Oh no he didn’t!! Yes it’s a tire thread.

[Welldunn]

Long time member who has been on a riding hiatus the last four years. I’m trying to get back in the saddle. Big ride coming up in June and my baby needs a new set of shoes. I’ve run the pilot roads on both my FJR’s and have always been happy with them except with hot black sealant in the twisties.  What’s the latest and greatest in tires nowadays? During normal riding I’m used to seining around 18k miles on the front and 12k on the rear.

 

[Auburn]

I went from PR2 to the new Road 5.  The traction is really good.  Mileage about the same for me as the PR2.

 

[Bugnatr]

Never a big Dunlap fan but the Roadsmart lll did me well on my KTM. Worth a try if the price is right.

 

[RossKean]

Never a big Dunlap fan but the Roadsmart lll did me well on my KTM. Worth a try if the price is right.

I've been using the RS3 for a few years. Looking forward to trying the new RS4.

First tires I had on my '07 were Roadsmart 2.  They were awful. 

 

[Bounce]

I love my RS3!

 I’ve run the pilot roads on both my FJR’s and have always been happy with them except with hot black sealant in the twisties.

NO tire does well on hot "tar snakes". They're like snail snot and the mfgr has published standards for application that are often ignored by the state/employee doing the application. Large-area patching is specifically called out as dangerous. Cars can get around it by having larger, and more, contact patches. Many state DOTs people I worked with consider motorcycles inherently dangerous, so they made that decision already and whatever happens is their own damned fault.

It's technically called "plasticized crack sealant" and as far back as when I worked at FHWA (90s), I saw national notices sent to state DOTs warning about mis-application and it's dangers. Only 1 of the 6 states we worked with bothered to confirm receipt. We assumed that the others held that in reserve so they could later claim to not have known (if something bad happened).

 

[SwollenRaccoon]

The cool thing about tar snakes is that the faster you go around the corner, the less effect they seem to have......just a little "dit - dit ", and you're over them.

THAT BEING SAID,  I HATE concentric tar snakes, you know, that have the same radius as the curve.  THOSE can make your sphincter pucker, sliding both tires at the same time.  Did a Reg Pridmore track day at Road America almost 20 years ago, and somebody complained about a tar strip in turn 6.  In the classroom, Reg said not to worry about it, it's just a little strip you go across. (He apparently thought it just ran across the track, not co-radial). After the next session, he came back into the classroom and apologized, and told us to take a different line through 6.  I guess he found out.  Glad he didn't fall down.

Oh, tires, yeah.  I like PR2s, but they are getting hard to find.  PR5s might be my next set.

 

[Bounce]

The mfgr guidlines for application include NO overspray (more than 1-2" on either side of a crack. NO cracks that run parallel to the path of traffic (diagonal or perpendicular only). No large areas which should be patches with the same material (concrete, tarmac, etc.).

I came off an exit up in some place like NV, or WY once and at the bottom of the exit was a series of tar snakes that has been then dusted with something that I can only assume was meant to embed into the sealant as traffic went over it. When I got there it was so loosey-goosey that it made me want ice studs in my tires. It was a good thing it wasn't a larger area as there would have been no way to keep a bike up on it for much longer.

For a rabbit hole, there's this: https://ctr.utexas.edu/wp-content/uploads/pubs/0_4061_P3.pdf

Nice reference to send to a state DOT with location and description of the concern.

 

[cota95]

Amazon has the pr2 for $219 a set as of 05/25/21

 

[jmdaniel]

Amazon has the pr2 for $219 a set as of 05/25/21

And as of 5/28, just picked up a set. Taking off P4s, which are scalloped beyond belief, f/r, and was going to go to Roadsmart 3s, but can't beat this price.

 

[roger dodger]

Michelin's are great tires ... but tend to be a softer ride (even GT). 

I always suggest you 'Pump them up' to near the max pressure (40/42) to avoid the scalloping beyond belief.     YMMV

 

[jmdaniel]

Yeah, I always keep mine pumped up to that level. The 4s are too soft on the sides, and the 5s are softer yet. Yuck. 

 

[rbentnail]

Yeah, I always keep mine pumped up to that level. The 4s are too soft on the sides, and the 5s are softer yet. Yuck. 

That's why I left the Road series.  They just seem squishy to me, like the rear end is wallowing around. 

 

[jmdaniel]

Slapped the PR2s on yesterday.

 

[RossKean]

Always liked the PR2 REAR tires.  The FRONT PR2 (and PR3) tires sucked, IMHO.  Nice at first but they wear to a trapezoidal shape by mid-life - get noisy and handle poorly.  I ran a couple sets of them and then switched to PR2 rear with a Bridgestone (BT023 or T30) front.  Dunlop Roadsmart 3 for the last few years but decided to try the new Bridgestone T32 GT instead of the new Roadsmart 4 for the next set.  Cheaper and had a $50 rebate.  Still waiting to install them.

 

[jmdaniel]

Always liked the PR2 REAR tires.  The FRONT PR2 (and PR3) tires sucked, IMHO.  Nice at first but they wear to a trapezoidal shape by mid-life - get noisy and handle poorly.  I ran a couple sets of them and then switched to PR2 rear with a Bridgestone (BT023 or T30) front.  Dunlop Roadsmart 3 for the last few years but decided to try the new Bridgestone T32 GT instead of the new Roadsmart 4 for the next set.  Cheaper and had a $50 rebate.  Still waiting to install them.

I have Roadsmart 3s on my F6B.

 

[Fred W]

I also have RS3’s on my FJR now.  I think I got a good deal on the set, but put them on almost 2 years ago.   Did not do all that many miles on the FJR last year.  Too much other stuff going on, and now we live in dirt road heaven, so the Africa Twin gets the nod more often.

I would say the rear RS is as good as a PR2 (my prior favorite rear) but the front RS has worn to where it sounds and feels like a buzz saw when cornering.  Still have lots of tread left, so I’ll stick it out, but won’t use that on the front again.  For reference, I always run at 40F 42-43R.  Been riding pretty much only 1-up these days that the the wife got her own ride (a horse).

 

[RossKean]

I would say the rear RS is as good as a PR2 (my prior favorite rear) but the front RS has worn to where it sounds and feels like a buzz saw when cornering.

I found the RS3 lasts a LONG time and I have noticed the buzz in the front as they wear.  I still MUCH prefer them to the PR2 front tire in terms of handling and funky wear pattern during the last half of their life.  (I have been running 42 PSI for the front on the Dunlop.)  As I mentioned above, I was torn between trying the new Dunlop RS4 and the new Bridgestone T32.  The T32 got the nod because of price and rebate but will try the RS4 next (probably spring).

 

[Fred W]

Yeah, I hated the PR2 fronts too.  Was a bigger fan of the Bridgestone fronts.  They always scalloped, but didn’t get all buzzy. 

 

[FJReady]

Been running the T31GT front and either PR2 or PR4GT rear combination the last few years.   40/42 

Hi Fred.