Pirelli Angel GT

[RossKean]

Late last summer, I decided to try a set of the new Pirelli Angel GT's. ("A" spec on rear) Initial impression was very favorable with a smooth, quiet ride and good stiction. I haven't done much riding on them so far this season (~1,000 miles this year, ~5,500 miles total) but I am beginning to like them less. Although there seems to be plenty of rubber still on them, the front has started to cup and there is a distinct low-speed wobble developing on deceleration. Some people seem to experience this a lot on the FJR but this is the first time I have had an issue with instability in the front end with over 100,000 miles on the bike. The cupping does not appear to be excessive but the wobble is significant. I have maintained 40-42 psi pressure for the life of the tire.

The tire was balanced and installed correctly but I am thinking I might try to dismount, rebalance and re-install. I did have a puncture in the middle of the tread late in the season (4,000 miles?) and it was repaired with a proper patch-plug from the inside. During the remount, I am going to have a very good look at the tire and see if there is any evidence that a belt was damaged. I'll report back with what I find out. If the problem is due to physical damage, I may get another Angel. If not, I think I'll wear out the rear using a couple of old front take-offs and give the Bridgestone T30s a try.

At this point, I am assuming the issue is the front tire. At least that is an easy fix.

 

[gixxerjasen]

I'll have to keep an eye on mine. 4,258 miles on mine and none of that yet, but sounds like I'm still 2K behind you.

 

[AlleyCat]

I went through a set of the ST and I am currently riding the GT. No complaints on my part. No cupping and no wobbles etc. I ride 39 psi in the front and 40\41 psi in the rear. I ride somewhat agressive and I am very satisfied with the grip of these tires. I will keep an eye open however with wear to see if these tires hold up. I am keen on trying the Dunlop RoadSmart 2 tires (very good reviews) next time around.

 

[DarkSpirit]

I only got 6000 miles out of the Bridgestone's that that came with my '08. Have run St's ever since. Currently have a set of GT's with 13,000 plus miles and have not any issues with them.

What I have found is to make sure air pressure is to the book's spectic's. Have you serviced the front forks recently? I do not trust any patched tire on any vehicle.

 

[RossKean]

I only got 6000 miles out of the Bridgestone's that that came with my '08. Have run St's ever since. Currently have a set of GT's with 13,000 plus miles and have not any issues with them.What I have found is to make sure air pressure is to the book's spectic's. Have you serviced the front forks recently? I do not trust any patched tire on any vehicle.

I am always very careful about tire pressures so that's not the issue. I have never had a head shake problem with this bike before although I have experienced it on other bikes (always due to a front tire). Forks were completely redone (seals and bushings) about a year and a half ago and there does not seem to be any slop in them. I will check steering bearings while I'm at it but I think they are OK.

I am going to remove the wheel and check to make sure the tire is not out-of-round. I will also check for bulges etc. which may be indicative of belt failure or damage. If everything looks OK, I will dismount the tire and examine it inside, remount, rebalance and reinstall. If the issue persists, the tire will get replaced but I haven't decided whether it will be with another Pirelli or something else.

I have high confidence in the security of the tire repair that was done but cannot say that the tire structure was not damaged with the original puncture. In any case, I won't continue to ride with excessive wobble and will report back with any findings.

 

[Fred W]

While I would not hesitate to plug or patch a rear tire, and have done so in the past and continued to ride it until the tread was gone, I'm not real keen on having a front repaired. Too many bad things can happen if you have a sudden air loss on the front.

Luckily, the rear is usually the one that gets most of the holes, after the front tire stands the nail/screw/metal crap up.

 

[Baz]

I once replaced a front tire with an Angel because of lack of availability of PR-II's.

I only got 2000 km out of the thing before it badly cupped. (I am very anal about checking tire pressure which remained constant through the time on)

I will never ever buy these again. From my opinion they can't take the weight of the FJR.

 

[Spud]

I hope this is not true.... after fretting for days over replacement tires, I decided to try something besides bridgestone as the 023 gt's have been great (i've done several sets of those) and the jury's still out on the new T30's. So I went with the Angel GT's. The wheels are at a shop getting mounted right now. I got a 190/55 rear as I like that setup, but if these don't last and perform as good as the Bridgestone's I'll be pissed since I paid about $40 more for them....

 

[RossKean]

I hope this is not true.... after fretting for days over replacement tires, I decided to try something besides bridgestone as the 023 gt's have been great (i've done several sets of those) and the jury's still out on the new T30's. So I went with the Angel GT's. The wheels are at a shop getting mounted right now. I got a 190/55 rear as I like that setup, but if these don't last and perform as good as the Bridgestone's I'll be pissed since I paid about $40 more for them....

