Tyre

[janschunck]

Anyone having some experience with tires and R1200RT?
My factory mounted Dunlop rear tyre lasted 3000miles. Is heavily worn with heel/toe damage and whines as an old electric train.
I am now replacing with Bridgestone BT20 - are these the best?

 

[BobFV1]

I am very pleased with my Bridgestones and they seem to be wearing quite well after 3K miles - also are quiet and comfortable.

 

[bikerfish1100]

tire choice is very personal. some love the BT- 020. others, myself included, hate them. my experience is that B-Stones tend to cup badly (heel/toe damage you mention). they also do not give the feel/grip that i want- but i'm riding an S, not an RT.
do a search- "best tire" threads are as common as "best oil" threads- and just as hotly debted and personalized in response factor. (btw- spell tire the American way in your search - you'll have better luck)

 

[tbryant]

I have been running only Michelin Pilot Roads, getting a little less than 20K out of each set, very even wear. I keep pressure at 36 front, 42 rear.

Terry

 

[BeemerMike]

(btw- spell tire the American way in your search - you'll have better luck)

Hmmm . . . down here it's "tar"!

 

[heavyjetpfe]

I got 10,000 miles out of my factory Bridgestones. I went to the Metzler Z6 and got 12.000. Just replaced them with another set of Metzlers

 

[greenwald]

I have been running only Michelin Pilot Roads, getting a little less than 20K out of each set, very even wear. I keep pressure at 36 front, 42 rear.

Terry

Went thru 2 sets of Pilot Roads - 11,000+ miles each time. Gripped well on wet roads, though a little noisy at about 60 mph.

I am now running a set of Avon Storm ST's on my R1200RT. Just finished 741 miles of tearing up the Smoky Mountains last week, along with many times up and down the infamous 'Tail of the Dragon.' Tires had impressive grip and held turns with authority.

My son was along on his '07 Honda ST1300, with the Bridgestones you mention. They also held the line quite well ("Outside-Inside-Outside" tracking thru curves) and high lean angles in sharp turns. Good tires as well, in my opinion.

Good Luck with your choice and safe riding.

 

[gabentx]

My '05 RT had the stock Road Pilots on it, got about 8k with them. Just replaced them on Friday with the new Dunlop RoadSmarts. We'll see how they do...

 

[gulfcoastbeemer]

My bike came from the factory with Dunlops. The rear tire lasted about 5,500 miles.

I ran Metzeler Z6 after that -- averaging about 9,000 to 10,500 a set. I was always nervous toward the end of the tread life of the rear tire with Z6 tires as there is absolutely no way to conveniently measure tire wear given that the middle of the tire has no tire wear indicators or even tread. I don't think you can call the appearance of cord shining through the tire a "wear indicator".

Now I'm running Michelin Pilot Road 2 TC tires. They seem great so far -- and the rear tire has tread the entire width of the tire and proper tire wear indicators.

 

[cjack]

My bike came from the factory with Dunlops. The rear tire lasted about 5,500 miles.

I ran Metzeler Z6 after that -- averaging about 9,000 to 10,500 a set. I was always nervous toward the end of the tread life of the rear tire with Z6 tires as there is absolutely no way to conveniently measure tire wear given that the middle of the tire has no tire wear indicators or even tread. I don't think you can call the appearance of cord shining through the tire a "wear indicator".

Now I'm running Michelin Pilot Road 2 TC tires. They seem great so far -- and the rear tire has tread the entire width of the tire and proper tire wear indicators.

There are wear indicators on the Z6. There are three of them in a groove starting with a twi mark on the sidewall. As you follow the groove, the bumps are strung out along the groove, the last one being nearest the center area. When the bump is near the tire surface there at the last bump, it's time to retire.
I don't like it though...too hard to tell without a lot of effort as noted above.

 

[Delphicorc]

I ran through the factory Dunlops in short order as well and replaced with Metzlers Z6 front and ME 880 rear (because the Z6 rear wasn't available). The Metzlers were wearing very well (took them on a tour last summer Calgary down to Santa Barbara and back up through the Sieras) I picked up a staple in outback Idaho and was forced to replace the rear tire in Lewiston ID with what was available, in this case a Michelin Classic made for the Ducati Classic. While I liked the Metzlers (though and solid at high lean angles) I found them harder to roll into a turn - especially at low speed. I thought maybe it was just my imagination but after putting the Michelin on I found the roll quality had improved. In any event I now have 5500 miles on the front Z6 and it still looks new - more impressive there is no discernible cupping. I intend to try the Michelin Road Pilots next (only because every one seems to rave about them) but there is no question the Metzlers are a good tough tire and maybe the Z6 rear doesn't have the the same roll resistance I found in the ME 880. Good luck.

 

[tbryant]

Hey Delph,

You found resistance in the ME880 because it isn't a radial. I had them on an LT a few years ago...they ran long but are a little stiff. I love the Pilot Roads, on my third set on my 06 RT. Will be replacing the rear soon at nearly 20K. I get a lot of good wear out here in AZ...straight flat riding for the most part. Air pressure is a huge factor. I keep 36 in the front and 42 in the rear. Later.

Terry

 

[blast54]

Hey Delph,

You found resistance in the ME880 because it isn't a radial.
Terry

You will find that the ME880 is made in both radial and bias
The one I just took off is radial and according to their website :

"Machine-specific carcass construction for exceptional riding comfort and stability at all speeds, even under heavy load "

Note machine specific construction

Bill

 

[tbryant]

good info Blast, I stand corrected.

Terry

 

[zekezeller]

Tire wear?

I got Z6s on my 06 RT when I bought it and am just having them changed to the same at the 12,000 mile service. They would have lasted longer but I am gearing up for Gellette. They grip real well and are smooth and quiet on the road. The rear is hard to measure wear though, I will ask Max here in NH how best to gage it.

Safe journies,
Bill

 

[BeemerMike]

The rear is hard to measure wear though, I will ask Max here in NH how best to gage it.

This is the primary reason I switched from Z6s to Pilot Roads on my R1100RS. The easy solution for Metzeler would seem to be placing a series of small holes around the circumference of the Z6 rear tire that are the proper depth to be wear indicators for the center of the tire (i.e., like some racing tires). Let us know what Max says.

However, I like the Pilot Roads, so depending on how much wear they get, I will probably stay with them (or try Pilot Road 2) rather than switch back to Metzeler.

 

[tbryant]

I agree BeemerMike, I love the PRs except that the front tire can howl like crazy at times. My 06 RT came new with them and I've never put anything else on. I get excellent life from them.

Terry