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What tires for the 2021 season?

Personally I thought the PR4's sucked as did the 3's, the 2's were good though. When I run out my current stock of 3 or 4 sets of RS2's I'm gonna try the Mitas now that they're making a sport touring tire. Been happy with the Mitas 50/50 tires I've had on my V Strom.
 
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Nick I think I’ll try another set of PR-5’s.

They stick even better than the PR-4’s and especially considering the harder demand of constant 2-Up loads, high speed and spirited riding I have found them good. Mileage is looking to fall in and around the PR-4’s.

I would be willing to try another tire that has a good tried / true sticky but resilient multi-compound but really liking the Michelins.

Wayne
 
I was a Michelin man until I tried the RS3. Don't care about mileage life and will never go back. For me the RS 3's made the C14 fun to ride gain. Cheaper and Good in the rain too.
 
Angel GT2's. After 2 set's of the GTs I mounted a set of the GT2s a couple of months ago. So far so good.
A-GT2’s is this on a C-14 or on your new lighter land missile?

I know many have appreciated the Angels over the years on the C-14. I had contemplated.
 
There's a lot of people opting for the Michelin Road 5s...but I think they are paying a premium for a name.

There's a number of tires that are all from the latest and greatest technology. The biggest difference is the price. The prices have likely changed some since last November when I updated it last.

What you'll see is there is a $177 premium to buy a set of Road 5s instead of a Dunlop RS3. Is the Michelin Road 5 that much better?

1610732856072.png

Chris
 
Chris this was a great price comp you did.

Thank You for the effort.

Tires are one of those things that once I find something that works well I tend to stick with it just to not have a 5,500 - 6,500 mile regret or worse from experimenting.

I think that possibility though is limited when sticking with the tried and true from the community here. I am willing to make a swap to save some $$$$$ without being penalized in the performance thereof.
 
Just put 100 miles on a newly installed set of S22s.
 

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Chris this was a great price comp you did.
True Dat. Another thing I just thought of. I went through PR2's, 3's and 4's. Every Michelin tire I had needed air about every 3 days. The RS 3's need air about every week and a half if that.

I would love to try a set of RS 4's. But before I get another set of tires, I have to finish off the RS 3's. I have a set of Rs'2 in the wings to wear out. So by the time I need a set of RS 4's the Review of them should be well documented. :D
 
Mounted a set of RS3's last year, and have about 2k miles on them. They handle well in the dry, but wet wasn't as confident as Pirellis (which means they're < than Michelin's in the wet).

My only real complaint is they don't appear to be wearing well, and like most other tires, they're squaring in the mid-section in spite of my 70/30 twisty to hwy riding.
It would appear they won't make it to 5k miles, which to me, is the min. standard for a Sport Touring Tire.

Time will tell.
Not sure what I'll try next if these don't cut it.
 
Tire experience varies by the rider and location. And the bike of course.

Just changed the Continental RoadAttack 3s for Dunlop RoadSmart 4s. Over time, I've had the Dunlop RS3s, twice. The Conti RA3s, twice. And the Metzeler Roadtec 01s, twice.

I really like the Contis. I found they have confidence-inspiring grip and fall into corners just right. Wear came out to around 11,000 miles, and they were changed with 3/32nds tread left. Wet grip seemed great.

The Dunlop RS3s were pretty good. I didn't find them wearing strange at all. In fact, I was surprised to find no cupping on the front tire at all. I had them slip on me once on wet roads, but that was probably my fault. It was early in the fall and I turned left at an underpass leading onto a freeway...and even though the pavement was wet, I got on the throttle like it was summer. I'm willing to give the tires the benefit of doubt because I didn't have any issues afterwards.

The Metzeler Roadtec 01s were lousy. Wet grip was good, but the tire longevity was really poor. The first set wore out in 6000 miles. The tread on the sides looked great, but the center of the tire seemed to wear out very quickly. Because I got sold a bill of goods, I'm not willing to give them, or the more expensive version a try again.

I like the Dunlop RS4s. I guess one of the best things you can say about a tire is that when leaning into a corner, you don't think about the tire at all. It does its job with no muss or fuss. I've only put a couple hundred miles on them, but they seem quiet. Grip well on dry roads. Dropping into a corner seems much like the Contis...just right. Not too easy, not too hard. They match the bike very well. Longevity will obviously have to be determined later.

My riding buddy has the same bike and we ride quite a bit together, so our tire wear seems like it would be similar. He has Michelin Road 5s. His front tire has some very strange wear with only about 6500 miles on them.

1611090331743.png

It might be hard to spot what's happening, so let me explain. The middle is wearing flat. Then the sides have a sharp edge sloping off. There's no gradual rounding to the wear.

1611090877352.png

The tire wear seems fine for longevity, but the squaring off, is really strange.

Chris
 
What tires are you guys thinking about for the 2021 season?
I think I'm going to mount a new set for Michelin Pilot 4's myself.
Nick
2014 C-14
I have Pilot Road 5 on my 2008 Concours. The Roads will give you much better mileage and are great in the rain.
 
Tire experience varies by the rider and location. And the bike of course.

Just changed the Continental RoadAttack 3s for Dunlop RoadSmart 4s. Over time, I've had the Dunlop RS3s, twice. The Conti RA3s, twice. And the Metzeler Roadtec 01s, twice.