My problem MAY have to do with the repaired puncture. I will likely have to wait until the weekend for forensic examination.

 

[gixxerjasen]

Spud, I've been very happy with mine so far. We'll see how long I'm happy with them but it's been a great tire so far.

 

[petey]

I once replaced a front tire with an Angel because of lack of availability of PR-II's.
I only got 2000 km out of the thing before it badly cupped. (I am very anal about checking tire pressure which remained constant through the time on)

I will never ever buy these again. From my opinion they can't take the weight of the FJR.

That goes to show you, like they say...different strokes for different folks. The "Angel" fronts have been my tire of choice for some time. Good grip and feed back, good milage and never a problem with wobble or cupping....go figure...

 

[Spud]

I once replaced a front tire with an Angel because of lack of availability of PR-II's.
I only got 2000 km out of the thing before it badly cupped. (I am very anal about checking tire pressure which remained constant through the time on)

I will never ever buy these again. From my opinion they can't take the weight of the FJR.

That goes to show you, like they say...different strokes for different folks. The "Angel" fronts have been my tire of choice for some time. Good grip and feed back, good milage and never a problem with wobble or cupping....go figure...

Aren't we talking about different tires here also? The Angel GT replaced the Angel ST about a year ago....

Here's a review explaining old vs new: https://www.motorcycle-usa.com/402/16139/Motorcycle-Article/Pirelli-Angel-GT-Tire-Review.aspx

And a photo from that review

 

[Big Sky]

Spud, I think you made a good choice. I am close to finishing up my first set of Angel GTs. They are, in my opinion, the best tires I've ever run on an FJR (I've put 100,000 miles on FJRs). True, I'm just at 6,900 miles and there is maybe 500 left (maybe 1,000), but these have already gone further than any other tires I've used, the runner-up PR2s going 6,500 to the cords. I think you're really going to like their "feel." Just last week I cruised a straight-line piece of two-lane on a calm day, set my throttle lock and rode five miles with no hands on the bars - not a wobble, no wandering and "hunting." Just exemplary including grip and cornering, no strange wear patterns.

 

[UHOH]

Late last summer, I decided to try a set of the new Pirelli Angel GT's.

...

~5,500 miles total

...

... I am thinking I might try to dismount, rebalance and re-install.

...

JHC. Just get a new set of tires - whatever your latest and greatest brand recommendation is.

After all, what are you trying to do? save $74 vs. the enjoyment of your life?

 

[RossKean]

Late last summer, I decided to try a set of the new Pirelli Angel GT's.

...

~5,500 miles total

...

... I am thinking I might try to dismount, rebalance and re-install.

...

JHC. Just get a new set of tires - whatever your latest and greatest brand recommendation is. After all, what are you trying to do? save $74 vs. the enjoyment of your life?

I still haven't had a chance to dismount and check the tire. If there is apparent structural damage due to the original incident, I may replace with another Angel GT. If it appears that the wobble is simply due to cupping and there is no evidence of other issues (i.e. steering head bearings), I will replace it with something else. The tire will be replaced in any case (unless examination reveals something like a thrown wheel weight). Its just a question of what I will try next. I loved the early life of the Angel. Unlike some, I have never been a big fan of the PR2's - OK at first but crappy from mid-life onwards. Maybe the T-30 is next?

 

[glory racing]

I recently ran a set of the angel gt's. The rear lasted 1,499 miles, which is about normal. Also it got a little greasy on the last couple hundred miles. The front had a wobble from the beginning.

Since they do not last any longer than bridgestones and I had bad luck with the front I will not be purchasing any more.

Still have not run the T30's as I had a couple sets of 023's but we will see how they do before to long.

 

[pcarnut]

Getting ready to buy a set of the Angel GTs and noticed one site advertising an EMS (extended mileage) version. Is this a newer version of the GT or just the full name for this tire.

 

[riderjohn46]

My '08 had Angel GTs on it when I bought it so not sure of any previous mileage but they looked brand new.I have put 3800 miles on them and the front is cupped and pretty bald.The back tire still looks great with slight flatness noticeable from riding in a straight line.

 

[Spud]

Update: Just pulled my Angel GT's off after a little more than 6000 miles. They still have a reasonable amount of tread left but are starting to not handle very well and I'm off this weekend on a big ride through ID, WY, UT and CO (life is hard....I know

) so I pulled them.

They appear to have similar mileage to my favorite 023GT's. I'm putting some avons on now as I got a deal. I'd do the Pirelli's again but wouldn't pay more for them than Bridgestones--which are usu cheaper. Probably try T30's after the Avons are gone.