Front roadsmart installed....

[Cdogman]

As many know I have been a Pilot Power fan,, Road2 fan... and recently ran a Roadsmart rear with a power front

Yesterday SO and I are kickin in in the hills above Salt Lake... The bike felt like it was "pushing" through the corners. I knew that my PPower front was worn, but my logic was it should not matter too much since it is so sticky and there is no water..

I had a roadsmart front in the garage,, and I put it on today.. then went up big cottonwood canyon..

The bike is on rails again... nice.. I did do an adjustment to my front suspension. My pre-load is at no bars and my compression dampening is two clicks off full hard.

The only negative thing I can say about the tire is both the front and the back took quit a bit more weight to balance than I usually use on the Pilot series tires..

I will buy these again.. the do a really fine job.... I was riding about 8/10ths and the tracked very very nice.. for me 8/10ths is corner speed limit x2-10mph.. for entry.. Thus a 25mph corner I enter at 40 or so. Plenty of margin.. But note I have a penske... so my rear shock is not stock..

I want to do my front now.. I have heard so much good about the results.. I think i will try to sell my body this winter to afford the upgrade

//Cdog//

 

[v65]

I think i will try to sell my body this winter to afford the upgrade

You do windows?

 

[S76]

I also was super impressed with the Dunlops but have since soured on them. They are by far the best tire I have used when new. But, as they get a few thousand miles on them the front gets a big ridge in the middle and they got very "truckish." Also they didn't last near as well as the Stradas. The front wore out before the back. I'm on my second set and am having the same results. They are excellent in the wet.

I think I am going back to the Stradas.

 

[user 2024]

I also was super impressed with the Dunlops but have since soured on them. They are by far the best tire I have used when new. But, as they get a few thousand miles on them the front gets a big ridge in the middle and they got very "truckish." Also they didn't last near as well as the Stradas. The front wore out before the back. I'm on my second set and am having the same results. They are excellent in the wet.
I think I am going back to the Stradas.

Gunny!

Front wore out first and these tires have the biggest change in feel from new to half life of any tire I have used. No more Roadsmarts for me. :huh:

 

[Fred W]

I also was super impressed with the Dunlops but have since soured on them. They are by far the best tire I have used when new. But, as they get a few thousand miles on them the front gets a big ridge in the middle and they got very "truckish." Also they didn't last near as well as the Stradas. The front wore out before the back. I'm on my second set and am having the same results. They are excellent in the wet.
I think I am going back to the Stradas.

Try a Strada Front, Roadsmaht rear. That's what I'm running and so far so good after ~4k miles. I always liked the Pirelli front. The back, not a s much. I like the Roadsmart rear for it's superior side grip. Not sure about longevity of the rear, but that will mainly depend on what road mix you ride.

 

[Cdogman]

I will keep that in mind.. I go through about 4/5 sets a year. This one will probably get me through winter.. If it fades bad I will be very dissapointed.

I may try a strada front. I know that Pilot Power I had on the front was pushing really bad in the corners..

Thanks for the info all of you!!

V65, Yes I do windows

 

[Constant Mesh]

If your front wheel is like my '04 wheel a lot of imbalance is built into the wheel. It totally overshadows any imbalance of the tire. Yet the rear wheel is almost perfectly balanced. The last rear tire I mounted required no balance weights.

 

[motorcycle-ed]

Gunny on the Roadsmart front going away I loved this tire at EOM :clapping: , when the front and rear were new. I thought (and still think) they were the best tires I ever have run...certainly on the FJR...and I rode the hell out of them at EOM and coming home as well. However, as they approached 3k miles things were not so good. The tire wore down significantly on the sides and had a pronounced band in the middle (like the Bridgestone 021s do) and the turn in was terrible, steered like a truck coming off that higher band in the middle. Once leaned over pretty good, the tire still worked ok. The tire was worn out completely on the edges, probably very near the cord on the edges and looked like slicks except the not-so-worn "band" in the middle of the tread. I just replaced the front with only 4200 miles on it. I could still have gotten some higway miles on it, but I could not have run through too many more curves with it and it steered like a truck. Once replaced, it now handles just fine again. The rear is still good and wearing normally. I had already bought this replacement set of Roadsmarts based on my great EOM experience, but B4 I had my more recent experience. I will not buy any more. Too much money to spend on a tire that will only give me 4k miles, and the last 1k of that was not good...Dunlop, are you listening? For those interested, I ran 40 rear, 39 front for the life of these tires. I have a SmartTire monitor on the bike and know my tire pressures every time I turn start turning the wheels. The best thing I ever did. It is a real comfort KNOWING your tire pressure at all times

Ed

 

[Fred W]

I didn't think that the fronts were dual (multiple) compound tires, just the rears.

 

[FJReady]

I'm about 7,000 miles into a set of RoadSmarts now. I love the handling, especially when new. The grip is very good also; as good as the Avon Storms.

