What is the best tyre for the R1200R?

[qfman]

Now BMW are delivering R12Rs with a wide variety of rubber it's hard to know what is the best tyre for the bike. My rear Bridgestone 014 is nearly toast with less that 6000kms. A bit dissapointing and I never really liked the grip. I used Metzler Z6 for years on my last bike (R1150R) and loved their grip right up to 9000kms. Michelin Pilot Power seem OK but wear out in a few months and do not take well to being repaired with plugs etc. That Conti Road Attack looks trick but not sure how well they will last.

Has anyone got any recommendation for a tyre that is more Z6 than...... the Z6?

Tom

[celticus]

I am running Pirelli Scorpion Syn front and rear. I like them pretty well but don't know how long they will last.
Mark

[OlyVR]

After Chi-Town's endorsement I'm also running Pirelli Scorpion Syn front and rear.
So far I'm very happy with them.

The Metzelers that came on the bike lasted 7,600 miles (rear) before showing cords and 8,500 miles (front) before it was worn beyond my comfort level.

[ErikM]

Current hot lick sport touring tire is the new Michelin Pilot Road 2, I'm also hearing good things about the new Dunlop Road Smart.

[Lost Rider]

Glad to hear others like them too, since tires are a very subjective topic...
Right now my rear tire is toast, ( 4th one i've used up, 4800 miles) and I'm searching for a buell dealer to find one... can't have them delivered to a campground.
Here's my take on them:

http://r1150r.org/board/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=11956

[qfman]

Hmm the Scorpion looks interesting. I might give them a go if I can find a stockist here in Sydney. Thanks for the data

Tom

[ka5ysy]

I have the Conti Road Attacks on my bike from the factory. I changed the rear at 7,200 miles. Basic problem was the center wore flat. Front is still going strong at 10,000 miles.

These tires stick really, really well.

[mogu83]

I like the ones that are round with a lot of rubber and full of air.
Actually I have a set of Michelin Pilot Road 2s in the garage waiting to go on.
I'm looking at a trip that will involve a couple of miles of interstate so I figure I'll try a
dual compound type tire.

[sandycruz]

It seems like tires are as much a personal choice as oil. Each individual has their own requirements and their own favorites.

My riding seems to include a lot of freeway, and with that comes the phenomena of "squaring" off of the rear tire. I'm currently running Michelin Pilot Roads. Great tire so far, with the exception of the squaring. So with 4,900 miles on the tires, the squaring is starting to affect the turn-in and I'm looking at alternatives.

I guess I don't have much to complain about as I like the tires a lot, but I was thinking that a longer lasting would be good. So in scouting the web, I came across some forums where the Shinko 009 Raven was reviewed. Folks are getting 8 or 9K miles out of the Raven, and it looks like reasonable wet/dry performance, at least for the type of riding I do.

I'm toying with the idea of getting a Raven for my next tire and was wondering if anyone has had any experience with the Raven?

Thanks!!

[celticus]

ChiTown , Does the tire you are running have anything to do with all of the falling over you seem to do?
Mark

[mtl-R12R]

Very happy with the BT14s that my bike came with. When it is time to slip they let go gradually and predictably ... and when they hook up again they do so quite calmly.

I also find them to be quite good in the wet.

[CharlieO]

I replaced my R1200R original equipment tires, Michelin Road Pilots, at 10,000 miles with the latest dual compound Bridgestone BT-021. When I purchased the Bridgestones oil was not through the roof and the Bridgstones' were far cheaper. I have not looked at the comparative costs lately. I now have 6,000 miles on the 021's and they look like they will go beyond 10,000 miles. I do like to accelerate and feel the bikes power and I do like the twisties though I am not a peg dragger and the 021's do very well for my style of driving.
Charlie "O"

[markg]

Pirelli Diablo Stradas. 6000 miles on the set of aggressive riding. The rear is at the wear bars now, front has another couple thousand. Awesome tire.

