My 2020 RT came with MetzlerZ-8 Interacts. I replaced the front due to cupping at 5,073 mi with another Z-8 and replaced both F&R with Continental's new Road Attack 4 at 8,447 mi (last August). Now, at 14,900 mi, the front RA4 is a mess of cups and has a comparatively raised portion in the center. (I assume the sides are wearing faster and so the top seems to be raised.) Also, the left side has a different wear pattern v. the right in that the cups are more pronounced. The rear has evenly distributed mini cups. All this happened in the last ~ 800 miles (i.e., at about 5.5k total miles) and I "discovered" the cupping because of the singing tire racket. (Actually, it started on the way to the MOA 50th.) My dealer (Bob's) and I are on top of air pressure: 37F, 42R, and I do not feel an out of balance wheel (but maybe riders can't feel some balance issues).
Is 6k or so miles to be expected on an RT that spends a lot of time at interstate speeds all in search of east coast twisties? I ride one up and I don't think I'm an aggressive rider, although almost all miles are in Dyna mode. Do RTs tend to cup the front? (I've cupped three fronts in 15k miles.) If this is rooted in the suspension what suspension issues cause cupping?
I talked to Continental at the 50th Rally. Ugh. The rep, a senior guy who said he covers the Americas, would say only that "uneven wear" is operator error "99.999 % of the time." (He said he had not heard of "cupping.") I could not get him to talk about expected RA4 mileage on an RT, although he said Conti uses RTs as the test bed for road rubber and so the RA4 is engineered for our RTs. Basically, he refused to talk about wear and would not walk the short distance to look at my bike parked just outside the building, because he's in sales not engineering. ? Not sure why the interaction was so bad. Anyhow, I've used Contis for years so I'm not sure where to go with this.
Until cupping the RA4 were excellent tires. For higher mileage maybe I'm finally going to take so much advice to switch to Michelin R-6 (or Pirelli). However, if the reality is my RT and I are going to churn tires every 6k miles then so be it and RA4 are good. What you all think? Should I be happy with 6,000 miles at least for fronts?
Thanks
Is 6k or so miles to be expected on an RT that spends a lot of time at interstate speeds all in search of east coast twisties? I ride one up and I don't think I'm an aggressive rider, although almost all miles are in Dyna mode. Do RTs tend to cup the front? (I've cupped three fronts in 15k miles.) If this is rooted in the suspension what suspension issues cause cupping?
I talked to Continental at the 50th Rally. Ugh. The rep, a senior guy who said he covers the Americas, would say only that "uneven wear" is operator error "99.999 % of the time." (He said he had not heard of "cupping.") I could not get him to talk about expected RA4 mileage on an RT, although he said Conti uses RTs as the test bed for road rubber and so the RA4 is engineered for our RTs. Basically, he refused to talk about wear and would not walk the short distance to look at my bike parked just outside the building, because he's in sales not engineering. ? Not sure why the interaction was so bad. Anyhow, I've used Contis for years so I'm not sure where to go with this.
Until cupping the RA4 were excellent tires. For higher mileage maybe I'm finally going to take so much advice to switch to Michelin R-6 (or Pirelli). However, if the reality is my RT and I are going to churn tires every 6k miles then so be it and RA4 are good. What you all think? Should I be happy with 6,000 miles at least for fronts?
Thanks
