Pilot Road II ...took this one a bit too far....but it made it

[RenoJohn]

I've run three sets of the PR2's and I gotta say, for me, they are leaps above any of the many other tires that I've abused on the obese FJR.

A few days ago I left home (clicky) with a mediocre PR2 front -not perfect shape but I figured it was more than adequate for one last 1100mile ride ride. Well, I cut it too close ....mostly due to some very tight abusive twisties -where I rode the fjr like a super-motard and I definately put the hurtin' on this front PR2.

Today changed out with a new one ... .....pretty obvious that I took it a bit too far, as well as rode it too hard at the end.

-Took pictures next to the new one to contrast the difference.

So, the PR2's ...even at it's worse -as shown above, was leaps above the BT-021's that got totally tweaked under aggressive riding.

Below are the three front BT-021's that I ran (more info on this thread) ....they got fucked up a lot worse with not as brutal of abuse and with significantly less miles than are on the above PR2.

I can't say enough good things about the PR2's ....Thumbs-Up on them from RenoJohn

 

[wheatonFJR]

Cool! Racin slicks. :clapping:

 

[Jeff Q]

Mine should be here Friday...

 

[str8]

I concur wholeheartedly.

 

[Murph]

How many total miles on that tire? Inquiring minds want to know.

 

[Patriot]

glad it didn't rain...or did it...??? :blink:

 

[SCRider]

For those with the stock BT-021 still on your bike, keep a close eye on the front tire. My front BT-021 went from looking like the one on the left in the picture to worse than the worn PR2 in the previous picture in one 300 mile day! Was beginning to wonder if I would make it back home.

John, glad to hear your praise for the PR2 because that's what I replaced the BT-021 with. Didn't realize how bad the handling had gotten until I put the new tire on, and wow, what a difference! I now have a full set on order.

 

[dcarver]

RJ - great post. I've the same experience with PR2's. They hold their shape and still handle decent even when severely worn. They also have rough underbellies and withstand punctures well. This thread has sparked an idea within my cranium scareabellium... Ouch, it hurts.. doh

 

[Big Sky]

Funny how things go around and come back around.

For the record: I watch tire pressures closely: 40-42 in the rear - 38-40 in the front, ride mostly mountain curves aggressively two-up and loaded, sometimes at higher speeds when the roads are unavoidably straight.

My '03 came with the Battleax BT020s. Seemed to work okay, got 5,000 out of the rear, but had nothing to compare them to. So...Michelin PRs: got flat centers fast and felt like a log truck tipping them in. Just hated them, got maybe 4,300 out of the rear. Tried Avon Storms, liked these, burned through two sets, felt good on the bike but mileage wasn't great - maybe 4,500 out of the rears; went through a set of Bridgestone BT 021s which seemed inferior to the 020s in handling and especially wear (4,000 miles at the back). Tried a set of Dunlops (can't remember the model but they were a "sport/tour" tire) and the rear gave up the ghost - and really really fast, like finding cords still 200 miles from home - at about 3,700. These seemed a triangular profile and tipped in too easily, having to always correct after initial turn in, front seemed to always be hunting around, hard to maintain a stable line. Tried a Pirelli rear- toasted it - surprise! cords again! - at 3,800. Just burned through another set of Avons - got about 4,500 out of the rear but the front went to hell way early - very uneven wear, cupping and a bad wobble. That's working from memory; there must have been one more rear in there somewhere. Sooooo...

Just bought a set of original spec Battleax BT020s, which I was surprised to find they still make. After 50,000 miles, I'm going to compare the original spec rubber with everything else.

Bottom line: I have never gotten more than 5,000 from a rear, but ride hard and almost always 2-up and loaded. Rarely ride heavy rain so can't say much regarding wet traction. All seemed to afford ample side-load traction as pavement feelers (and exhaust collector and centerstand tang) drag before tires slip. Of all these brands and styles, I can't say there is a single one that has really impressed me with a combination of superior handling and superior wear and, at this point, don't expect to find one either.

All I need is a 12,000 mile tire that grips well in wet and dry, handles elegantly and neutrally and costs $120/$100 (and a 21-year-old nymphomaniac girlfriend). I think maybe I expect too much.

 

[madmike2]

Bottom line: I have never gotten more than 5,000 from a rear, but ride hard and almost always 2-up and loaded. Rarely ride heavy rain so can't say much regarding wet traction. All seemed to afford ample side-load traction as pavement feelers (and exhaust collector and centerstand tang) drag before tires slip. Of all these brands and styles, I can't say there is a single one that has really impressed me with a combination of superior handling and superior wear and, at this point, don't expect to find one either.

My normal rear tire life is 6500 miles, except the the 'Stone 021 that were "toast" @ 3500 miles.

I will say that my bike, while ridden solo, is rather heavy laden when on trips and the rider weights in at a svelte 250 lbs.

PR2s lasted 9500+ no the rear (and would have gone farther but I got a good deal on a replacement) and the front is over 13,500 and looks like dcarver's pictures rather than John's. There's a vast difference between the PRs and the PR2s.

