Yep.. Must have mis-read that one (thanks for the correction). :exclaim:RandyJ said:
Interesting that (using the Michelen tire finder) the only two tires suggested by Michelen for the Super Tenree are the PR3 Trail and the Anakee 2.
Best Street Oriented Tires?
- Thread starter MotoPumps
- Start date
Interesting that (using the Michelen tire finder) the only two tires suggested by Michelen for the Super Tenree are the PR3 Trail and the Anakee 2.
R
RandyJ
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I'm just happy that a decent street tire is available for this bike. I hope it stays that way for many years.
MikeBear
New Member
There must be difference in compound . My front says Trail on the wall. :question:RandyJ said:
scott123007
Well-Known Member
Only the 19" front says TRAIL on the sidewall, the other fronts don't. Same compound.MikeBear said:
MikeBear
New Member
I see. Thanksscott123007 said:
Just in case it is not clear from the preceding, there is no Pilot Road 3 non-trail in a 19" front. The Pilot Road 3 Trail is the only game in town. In the back, there is a non-trail and you could use either, but personally, I'd match them up and get Trails on both ends.
I doubt there is a whole heck of a lot of difference.
And final off-hand comment.... what a silly name for a tire: Pilot Road 3 Trail. If Michelin were naming our bikes, we'd all be riding the Yamaha Street Enduro.
- Mark
I doubt there is a whole heck of a lot of difference.
And final off-hand comment.... what a silly name for a tire: Pilot Road 3 Trail. If Michelin were naming our bikes, we'd all be riding the Yamaha Street Enduro.
- Mark
viewdvb
New Member
Re: Dunlop Roadsmarts not having the correct 19" front; they do here in the UK - I've just got one. Re-check the availability carefully. It is hard to believe they don't bring them in to the US. I don't know about America but there are NO true sports tyres in the UK for the front of the S10. When you think about it, why would there be? The typical sport touring tyre (whatever your favourite) seems just fine for grip before things ground and handles fine. I use my bike for touring so I've been using Conti Road Attack IIs and am just giving Dunlop Roadsmarts a try. Maybe PR3s after that. I am awestruck by the mileages some of you quote. I've never got better than 5000 miles from a rear on the S10 and that is up from 3500-4000 on my last FJR1300. My ST1300 managed about 5000 but only because I stuck to the original spec Bridgestones which seemed to be at least 30% concrete. I know that riding styles make a big difference but I honestly don't think I push it that hard and I certainly don't cane the throttle, not at our European fuel prices!
viewdvb said:
Amen, Bruddah! Amen!
I've never gotten better than 5,800 miles out of a rear tire on my Super Tenere, and that was the original Metzler Tourance EXP. I often get my best mileage out of the first rear tire on a new bike because that's when I'm being most gentle with it and learning its traits. I've got over 26,000 miles on my S-10 now and I average about 5,000 to 5,500 miles per rear, about 11,000 miles on a a front. I've run the same Metzler Tourance EXP's the bike's entire life. They work great for me and seem like a good compromise for my riding, which is about 85 to 90% on-road, and about 10 to 15% off-road.
My jaw drops when I read of people getting 8,000, 9,000, 10,000, and even 11,000 miles out of a rear tire on the a Super Tenere. I'm an old road racer so I am fanatical about tire pressures so I know mine are always pretty close to spot on. I've experimented a bit with them to see if mileage improved, but so far running them very close - if not right on - the max pressure seems to return the best longevity. Doesn't seem to hurt handling, either, except off-road, but I can live with that. I just wish they'd last longer than 5,000 miles or so. I've thought of trying some others, but so far I haven't heard of any that have made me want to switch.
Dallara
~
scott123007
Well-Known Member
Roads vary and that accounts for some of the discrepancy in tire longevity, but by far, the differences are at the different levels that we ride. I can assure you that anyone that averages 8-10k out of a rear tire just doesn't ride at the same level of "spirit 
" as does the 4-5k rider. Riding just 3 or 4 mph faster on average down a twisty road than the next guy, is probably 20 percent harder on your tire.
