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‘04 K12GT So, here we go: Tires. Michelin Road 6 vs 5. GT vs non-GT. And so on...

C

corey61

New member
Hi All,

First, a proactive beg-your-pardon: I don't post here on the MOA forums much at all, and I'm not familiar with where topics are best discussed. Hoping this is the right place to engage this topic...

I ride an '04 K1200GT. And I want to ask others about their experience with / knowledge of Michelin Road X tires. I've been running a set of Road 5's for about 8000 miles and they're about done. Have liked 'em fine. So, as I contemplate what comes next, here are a few Q's to start the Great Debate -- ummm, I mean discussion:

1) What's you're experience with mileage you've gotten out of Road 5's? (Bonus points if they were racked up riding an '03 or '04 K1200GT.)

2) At what motorcycle weight is it worth paying the extra $ for the Road 'X' GTs rather than the Road 'X' version? In other words, does the ~630-lb curb weight of my K12GT propel me into the big-boys GT category? Or are the GTs really only if you have a full-dresser that tips the scales at, say, 700+ lbs...?

3) All hail the (relatively) new Road 6 tires. Debate and discuss: are they really better than the Road 5's, or is it 90% marketing hype? There's a practical reason of asking y'all to engage this topic: there are Road 5's still to be had out there, some at close-out prices. Grab a deal on the 5's, or are the 6's gotta-haves?

Thanks, everyone!
 
I ran a set of Road 5's; loved 'em, but I sold the bike before the tires were worn to the point of needing to be replaced . Would have gone with the new Road 6 GT's . Fact is that Michelin recommends the Road 6 GT for the '04 K1200GT; also recommends the Pilot Road 4 GT. Therefore, I assume that the GT tire is correct for your bike. https://www.michelinman.com/motorcy...-C (58W) F TL;180---55 ZR 17 M---C (73W) R TL
I am now running Dunlop Roadsmart IV's . Just bought another new set, couldn't turn down the buy-one-get-one-free deal in the July 2022 BMW Owners News.
 
I have a 2003 K1200RS which is for all intents is identical to your bike but for your power windshield, heated seats, and some trim farkels. I have not run any of the later Michelin Pilot Road series tires, but I know many who have, many of which have switched to the Dunlop Road Smart IV's. In every case those folks are claiming as good or better handling (wet and dry), and vastly improved mileage - to the tune of an additional 3,000 to 5,000 miles. I put a set of the RS IV's on my K12RS at the Great Falls Rally a year ago and they are the best tires I've ever had on that bike. I ride a lot in the mountains of Idaho, and they totally complement the weight and handling characteristic's of the K12 series of bikes, in my opinion.

As for your question about going for the "GT" rear tire, I would say that if a given tire series offers such a heavy weight tire, the absolutely use that on your bike. When the K12's were new, BMW recommended the "GT" type tires from Metzeler and several other tire brands. In the high end sport touring tire category there are many different type of tire construction. What I have seen is that even from the same company, one series will offer a "GT" rear tire whereas another series does not. I've concluded that the presence or absence of a "GT" option is driven by whether the manufacturer believes a heavy bike sub-model is needed based on that series' construction. I've chosen rear tires using that as a guide since I bought my K12 new and have always gotten "good" to "better" rear tire life. YMMV.
 
craydds said:
I ran a set of Road 5's; loved 'em, but I sold the bike before the tires were worn to the point of needing to be replaced . Would have gone with the new Road 6 GT's . Fact is that Michelin recommends the Road 6 GT for the '04 K1200GT; also recommends the Pilot Road 4 GT. Therefore, I assume that the GT tire is correct for your bike. https://www.michelinman.com/motorcy...-C (58W) F TL;180---55 ZR 17 M---C (73W) R TL
I am now running Dunlop Roadsmart IV's . Just bought another new set, couldn't turn down the buy-one-get-one-free deal in the July 2022 BMW Owners News.
Click to expand...

Ray,

Many thanks for your link to Michelin's web page that recommends the GT. I opted not to go for the Road 5 GT when I got my tires changed mid-tour (at a great independent BMW dealership in southern Oregon) two years ago; they said that the GT wasn't really necessary for my bike. But in reading reviews, I saw that all the Road 5 evaluations, done on bikes like the R1200RS - which is lighter than my K1200GT, were done on the GT version. Your pointer confirms that Michelin thinks this is the better choice...

That said, I just this morning became aware of the buy-one-get-one-free deal being offered from MOA on the Roadsmart IV's.... and I have to agree with you. Even if the Road 5/6 is the de facto best-in class tire these days (which some debate), the MOA deal brings the price for a set of tires down to a too-good-to-pass-up point. So that's what I'll do...

Corey
 
GREGFEELER said:
I have a 2003 K1200RS which is for all intents is identical to your bike but for your power windshield, heated seats, and some trim farkels. I have not run any of the later Michelin Pilot Road series tires, but I know many who have, many of which have switched to the Dunlop Road Smart IV's. In every case those folks are claiming as good or better handling (wet and dry), and vastly improved mileage - to the tune of an additional 3,000 to 5,000 miles. I put a set of the RS IV's on my K12RS at the Great Falls Rally a year ago and they are the best tires I've ever had on that bike. I ride a lot in the mountains of Idaho, and they totally complement the weight and handling characteristic's of the K12 series of bikes, in my opinion.

As for your question about going for the "GT" rear tire, I would say that if a given tire series offers such a heavy weight tire, the absolutely use that on your bike. When the K12's were new, BMW recommended the "GT" type tires from Metzeler and several other tire brands. In the high end sport touring tire category there are many different type of tire construction. What I have seen is that even from the same company, one series will offer a "GT" rear tire whereas another series does not. I've concluded that the presence or absence of a "GT" option is driven by whether the manufacturer believes a heavy bike sub-model is needed based on that series' construction. I've chosen rear tires using that as a guide since I bought my K12 new and have always gotten "good" to "better" rear tire life. YMMV.
Click to expand...

Greg,

Thanks for the sound advice. I just found out about the 2-for-1 deal for the RS IV's that MOA is currently running. Your recommendation of these tires, along with the price that MOA's deal puts a tire change at, is making the decision easy for me...

~ Corey
 
corey61 said:
Greg,

Thanks for the sound advice. I just found out about the 2-for-1 deal for the RS IV's that MOA is currently running. Your recommendation of these tires, along with the price that MOA's deal puts a tire change at, is making the decision easy for me...

~ Corey
Click to expand...

I hope you like them as well as I do. The one thing about tires is that they are going to wear out, and you should have fun doing that. It would be great if you could post back here with your impression of them once you have had a chance to wring them out. :thumb
 
GREGFEELER said:
I hope you like them as well as I do. The one thing about tires is that they are going to wear out, and you should have fun doing that. It would be great if you could post back here with your impression of them once you have had a chance to wring them out. :thumb
Click to expand...

Will do - it'll be a couple weeks before I take delivery on the Roadsmart IVs and maybe a week after that to get 'em mounted. Gonna drop the wheels off the bike myself (first time for that) and take 'em to a local independent shop for mounting/balancing. That'll cost me $80 for labor rather than the $253 my friendly neighborhood big-city BMW dealership quoted me...

For anyone interested... here's how the cost numbers work out for this tire change (w/ the RS IV's):

(a) Dealership does everything (supplies tires & labor, wheels-on-bike): $627
(b) BMWMOA deal: 2-for-1 on tires; I remove tires and take 'em in to indep mechanic: $309

Thank you, MOA!
 
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