Which tyres?
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Senior Member
SuperSport
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 932
From: Auckland, new Zealand
Which tyres?
This will be good for a laugh.....
My bike came with Pilot roads on it. On my 919 I had PR3s which were gret on the road but a bit slippy in the track. On my Bandit 1200 I had PR2s which seemed good.
Is there a tyre that suits the SuperHawk? A local guy says he runs Conti Attack 2s and thinks there great.
My bike came with Pilot roads on it. On my 919 I had PR3s which were gret on the road but a bit slippy in the track. On my Bandit 1200 I had PR2s which seemed good.
Is there a tyre that suits the SuperHawk? A local guy says he runs Conti Attack 2s and thinks there great.
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MotoGP
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 4,402
From: Kempner, TX
for everything short of track work.. Pilot Road 3 and now 4's are my new favorite tire.
More tire than can be used on the VTR for fast street work.
GREAT wet weather tire should you get caught out in the wet.
More tire than can be used on the VTR for fast street work.
GREAT wet weather tire should you get caught out in the wet.
Senior Member
SuperSport
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 972
This will be good for a laugh.....
My bike came with Pilot roads on it. On my 919 I had PR3s which were gret on the road but a bit slippy in the track. On my Bandit 1200 I had PR2s which seemed good.
Is there a tyre that suits the SuperHawk? A local guy says he runs Conti Attack 2s and thinks there great.
My bike came with Pilot roads on it. On my 919 I had PR3s which were gret on the road but a bit slippy in the track. On my Bandit 1200 I had PR2s which seemed good.
Is there a tyre that suits the SuperHawk? A local guy says he runs Conti Attack 2s and thinks there great.
Senior Member
SuperSport
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 740
From: Pa
This has been posted here LOTS O Times, but it all depends on the riding U want to do.
If U don't mine buying new tires every year (depending upon how many miles / KMs U ride) then sticky tires are great.
But if U commute & or want a longer lasting than Mich Pilot Roads are for U.
I'm using PR2s. They work great in twistys, but middle will hold up longer than a pure sticky tire. - But I don't ride as hard as I used to.
Good luck
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MotoGP
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 4,402
From: Kempner, TX
PP, Q2 rear lasts 3k at best on my bike.... so thats 4 sets a year.
PR3 rear last 6k or so, thats 2 sets a year.
Rarely do i see a street ridden bike shod with PP, Conti Attack, Q2 tires that have hard side wear/ rubber ***** at the edges. Many have a 2" wide flat spot and an inch or better chicken strips. Some are at least scrubbed to the edges, but just... and no real wear........ All of those bikes would be better off with a different tire me thinks.
... and in any case do not need/ are not using the sticky tires they have to even mid potential ...... But they do have that cool factor going for them i guess....
Senior Member
SuperSport
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 834
From: Thousand Oaks, CA
ahah another tire thread....
ill throw in my 2 cents.
i use to be all about the dunlop Q2/3's. but i got tired of buying tires every 2-3 months. i finally slapped on a set of pilot power 3's. they are a bit more super sport than the PR3's but the grip is excellent and so is the millage. im still on my first set and ive had them on for prolly about 5,000 miles with lots of life left. if your doing lots of canyon riding at decent lean angles then they are great. but i hear the PR3's are good too so i might give them a try... i just dont wanna sacrifice to much grip for millage. id rather buy tires than fairings and broken bike parts.....
for the track i use Q3's. they work good with my tire warmers and have excellent grip. ive done 2 track days so far on this set of Q3's and i expect to get 2 more track days out of them.
ill throw in my 2 cents.
i use to be all about the dunlop Q2/3's. but i got tired of buying tires every 2-3 months. i finally slapped on a set of pilot power 3's. they are a bit more super sport than the PR3's but the grip is excellent and so is the millage. im still on my first set and ive had them on for prolly about 5,000 miles with lots of life left. if your doing lots of canyon riding at decent lean angles then they are great. but i hear the PR3's are good too so i might give them a try... i just dont wanna sacrifice to much grip for millage. id rather buy tires than fairings and broken bike parts.....
for the track i use Q3's. they work good with my tire warmers and have excellent grip. ive done 2 track days so far on this set of Q3's and i expect to get 2 more track days out of them.