They warm up quickly, great traction, and totally neutral steering. Cornering traction is only a fraction short of Metzeler M3's

[ShinySideUp]

[quote="Charlie "O""]I replaced my R1200R original equipment tires, Michelin Road Pilots, at 10,000 miles with the latest dual compound Bridgestone BT-021. When I purchased the Bridgestones oil was not through the roof and the Bridgstones' were far cheaper. I have not looked at the comparative costs lately. I now have 6,000 miles on the 021's and they look like they will go beyond 10,000 miles. I do like to accelerate and feel the bikes power and I do like the twisties though I am not a peg dragger and the 021's do very well for my style of driving.
Charlie "O"[/quote]

Hey Charlie, do keep us updated about the mileage you get out of these. I had some BT's (not dual compound) on my ST1100 and routinely got 10K miles out of them but they were pretty scary in the rain. Admittedly, a much heavier bike with less friendly handling. Have you had yours slide in the rain at all? Slide in the dry twisties?

I've been impressed the with the sticky predictability of the Conti Road Attacks, but would like to get more mileage (6K to cords), and maybe dual compounds would be the ticket. My local BMW shop says guys are geting 10K out of the Pilot Road 2's (also dual compound) on their K bikes.

Also, did you mount them yourself? The RA rear was a bear and I'm tempted to try the Scorpions simply because they're easier to mount!

[Lost Rider]

ChiTown , Does the tire you are running have anything to do with all of the falling over you seem to do?
Mark

I'm not sure about that, but I can tell you one thing, don't run the Shinko
005 Advance tire... With my Sync worn out and 3 plugs in it I was forced to get any 180 tire at the nearest dealer - a Kawasaki dealer. It's not like there's much of a choice in Montana...
The first picture is the day I mounted it, the second is after I wore it out in under 2000 miles, 6 days later. Oh, yeah, don't trying climbing mountains with the Shinko either...

Granted I wore it out in the most intense parts of my trip with extended high speed runs through the desert, lots of twisties, and of course the smoking it on rocks trying to climb a mountain at 11,500 feet didn't help - wish I would have had my Syncs... The Shinko was not confidence inspiring when riding Colorado twisties. I did get down, but also experienced the rear end sliding out a few times...










You guys talking about riding till you see cords.... scary. Have you ever felt how much rubber is left on the center line of a worn out tire once it's off the bike? It feels like a piece of thin poster board.
Mine gets replaced when it's close to the wear mark, yeah I could squeeze another 500 or 1000 miles out of a tire, but if I'm in a hospital because I went down on a worn out tire I'd feel kinda silly for trying to save a few bucks.
But hey to each his own.

[PhilSB]

My original rear, Michelin Pilot Road, was getting a bit low at 6,200 miles. Having a track day at Cadwell Park (lovely little twisty circuit) and the weather being showery I replaced it. On the road it would have gone for another 500+ miles. Having the new tyre made me realise how much the handling had gone off. I'm quite happy with the tyres and will consider a pair when needed,and perhaps a different make. Bridgestone 020 were good on my previous VFR800.

Phil

[Skippy]

I also like the road atacks my bike came on. Very grippy and nice handling. I'm always surprised how long it take sfor the abs to kick in under wet conditions and hard straight line braking.

[CharlieO]

Sorry about the late reply on the Brigestone BT-021's but here it is.
So far I have had no problems with the tires dry or wet. They seem to stick very well for me. I will say that I do not have any foot peg wear nor centerstand wear so I may not get down like some of you guys. I am leaving for Atlanta, Ga. then on to Front Royal, Va. with 6600 miles on the tires so I'll let you guys know what happens in the wear zone.
I have a friend who owns a tire machine he purchased from Harbor Freight that we used to change my tires and had no problems. I can say that if we would have done this using tire spoons it would have been difficult. The tire was tight in the final stages of fit. The tire machine we used only cost $65 and he has anchor sleeves in the concrete floor to mount the tire machine when it is needed. The machine is supported by three legs.
Charlie "O"