Tyres

Sorry if this is in the wrong place

Tyres, what tyres are you using for the winter and why?

I am a tyre tart and never stick to one make or model. I have tried most makes and various types to try and get a better idea of what a tyre is doing and how different profiles and rubbers perform. I have even run what many people call "ditch finders" otherwise known as Maxxis. To be honest they were not bad and did a pretty good job in all honesty especially for the money. I get about 1000-1200 miles from any set of tyres in the "supersport" range so get through roughly 3 sets a year. Im currently running a pair of Rennsports as they were cheap at £140 a set which are a 50 profile. They slide alot but its predictable so not to bad. I have only run one set of Michelins to date and hated every minute on them. They were the pilot 2cts but found they moved around all the time so finding the limit of grip was a guessing game. Did Snetterton on them and felt like i was going to crash every corner. But people love them so personell choice i guess. I have tried 50/55/and 60 but the 60 made the R1 head shake all the way up to 140+ under hard accelaration (not nice). Some warm up quicker than others and some have no cold grip at all. I know that sounds a funny thing to say but any metzeler grips reasonably well straight out the garage where a Dunlop will not.

Here are some of the tyres i have tried









Whats your favourite tyres so far??

 

Old faves used to be pirelli s2's that I pinched off leila after each meet at they were cheap and smoked up nice

Had a set of metzler m3's on a gixxer for about 300miles and hated them (although the rear had a puncture) then ran 207's because I got em cheap.

Frank has a set of maxxis diamonds on now, surprisingly sharp profile for the compound but working well so far with the uprated suspension.

On the road it doesn't make much difference what you run, long as you like them.

 

pilot road 2 2ct's were crap on a 03 r1.im now useing pilot sport 2ct on a zx10r .this time of year im finding grip hit and miss with the lower temps/crap on the road.

 

Yes roads are very greasy this time of year but I found the michelins to be like you were sliding all the time. I can best describe it as "wriggling" round the bends which was very disconcerting!! Would like to try the Pure Ones as love the tread cuts

 

i ran 675 daytona on the pure's mega grip but tyre wear under 1500 on the rear then put on pilot sports 2ct no real difference on the road for me

 

This was my Michelin tyre

 

I ran 2ct's without any issues on the roads and trackday's (mid of inters).
Picture of me at Brands going around Druids on the 2ct's;



When I pushed the pace on trackday's (front of inters) they would slide on their sides and I couldn't hold good corner speed, the way around it was to pick the bike up mid corner but that worn the tyre as can be seen in the picture below;



That's when I knew to move on to sticker tires i.e Supercorsa pro's.

I've heard good things about Sportsmarts but I haven't used them yet.

 

I had Diablo Corsas when i got my Honda. They felt great (it was late spring, so warmer) but they just shredded within 2 months. After much research on the CB1000R forum (they also liked Pilots) ,i thought id try Dunlop Roadsmarts. Got 6k from my first set, To me, they feel great, give confidence and get warm quickish also seem to wear evenly. They seem fine in the wet, but then i never push my luck to far then anyway. Ill have another set

 

My poor eyes

 

We were trying out fancy dress outfits for a party, this was my Michelin man

I found them to move around alot. Did motocross for 17 years so don't mind the bike sliding but need a nice feedback from the tyre to know where they are at as far as letting go. Think tyres are very personell choice really

 

I agree with you 100%, tyres are a very personal thing, I dislike Dunlop 207's they came with my 600rr 05 as oem tyres and I don't like the qualifiers on my Blade, they feel too flat a profile and are very wooden feeling to me.

 

Yep had the 207,208 the qualifiers and 209 gp's found them ok ish but cr*p when cold and the qualifiers slide when only slightly worn Your rear tyre in that picture looked chewed up, was that the Indy or full circuit at brands??

 

The picture of the 2ct's was after a day at Lydden Hill, which is a very abrasive surface.
My rear Super Corsa Pro in SC2 comp also after 1 day at Lydden;



I have only done the Indy circuit at Brands and evening one's at that, was told I did high 58 -mid 59's which is not too bad.

 

Never ridden either lidden or brands but they say anything close to the minute is a good time for the Indy. Only done snetterton 300 last year and did 2.19's on K3's, wanted sc2 rear sc1 front but got the 3's as a swop for bsb tickets in a raffle so didn't complain

 

gonna make ya laugh...i just got hold of a set of racetech k3's which have done 1 outlap at brands before it started raining so they got swapped out for wets by........................wait for it ..............shakey byrne.
cost for the pair...£100 ...theyll do for the 1400 to munch

 

Jammey doesn't even come close

 

K3's are still good



Lydden Hill suits smaller bikes, I could never hold the same corner speed around there as my brother on his Aprillia RS250 until I got the Supercorsa Pro's.