" as does the 4-5k rider. Riding just 3 or 4 mph faster on average down a twisty road than the next guy, is probably 20 percent harder on your tire.
viewdvb
New Member
I agree wholeheartedly but the only way I'm ever going to get 10,000 miles out of a rear is to switch the engine off and walk alongside pushing!scott123007 said:Roads vary and that accounts for some of the discrepancy in tire longevity, but by far, the differences are at the different levels that we ride. I can assure you that anyone that averages 8-10k out of a rear tire just doesn't ride at the same level of "spirit
EricV
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Road surface is certainly a part of the equation. I'm one of those guys that always got 10k out of a rear tire on the FJR, and changed tires if I couldn't, never using the POS that wore out sooner again. I got ~7200 from the oem EXPs and didn't care for the tire's wet grip or wear patterns. Could have gone more, but I had swapped them out at 300 miles or so for a set of K60's and after wearing the EXPs down, couldn't get back to K60s fast enough. I got 12k out of two K60 rears and they had a bit more life left. I also got closer to 10k out of a third, taking it pretty much all the way down to the wear bars. That tire's life started with an agressive 2k ride in NV at higher than normal speeds, coarser pavement and high temps for the daytime portions of it. I lost 3/32" in just the first 2k miles on that tire.
edit -just noticed my typo 10k, not 19k!
Another factor between UK riders and US riders is distance during rides. I may not hit the brakes a half dozen times in 1k miles on some rides. Often US riders simply go on longer rides as an average. I think we all know that braking and acceleration are components of tire wear too. Dallera has high summer heat and coarse pavement conditions to contend with, but he also has some pretty good twisty bits of road in that area. Trail braking and accelerating out of corners will add to wear. I rarely ride that way, since I'm more often traveling, often with the wife, so tend to ride the Pace and am pretty smooth with the throttle and rarely use the brakes unless I'm coming to a stop.
I think anyone can get longer wear, but most of us ride for the fun aspects of it. If your version of fun means less tire wear, is that really a bad thing?
Some of the VStrom guys are running car tires on the back. I did that with the wider FJR rear wheel to good results, getting 40k from all season performance tires. I'm not sold on trying that on the Super Ten primarily due to the narrow wheel. At least the FJR's wheel fell within the recommended width for the tire I was running, 205/50-17, which is pretty much the only common size available in 17" here in the US.
I got ~7200 from the oem EXPs and didn't care for the tire's wet grip or wear patterns. Could have gone more, but I had swapped them out at 300 miles or so for a set of K60's and after wearing the EXPs down, couldn't get back to K60s fast enough. I got 12k out of two K60 rears and they had a bit more life left. I also got closer to 10k out of a third, taking it pretty much all the way down to the wear bars. That tire's life started with an agressive 2k ride in NV at higher than normal speeds, coarser pavement and high temps for the daytime portions of it. I lost 3/32" in just the first 2k miles on that tire.edit -just noticed my typo 10k, not 19k!
Another factor between UK riders and US riders is distance during rides. I may not hit the brakes a half dozen times in 1k miles on some rides. Often US riders simply go on longer rides as an average. I think we all know that braking and acceleration are components of tire wear too. Dallera has high summer heat and coarse pavement conditions to contend with, but he also has some pretty good twisty bits of road in that area. Trail braking and accelerating out of corners will add to wear. I rarely ride that way, since I'm more often traveling, often with the wife, so tend to ride the Pace and am pretty smooth with the throttle and rarely use the brakes unless I'm coming to a stop.
I think anyone can get longer wear, but most of us ride for the fun aspects of it. If your version of fun means less tire wear, is that really a bad thing?