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Squid
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 67
From: Victoria, Australia (Bottom south east corner)
Here's my 2c worth from just across the Tasman.
PR3 is more tyre than the VTR can handle. They're far stickier on the edges than they look and we're only playing with a bit over 100hp. Anything stickier is for pose value in my opinion.
NZ roads are very good but often damp to wet and you'll appreciate the wet grip of the PR3. (Ive done plenty of NZ km) I saw the Conti discussion and all I can say I wouldnt be fitting them after hearing others experiences over here.
PR3 is more tyre than the VTR can handle. They're far stickier on the edges than they look and we're only playing with a bit over 100hp. Anything stickier is for pose value in my opinion.
NZ roads are very good but often damp to wet and you'll appreciate the wet grip of the PR3. (Ive done plenty of NZ km) I saw the Conti discussion and all I can say I wouldnt be fitting them after hearing others experiences over here.
Old and dangerous
SuperSport
SuperSport
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 604
From: DFW Texas
I have always lived by the motto, better to have more tire than you need then the other way around. Never know what is going to be thrown my way, but I have gotten on the binders very hard at times and leaned it over way past my comfort zone when I made a mistake. I never had to worry about traction with the Pilot Power's. If I commuted further, or toured more, I would use the Pilot Roads for sure. Just don't need to.
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MotoGP
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 4,402
From: Kempner, TX
I have always lived by the motto, better to have more tire than you need then the other way around. Never know what is going to be thrown my way, but I have gotten on the binders very hard at times and leaned it over way past my comfort zone when I made a mistake. I never had to worry about traction with the Pilot Power's. If I commuted further, or toured more, I would use the Pilot Roads for sure. Just don't need to.
Well done
Senior Member
Superstock
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 458
From: Rome, GA
ahah another tire thread....
ill throw in my 2 cents.
i use to be all about the dunlop Q2/3's. but i got tired of buying tires every 2-3 months. i finally slapped on a set of pilot power 3's. they are a bit more super sport than the PR3's but the grip is excellent and so is the millage. im still on my first set and ive had them on for prolly about 5,000 miles with lots of life left..
ill throw in my 2 cents.
i use to be all about the dunlop Q2/3's. but i got tired of buying tires every 2-3 months. i finally slapped on a set of pilot power 3's. they are a bit more super sport than the PR3's but the grip is excellent and so is the millage. im still on my first set and ive had them on for prolly about 5,000 miles with lots of life left..
I'd like to get a second set of wheels and have a set of Pilot Roads on one set and Q3's on the other so when I just want to cruise I can throw the roads on the bike with the 41 tooth rear sprocket and put the Q3's on the bike with the 43 tooth rear sprocket when I want to go play
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Squid
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 86
From: Camp Hill, PA
My experiance has been the exact opposite. My first set on my hawk were the Pilot Power 3's and I got Crappy mileage out of them. They were already about half worn after 1k miles and flat spotted something fierce. I threw the Q3's on the bike after and have about 1500 on them now and still don't see much wear comparatively though I expect with the temps coming up they will start to burn off quicker.
I'd like to get a second set of wheels and have a set of Pilot Roads on one set and Q3's on the other so when I just want to cruise I can throw the roads on the bike with the 41 tooth rear sprocket and put the Q3's on the bike with the 43 tooth rear sprocket when I want to go play
I'd like to get a second set of wheels and have a set of Pilot Roads on one set and Q3's on the other so when I just want to cruise I can throw the roads on the bike with the 41 tooth rear sprocket and put the Q3's on the bike with the 43 tooth rear sprocket when I want to go play
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Squid
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 40
I haven't had the PP or PRs on my bike yet. I've always been a Dunlop sorta guy. But i'm open minded too so in the near future, I might give the Michelins a go.
But, I really LOVE the DUNLOP Q3's. I have roughly 1500 miles on mine and I don't really see too much wear at all. So time will tell with that aspect of them. But these tires really give me too much confidence (within my own experience level of course)........lol! I highly recommend any tire with the name DUNLOP on it.
I hear a lot of good stuff about the Michelins too but I've never shod them on my bikes so I don't know.
