Well it's time .... Tire time. The last two sets have have been PR-2's. With the new tires from Metz, an others out , what should I look at. I ride aggressively one up and normally get 7500 to 8000 per set. Thanks for the help
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CAJW
Well-known member
Pirelli Angels. I like 'em.
leedavis
Well-known member
This is why there's NERPT. Not to be a dick but "aggresive" doesn't mean much and a list of people's favorite tire doesn't mean much either. Everyone will tell you they're a spirited rider which can be anything from 5 mph over the speed limit to go-to-jail-right-now. What did you like/dislike about the PR2's...do you want a more aggresive tire...do you prefer higher mileage...what are the roads like in your area...what is your typical ride profile?
For example: I ride Carolina twisties almost exclusively on smooth asphalt to chipseal roads so I'd love to run all soft compounds but having done so they only last 2k which is a PITA and expensive. I could probably get 4k out of a PR2 but every so often I break traction so that choice wouldn't be safe. My compromise is a Roadsmart rear (medium soft) and Conti-Motion front (soft).
For example: I ride Carolina twisties almost exclusively on smooth asphalt to chipseal roads so I'd love to run all soft compounds but having done so they only last 2k which is a PITA and expensive. I could probably get 4k out of a PR2 but every so often I break traction so that choice wouldn't be safe. My compromise is a Roadsmart rear (medium soft) and Conti-Motion front (soft).
just curious why you aren't considering the PR2s again...
wheatonFJR
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Might be the same reason that leedavis gave.
I'm a little less aggressive on the bike, so I'll give PR2s one more shot. But I think I'll give leedavis's combo a try after that.
Out of curiosity. what can you get out of a roadsmart rear for mileage?
Reason I'm asking is because I've had 2 or 3 of those on the back of my '05 (matched with Pirelli Stradas up front) and wore them out at ~ 7k each as I recall. But I've got around 9k out of the last few PR2s. I do wear out the sides of any of these dual compound tires before the center comes close, but clearly I'm not quite as aggressive at it as you.
Still, none of the dual compound tires are really designed for folks like us. The design concept is to give you a center stripe of hard rubber so you don't square them off on the interstate. If you spend all of your time on the sides of the tire you never make use of that, and they wear just as fast as single compound tires of the similar (medium soft) compound.
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wheatonFJR
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Dual compound tires were made for us guys in Wheaton that have to take a three-day trip just to see a curvy road.
leedavis
Well-known member
It's almost spooky...I got 3400 out of 5 rear Roadsmarts in a row so I don't bother recording mileage with them any more. I tend to wear out the Conti fronts on the right side, the Roadsmart rears evenly from edge to edge.
A handful of riders on this forum can safely test tires past their limits. I'm not one of those so when I find something that works I tend to stick with it because it gives me known parameters. Dunlop came out with a Roadsmart II which is tempting but I'll probably wait for the price to get reasonable before giving them a go.
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Ah, OK. So you don't get any better mileage out of the roadsmart (than I'd have expected) either. That makes sense.
My first RS / Strada set was one-up at EOM '09 in Lewisburg, WV. I was really surprised to see how rolled up and ratty they got on the sides with the low (flat) profile they have, but they sure did feel good and sticky the whole time. I don't think I got all that many miles out of that particular rear, but we did do some slab (for a half day) to get home.
RadioHowie
I Miss Beemerdons!
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LAF
Well-known member
I am running Z8's and love them. Ran PR2 for 10,500 miles. Loved them too.
Right now with about 1000 miles I can say I truly love the Z8's and they may become my tire if they wear well with no issues.
Of course I will have to run out the set of PR2's I have in stock first.................
Right now with about 1000 miles I can say I truly love the Z8's and they may become my tire if they wear well with no issues.
Of course I will have to run out the set of PR2's I have in stock first.................
Something I don't find in these tire threads is many opinions on ride quality of all the different brands/models that are run. This being my first FJR I have no personal comparison but I find the 40lb. pressures in the PR2's cause a fairly harsh ride even with the comp. damping on the lighter side (tires are at about half life). I save my really fast riding for the track so I'm not so concerned about a maximum traction tire, nor am I looking for a maximum mileage one either, but I would like to find a more compliant one than the PR2's among the popular choices that folks run. I know that "Ride Quality" in a subjective opinion with several variables but has anyone found, in general, a softer riding tire compared to the PR2's given the recommended pressures? Thanks.
leedavis
Well-known member
Except for a few infamous front tires that turn the bike into a wheel barrow half way through their life I never found tires making a noticeable difference in the ride. The problem with the stock FJR is that it's under sprung so the suspension isn't working as it should. Tires can't alleviate that. I ignorantly ran the stock suspension for too long before finally giving in and going to aftermarket. Unfortunately, that's the only real cure but even with that you'll have to adjust the suspension for weight, plush, sporty, etc depending on what you're doing.
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MajBach
Well-known member
I was about to ask the same question as well as how did you like the Metz compared to the PR 2s?
I put a almost 16,000 miles on my bike last year and at least 10,000 of those were on the PR2s. They wore quite evenly and was leaning towards sticking with them since I do a lot of highway driving but then get aggressive one I hit the twisties. I found the cupping to be severe but I don't have anything to compare it to nor do I know of a problem with cupping aside from the noise. I also typically have heavy loads.
On a similar topic, has anyone from Canada ever ordered from SWMoto? Do they deliver to the door? Duty?
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