Some of the VStrom guys are running car tires on the back. I did that with the wider FJR rear wheel to good results, getting 40k from all season performance tires. I'm not sold on trying that on the Super Ten primarily due to the narrow wheel. At least the FJR's wheel fell within the recommended width for the tire I was running, 205/50-17, which is pretty much the only common size available in 17" here in the US.
viewdvb
New Member
I've seen postings elsewhere concerning the use of car tyres on bikes and I don't see a problem in theory. In practice, there are several problems. I am damn sure that my insurers would decline any claim if they found I was using car tyres. I am pretty sure that it is not legal, at least in the UK. Doesn't have the correct DOT wording on the sidewalls? Last, I once designed and built a three wheeled car using the rear drive, swingarm and wheel from the donor bike engine. I initally fitted a car tyre of course and it worked fine. When I came to replacing it, the fitters simply couldn't get the bead to pop out correctly on the new tyre and ended up using so much pressure that it split the sidewall. Further enquiries revealed that the specified diameter at the rim for a car wheel was several millimeters smaller than that of a tubeless bike wheel of the same nominal size3. It follows that you need to be lucky to get a car tyre to actually go on and, even if you do, the bead is probably dangerously stressed. Not a good thing with just two wheels to rely on!!
EricV
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Relative to CTs on bikes. Legality - you need to understand what the requirements of your particular location are. The UK has more stringent inspection requirements than the US. In the US, there is no legal issue against running a CT on a bike. As far as I understand, the DOT wording on a CT is the same as the DOT wording on a Moto tire. The ratings on the tire are for load, temperature and treadwear ratings, and the DOT info is date of manufacture.
Insurance - speak to your insurance representative personally and make your own informed decision. In the US, unless the accident is clearly a tire related issue, it's not going to be an issue. My Ins. Co. accident investigator simple said he looks at the tires to see if they are round and black and have tread. He has no concern about brand or suitability, that's simply not part of his job.
I've run into shops that would refuse to install a CT on a bike wheel, but there are ways around that. As to fit and function at the bead, I have had no issues with getting the CT bead to seal on a proper width wheel. As I have said, I'm not sold on running the CT on the narrow Super Ten wheel, as the size available in the US is rated for no smaller than 5.5", IIRC.
Your previous experience is somewhat dated. I suspect you were attempting to mount a tubeless radial tire on a moto wheel designed for a bias ply tube type tire. At least in the tires in modern radial sizes, the diameters are no different. CTs and Moto tires in tubeless designs have somewhat different bead shapes, but much of this has to do with the rim protection built into many modern CTs. The CT will fit the Moto wheel such that more rubber is outside the edge of the wheel, but the sealing area is right where it is supposed to be. Auto wheels have a longer lip on the rim, but this does not impact how the tire seats on the wheel or it's ability to stay on the wheel. In my personal experience mounting CTs on moto wheels, getting the second bead on takes some experience and technique, but it's not going to come off unless you are taking it off.
Like moto tires, CTs vary widely in feel and suitability. Choosing a CT with a more rounded edge profile makes the bike handle much better than a very square edge design. Many modern CTs are fairly square shaped to give better tread life.
Traction wise, the CT is far superior to any moto tire. More tread blocks means it handles wet and marginal conditions like sand on pavement much, much better than any moto tire. You never ride on the edge of the tire, a common misconception, and typically even at peg scraping levels of lean, you still have a third of the tread or more on the ground. There are some handling quirks of a CT. Transitions across edges or angles require a bit more attention and typically it takes more pressure on the bars to engage a turn, but once muscle memory is formed, this is not a conscious thing.
CTs are not a choice for most riders, and that's as it should be. But for many, it's a proven option. Finding a replacement CT in the middle of no where is far easier than finding a Moto tire. They last longer, and handle a wider variety of conditions better than moto tires that tend to be more specifically designed for road or trail, etc.
I now return you to your topic of best street oriented tires for the Super Tenere. I have 4500 miles on a set of PR-3 Trails and so far am impressed by how the rear is holding up to a lot of slab riding. It's showing some wear, but isn't squared off. That's an improvement over many other Sport/Touring tires I've run on other bikes.
Insurance - speak to your insurance representative personally and make your own informed decision. In the US, unless the accident is clearly a tire related issue, it's not going to be an issue. My Ins. Co. accident investigator simple said he looks at the tires to see if they are round and black and have tread. He has no concern about brand or suitability, that's simply not part of his job.
I've run into shops that would refuse to install a CT on a bike wheel, but there are ways around that. As to fit and function at the bead, I have had no issues with getting the CT bead to seal on a proper width wheel. As I have said, I'm not sold on running the CT on the narrow Super Ten wheel, as the size available in the US is rated for no smaller than 5.5", IIRC.
