PR2's vs Roadsmart

[stevec677]

I've run (2) Roadsmart Fronts and got approx 4,000 miles out of each one. I've run (1) Roadsmart Rear and got approx 6,000 miles out of it. I just put Bridgestone 023GT's on both the front and back. So far I have 48 miles on them. I will wait a little longer before I report on performace and/or tire wear for the 023GT's. I can say that I really did like the feel of the Roadsmarts up until the end. When they went bad they went real bad real quick. I was dispointed in the tire wear, but that be the trade off for good handling.

 

[HotRodZilla]

I'm on my third full set of RoadSmarts, and will buy another set when this one gives up at around 8k. I would like to try the PR2s but too many people bitch about them losing grip and not wanting to stick. I may actually try the front Angel and rear RS this trip, but either way, I really like these tires. They last, they are well priced, and they stick very well. No complaints with the front either; but I live in NM, so I ride some twisties, lots of sweepers and plenty of straights thrown in the mix. Like Jeff said, it mostly depends on where you live and how you ride.

 

[scubatech]

I am having good luck with a Roadsmart rear on my bike. I have about 3500 miles on it and the tire looks new. The fronts seem to be the real issue on the FJR. I am not sure if it is just weight or inherent design of the bike?

 

[HaulinAshe]

...The fronts seem to be the real issue on the FJR. I am not sure if it is just weight or inherent design of the bike?

You need a hard(er) rubber to ride a fat girl properly. Especially when she just wants to go faster and faster, and you keep applying brakes!

 

[WRichStrom]

I have had both the Road Smart and PR2s. Both are better than the stocker. In my opinon the Pr2s are the great. But I have heard if you ride really aggressively the PR2s do have issues. I ride really slow and I have had no issues.

 

[GPRIDER]

I've had no traction issues with my PR2s. No slipping or sliding. I got close to 10,000 miles out of my first set riding in Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, Kansas, and Oklahoma. Combination of sweepers twisties and straight slab. I'm on my second set now and am still happy with them after the first 2,000 miles.

GP

 

[RinconVTR]

My bike came with new Roadsmarts, and I'm coming from a long list of sport bikes that ran tires that also run on track days. Coming off brand new FJR's, making multiple adjustments and new fork oil hasnt exactly got the new bike handleing. I am left to assume its the Roadsmarts.

They arent bad tires though. I have pushed them hard when hot and cold, and they have yet to slip on me. They have a neutral feel, but not sharp like the stock tires. I like sharp. And ironically, the best combo I found for my last sport bike was a Roadsmart on the rear and a Q2 on the front. I had that thing 100% dialed in for my riding style.

Everyone has their 2 cents for what they'll never run. And I have riden with many groups over the years, all with their own stories. Track days, very fast sport rides, Star, HSTA, HOG, and a mix of local sport touring rides. Seems each has their own brand of tire they will never run.

The best story comes from some HOG members around here. They feel Metzlers are the worse tires ever produced and have caused MANY deaths. One story was from a local person dying at Sturgis, by hitting the back of a pick up truck at speed. "You know what tires they had on? METZLERS!" I didnt say anything, but my thought was...as if the Metzlers were at fault for hitting the back of a truck.

The same guy who told me the opinion of the HOG members was running Dunlops on his Streetglide and had what I could see as low air pressure when we were stopped. I pointed it out, and he said he runs it low for comfort, and made some joke about his wife being comfortable and his life. I didnt have the balls (very unusual for me) to tell him low air pressure is the biggest cause of tire failure, other than a puncture.

Oh, and none of the HOG guys wear helmets. Ever. Must be METZLERS FAULT!!!

 

[user 213]

You need a hard(er) rubber to ride a fat girl properly. Especially when she just wants to go faster and faster, and you keep applying brakes!

And there you have it. If you ride corners thinking "can I take this faster?" then go with a softer tire and live with the lower mileage life. If you are simply covering ground and enjoying the bike, the day, the roads, but not trying to ride at the very edge of performance, toss on some PR2s and enjoy long mileage life. I have over 15k on a front PR2 at the moment and it's still not to the wear bars. 11k of that was rally riding over all kinds of roads on both sides of the Miss, but still predominantly slab. It's not as good in the tight tuff as other tires I've tried like the Storms or Conti Motion, but does just fine if you're not trying to ride the fastest possible line.

And yes, the front RoadSmart sucks moist ass. As bad as the BT-021 fronts. The rears are fine on both, but I think I prefer the Roadsmart rear slightly over the 021 rear just because the 021 rear doesn't really show any difference in the last 2-3k miles, then finally dies. It looked like it had maybe 1k left for the last 3k.

 

[RaYzerman19]

I'd like to clarify my comments..... I brought up the Roadsmart front (especially the French one) because of the alarming number of very serious failures with huge bulges and chunks out of the tread. To my knowledge, no one has crashed yet, but they have the potential..... Dunlop has been made aware and to date have not issued any response... I absolutely would not put a Roadsmart front on anything. As for the rears, I know of no failures, and I believe it is a different (dual compound) tire, perhaps made elsewhere, and may very well be a great tire... just hard for me to put any confidence in Dunlop. As for their former tires, they were known for their harder compounds and long life, and IMHO, great if you're not needing a sticky tire for canyon carving. If you're a milder rider, they're fine. Dunlops in general will not fit my style or needs.