I really like the Contis. I found they have confidence-inspiring grip and fall into corners just right. Wear came out to around 11,000 miles, and they were changed with 3/32nds tread left. Wet grip seemed great.

The Dunlop RS3s were pretty good. I didn't find them wearing strange at all. In fact, I was surprised to find no cupping on the front tire at all. I had them slip on me once on wet roads, but that was probably my fault. It was early in the fall and I turned left at an underpass leading onto a freeway...and even though the pavement was wet, I got on the throttle like it was summer. I'm willing to give the tires the benefit of doubt because I didn't have any issues afterwards.

The Metzeler Roadtec 01s were lousy. Wet grip was good, but the tire longevity was really poor. The first set wore out in 6000 miles. The tread on the sides looked great, but the center of the tire seemed to wear out very quickly. Because I got sold a bill of goods, I'm not willing to give them, or the more expensive version a try again.

I like the Dunlop RS4s. I guess one of the best things you can say about a tire is that when leaning into a corner, you don't think about the tire at all. It does its job with no muss or fuss. I've only put a couple hundred miles on them, but they seem quiet. Grip well on dry roads. Dropping into a corner seems much like the Contis...just right. Not too easy, not too hard. They match the bike very well. Longevity will obviously have to be determined later.

My riding buddy has the same bike and we ride quite a bit together, so our tire wear seems like it would be similar. He has Michelin Road 5s. His front tire has some very strange wear with only about 6500 miles on them.

View attachment 28470

It might be hard to spot what's happening, so let me explain. The middle is wearing flat. Then the sides have a sharp edge sloping off. There's no gradual rounding to the wear.

View attachment 28471

The tire wear seems fine for longevity, but the squaring off, is really strange.

Chris
I'd LOVE to get 6000 miles out of a set of tires, I managed ~4500 out of Road 5s.
That wear on the front of the Road 5 is nothing but a tire pressure and/or poor suspension setup. The last Road 5 I pulled off the front of mine was perfectly worn side to side, with no irregular wear on them. I never ran less than 42psi cold on the front. They weren't my choice of tire, they came on the bike.
 
My riding buddy has the same bike and we ride quite a bit together, so our tire wear seems like it would be similar. He has Michelin Road 5s. His front tire has some very strange wear with only about 6500 miles on them.

The above from Daboo

I've never got near 6500 miles out of anything!
Nick
2014 C-14
 
nickrides, you're forgetting that I don't ride a C14, but a much lighter bike. There's other factors though too. What kind of road surface do you ride on? And how quickly do you twist your right hand? Both play an important part in tire longevity. :)

Chris
 
I have some RS 2s to wear out. Will see what kind of rebates come up but thinking of the the RS 3s again. Most miles I ever got out of a rear tire. with out checking my log I think it was 7,000.
 
I have some RS 2s to wear out. Will see what kind of rebates come up but thinking of the the RS 3s again. Most miles I ever got out of a rear tire. with out checking my log I think it was 7,000.
Just saw a post somewhere that Chap Moto has RS 3s @ $262 a set .
 
Chris
My 2014 C-14 is the only bike I've owned that wears out the front tire first. My last 2 sets of RS2's fronts only went 44-4600 before the sides were smooth. To be honest I don't know what my road surface compound is. It is quite curvy around here though, but generally at 62 yrs old I'm no madman.
I'm lucky in the regard that one of my best pals has a mechanical tire machine and he loves to work.
Ride safe in 2021
Nick
PS keep posting pictures of your rides!!
 
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Following this thread with interest. I put about 80k miles on a couple of C-10's. I used to run Metzler 880's and get about 10k miles a set.

I think I have RS3's on my 08 C14. They were on it when I bought it and look relatively new. They handle well for me, so if I can get decent mileage with them, I'll probably stay the course. A set of tires each summer is OK, but I see some of you guys only get 4k miles a tire. which would mean 2-3 sets each season. Definitely not what I'm looking for.

Any advice for high mileage tires for the 14? I'm not much of a canyon carver, but I do appreciate traction when it rains.
 
Following this thread with interest. I put about 80k miles on a couple of C-10's. I used to run Metzler 880's and get about 10k miles a set.

I think I have RS3's on my 08 C14. They were on it when I bought it and look relatively new. They handle well for me, so if I can get decent mileage with them, I'll probably stay the course. A set of tires each summer is OK, but I see some of you guys only get 4k miles a tire. which would mean 2-3 sets each season. Definitely not what I'm looking for.

Any advice for high mileage tires for the 14? I'm not much of a canyon carver, but I do appreciate traction when it rains.
Those Metzlers treat you well in the rain? Mine about killed me on my C10 one time.
 
Tire experience varies by the rider and location. And the bike of course.

Just changed the Continental RoadAttack 3s for Dunlop RoadSmart 4s. Over time, I've had the Dunlop RS3s, twice. The Conti RA3s, twice. And the Metzeler Roadtec 01s, twice.

I really like the Contis. I found they have confidence-inspiring grip and fall into corners just right. Wear came out to around 11,000 miles, and they were changed with 3/32nds tread left. Wet grip seemed great.

The Dunlop RS3s were pretty good. I didn't find them wearing strange at all. In fact, I was surprised to find no cupping on the front tire at all. I had them slip on me once on wet roads, but that was probably my fault. It was early in the fall and I turned left at an underpass leading onto a freeway...and even though the pavement was wet, I got on the throttle like it was summer. I'm willing to give the tires the benefit of doubt because I didn't have any issues afterwards.

