Joined Oct 2010
446 Posts | 0+
Edinburgh
Depends on your riding really
I love the dunlop qualifier 2 of which 3 sets have been on the wifes then TnT but they are kind of aimed at sports tourers/ street bikes
Although the guy from superbike mag had them on his zx10r and loved them
So if your not the fastest but want decent grip and some decent milage look at them
Other than that what i do is just look around for a good deal and anything in the supersports catagory will be good.
Last year my dealer had pirelli suprcorsa BSB's for £170 so i went for them for road and track and they have been fine. A very steep profile on these so they turn in real fast so not really that good for rainy days
People get so inane about tyres but are you/they good enough to feel any real difference. Seems to our "thing" in the uk but in the US its oil that they get all silly about
I love the dunlop qualifier 2 of which 3 sets have been on the wifes then TnT but they are kind of aimed at sports tourers/ street bikes
Although the guy from superbike mag had them on his zx10r and loved them
So if your not the fastest but want decent grip and some decent milage look at them
Other than that what i do is just look around for a good deal and anything in the supersports catagory will be good.
Last year my dealer had pirelli suprcorsa BSB's for £170 so i went for them for road and track and they have been fine. A very steep profile on these so they turn in real fast so not really that good for rainy days
People get so inane about tyres but are you/they good enough to feel any real difference. Seems to our "thing" in the uk but in the US its oil that they get all silly about
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Joined Oct 2010
38 Posts | 0+
When I was looking for a new set I just looked at last years tyres as they were normally on offer. I have found that people get a little bent out of shape over having the best rubber however for 99% of riders, we never get anywhere near what most tyres can do!
Joined Oct 2010
55 Posts | 0+
Kent UK
I run Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsa's on my 07, I rate them. Quick warm up, stable, good feel and seem to be wearing well. I don't ride the RSV in the rain though if I can help it, so although the reports say they're good in the wet I can't comment.
I think the latest crop of supersport tyres all on pretty much on par with one another really. It's as much down to what tread pattern you prefer as to how good they are. You won't get near the level of performance they offer on an average ride out to tell much differance. Wear rate might be the only deciding factor.
I think the latest crop of supersport tyres all on pretty much on par with one another really. It's as much down to what tread pattern you prefer as to how good they are. You won't get near the level of performance they offer on an average ride out to tell much differance. Wear rate might be the only deciding factor.
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Agreed it is a very personal choice and most of us wont use the full potential of the tyre anyway, previously ive always run pirrellis, fireblade ran diablo superdragon pro(think discont now) on the rsvr(07 fac) ran pirelli diablo supercorsa for fast road and track use, only in dry though, quick warm up and super confidence inspiring grip, although wear rate was poor, took a leap of faith recently,as said love pirellis but they dont last long enough for me ,went for the new dunlop sportsmart..as yet not managed enough miles to give a true representation and get the full feel of them but initial feedback is positive, was drawn to these as they offer superb grip as well as a better wear as they are a multi compound tire, harder compound in centre of tire for motorway distances etc and softer and gripper on the edges when and where you need it in the twisties....got march2011 bike magazine page124 tyre chooser, bike mag say quote "the most versatile tyre weve tested. works well on our s1000rr and our multistrada, on road and track. our first 5 star tyre" as where for comparison pirelli diablo supercorsa and diablo rosso corsa only get 4star, i was surprised too
Tyre threads kinda puzzle me.
Personally i would only use info from someone that i know, and how they ride, i am sure there is a broad spectrum of different riding abilities on all forums, therefore how do you judge a tyre based on a post from an unknown rider:confused
You read of guys that get over 5k from a rear etc. and others that get 1k, OK the guy getting 5k is not really using the throttle much, so we get an idea from that, but the guy getting 1k we assume is giving it the beans, but is he just ripping it up when bolt upright all the time?
If so he is not using the edge of the tyre, therefore not a good indicator of a tyres performance, does he even ride in the wet?
You are better having a serious think about the kind of riding you are doing and what you want to achieve from a tyre, once you have an answer to that then start looking for a tyre that falls into that category.
Tyres are part of the bling for some riders, they want the look of the tyre, or a 190 over a 180 for instance, well only if yer a poseur:devious.
Oh, and i got over 9000 miles out of my last set before anyone asks:nana
Personally i would only use info from someone that i know, and how they ride, i am sure there is a broad spectrum of different riding abilities on all forums, therefore how do you judge a tyre based on a post from an unknown rider:confused
You read of guys that get over 5k from a rear etc. and others that get 1k, OK the guy getting 5k is not really using the throttle much, so we get an idea from that, but the guy getting 1k we assume is giving it the beans, but is he just ripping it up when bolt upright all the time?
If so he is not using the edge of the tyre, therefore not a good indicator of a tyres performance, does he even ride in the wet?
You are better having a serious think about the kind of riding you are doing and what you want to achieve from a tyre, once you have an answer to that then start looking for a tyre that falls into that category.
Tyres are part of the bling for some riders, they want the look of the tyre, or a 190 over a 180 for instance, well only if yer a poseur:devious.
Oh, and i got over 9000 miles out of my last set before anyone asks:nana
Joined Oct 2010
55 Posts | 0+
Kent UK
From peoples reports on the Metzeler Racetech K3 its not a tyre that lasts very long on the road, most of the guys I know that have tried them have mentioned that they only got around 2k out of them. These are a single compound tyre designed for endurance track / fast road, so you wont see great mileage out of them.
