R1150RT Tires

[Shiner]

Bob's Switch to Metzelers

Bob, I'm very interested in your feedback as most do not change out of the OEM after only 600 miles. Incomparison to your OEMs did the Metzelers have the more triangular profile that I mentioned on page one. With only 600 m. gone, you can really speak to the difference in feel that it gave your RT. Mine is also a RT and I'm looking to make the same tire change. I'm about an hour & half south of Lima in a rural area that the BMWOA mag is covering nicely and it is FULL of sweepers. thanks, Todd

 

[BobFV1]

I wanted to second what Dave said about the squirreliness of centerline tires. I have gotten that same sensation on metal grate bridges with some OEM centerlines. Also, after coming off of a long line of sport bikes I'll be looking for a slightly more triangular profile. I'm just more accustomed to a little less stable feeling then the RT provides. I liked the look of the new sport/touring Metzelers that I saw at Cycle World this past weekend. Shiner

Hey Shiner - my 23 years of riding has been on street bikes and touring bikes. I have a lot of training and experience in high-speed and performance driving on FOUR wheels, but I am strictly a street rider on two wheels. The lines that I take on motorcycles mimic the outside/inside/outside lines of technical automobile driving. This equates to fairly conservative motorcycle riding, I think. That said, the biggest characteristics I noticed on the Dunlops during 500 miles or so on my RT were squirelliness in the wet - I mean complete squirelliness, like the rear end was going to break loose, and the tendency of the Dunlops to feel less sticky at higher lean angles. I was hesitant to lean the RT over very far with the Dunlops because the bike felt to me like it was going to fall over in to the curve. I changed to the Z6's and immediately I was leaning the bike over, confidently, at much greater lean angles and countersteering more because I was able to be more aggressive. The Metzeler's look like they have a "lower" profile on the bike but they feel great on the twisties and on sweepers (lots of both around Arizona). The "center" groove on the front Z6 is not sraight, and it has not caused any squrreliness so far on grooves or other similar road serfaces. There is such a nice, meaty patch on the center of the rear tire that I am sure I will have all the road contact I need to get started quickly and maintain good road contact on the highway. That's a bit of a ramble, but I hope it sheds some light on the issue you were interested in - feel free to reach out by Email directly if you want to discuss further. Bob

 

[Shiner]

Much appreciated Bob

I'm a 48 year old that started on my first bike when I was ten. I'm negotiating on bike #31. My 01 Yamaha WR250F for a F650GS as I still love riding in the dirt. As time goes on you begin to prefer the more civilized ride of a BMW in comparison to the kick of a an enduro bike. I'm accustomed to the feel of a sport bike breaking lose (just sold the Hayabusa) and I just don't care for the characteristics of the OEMs that came stock on the RT. Break loose, grab, break lose, grab. There is nothing consistent about them. I'd like to find a RT rider nearby that put the Roadtecs on as you did. Thanks for the well writen report. Todd

 

[GeneLS]

z6 tire wear

Can anyone tell me for suuuure,,, how do you really know when to change those Z6 tires.... I understand there are some wear bars near a elephant on the Z6 tires... Every time I read something about those wear bars its always just vague advise...But , I'm just not sure???
I do like the Z6 tires on my 04rt.... seems to ride good to me,, I change them around 8k miles no matter what and I still cant figure out how to really fine those invisable wear bars..
Is there a expert out there that can really explain where the heck those wear bars are or not are??? thanks geno

 

[bikerfish1100]

1) not an expert, but i sometimes play one on the internet.
2) have only run one Z6 on my 11S (rear), and will not bother with another.
3) bought that Z6 due to flatting via a small rock

. i was too far from home (400+ miles) with too little remaining tread to trust a patch repair to make it all the way back)
4), the wear indicator is a 3 arrow emblem (near an Metz Elefant) right at the edge of the workable part of the tire, right where the chicken strips hang out- not all that useful for center wear.
5) when you think you have about 1000 miles left on the Z6, you really only have about 400 +/-.
6) there are many superior (imho) options to the Z6 that give equivalent life (about 7-8K); Pirelli Angel ST, Conti Road Attack, Pilot Road 2, etc. My long term faves have been Pirellis- first the Diablo Strada, now the Angel ST (their dual compound Sport Touring tire), so the Z6 is not really a strong option in my garage.

 

[pauls1150]

I'm on my third oilhead right now, and so far the Pilot Road is the best all-around tire I've had. I typically run about 38 pounds front & rear (if not loaded up for a road trip), and I've gotten about 10,000 miles from the rear, and more from the front. (I'll take out a pound or two for the Rock Store & Angeles Crest, sacrificing tire life for stickiness.) They immediately felt great right out the shop door, even brand-new unscuffed and in the rain. Very confidence-inspiring for general street use.
I have a Pilot Power up front now (got a good deal), and it's sticky, but I don't know the mileage yet.

I had the Bridgestone BT020's on my 1100 RT for a while; they were "OK" for general purpose, but I need something stickier, plus they wiggled a bit on the freeway grooves here. BT010's were great, and didn't wiggle, but they're not made any more. I tried the BT014 (at Bridgestone's specific recommendation as the replacement for the BT010's), and didn't care for the profile - too sharp of a turn-in.
Tried the Z4's and didn't care for 'em at all; never tried the Z6's.

I've had 880's on past bikes; great mileage and general handling, but not sticky enough for me.

 

[Jeffhorn]

For my varied (freeway at 80mph to 1st/2nd grea twisties) riding, I keep going back to the Michelin Pilot Roads, both for handling, wear (10,00 mi rear, 14,000 front) and value.

 

[ALIENHITCHHIKER]

Now this is truly a resurrected thread - I see I posted on it 6 years ago!

Anyway, six years later I'm all about Pilot Road 2s. I have 9,000 miles on my first pair, and while the rear is squared off a bit (too much slab time) they have plenty of rubber left - easily another 1000 on the rear and more on the front.

For the first 6-7 thousand they were by far the best handling tires I've yet to run on my 1100RT (compare to Metzler 880s, Bridgestone BT 020s and BT 021s). The handling has degraded a bit with age - but is still acceptable to an old fart like me.

 

[LMIWA156120]

Michelin Pilot Roads 2's for me too. 9Kmi so far and a good number of miles still left in them.

 

[Zygmund]

PR 2's

 

[Mr. Frank]

I'm a big fan of the old Pilot Roads. I'd be interested in hearing from someone who went from the original PR to the PR2. My major concern with switching is the profile of the PR2 front tire. It looks like it might be a little more sensitive to rider input and gusty winds. One thing I really like about the original PR is its stability straight ahead. For me the Avons, Metzeler, and Dunlop Roadsmart were too twitchy.

 

[rad]

I'm a big fan of the old Pilot Roads. I'd be interested in hearing from someone who went from the original PR to the PR2. My major concern with switching is the profile of the PR2 front tire. It looks like it might be a little more sensitive to rider input and gusty winds. One thing I really like about the original PR is its stability straight ahead. For me the Avons, Metzeler, and Dunlop Roadsmart were too twitchy.

Loved the rear PR and hated the front, it tended to slip under hard cornering.

The PRII's have solved this and it is a great tire combo.

Wind? I ride in lots of wind so I don't really pay any attention to it. I don't think I have ever noticed a front tire profile changing how a bike deals with wind.

 

[Mr. Frank]

Thanks, Rad. More than wind I was thinking about turbulence from big trucks on the slab. I found it very difficult to go straight with the Metzeler Z6 and Dunlop Road Smart. The old PR has a more rounded profile than some front tires and is very stable for me.

 

[Roy.Jackson55@aol.com]

http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/g...ad_3_sport_touring_motorcycle_tire/index.html

I have been using the RP-2's on my 04 R-1150_rt for years and plan on running these next summer. If they live up to the hype, it should be one hell of a tire.

 

[Mr. Frank]

Thanks for the link. With the PR, PR2, and PR3 out there something will have to be discontinued.