Regarding the balance: Front took no weight, rear took alot, maybe 40 grams.

They are looking a little 'square' like the Dunlop D205s I used to run on my Connies. I typically ride solo, pressures 38 F, 42 R.

I don't know if I'll run them again. I did like the Storms, I'd like to try the Pirellis also.

 

[Fred W]

Regarding the balance: Front took no weight, rear took alot, maybe 40 grams.

On the rear tire, where is the yellow balance dot compared to the valve stem?

Here is why I ask: Linky

 

[HaulinAshe]

Strada front and RoadSmart rear is a very good combination IMHO.

Just be sure NOT to mix a RoadSmart rear with a PR2 front. They argue with each other constantly. Again, just MHO.

The RoadSmart combo exhibits a characteristic we are not used to seeing, the front and rear wear out at pretty much the same rate. You have to be prepared for the economics of it and replace them as pairs. No more two rears to one front.

 

[user 2024]

Strada front and RoadSmart rear is a very good combination IMHO.Just be sure NOT to mix a RoadSmart rear with a PR2 front. They argue with each other constantly. Again, just MHO.

The RoadSmart combo exhibits a characteristic we are not used to seeing, the front and rear wear out at pretty much the same rate. You have to be prepared for the economics of it and replace them as pairs. No more two rears to one front.

My Roadsmart front wore out 3,000 miles before the rear.

 

[luvtoride]

Strada front and RoadSmart rear is a very good combination IMHO.Just be sure NOT to mix a RoadSmart rear with a PR2 front. They argue with each other constantly. Again, just MHO.

The RoadSmart combo exhibits a characteristic we are not used to seeing, the front and rear wear out at pretty much the same rate. You have to be prepared for the economics of it and replace them as pairs. No more two rears to one front.

Strada front & Roadsmart rear are my next combo. I am thinking... well, hoping that they're going to wear at about the same ratio. I have very much enjoyed the mileage & handling that I've gotten out of my Strada front. I'm quite sure that I've gotten somewhere around 8,000 to 9,000 ish miles out of a front.

 

[S76]

My Roadsmart front wore out 3,000 miles before the rear.

Mine also.

 

[airboss]

The Road Smart combo exhibits a characteristic we are not used to seeing, the front and rear wear out at pretty much the same rate. You have to be prepared for the economics of it and replace them as pairs. No more two rears to one front.

That sums it up with my experience with the Road Smarts gone at less than 6,000 mile. Next will be a set of PR2's for the FJR, but I am going to spoon a set of Road Smarts on the Viffer, have a feeling they will do very well on a lighter bike.

 

[Fred W]

Strada front and RoadSmart rear is a very good combination IMHO.Just be sure NOT to mix a RoadSmart rear with a PR2 front. They argue with each other constantly. Again, just MHO.

The RoadSmart combo exhibits a characteristic we are not used to seeing, the front and rear wear out at pretty much the same rate. You have to be prepared for the economics of it and replace them as pairs. No more two rears to one front.

Strada front & Roadsmart rear are my next combo. I am thinking... well, hoping that they're going to wear at about the same ratio. I have very much enjoyed the mileage & handling that I've gotten out of my Strada front. I'm quite sure that I've gotten somewhere around 8,000 to 9,000 ish miles out of a front.

Yeah, that's about what I get out of my Strada fronts. If the Dunlop rear comes close I'll be a happy camper.

 

[CHRIS_D]

OK I should of done my homework and research these RS tires some more. But I didn't and now my bike is handling like crap and it's all because of this DAMN freaking front RS!!! :angry: :angry: As everyone else has mentioned above at first the handling was really great and I really thought this was going to be the tire that I stick with. However once you start to get that ridge down the middle the handling becomes like a truck. I really didn't realize how bad it was until I rode my other bike for about 3 weeks and then got back on the FJR. In fact it was so hard to turn the FJR compared to my KTM that I thought I had a flat tire at first. And what's making me angry is that I have another brand new piece a crap front RS sitting in the garage that I really don't want to mount on the bike.

Does anyone want to buy a brand new really great handling front Road Smart tire?? :hyper: :hyper:

 

[Rolavine]

I put a new Roadsmart front on my bike 6500 miles ago in September. The wear bars are just about to show. The RS rear has 5K on it and looks like it may be good for another 5K. Unless anyone yells 'don't do it you fool' I'm about to put one of the cheap - close out - Azaros on the front?

I thought the best thing about the roadsmarts was how well they did in the rain, and the rear managed to catch itself in a tight lean last week on some ice.

Since I don't push the bike too hard I would have wanted more than 6.5K out of a front. But, I did practice about 300 panic stops from 60+ mph on this bike right after I got it, and that might have been a factor.

I'm a rural commuter, not much stop in go, about 35% on fun curvy roads, and the rest on hiways, but I really don't push the limits of the bike, I want to have a reserve in case of an emergency, and drive with a degree of 'I'm too old and it takes too long to heal' paranoia.