Your previous experience is somewhat dated. I suspect you were attempting to mount a tubeless radial tire on a moto wheel designed for a bias ply tube type tire. At least in the tires in modern radial sizes, the diameters are no different. CTs and Moto tires in tubeless designs have somewhat different bead shapes, but much of this has to do with the rim protection built into many modern CTs. The CT will fit the Moto wheel such that more rubber is outside the edge of the wheel, but the sealing area is right where it is supposed to be. Auto wheels have a longer lip on the rim, but this does not impact how the tire seats on the wheel or it's ability to stay on the wheel. In my personal experience mounting CTs on moto wheels, getting the second bead on takes some experience and technique, but it's not going to come off unless you are taking it off.
Like moto tires, CTs vary widely in feel and suitability. Choosing a CT with a more rounded edge profile makes the bike handle much better than a very square edge design. Many modern CTs are fairly square shaped to give better tread life.
Traction wise, the CT is far superior to any moto tire. More tread blocks means it handles wet and marginal conditions like sand on pavement much, much better than any moto tire. You never ride on the edge of the tire, a common misconception, and typically even at peg scraping levels of lean, you still have a third of the tread or more on the ground. There are some handling quirks of a CT. Transitions across edges or angles require a bit more attention and typically it takes more pressure on the bars to engage a turn, but once muscle memory is formed, this is not a conscious thing.
CTs are not a choice for most riders, and that's as it should be. But for many, it's a proven option. Finding a replacement CT in the middle of no where is far easier than finding a Moto tire. They last longer, and handle a wider variety of conditions better than moto tires that tend to be more specifically designed for road or trail, etc.
I now return you to your topic of best street oriented tires for the Super Tenere. I have 4500 miles on a set of PR-3 Trails and so far am impressed by how the rear is holding up to a lot of slab riding. It's showing some wear, but isn't squared off. That's an improvement over many other Sport/Touring tires I've run on other bikes.
Hey Mr V-
Taking into account your current experience with the PR3 Trail and previous use of the Conti RA, which would you choose now?
Rob
Taking into account your current experience with the PR3 Trail and previous use of the Conti RA, which would you choose now?
Rob
EricV
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Hi Rob, I like the turn in on the Conti RA better than the PR-3. The Conti feels more neutral to me. I feel wet traction is comparable, with a slight edge to the PR-3.MotoPumps said:
At this point, I don't know how many miles I'll get from the PR-3, but would expect a reasonable 10k from the rear Conti, though my previous experience was with the original RA, not the current RA II.
If handling was more important than mileage, I'd choose the Conti.
viewdvb
New Member
Comment on the Road Attack IIs. Great tyres for grip and acceptable wear rate BUT the rear has a 17mm-non treaded strip down the centre and there is NO WAY to tell how much the centre of the tyre is worn. The untreaded portion gets wider with wear as it eats up a little of the start of the side treads but that is no clear indicator. I put this problem to Conti as a safety issue and their reply can be summarised as "so what!". So no more Conti RA2s for me.
Swagger
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I'm gonna get me some of the Dunlop Roadsmart II's for my trip to West France in September as it'll be all slab riding. I've used them on other bikes ... mainly commute scoots so they have good mileage characteristics plus decent wet and dry ability.
A little PR3 experience. I ran the first leg of the IBR on PR3 front and back, then continued in the front with a Tourance on the rear.
I loved the PR3. And with 3k on it when I switched out, it still looked new. The Tourance was much more "vibey".
If I had it to do over again, I believe I would have run the whole 10k on the PR3 pair.
Rusty B
Kennewick Fire Dept
2013 IBR Rider
I loved the PR3. And with 3k on it when I switched out, it still looked new. The Tourance was much more "vibey".
If I had it to do over again, I believe I would have run the whole 10k on the PR3 pair.
Rusty B
Kennewick Fire Dept
2013 IBR Rider
autoteach
New Member
Is the 19" Road Smart available in the states? I have looked in our catalogs and cannot find it. The PR3 is, though, so may be my next tire.Swagger said: