Michelin p4 wear issue

[roger dodger]

+1 Banjo Boy speaks the truth!

I tested this when I changed a rear tire (on purpose) in a hotel parking lot @ a COG Rally.

Lots of helpers and tricks of the trade, but when we aired it up, everyone disagreed on the pressure (42/42) and ALL the 'best gauges ever made' disagreed as well.

I saw about 2-4 lbs of difference, and choose to use my (BMW) digital and someones dial gauge which seemed to run close to each other. YMMV

 

[Hotboot]

Hotboot what do you run for tires now?

Pilot Power 3....yes they are soft sport rubber on the sides and I'm an odd bird. 3 days in Arkansas and the sides are gone, I live in Texas so I finish the center riding close to home.

I have a No-Mar and local dealers have great tire prices.

If I were doing a long tour I would seek advise here for current tire opinions and recent technology.

 

[thewrenchbender]

Just turned 3000 miles on my PR4 GTs. Run 41 front 43 rear. Are a little flat in the middle (rear), but have even feathered wear to the outer edge of the narrower set of grooves on the front (beyond the ball ends on the sipes). FWIW just looked at my old Nuvi summary page-moving average speed for the last 5425 miles was 50.6 mph-not sayin' what the max was. Ride fairly aggressively but don't brake in corners. At 3000 miles the Storm 3D x-m front I ran before the GTs was trashed.

 

[08FJR4ME]

I need one of these.

https://www.amazon.com/BMW-Electronic-Tire-Pressure-Gauge/dp/B000OGAA1E

 

[Fred W]

Would you consider that to be a "logo gauge", or a "non logo gauge"? Because after spending 5 million dollars on the official report, it is apparent that there is a big difference.

 

[Wemi]

Just turned 3000 miles on my PR4 GTs. Run 41 front 43 rear. Are a little flat in the middle (rear), but have even feathered wear to the outer edge of the narrower set of grooves on the front (beyond the ball ends on the sipes). FWIW just looked at my old Nuvi summary page-moving average speed for the last 5425 miles was 50.6 mph-not sayin' what the max was. Ride fairly aggressively but don't brake in corners. At 3000 miles the Storm 3D x-m front I ran before the GTs was trashed.

Good info. Just installed PR4GTs as well, as that is what both Michelin and Yamaha recommend for this bike. Got them on my BMW K1600 which is even heavier and after 7000 miles they show about 50% tread left without any signs of cupping! etc.

 

[smithpa68]

I am not sure if I am using the right term.. but my PR4s are "scalloping". PR4 on front. PR4GT on the rearLooks like scalloped potato slices on the sides. I am not a knee dragger but do ride two up 50% of the time and she DOES like the twisties. We ride mostly north ga and south carolina areas. I was quite surprised at how pronounced this is. I had 6500 on the front and just changed it to the GT version. The middle edges were worn smooth even though there was still some life in the center. (Maybe 3 days two up on the BR parkway area did that... hahah)

I used PR2 before these and although they became whiny/noisy... I never noticed this effect on the tire.

I would think this reduces grip but the bike seems to still turn fine. Thoughts on grip ??? Again, I don't try to drag parts but I do ride curves much more than slab.

 

[Fred W]

All the PR front tires do that. It is worst if you run at any pressure below 40 psi. It is one reason that many folks do not care fro the PRs on the front and use something else up front with a PR rear. YTMV

 

[wheatonFJR]

I am not sure if I am using the right term.. but my PR4s are "scalloping". PR4 on front. PR4GT on the rearLooks like scalloped potato slices on the sides. I am not a knee dragger but do ride two up 50% of the time and she DOES like the twisties. We ride mostly north ga and south carolina areas. I was quite surprised at how pronounced this is. I had 6500 on the front and just changed it to the GT version. The middle edges were worn smooth even though there was still some life in the center. (Maybe 3 days two up on the BR parkway area did that... hahah)
I used PR2 before these and although they became whiny/noisy... I never noticed this effect on the tire.

I would think this reduces grip but the bike seems to still turn fine. Thoughts on grip ??? Again, I don't try to drag parts but I do ride curves much more than slab.

Try a T30 for a front tire, keeping a PR on the back (PR2 in my case).

The Bridgestone keeps its profile more uniformly throughout its life. I took a long trip with a front PR2 and came to hate that front tire. It started acting like a truck tire right when I was in the middle of epic roads. Love the PR back tire, hate the front.

 

[Flash9]

7k miles later and after bumping my pressures to 42 front and rear, adjusting the suspension the abnormal wear hasn't continued at the same rate. My buddy hooked me up with a portable nitrogen gun, not sure it will have any effect on tire wear, but I bet my tire pressures won't fluctuate as much.

 

[FJR Bill]

I've been satisfied with PR 2's but I have a difficult time evaluating how far gone the tire is. The sipes on the rear tire don't cross the center which makes it difficult to determine how much meat remains. No doubt I've replaced them prematurely when facing a long trip. Any suggestions on reading these tires?

Thanks, Bill

 

[Bill Lumberg]

I made two big switches: I started running 42 in the front, and I stopped using any brake in turns. I slow down before and or use engine braking. Instead of being shot (totally V'd) at 6-8K, my front is just starting to show the slightest bit of wear at 8K. I can wear out a front in a single long day of twisties braking into every turn. Not the way to fly.

 

[wheatonFJR]

I made two big switches: I started running 42 in the front, and I stopped using any brake in turns. I slow down before and or use engine braking. Instead of being shot (totally V'd) at 6-8K, my front is just starting to show the slightest bit of wear at 8K. I can wear out a front in a single long day of twisties braking into every turn. Not the way to fly.

So what yer saying is that you transferred more braking friction (and wear) to the rear tire. So your front tire will wear out slower, but your rear tire will wear out faster.

I use the same kind of riding style with engine braking...but there is no free lunch. Tire wear occurs from changing velocities, speeding up or slowing down. Front or rear or both...it will happen. The tire fairy says so.

 

[Bill Lumberg]

No acceleration in wear to the rear tire. Rears are wearing as they always have, I've just stopped going through fronts 2 to 1 to rears.... There is no free lunch, but if you ride smooth instead of braking deep in turns (as I was), it pretty much feels like an extra half a sandwich got added to your plate. Probably with a garnish. The softer compound on the sides of my fronts, combined with the lazy habit of going in hot and braking in turns with a fully integrated braking system (read- front brake too) resulted in shaving the sides of my PRs and any other tire I put on front like a kitchen knife in a Ronco sharpener. No more.