The Metzeler Roadtec 01s were lousy. Wet grip was good, but the tire longevity was really poor. The first set wore out in 6000 miles. The tread on the sides looked great, but the center of the tire seemed to wear out very quickly. Because I got sold a bill of goods, I'm not willing to give them, or the more expensive version a try again.

I like the Dunlop RS4s. I guess one of the best things you can say about a tire is that when leaning into a corner, you don't think about the tire at all. It does its job with no muss or fuss. I've only put a couple hundred miles on them, but they seem quiet. Grip well on dry roads. Dropping into a corner seems much like the Contis...just right. Not too easy, not too hard. They match the bike very well. Longevity will obviously have to be determined later.

My riding buddy has the same bike and we ride quite a bit together, so our tire wear seems like it would be similar. He has Michelin Road 5s. His front tire has some very strange wear with only about 6500 miles on them.

View attachment 28470

It might be hard to spot what's happening, so let me explain. The middle is wearing flat. Then the sides have a sharp edge sloping off. There's no gradual rounding to the wear.

View attachment 28471

The tire wear seems fine for longevity, but the squaring off, is really strange.

Chris
Probably due to the two different rubber compounds. The outside must be quite soft and the middle hard. I know a lot of tires are like that but maybe the middle is really hard. I had one set of PR's and the wear was weird. Went back to Angels.
 
Here's are a few of what I found on the Dennis Kirk webpage. By the way I think the Dennis Kirk website is the easiest to compare tires and prices, the way it is set up.

Michelin Power Pilot- Set, $190
RS4 - Set, $360
Shinko 003 Stealth - Set, $200
Pirelli Diablo - Set, $170

Those Michelins and Pirelli's for less than 200 look interesting. The Shinko's are right there too.
Nick
2014 C-14
 
Those Michelins and Pirelli's for less than 200 look interesting.
Nick
2014 C-14

I've had both, don't count on getting more than 3,000 - 3,500 miles tops out of them. Both were good tires, but neither one will even make through a 1 - 2 week trip. The PP was the stickier of the two.
 
Those Metzlers treat you well in the rain? Mine about killed me on my C10 one time.
They were OK. Rode them through some hellacious rain, too. 4 days in West Virginia and 3 days in Quebec. The only issue was stopping on painted lines in the road. I'm not a very aggressive rider, so that may be the reason they stuck in the rain for me.
 
They were OK. Rode them through some hellacious rain, too. 4 days in West Virginia and 3 days in Quebec. The only issue was stopping on painted lines in the road. I'm not a very aggressive rider, so that may be the reason they stuck in the rain for me.
A car pulled out in front of me just as I was going to pass him.Wet and raining. I may have used to much rear brake but I was almost down, let up and the bike stood up again. I decided right there that my next bike would be ABS.Those tires get a lot of mixed reviews.
 
Wonder if there is a MAP within the tire industry? IOW nobody can sell below a certain price per mfr agreement.
 
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Firestone Winterforce 2 UV until April on the Tacoma (this is NH and we have snow in winter).

Pirelli Angel GT A specs have less than <2K miles left to them. They didn't last anymore than the non A specs, just gave a harsher ride.
Have a set of Dunlop RS3 ready to try next.
 
Firestone Winterforce 2 UV until April on the Tacoma (this is NH and we have snow in winter).

Pirelli Angel GT A specs have less than <2K miles left to them. They didn't last anymore than the non A specs, just gave a harsher ride.
Have a set of Dunlop RS3 ready to try next.
I think you will like them.
 
I found a set of Michelin Road Pilot 2's at Revzilla for about 300/set.
They said their closeouts, is there anyway to find out how old they are before ordering?
Others mentioned these are very good tires? True?
Nick
2014 C-14
 
The PR2 are several generations old tires. I would guess they haven't made the tire since 2011 when the PR3 was introduced. Michelin introduced the PR5 in 2019. IMHO for a little more money a current version tire from Michelin and other manufacturers can be purchased.
 
I found a set of Michelin Road Pilot 2's at Revzilla for about 300/set.
They said their closeouts, is there anyway to find out how old they are before ordering?
Others mentioned these are very good tires? True?
Nick
2014 C-14
I would get the RS3's at 260 a set before I would buy the PR2's...Of course I still love the RS2's for $170 a set if you can find them.
 
True Dat. Another thing I just thought of. I went through PR2's, 3's and 4's. Every Michelin tire I had needed air about every 3 days. The RS 3's need air about every week and a half if that.

Same for Michelin for me - always having to add air. My RS3's on the other hand, not very often at all.
 
9-E011-DF5-94-EC-49-C0-B032-AA5947-B53-FC3.jpg
 
shinko apex's. still on em from last year. awesome grip, rode dragon many times in the rain. tires stuck like glue.
 

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Continental ContiMotion tires are giving me 10K+ and here is the proof!

I was just out in the garage yesterday (Sun 3/21) and thinking about getting Connie ready for the new season and off the roll around cart, a Harbor Freight special that has a solid build and the worst possible wheels - ever, but that's a story for another thread.......... Anyway I took a look at the rubber and realized that my rear tire had to have close to 10K on it, and quite possibly more. I promised myself I was going to log the tire mileage and just didn't - shame on me. But it isn't difficult to figure out because these were the only tires put on my 2011 since I bought it late March last year (rear tire early April and front mid April).

But it my case it is a pretty simple reverse calculation. I take the bike's mileage today, and calculate the days ridden back to the date I had each tire installed. I did keep a running count of how many round trips as a daily driver I made because I was aiming for 100 work days a year on the bike, and reached 89 days before parking for the winter. The tire changes were documented here because the original Michelin mounted on it left me stranded beside the road in the desert with no help from AAA and I shared that episode here.

So you say, but wait, 89 x 100 is only 8900 and I agree. But I also took her out on weekends for 100 to 150 mile runs every 3 to 4 weeks which is easily another 1200 to 1500 and I am not including all the utility runs of 10 to 20 miles to do errands and such, but I'm going to give those to rounding of my daily work runs to be fair.

And here comes the punch line - half this commute is on twisty mountain roads because commute is from the desert up to the mountains and back every day. The temperature extremes are the reason why my season ended in October and why I only got to 89 days because some days the desert days were projected to hit 120 degrees and I simply would not go past 110 degrees. I'll be 60 this year and I am a big boy riding with full gear. Doing that in the heat of the day - just isn't my idea of being a safe rider, unless of course you enjoy heat stroke, and I certainly do not.

On Sunday I determined my rear tire should be changed because the tread says it only has a few hundred miles left, and the front which was changed 11 trips AFTER the rear probably has another couple thousand miles left in it. To keep things simple I may just do both before the season starts. Not to mention I have a tired battery in one sensor and may as well replace BOTH batteries at the same time.

So there you have it, 10K out of a pair of ContiMotion tires with no issues and they still feel great on the road. Not to mention they came with 3 years of roadside maintenance and towing for free - just for buying one tire! What a bargain and you know what I will be putting back on her......
 
Tire experience varies by the rider and location. And the bike of course.

Just changed the Continental RoadAttack 3s for Dunlop RoadSmart 4s. Over time, I've had the Dunlop RS3s, twice. The Conti RA3s, twice. And the Metzeler Roadtec 01s, twice.

I really like the Contis. I found they have confidence-inspiring grip and fall into corners just right. Wear came out to around 11,000 miles, and they were changed with 3/32nds tread left. Wet grip seemed great.

The Dunlop RS3s were pretty good. I didn't find them wearing strange at all. In fact, I was surprised to find no cupping on the front tire at all. I had them slip on me once on wet roads, but that was probably my fault. It was early in the fall and I turned left at an underpass leading onto a freeway...and even though the pavement was wet, I got on the throttle like it was summer. I'm willing to give the tires the benefit of doubt because I didn't have any issues afterwards.

The Metzeler Roadtec 01s were lousy. Wet grip was good, but the tire longevity was really poor. The first set wore out in 6000 miles. The tread on the sides looked great, but the center of the tire seemed to wear out very quickly. Because I got sold a bill of goods, I'm not willing to give them, or the more expensive version a try again.

I like the Dunlop RS4s. I guess one of the best things you can say about a tire is that when leaning into a corner, you don't think about the tire at all. It does its job with no muss or fuss. I've only put a couple hundred miles on them, but they seem quiet. Grip well on dry roads. Dropping into a corner seems much like the Contis...just right. Not too easy, not too hard. They match the bike very well. Longevity will obviously have to be determined later.

My riding buddy has the same bike and we ride quite a bit together, so our tire wear seems like it would be similar. He has Michelin Road 5s. His front tire has some very strange wear with only about 6500 miles on them.

View attachment 28470

It might be hard to spot what's happening, so let me explain. The middle is wearing flat. Then the sides have a sharp edge sloping off. There's no gradual rounding to the wear.

View attachment 28471

The tire wear seems fine for longevity, but the squaring off, is really strange.

Chris
Chris, it appears to me your buddy is using a bunch of counter steer which results in the tire profile you show in post 15. Why do I say that? I had this front tire profile for a long time of riding the C14. Even the front tire on the 900 developed the side cupping using counter steer. Since I started to let the bike lean without counter steer the front tire cupping went away on both.
 
Chris, it appears to me your buddy is using a bunch of counter steer which results in the tire profile you show in post 15. Why do I say that? I had this front tire profile for a long time of riding the C14. Even the front tire on the 900 developed the side cupping using counter steer. Since I started to let the bike lean without counter steer the front tire cupping went away on both.
You're 100% right one that one.
 
Continental ContiMotion tires are giving me 10K+ and here is the proof!

So there you have it, 10K out of a pair of ContiMotion tires with no issues and they still feel great on the road. Not to mention they came with 3 years of roadside maintenance and towing for free - just for buying one tire! What a bargain and you know what I will be putting back on her......
Conti Motions netted me 10 days & 1,900 miles when I tried them. I know of one other person that tried them & he got 2,200 out of them, mostly highway miles for him.

Your roads must be paved with cotton balls! 😁
 
You can change the amount of lean by counter steering? I didn't think you could turn without it. When you lean you countersteer, correct?

True. The problem lies in the camber of the tire during the countersteer. You can lean without in putting in countersteer. The front tire edge scallops because the tire is fighting camber.
 
Let me rephrase . Yes you change lean with the amount of counter steer. You can lesson lean angle by shifting body weight. You cannot lean a bike over without inducing counter steer. You can induce CS by leaning but the CS comes first.Try holding your bars straight and leaning of the side of the bike. I agree more aggressive riding introduces more CS and will increase wear on tires.. I will need some strong evidence to believe you can turn at speed with out CS.
 
Let me rephrase . Yes you change lean with the amount of counter steer. You can lesson lean angle by shifting body weight. You cannot lean a bike over without inducing counter steer. You can induce CS by leaning but the CS comes first.Try holding your bars straight and leaning of the side of the bike. I agree more aggressive riding introduces more CS and will increase wear on tires.. I will need some strong evidence to believe you can turn at speed with out CS.
Since I often ride with him on the same roads at the same speed, I'd say we are both doing the same thing in each turn. The fact that his Michelin Road 5 tires look like that, and mine don't means something.

Chris
 
I have not had a road 5. But the 2's, 3's 4's and 4's GT have all done it for me. I used to use a lot of counter steer. I questioned the Michelin rep at the last Cortez Nat rally and he said the scallop on the front was due to riding style.

Now I have the RS 3's on both ends and the bike falls into turns without the intentional input of counter steer.
 
Perhaps our definition of counter steer is different.
That would make the discussion problematic:) . It is turning the bars left to go right and vice a versa. I will have to go out and refresh my mind but if I am correct if you hold the bars straight and lean you will not turn. You can initiate counter steer by leaning .

Since I often ride with him on the same roads at the same speed, I'd say we are both doing the same thing in each turn. The fact that his Michelin Road 5 tires look like that, and mine don't means something.

Chris
Dont you ride different model of bike? Different weight? I am hoping my suspension changes will net me a few more miles on my tires.
 
I have two different bikes. The 900's front tire would wear the front tire edges when using a large amount of counter steer. The old 900 is about, not quite about half the weight of a C14 with about half the power to go with it. It handles like a truck but is still fun to ride.
 
shinko apex's. still on em from last year. awesome grip, rode dragon many times in the rain. tires stuck like glue.

Good to hear since nobody among my buddies rides them. How many miles on them and how many left till wear bars (by extrapolating tread depth?) ...
 
I am hoping my suspension changes will net me a few more miles on my tires.
Good luck. In my sport touring group, in my neck of the woods, on asphalt roads, riding moderately above speed limit - air pressure, tire brand model, degree of acceleration are the variables that we've found to matter. Many in this local ST group get about 6 - 7.5K out of a set (I'm right there at 7K to wear bars, but usually change at 6K).
 
Good luck. In my sport touring group, in my neck of the woods, on asphalt roads, riding moderately above speed limit - air pressure, tire brand model, degree of acceleration are the variables that we've found to matter. Many in this local ST group get about 6 - 7.5K out of a set (I'm right there at 7K to wear bars, but usually change at 6K).
I have a little trouble with that degree of acceleration 😃
 
Theres a youtube vid out there by Instructor Keith Code.
It addresses this countersteer/ non countersteer issue.
He bolted a set of fixed handle bars above the " normal" bars and had these guys go out and ride who said they could turn with out counter steering, using the Fixed bars- they couldn't do it.
Interesting vid.
Countersteering induces lean which then starts the bike turning; at speed you need the lean angle.
At a MSF course I took they made it very clear, if you need to turn hard like as the result of going into a corner too hot, you have to push hard on the inside bar, as hard as necessary to ensure you don't leave the pavement.
In other words countersteer very aggressively to turn harder, too stay on the road. They beat this into us.
Nick
2014 C-14
 
I will admit it has been awhile since watching that particular vid. And I agree. The way the guys were demonstrating the lean in the curve is NOT quite what I meant. So that said I must be counter steering without thinking about it. With the Michelins counter steer was done intentionally by pushing on the bars.
 
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Good to hear since nobody among my buddies rides them. How many miles on them and how many left till wear bars (by extrapolating tread depth?) ...
i should be able to ride the whole season on em. i put 7000 on em from last season
 
You can change the amount of lean by counter steering? I didn't think you could turn without it. When you lean you countersteer, correct?

You can change the angle of the lean with the amount of counter steer but also with the throttle, body lean, and braking.

Watch an inexperienced rider fight with the bike by steering in the direction of the turn. It will turn that way, just not very well.

Counter steering quickly starts the lean, and helps keep it in the turn, but you also steer once the lean is initiated. The point is - excessive counter steer will eat up the sides of the front tire and the real question then is, Why does the bike not want to stay in the turn?
  • Is it counter lean - the rider (or passenger) don't like to get down into the turn so the are trying to lean against the bike? (hysterical to watch from behind)
  • Going too fast for the turn and the forces of nature are trying to stand the bike up, or worse, introduce you into on coming traffic in the other lane? (depending on direction you are turning or the side of the road your country drives on)
  • The tires simply do not work well on the bike and resist the turn - and some do?
  • The road surface and angle.
  • Bike loading and weight distribution.
  • Some bikes do not turn well at any speed, although Connie's in my experience tend to like turns as much as straight lines.
  • And the worst case would be, something is wrong with the bike - bad mods, suspension issues, and so on.
Any of these cases, and a few I no doubt forgot to mention, may require excessive counter steer and the wear that comes with it.
 
Conti Motions netted me 10 days & 1,900 miles when I tried them. I know of one other person that tried them & he got 2,200 out of them, mostly highway miles for him.

Your roads must be paved with cotton balls! 😁
I am not sure what to make of that response. Maybe you may want to stop with the burn outs or taking them to the track because that is not what they are designed to do. You are definitely doing something abnormal to burn them up because that is not even close to reasonable mileage FOR ANY TIRE. And of course there could be the exaggeration factor - to what end I have no idea. I'm just reporting my results.

I can also tell you the roads I ride on are definitely NOT soft. These roads are mountain roads, loaded with switchback turns, and covered with stones (crushed granite I am told) because the winter weather on the mountain where I work gets pretty bad. And even more so for the fair weather Southern California drivers that visit the mountains for snow play in the winter that either don't see snow but once a year or never in many cases. So California Transit coats the road with the best material they can find for winter driving and EVERYONE up on the mountain complains about premature vehicle tire wear because of it. So your cottonball assessment doesn't hold much water.

In the 6 years I have worked on the mountain I have replaced 4 sets of vehicle tires. I average around 18 months per set of tires and they are all quality 65k to 80k tires, yet I only get 25 to 30K per set!! And you should see how the sellers try to wiggle out of those mileage warranties. Only Pepboys honored the warranty on a set of General Altimax RT43 tires with no questions asked. The rest try to blame the never more than 4 year old vehicle or it's wheel alignment. One vendor even claimed I never rotated my tires until I provided the proof for 4 rotations in 30K, two of which they did and the other two were done by my Subaru dealer!

So no, I don't think my results have anything to do with the road or my bike for that matter. Oh, and did I mention I am a 300 lb man?!? So I am essentially riding 2 up all the time which means my turning force and downhill breaking is greater than your average rider.
 
Is it just me or does it look like that is a photoshopped car rear tire on that Connie?
I'd say that's the real thing Jon. It's referred to as going to the dark side. There are folks that like a car tire on the rear. It's a controversial topic to be sure.
As for Cliff smoking tires and dragging knees, well, I copied all of the pics Cliff posted on FB and posted links for the non-FB folks when he got to go "over the pond" a couple of years ago. IIRC there are no knee dragging pics of Cliff in the Alps. Cliff is known for riding a lot and being fast at changing tires. His C14 has over 200,000 miles on it, so he's been through a couple of sets of tires. Cliff should be pretty knowledgeable about tires. HTH

Almost forgot. His favorite snack is rotten canned German fish on crackers. Man I wish I could have seen that.
 
I am not sure what to make of that response. Maybe you may want to stop with the burn outs or taking them to the track because that is not what they are designed to do. You are definitely doing something abnormal to burn them up because that is not even close to reasonable mileage FOR ANY TIRE. And of course there could be the exaggeration factor - to what end I have no idea.

I really don't give a damn what you make of it, I know the facts & you don't. Not to mention you know anything about me or my riding. Don't even imply I'm exaggerating either, might as well say I'm lying.

For the record I've never done a burnout on my C14.

Sad fact is, you don't have a clue what you're talking about.
 
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FWIW, I've had my Dunlop Roadsmart IV tires on for a few months now, and in wet weather. I'd definitely buy them again.

Chris
 
I really don't give a damn what you make of it, I know the facts & you don't. Not to mention you know anything about me or my riding. Don't even imply I'm exaggerating either, might as well say I'm lying.

For the record I've never done a burnout on my C14.

Sad fact is, you don't have a clue what you're talking about.

We probably should take this offline. I am no more calling you a liar and you did me when you said tires I know I just got 10K out of, only last for1,900 miles. Thus it was not me who lobbed the first grenade, you started this, and went well over the top on your latest post.

Secondly, making it personal a so clearly nasty is uncalled for and a clear reason why people leave the forum.

While I have met many skilled and talented riders in the forum that I respect a great deal, I am yet to encounter anyone on the par of a Freddie Spenser or Kenny Roberts. Their deeds would have earned them the right to act in this manner, but I doubt they would....
 
I'd say that's the real thing Jon. It's referred to as going to the dark side. There are folks that like a car tire on the rear. It's a controversial topic to be sure.
As for Cliff smoking tires and dragging knees, well, I copied all of the pics Cliff posted on FB and posted links for the non-FB folks when he got to go "over the pond" a couple of years ago. IIRC there are no knee dragging pics of Cliff in the Alps. Cliff is known for riding a lot and being fast at changing tires. His C14 has over 200,000 miles on it, so he's been through a couple of sets of tires. Cliff should be pretty knowledgeable about tires. HTH

Almost forgot. His favorite snack is rotten canned German fish on crackers. Man I wish I could have seen that.

Hey Bud,

I can honestly say I have never seen a car tire on a bike and I go back to the late 70's on street bikes. But I have no doubt it happens and I believe you. I know the circles of folks I ridden with would never consider doing it. But I do recall seeing a few front tires on custom bikes I swear were bicycle tires. I had a used Sportster in 79 that I think the guy that had it before me put a bicycle front tire and rim on the springer front end because I could easily fill it with a hand pump from a 10 speed! LOL Not to mention it had no front brake! I did not own it very long and fortunately never had to leave a long black streak behind it up to the point of impact!

What he knows or doesn't know is nice, but the 1,900 mile and cotton ball comments were clearly offered as bait and I unfortunately took it. And I have no doubt I could fill an intermediate size moving truck with the bike tires I have replaced in my 45 year of riding on two wheels with a throttle, but that still does not give me the right to behave badly.

And for the record, I lived in and rode my OWN bikes "over the pond" for four years, I also spent more than a few days making laps around Nurburgring for fun. Yet those experiences still do not grant me permission to talk down to anyone, question their competence or just get nasty with anyone in this forum. I am yet to meet anyone here, or anywhere else, that know everything but there are plenty that think they do and can't wait to tell you......

Take care and thanks
 
That would be the smart approach. Any further posts with personal attacks will result in those posts being deleted.

Chris
On all accounts. It's a tire thread. Some road surfaces wear tires faster. Personal attacks is not becoming of a COG member.

And yes car tires on the back of a motorcycle is happening no matter how one feels about it. The very first COG rally I went to there was a guy with a car tire installed on the rear of his bike. I followed to watch how his bike reacted because I had never seen such a thing. Seemed to work fine. Going to the dark side (car tire) is not something I personally am interested in but if it floats your boat I'm not going to hold it against him or her.
 
I just bought a trailer hitch from someone that posts here. We met for a burger.....and what a burger it was. Anyway he was riding a wing with a car tire on back. If anyone wants a complete car tire kit for a C10, he has one to sell.

As for mileage differences between riders in different parts of the country, Tim is right, we hear that all the time. Cliff isn't a bomb thrower from my time around here. From all I've seen, he's a nice guy. You made a pretty big assumption about someone and his riding habits and haven't met or rode with him. You know what is said about assuming stuff. Just try to ease up a bit. We're living in stressful times and everyone is more on edge. The last 5 or 6 years have been the most stressful times of my life, so I know stress and it's effects. Sometimes one needs to just accept differences in how something is experienced by different people. We can all get along if we want to.
 
I just bought a trailer hitch from someone that posts here. We met for a burger.....and what a burger it was. Anyway he was riding a wing with a car tire on back. If anyone wants a complete car tire kit for a C10, he has one to sell.

As for mileage differences between riders in different parts of the country, Tim is right, we hear that all the time. Cliff isn't a bomb thrower from my time around here. From all I've seen, he's a nice guy. You made a pretty big assumption about someone and his riding habits and haven't met or rode with him. You know what is said about assuming stuff. Just try to ease up a bit. We're living in stressful times and everyone is more on edge. The last 5 or 6 years have been the most stressful times of my life, so I know stress and it's effects. Sometimes one needs to just accept differences in how something is experienced by different people. We can all get along if we want to.

The car tire thing is crazy, but to each his own I guess. I wonder if that would have an impact on a claim if the bike was involved in an accident and the investigating officer, or the insurance adjustor noticed. I do know they look at tire condition as a contributing factor. And I am positive there are folks here that will take exception to that statement........

I beg to differ on this one I am sorry to say Bud. The reply was provocative and intended to be so. My only mistake was responding to it.

And while I am trying to be objective, it is noted that this reply and the prior one says nothing about his over the top reaction, only a justifying of his position which I have to honestly say I do not do for a friend or even family member. If even my wife steps out of line even with a stranger I say to her, hold a sec honey, that was very wrong of you and you really need to make that right.

I do respect your opinion, but I do not accept the shift in blame or justification of his actions. That is not me picking a fight with you that is me being honest with you and I hope you accept it how it was intended. That's all part of being different people.

Let's change the context and see what you think:
  • Let's say I created a post that said, My kid sister thinks she is fat, but when I compare her to her peers I don't think so, if anything she may just be slightly overweight.
  • And on the heels of that post someone responds saying, you are completely wrong, I have dated your sister and she is a big fat pig, and you must be blind if you don't see that. The reply comes as not only a refusal of my initial statement, but with an extreme justification and claimed ownership of the "facts" which clearly implies that I am a liar. To which I could have just as easily came uncorked on my reply, but opted for humor mentioning burnouts and track time for a Connie which are both absurd.
  • I then reply and say, I really don't understand why you said that. Maybe you two don't get along, that's definitely not what other people say, maybe you're just not being fair about this.
  • To which they come completely uncorked on and start claiming I'm a moron, they know more about women than I'll ever know, and so on.
That doesn't seem like a reasonable position to take in either reply and I think the change of context makes the point. To summarize my initial response to him it would be; Wow that doesn't really make much sense to me, and all things must not be equal. And if the mere questioning of a self proclaimed expert is way to forward of me, then I submit that I am not the one with the issue.

Opinions are great, it is good that we are not all cookie cutter images of each other. But things tend to go south when folks insist that their experiences are the only valid experiences possible and all others are foolish and that is the core of my position. I never once said I got 10K out of this tire and you will too....
 
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Conti Motions netted me 10 days & 1,900 miles when I tried them. I know of one other person that tried them & he got 2,200 out of them, mostly highway miles for him.

Your roads must be paved with cotton balls! 😁
I completely agree with Cliff. Cliff doesn't need anybody to back him up, he's a straight shooter. I've been through almost 40 sets of tires in 135k miles and the top 3 worst tires were the conti motions, the Avon Spirits, and the Metzler M9rr, in that order. At least the metzler's handled well but gave up at about1500 miles.

So to combat this curious phenomena of tire eating motorcycles, I bought a new one. It's a KTM 1290 gt. That ought to fix the problem!!lol.

It's just as hard to believe that anybody can get 10k out of any tire, (leave alone the continental), as it is for some to believe what's already been said. Different strokes...
 
Michelin Road 5’s are yielding me best mileage I have experienced on a set of tires yet. May get 6.5K or even 7K out of the rear! Front is looking even longer, although may be replaced preemptively from hard strike with road hazard.