But, I really LOVE the DUNLOP Q3's. I have roughly 1500 miles on mine and I don't really see too much wear at all. So time will tell with that aspect of them. But these tires really give me too much confidence (within my own experience level of course)........lol! I highly recommend any tire with the name DUNLOP on it.
I hear a lot of good stuff about the Michelins too but I've never shod them on my bikes so I don't know.
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Squid
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 67
From: Victoria, Australia (Bottom south east corner)
Old and dangerous
SuperSport
SuperSport
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 604
From: DFW Texas
How many track days per year will you be running? How hard will you be pushing? I replace the tires before a long trip if they are noticeably worn, but you can run a track day on tires that a little squared over. Track days will work the sides over pretty good good, but not the centers as bad as commuting or touring does. You definitely want sticky rubber on a track day, but unless you are familiar with, and can (and want to) push a race pace, it doesn't have to be new tires every time. So start with a set of good sticky rubber, Pilot Powers (ct2,ct3, whatever), or Qualifiers Q3's, or Battleaxe 16's, and see what part you wear out first on that. PP and BT16's are fairly inexpensive per set, and any will work well. Don't worry about it too much. I do agree that the Hawks don't put out so much power that a good longer-life Road rear tire might also work as a track day tire for some folks. I may bring one out and test that theory next time. I do have a spare rear rim.
European Member
Back Marker
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 194
From: Netherlands
anybody running bridgestone t30 (gt) ? according to my local bike shop magazine their riding nirvana but i had pilot road 2s on a older GSXR that i liked
i now ride on continental road attack from the PO because they just dont wear out although ive been using them only mild, but on tarsnakes and recently wet surface its quite scary so not gonna buy them again
i now ride on continental road attack from the PO because they just dont wear out although ive been using them only mild, but on tarsnakes and recently wet surface its quite scary so not gonna buy them again
Junior Member
Squid
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 10
I put a set of the pilot road 4 tires on my bike this winter and have gone about 800 miles so far and they are the best tires I have ever used no signs of any wear and excellent warm up, good in the canyons, smooth on the highway.
Senior Member
SuperSport
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 740
From: Pa
Senior Member
SuperSport
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 834
From: Nooksack WA
Thread Starter
Senior Member
SuperSport
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 932
From: Auckland, new Zealand
I found out why.
Tyre Discolouration - Blue Tyres
Motorcycle Blue Tyres
You often see the question come up 'why are my tyres blue' or 'what's this blue stuff on my tyres' with people suggesting that when you see it the tyres are done. This isn't completely true.
What makes it blue? - Motorcycle tyres actually contain oils that keep the tyre soft and the blue/green tint you can see on your tyres is just the oils coming to the surface.
Why are they on the surface? - After the tyres have been used to the point where they gain significant heat, when they cool down again (this is one heat cycle) the oils in the tyre will often come to the surface. When you go back out and ride the bike these surface oils are scrubbed off and it's only when you come back in and let the tyres cool down again that you'll see more oils coming to the surface.
Each time you take a tyre through a heat cycle you are losing the oils that keep the tyre soft, so the more heat cycles a tyre has been through the less effective the rubber is going to be for you.
As a side note, heat cycles will affect track tyres a lot worse than road biased tyres, as road tyres are expected to go through these cycles.
Tyre Discolouration - Blue Tyres
Motorcycle Blue Tyres
You often see the question come up 'why are my tyres blue' or 'what's this blue stuff on my tyres' with people suggesting that when you see it the tyres are done. This isn't completely true.
What makes it blue? - Motorcycle tyres actually contain oils that keep the tyre soft and the blue/green tint you can see on your tyres is just the oils coming to the surface.
Why are they on the surface? - After the tyres have been used to the point where they gain significant heat, when they cool down again (this is one heat cycle) the oils in the tyre will often come to the surface. When you go back out and ride the bike these surface oils are scrubbed off and it's only when you come back in and let the tyres cool down again that you'll see more oils coming to the surface.
Each time you take a tyre through a heat cycle you are losing the oils that keep the tyre soft, so the more heat cycles a tyre has been through the less effective the rubber is going to be for you.
As a side note, heat cycles will affect track tyres a lot worse than road biased tyres, as road tyres are expected to go through these cycles.
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