Pilot Road 2's Rear Tire Wear

[hppants]

Like others, I'm amazed at the mileage some of you are getting. Don't have EXACT figures in front of me, but my set of PR3's lasted about 7500 rear, and 9000 front. I don't go past the wear indicator, though. Current set of PR2's are wearing as though they will go the same distance. Maybe just a tad farther.

Louisiana roads suck, 'nuf said there.

I wouldn't say I'm a baby on the throttle, but I certainly don't full throttle it all of the time.

Tire pressure gets checked religiously. 40 front 42 back.

I wish I could figure this out - $250.00 ish per set is pricey, man.

And no... I'm not ready to go to the darkside....

 

[jhedges]

Nope Fred, I never let off the throttle.

 

[gixxerjasen]

I don't engine brake either. Oh wait...nevermind.

Road surface, and don't forget road temperature. I bet I'm wearing my tires out faster at 106F air temp (God knows what the road temp is!) compared to those currently riding roads recently cleared of snow in the Northwest.

 

[Fred W]

I don't engine brake either. Oh wait...nevermind.

Road surface, and don't forget road temperature. I bet I'm wearing my tires out faster at 106F air temp (God knows what the road temp is!) compared to those currently riding roads recently cleared of snow in the Northwest.

While I would tend to agree with the "road surface" thing, it only got me a -1 from Skooter, the tire mileage king.

As for higher ambient temps, he also lives in the AZ desert. So maybe the temps don't come into play intuitively.

 

[art miller]

I just truned 14800 miles on my PR2 rear tire and am not to the wear bar. Just returned from a 4100 mile ride to MT, WY and ID. Part of the ride was pretty straight hwy and the center is getting flat. I plan to run a couple more K before I put on a new shoe. I agree riding style is key to wear. I ride fast but do not make jack rabbit starts and do not brake hard. I use the gears to slow down and do not go hot into turns. I weigh 150lbs and maintain 42PSI in rear tire and 39PSI in front tire.

Still, these things handle like crap the last 15-20% of their life.

I don't know how some of you guys get 12-14,000 miles out of a set.

Huh? I get 16-18,000 miles out of a set. I don't know how anybody else doesn't get that!

 

[Top_Speed1]

I just truned 14800 miles on my PR2 rear tire and am not to the wear bar. Just returned from a 4100 mile ride to MT, WY and ID. Part of the ride was pretty straight hwy and the center is getting flat. I plan to run a couple more K before I put on a new shoe. I agree riding style is key to wear. I ride fast but do not make jack rabbit starts and do not brake hard. I use the gears to slow down and do not go hot into turns. I weigh 150lbs and maintain 42PSI in rear tire and 39PSI in front tire.

Still, these things handle like crap the last 15-20% of their life.

I don't know how some of you guys get 12-14,000 miles out of a set.

Huh? I get 16-18,000 miles out of a set. I don't know how anybody else doesn't get that!

You guys preserve your tires better than NASCAR drivers doing caution flag laps. Heck, if I get half that I probably will be lucky.

 

[TomInPA]

I just truned 14800 miles on my PR2 rear tire and am not to the wear bar. Just returned from a 4100 mile ride to MT, WY and ID. Part of the ride was pretty straight hwy and the center is getting flat. I plan to run a couple more K before I put on a new shoe. I agree riding style is key to wear. I ride fast but do not make jack rabbit starts and do not brake hard. I use the gears to slow down and do not go hot into turns. I weigh 150lbs and maintain 42PSI in rear tire and 39PSI in front tire.

I am the polar opposite. I just took off my last set of PR3 tires at 7300 miles with very thin rubber left on the rear (you could push your finger into the soft center) and past the wear-bars on the front shoulders, especially right side. I wheelie the front, drag the pegs and exercise my ABS brakes frequently. I do use engine braking hard and I weigh 250 lbs. I ride at FJR nominal speeds on rough chip-sealed roads in mountains and canyons as well as the urban jungle. From this we can probably conclude, it's not the tire, it's the rider.

Just installed PR2 tires in Oregon during the Ruben Run.

 

[Fontanaman]

Gee I started this post a while ago. It is the gift that keeps on giving. What a hoot.. Tom's post above is awesome. Based on feedback from forum members I am going to try a set of Bridgestone 023GT. This forum is terrific. Sorry I was unable to attend the LaPine RTE.

 

[JamesK]

Gee I started this post a while ago. It is the gift that keeps on giving. What a hoot.. Tom's post above is awesome. Based on feedback from forum members I am going to try a set of Bridgestone 023GT. This forum is terrific. Sorry I was unable to attend the LaPine RTE.

All I can say is I hope you get better results from the BT 023GT than I did, especially the front sucked, with frequent "slips", at least in the colder temps/season. In the warm, summer months almost any tire will stick better of course...

I also hated the PR3s, and will never buy another set of those. The little "snow groves" really caused the front to "move around" in the twisties, and I generally try to ride on the rear more, but even with the shorter amount of time I spend riding the front in the corners during the "throttle maintenance"/transition back to power the PR3 front would move around as the little slits compressed and uncompressed. The PR3 front didn't last any longer (about 4,500 miles) than the PR2 front typically does, however, the last 500 miles or so were downright dangerous vs. what you get out the PR2. The rear PR3 also didn't wear as well as the PR2 rears do and again didn't really make it past around 4,500 miles which is the typical mileage I get out of PR2s & Z8s. YMMV of course.

I was really happy to hear from a Michelin sales guy at a recent bike show I attended Michelin have no plans to discontinue the PR2s, I guess they too have seen based on people's feedback and weak sales that the PR3's are NOT a replacement for the PR2s.

 

[art miller]

What's with the tires strapped to the bikes? Was the shop having a fire sale on tyres?

I just truned 14800 miles on my PR2 rear tire and am not to the wear bar. Just returned from a 4100 mile ride to MT, WY and ID. Part of the ride was pretty straight hwy and the center is getting flat. I plan to run a couple more K before I put on a new shoe. I agree riding style is key to wear. I ride fast but do not make jack rabbit starts and do not brake hard. I use the gears to slow down and do not go hot into turns. I weigh 150lbs and maintain 42PSI in rear tire and 39PSI in front tire.

I am the polar opposite. I just took off my last set of PR3 tires at 7300 miles with very thin rubber left on the rear (you could push your finger into the soft center) and past the wear-bars on the front shoulders, especially right side. I wheelie the front, drag the pegs and exercise my ABS brakes frequently. I do use engine braking hard and I weigh 250 lbs. I ride at FJR nominal speeds on rough chip-sealed roads in mountains and canyons as well as the urban jungle. From this we can probably conclude, it's not the tire, it's the rider.

Just installed PR2 tires in Oregon during the Ruben Run.

 

[escapefjrtist]

What's with the tires strapped to the bikes? Was the shop having a fire sale on tyres?

Ray's RTE Reuben Run + a long way from home = new tires. Understand the Bend dealer also had competitive pricing on new 'skins.

--G

 

[hppants]

My last PR2 made it 7300 miles. It was well past the wear bar - another 300 miles and the cord would likely start to show. Still, I put another one on - I really like the way the PR2 feels. I should get about 9500 out of the front.

 

[TomInPA]

What's with the tires strapped to the bikes? Was the shop having a fire sale on tyres?

We purchased the tires in Bend, OR and changed them at Ray's garage. Ray wasn't taking anything for his efforts, but somehow, I lost $30 somewhere in that garage