As for Metzelers, the cruiser guys and the Goldwing guys have mixed comments about the ME880's (and Dunlop Elite 3's), some like that they last longer, while others complain they are a bit slippery in the wet after they wear 25%. I had a Goldwing with them, and can attest. They are more of a cruiser tire. It is more likely the HD guys comments are in part due to no ABS brakes, rear wheel lockups, and perhaps slippy in the wet.... lots of reasons they might have comments about not liking them. Yes, I shake my head when I hear comments that clearly show that a bike rider knows nothing about tires.... low pressure for comfort, indeedy!!

I'm not a tire expert, but I do look for comments, hoping to separate the wheat from the chaff and make intelligent decisions on what is right for me, and what to try for my own experience. So, please do keep the comments coming, and this old dawg will try to keep on learnin'..... but I also will pass along my experiences and as factually as I can report what other sport tourer groups are finding.

 

[CAFJRider]

I put on Michelin PRII's front and rear when I replaced the stock tires and was really happy with them. I now have almost 12K on the front but will need to replace it before too much longer. Had to replace the rear at 9K because I picked up a nail and replaced it with the Roadsmart only because the PRII wasn't available at the time I needed it. Now nearing 3K on the Roadsmart and have been happy with it so far, but I'll likely end up replacing the front with another PRII or the Angel. Just waiting to see what kind of mileage I'll see with the Roadsmart.

 

[2Bull]

I just put Pirate road 2's on today and I really like the look of them. The ride is vastly improved over the Battle lacks that were on there. They had had it and I wont use them again. The FJR is heavy so I do not expect to get more than a season (8-9K) out of them. I had PR 1's and I really liked them also. Kinda want to try a sport tire sometime but I think it would be wasted on me. I just think I ride aggressive. ANyways, looking forward to putting the PR2s thru the paces.

 

[Cavy]

I am on my third set of Roadsmarts front and rear. I love these tires. They don't last very long (4k) but they have great grip and feel. I have not had any issues with quality. I had never considered mixing brands but may try it with the next set.

 

[wheatonFJR]

I have a RoadSmart rear in the garage that I will put on soon, but I will never put a RS front ever again...ever. Very poor wear on the front...they are garbage.

I will use PR2s again (front and back) and will trust them if I am not riding in too low a temperature. I will back off to complete picture taking touring mode if the temps go into the 30s, low 40s though. They probably fit my riding abilities...just have to make sure I don't get in over my head on a curve.

RoadSmart rear I have complete faith in, but they don't last as long as PR2s.

So, get the grip that you pay for. Stickier RS rear...put on more often...or less sticky PR2s that you take it easier on.

 

[RaYzerman19]

Just to inform you, there are many reported failures on Roadsmart fronts with bulges and tread separations that have resulted in these tires being not recommended by many in the ST community. From what I gather, most of the failed tires were made in France. A friend in my area just had one bulge on a ride last weekend. Not for me!!

Update, to clarify my comment in post #6, the ST Owners have reported that Dunlop has acknowledged a problem with the front 120/70ZR18 (59W) tires manufactured in 2007 and 2008, and that 2009 and later are not affected. If you have such a tire, Dunlop is replacing them (including $60 for mounting costs) but you must arrange this with Dunlop before June 30, 2011. All tire dealers have a copy of Dunlop's letter dated Dec. 20, 2010. You can call Dunlop at 800-845-8378 if you believe you are affected.

Not many of us are affected since we are using 17" tires, not 18". Mind you, I am sure they would be glad to hear from you if you had a tread separation or bulge in your 17" Roadsmart as well.

There are no issues with rears as far as anyone knows.....

 

[Nightshift]

The PR2's are pricier than the Bridgestone, right? I was going to get a rear PR2 but the guy at shop quoted $250 just for the tire. So I went with the BS 023(not sure about this ). But up front I have a Michelin PR2 which I will have to replace soon. I think I will get the PR2 for front because the combo feels really true. Just my opinion.

04 FJR AE in Florida.

Mick

 

[SkooterG]

04 FJR AE in Florida.

Errrrrr..........NOT POSSIBLE.

 

[RadioHowie]

04 FJR AE in Florida.

Mick

Mick, you cornfoozed our poor GS rider, SkooterG.

Are you, indeed, riding an '04? If so, then it's not an AE. They didn't exist until '06.

Unless you cobbled one together from a wrecked bike.

Which begs the question, if you DID, then WHY?

 

[beemerdons]

04 FJR AE in Florida.

Mick

Mick, you cornfoozed our poor GS rider, SkooterG.

Are you, indeed, riding an '04? If so, then it's not an AE. They didn't exist until '06.

Unless you cobbled one together from a wrecked bike.

Which begs the question, if you DID, then WHY?

Because he is from Florida, You Doofus!

What other FL JackWagen did that too?

 

[RadioHowie]

04 FJR AE in Florida.

Mick

Mick, you cornfoozed our poor GS rider, SkooterG.

Are you, indeed, riding an '04? If so, then it's not an AE. They didn't exist until '06.

Unless you cobbled one together from a wrecked bike.

Which begs the question, if you DID, then WHY?

Because he is from Florida, You Doofus!

What other FL JackWagen did that too?

You forgetful old fart.....I put an 03 mill in my 04.....I didn't put an 06> YCCS motor in. Talk about a doofus!