When its time to replace them try out a set of dual compound tyres, eg - Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsa, Mitchelin 2CT / Pure's, Dunlop Sports smart etc. You wont run out of grip with any of these on the road, and they should last longer.
You might also want to get the front end looked at, as it could be a set up issue :thumbup.
Joined Feb 2011
7 Posts | 0+
Tried all of them except Dunlop, my opinion is that the lasr good Dunlop was D207 RR, an old tyre but very good...but to get back to the subject.
I was even considering a sport touring tyre, but dont think it is safe to put on a sportbike and compatible with my driving style.
Perhaps Pirelli next time....lol.
I was even considering a sport touring tyre, but dont think it is safe to put on a sportbike and compatible with my driving style.
Perhaps Pirelli next time....lol.
Metzeler K3 are really soft for road use I would of thought. I thought they were more of a track day tyre. I wouldn'y run them on the road unless you are going nuts.
Joined Jul 2009
659 Posts | 0+
Sauchie near Stirling in Scotland
Hi gunny since your a metzeler man have you thought of the sporttec m3 or even m5 depending on your wallet i ride in the wet ,dry and track and im impressed with the feedback i get and the milage , i always have plenty of warning when the back end starts to go and in the wet they are gr eat fun i currently get around 2500 out of the rear and about 5000 out of the front , hope this helps a little
Bryan
Bryan
Joined Jul 2009
659 Posts | 0+
Sauchie near Stirling in Scotland
Joined May 2009
472 Posts | 0+
Slovakia
you finally started to drive normally i would say. also some of the new multicompound tiresets contain multiple compounds only on the rear tire and the front is a single compound tire (Dunlop Sportmax GP for example)
i run Dunlop sportmax qualifier RR and have ordered the sportmax q2 now just because pirellis are more expensive, metzelers are for bmw users and i do not want french tires on an italian bike
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Joined Jul 2009
659 Posts | 0+
Sauchie near Stirling in Scotland
MMMMMM metzeler for bmw's me thinks someones been sniffin the glue i didnt know the 2010 british superstock bikes were all bmws:devious:nana:nana
Unless you doing trackdays etc...Dunlop Roadsmarts work great...nice profile and great mileage in any weather.
Using Pirelli Rosso Corsa at the moment...lovely in the dry but numb in the wet / cold...just watch the tyre pressures.
racetecs wont last on the road unless the pressures are right....K3's should be ok though...used a K2 front with K3 rear and got about 2500 miles from the rear with easily room for 1000 more on the front. However i wouldn't use them again....makes the bike too dependant on weather etc and just spoils the fun factor.
Using Pirelli Rosso Corsa at the moment...lovely in the dry but numb in the wet / cold...just watch the tyre pressures.
racetecs wont last on the road unless the pressures are right....K3's should be ok though...used a K2 front with K3 rear and got about 2500 miles from the rear with easily room for 1000 more on the front. However i wouldn't use them again....makes the bike too dependant on weather etc and just spoils the fun factor.
Joined Mar 2011
8 Posts | 0+
Spalding, Lincs
I know tyres are such a personal thing, it's my job to know them!!! But, I'd gladly give you a few recommendations, based on my experience, expertise and knowledge of what works well. However, I don't know the individual riders, how their bikes are set up or any other personal information. So, it's very difficult to say the definitive answer is........
But, for fast road and track use, try the new Bridgestone BT003 R10. It's called the new "Racing" tyre, with road legal markings too. The initial reports and feedback say this is going to be a head-on contender for the Racetec, but with added mileage and great road use too.
However, Michelin Power One's also take some beating, stick a "B" on the rear and a "V" on the front for fast turn in and good grip. Not great in the wet and limited road life, but, a great summer use tyre.
Or, if you like Metzeler, try the Sportec M5 Interact. This has replaced the M3 from last year and has 5 compounds!!!!! A superb tyre, great in the wet too and good fun on track. I fitted a pair of these to a Ducati at Brands Hatch last week and he was grinning from ear to ear on a damp track.
Of the three, I'd order them as 1 = Bridgestone 2 = Metzeler and 3 = Michelin.
If anybody has any particular questions, please feel free to ask, I'll do my utmost to answer them and be of some use with your tyre requirements.
But, for fast road and track use, try the new Bridgestone BT003 R10. It's called the new "Racing" tyre, with road legal markings too. The initial reports and feedback say this is going to be a head-on contender for the Racetec, but with added mileage and great road use too.
However, Michelin Power One's also take some beating, stick a "B" on the rear and a "V" on the front for fast turn in and good grip. Not great in the wet and limited road life, but, a great summer use tyre.
Or, if you like Metzeler, try the Sportec M5 Interact. This has replaced the M3 from last year and has 5 compounds!!!!! A superb tyre, great in the wet too and good fun on track. I fitted a pair of these to a Ducati at Brands Hatch last week and he was grinning from ear to ear on a damp track.
Of the three, I'd order them as 1 = Bridgestone 2 = Metzeler and 3 = Michelin.
If anybody has any particular questions, please feel free to ask, I'll do my utmost to answer them and be of some use with your tyre requirements.
