Tire advice

[Randy]

As for the motorcycle tire that began this thread - If the rear were to still have tread, no one would suggest to change the front based on heat cycles, so why now? Considering all the variables that could have contributed to the earlier demise of the rear vs. the front, I don't find any correlation dictating the change of the front. With available information regarding the front tire in this thread, I have seen no scientific reasoning that would dictate change. It's all preference.

You're exactly right - it's all preference. The subject of the thread said 'what would you do'. I would change it based on my experience. I've had fronts with lots of miles that had tread left, but, didn't perform as good as a new tire. Coming from a sportbike where I was changing tires every 2500-3000 miles, I'm more than happy to get 6000-7000 out of a set. Again, that's what I would do.

 

[madmike2]

As for the Pilot Roads cupping, many, many, on this forum have reported excellent results using the Pilot Roads with nary a complaint about cupping.

I've not had any trouble with cupping on the PRs. The 'Stones sucked..through the handlebars I could feel the "cupping" vibrate against the pavement. Yuck!

 

[Scab]

You got that right, madmike! My stones were cupped so bad you had a constant left-right shimmy in the front. Don't dare take your hands off the bars! I put the new Avons on and DAAAYUUM! The front feels much lighter and requires very little steering input or effort. The bike will lean over and hang a curve so easy now it's almost as if by thought alone.

 

[exskibum]

You got that right, madmike!  My stones were cupped so bad you had a constant left-right shimmy in the front.  Don't dare take your hands off the bars!  I put the new Avons on and DAAAYUUM!  The front feels much lighter and requires very little steering input or effort.  The bike will lean over and hang a curve so easy now it's almost as if by thought alone.

Yep, with just about 5,100 miles on my Feejer, I just got done replacing the rear OEM 020 Stone with another, figuring (when I bought the new rear tire) that the front 020 would last until the second rear is toast. But just as you guys have said, the front has significant cupping already. The worst I've seen of what Scab mentioned was a Pilot Sport on the front of my '97 XX -- with about 6,200 miles on it, there was a little tread left all over the tire, but it was so scalloped that it did just what you mentioned: made the bike feel like there was something wrong with the front end for all the wobble it wanted to induce.

When the Stones I now have on my Feejer are done, I have a new set of Pilot Roads ready to put on it.

 

[FJRocha]

I didn't like the thread as it looks more prone to cupping than the Pilot power.

On the tread appearance. Now go be a good guinea pig and keep us informed!

To avoid highjacking this thread, I will start a new one just for the follow ups on the Pilot Power tires: >>>NEW THREAD<<<