All I need is a 12,000 mile tire that grips well in wet and dry, handles elegantly and neutrally and costs $120/$100 (and a 21-year-old nymphomaniac girlfriend). I think maybe I expect too much.

I hope you find your

happy place"....please send us a postcard including your return address.

 

[Geezer]

So, you going to send that tire down to Scooter so he can put another thousand or so on it? :lol:

 

[Geezer]

(snip) So...Michelin PRs: got flat centers fast and felt like a log truck tipping them in. Just hated them, got maybe 4,300 out of the rear. (snip again)

All I need is a 12,000 mile tire that grips well in wet and dry, handles elegantly and neutrally and costs $120/$100 (and a 21-year-old nymphomaniac girlfriend). I think maybe I expect too much.

Sounds like you tried the PR rather than the PR2s. PR2s will last a lot longer than the PRs. I can't say for sure, but you may get the 12,000 out of them. They are going to cost you about $300 for a pair.

Sorry, I can't help you find the young nympho.

 

[Fred W]

And did RJ say yet how many miles were on that front racing slick?

Observation: It seems a lot of folks throw away tires with lots of miles left because they want to change the front and back at the same time. I'm too cheap for that...

 

[Patriot]

And did RJ say yet how many miles were on that front racing slick?
Observation: It seems a lot of folks throw away tires with lots of miles left because they want to change the front and back at the same time. I'm too cheap for that...

I have a local independent shop that changes my tires, balances, and optional valve stems (hope to purchase alum 90 degree racing ones). They give me a volume discount if I bring in both wheels at the same time. Course, it's a challenge to balance that bike on the centerstand right by putting sandbags on the handlebars.

 

[kaitsdad]

How many total miles on that tire? Inquiring minds want to know.

Yeah, I'd like to know as well - my PR2's have 12,400 on them, and Beeroux said they have a lot of tread left last time he was here - but it makes me nervous.

 

[Fred W]

And did RJ say yet how many miles were on that front racing slick?
Observation: It seems a lot of folks throw away tires with lots of miles left because they want to change the front and back at the same time. I'm too cheap for that...

I have a local independent shop that changes my tires, balances, and optional valve stems (hope to purchase alum 90 degree racing ones). They give me a volume discount if I bring in both wheels at the same time. Course, it's a challenge to balance that bike on the centerstand right by putting sandbags on the handlebars.

You really should learn to mount and balance your own tires. It isn't all that hard to do.

 

[Big Sky]

PR IIs at $300 and 12,000 miles is $25/1,000 miles! I'd pay that in a heartbeat. Tires are costing me closer to $70/1,000 - more than gasoline at today's prices - $53/1,000.

I've been riding 1100 cc bikes or bigger since 1983 and have never gotten more than 5,500 out of a rear. And my smokey burnout days are a couple of decades behind me.

Okay, I'll wear out these BT 020s in a couple of months, then try the PR IIs. But I'd be willing to bet $100 the rear won't go past 5,000 before the wear bars are smooth. No burn-outs, just spirited, loaded two-up touring on twisty mountain roads.

Add'l disclosure: I go 225 lbs., wife goes 155 (or so she says) and we don't haul gold dust in the panniers.

 

[fjrb0]

Seems my tires are always being replaced when I could go another 2,000 or so on them, as I hate leaving for a 4-5K trip and having to watch the back tire during the ride.

Any body keep their old back tires and put them back on to run them the last 2K or so?

 

[RenoJohn]

How many total miles on that tire? Inquiring minds want to know.

Yeah, I'd like to know as well - my PR2's have 12,400 on them, and Beeroux said they have a lot of tread left last time he was here - but it makes me nervous.

I ran 3rears to 2fronts, this is the 2nd front, the first I didn't take down to this ridiculous wear level. I didn't keep meticulous records, primarily because I run two rear wheels and am constantly swapping them back and forth, using most worn for shorter rides and less worn for longer rides.
This front pictured in the first post has about 10,000miles on it. Hindsight: should have stopped at 8,500 ...and that last thousand was very very brutal conditions. That much mileage out of a tire on the FJR is HUGE for me, in fact this one PR2 got nearly as many miles as the three BT-021 shown in the last picture *combined*. And even when totally shot was much more confident inspiring than the BT-021's after they went to crap but still had some tread. I don't recall how far I took my first front PR2, but I'd guess about 7500 to 8000. They also perform well above the PR1's, avaro, metzler etc.

I run two rear wheels and constantly am swapping back and forth. With the PR2's I've run 3rears to the 2fronts, that seems to be the ratio for me. I killed one rear a long time ago ...the 2nd two were hard to kill it seemed. I kept thinking each ride would be the last but they kept wanting more.

However the last ride finished one off and tomorrow I'll wrestle a new one on that wheel. That's two dead soldiers with the last having maybe another 500-750 still in it.

These tires rock! A tad expensive, but as shown in the previous post, very cost effective ...and they handle well too. For me no looking back, I'm done playing with different tires. For me after running 3rears and 2fronts ....these are it -hands down.