Pilot Road 3 vs. Pilot Road 4GT?

Did a quick search and found nothing....Is the Pilot Road 4GT now the tire of choice for the R1150RT? Being a newcomer I have learned the Pilot Road 3 have been the preferred tire but I am having trouble finding a set as it appears the Pilot Road 4GT is taking its place.

Any advice appreciated....

The P3 is no longer manufactured. It has been replaced by the P4, with the GT version for heavier/larger bikes. I know lots of Oilheads use these tires, but I would not assume to call them the preferred choice. It would all depend on who you ask. I have had 3 pairs on my R1150RS, but I may try the Dunlop RS3's next year.

Blacque Jacque Shellacque said:

The P3 is no longer manufactured.

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There were some sizes that apparently did not sell well enough for Michelin to bring them up to the PR4 level, but the PR3 is still offered. One such is the 160/60-18 on my K1100RS. I'd gladly move to the PR4 if it was available for the better mileage life.

PR4GT

Many folks in my club have switched from the Michelin PR4 to the Dunlop RoadSmart 3 with excellent results from both a performance and a mileage perspective. And, as a bonus, the Dunlops are much cheaper.

Blacque Jacque Shellacque said:

The P3 is no longer manufactured. It has been replaced by the P4, with the GT version for heavier/larger bikes. I know lots of Oilheads use these tires, but I would not assume to call them the preferred choice. It would all depend on who you ask. I have had 3 pairs on my R1150RS, but I may try the Dunlop RS3's next year.

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I have no trouble getting PR3's??? Date code last set was 2016?? Buddy just ordered his???

I run a PR3 rear and a 4-GT front.

I am intrigued with the Dunlop RS3’s...are they a wiser choice than the Michelin PR4 GT’s from a mileage and price perspective?

skrusich said:

I am intrigued with the Dunlop RS3’s...are they a wiser choice than the Michelin PR4 GT’s from a mileage and price perspective?

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I stand corrected on the availability of the Michelin PR3's. They are indeed still manufactured. I hate when I am caught telling lies. I seem to recall the Dunlop RS3's becoming available last year. It may still be too early for many tires to have been mounted and worn out on our oilheads.

I am currently on my fourth set of PR3's and must say that I'll most likely stay with the Michelin brand for our 1100RT. I'm getting better than average wear with them. Due to a severely damaged rear tire in Iowa a few years back I needed a rear tire. The only brand available from the dealership which we coasted into was a Dunlop Roadsmart. It was a good tire but I never managed to get the mileage out of it as I did with the Michelin's ( managed a paltry 10K with the Dunlop)
Below are pics of the PR3's that have just recently been changed out on our bike. The rear has 17,000 and the front a few miles more. The side by each pic of the front tires is for new tread /used tread comparison. Of course mileages may vary according to riding style and road surfaces, but I'm quite pleased with the Michelins

I have a R1100RS with 18" rear so pilot road 3 only option to me IMHO the Michelins not worth the $50 to $100 more a set

Okay, I'll join a tire thread.
R1100RT, so l use the 18" rear tire. The Dunlop RS3 isn't available in the 18" size. I tried the RS2 on the rear and got terrible mileage, so I went back to the Michelin PR3 on the rear. On the front, I switched to the Dunlop RS3. I am getting great results on the front tire. The RS3 wears much more evenly than the PR3; great stick, great feel and feedback. I'm seeing about 15% more miles on the RS3 front than the PR3. The Dunlop front, Michelin rear is my favorite tire pairing so far.

Running the PR4-GT front and the PR3 rear.

I was cooking two fronts to the rear running PR3 fronts.

About 8000 miles on this combo (prolly all I will get this season) and so far, looking very good.

So far it appears tire preferences are all over the place with no clear, consistent tire(s) of choice....what is a newbie to do?

skrusich said:

So far it appears tire preferences are all over the place with no clear, consistent tire(s) of choice....what is a newbie to do?

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You pays your money and takes your chances.

Much depends on how much you ride, and in what conditions. If you never ride in the rain, then you don't care about wet performance and you have more choices. I ride in rain much of the year, so to me, wet weather performance is way up on my priority list. My next consideration is longevity. I could care less how well a tire works on the track. I commute on my bike and put a lot of miles on it. I'd like a tire that lasts as long as possible. And dry performance...I really don't care about because they all work well on dry pavement.

On my last bike, everyone raved about the PR3. Then the PR4 came out with claims by Michelin of being better than their old tire, and the initial feedback was good. I took a chance on it and liked it. The only time it didn't grip well was on hard packed bumpy snow...something I wouldn't have ridden on if I knew it was there. Otherwise in the rain, it did great. That tire lasted about 20,000 miles.

The Metzeler Roadtec 01 and Dunlop Roadsmart III came out recently in direct response to the PR4. I put the Metzeler Roadtec 01 on my F800GT and thought it would do at least as well as the Roadtec Z8 it replaced. It felt great, and the wet weather traction was excellent...but it only lasted 6000 miles, compared to the 12,000 miles of the Z8. The replacement tires I put on are the Dunlop Roadsmart IIIs. The wet traction seems as good as the PR4, and with 4000 miles on those tires, they don't look worn at all.

Another source I use in addition to the comments by forum members, is the owner reviews on places like Revzilla. There's also a British tyre review website that's helpful. I take what they say with a grain of salt though. If someone rates the wet traction as 4 out of 5 stars and the comments indicate the just put the tires on last week and live in California...hmmm. They probably don't have a clue of what the wet traction is like. I'll also look for someone who indicates they ride a sport touring bike, since their needs and demands on a tire are more like mine.

If you don't ride much or are not as demanding on your tires, then a lot of riders will go with some tires that aren't "top tier", like Shinko. They don't cost nearly as much as the Michelin, Dunlop or Metzeler tires do, but from what the owners say, they perform well.

In the end, you pays your money and takes your chances. And you try to match the tire to what your riding needs are.

Chris

daboo said:

In the end, you pays your money and takes your chances. And you try to match the tire to what your riding needs are.

Chris

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You make some very good points, Chris.

My experience with the RoadSmart III mirrors yours.

The good thing about tires is that they wear out and need to be replaced. Don't like what you bought this time try somethimg else next time. Been running PR3 and 4 for awhile and getting great mileage out of them. However when next set is due i will try the Dunlops.

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Chris,

My aggressive riding days are over. Now I value safety and tire durability. Since I am getting ready to put a set of tires on my ‘new to me’ R1150RT, would your recommendation be that my first set be the Dunlop RS3’s.

Steve

Chris,

My aggressive riding days are over. Now I value safety and tire longevity. I am planning to buy a set of tires for my ‘new to me’ R1150RT. What tire would be my best bet....sounds like it might be the Dunlop RS3’s?

If the Dunlop Roadsmart IIIs are in your size, they'll do just fine.

Chris

Just last week had to put a PR 4 GT in the front of my R1100RT in the middle of our trip to the Dragon to replace a PR 2 that I wore down after some corner carving. What a difference that made!!! Love it!

Looks like I also need to replace the rear now after the trip as that is pretty much done, too.