyre at my supplier)

[BMW-K]

I have been very happy with Pilot Roads. Like them much better than the BT020's.

[ErricZ]

I too have jumped on the PR bandwagon. I had the BT010/020 combo on my R11S and they were stellar for that bike. The Pilot Roards have just the right grip in the twisties and the rain and don't seem to be cupping at all yet (4K miles I think so far?). Cupping is standard issue on BMW tires, unless you go with the Metz 'B' crowd, supposedly, since our bikes tend to be hard on front rubber.

[BMW-K]

I should point out that I got 10k miles out of a set of Pilot Roads on a ZX11.

Damn good mileage! Currently at 4k on mine and they are just starting to flatten out. Need to hit more twisties.

[scottfarm]

Pilot Roads. No cupping on front and wears in center. 10K on rear is a record for me. Metzlers and dunlop 205's cupped bad on front and only got 7K out of rear. They are the cheapest too.