Usually I am in the 5.5K to 6K range, so about 10% - 15% better and it’s not from going easier on them :sneaky:.
 
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Michelin Power 5’s are yielding me best mileage I have experienced on a set of tires yet. May get 6.5K or even 7K out of the rear! Front is looking even longer, although may be replaced preemptively from hard strike with road hazard.

Usually I am in the 5.5K to 6K range, so about 10% - 15% better and it’s not from going easier on them :sneaky:.
Please confirm. Power 5 or Road 5?
 
I've been through almost 40 sets of tires in 135k miles and the top 3 worst tires were the conti motions, the Avon Spirits, and the Metzler M9rr, in that order. At least the metzler's handled well but gave up at about1500 miles.
My most disliked tire was the Metzler Road Tec 01, the Avon Spirit's & Conti Motions being a toss up for 2sec/3rd.

Usually I am in the 5.5K to 6K range, so about 10% - 15% better and it’s not from going easier on them :sneaky:.
This is probably pretty much the norm for most C14 owners I've talked with over the years.
 
I completely agree with Cliff. Cliff doesn't need anybody to back him up, he's a straight shooter. I've been through almost 40 sets of tires in 135k miles and the top 3 worst tires were the conti motions, the Avon Spirits, and the Metzler M9rr, in that order. At least the metzler's handled well but gave up at about1500 miles.

So to combat this curious phenomena of tire eating motorcycles, I bought a new one. It's a KTM 1290 gt. That ought to fix the problem!!lol.

It's just as hard to believe that anybody can get 10k out of any tire, (leave alone the continental), as it is for some to believe what's already been said. Different strokes...

Sorry I reported results that challenged the norms and sensibilities of the fraternal order. But your reply says more than you realize.....why does ANYONE need to be "back(ed) up" unless there is an us against them mentality at work here and there shouldn't be! I have the receipts and I know the distance traveled. It is what it is, no matter what 10,000 people say to "back up" the great one.

I guess Cliff being the authority that he is, should be proud he has such strong advocates in the forum. It is no small wonder there are not more members when you consider the herd mentality at work on this and other threads. I get it the "backers" think I am the one that is rude for having the audacity to challenge a long timer when they are rude to and nasty them. Please excuse me for standing up for myself.... how bold I must be, oh the nerve of that nubie!

You guys are doing a great job of chasing me off at the end of my first year as a member. And if you think stocking this place with rude and disrespectful buddies and pals is a good thing, then by all means fill the club house with them and see where that quickly gets you. It won't be long before you are cancelling each other....

My report was quite true and I have the receipts to prove it. I certainly did not levitate to and from work every day for 89 days for 94 miles each day. So I'll be replacing those 10K tires this weekend with another pair of Conti-motions ordered yesterday from Cycle Gear. Maybe I should send them back to Continental so they can study what I have been so clearly informed are definitely a pair of unicorns. That incidentally have just as much wear on the sides of each as they do in their center, front AND rear........ but hey what do I know after 40 years of two wheeling on the roads and highways of three continents, I'm not one of the cool kids.
 
Jon
We have a big misunderstanding here. Just to be clear, I don't attend the church of Cliff. That said Cliff rides more than most people and so when he talks about tires, people listen because of his experience. No other reason. Cliff's response addressed your roads, not your truthfulness or anything else. His response was one sentence with a smiley at the end. I like to think I'm a fair minded person and I just didn't see any reason for you to be offended.

I have nothing against you. For what it's worth, your response to Cliff was a bit on the bombastic side. You just decided that to get the mileage Cliff reported, he had to be abusive to the tires and that, in your mind, was fact. No consideration to what has been reported about differing road types around the country from folks on the forum. Case closed as far as you were concerned. I don't know if you had a crappy day at work or someone got you all upset before that post or if you're just stressed from all that we've been through in the last year like me, but all the anger really isn't necessary. I don't think it's going to change anyone's life one way or the other that Cliff got less miles than you and you disagree about why. Is it really worth all of this? Maybe we could take the advice of Ringo and have some peace and love. ☮️
 
On all accounts. It's a tire thread. Some road surfaces wear tires faster. Personal attacks is not becoming of a COG member.
Jon
We have a big misunderstanding here. Just to be clear, I don't attend the church of Cliff. That said Cliff rides more than most people and so when he talks about tires, people listen because of his experience. No other reason. Cliff's response addressed your roads, not your truthfulness or anything else. His response was one sentence with a smiley at the end. I like to think I'm a fair minded person and I just didn't see any reason for you to be offended.

Tim and Bud,

Thank you for your positive inputs. I would be proud to call you friends.

Bud
I hear you and I truly appreciate your goodwill and interest in making peace.

We disagree over Cliff's initial post and that is fine. We can respectfully disagree without resorting to daggers. I have, and will always object to supporting or defending someone that is using a dagger without good cause. And he doesn't have a good one..... No amount of experience or knowledge (real or perceived) gives anyone the right to be nasty or condescending to anyone. Calling someone stupid or ignorant are not terms of endearment, and claiming you own the facts only illustrates an out of control ego. And I do not think giving him a pass for doing so is being objective and I respectfully said so. We simply disagree on that which does not make you wrong. But I do apologize if you think I was judging you unfairly - loyalty can be a double-edged sword and I may have put you in a bad spot by doing so.

I can live with my reply being characterized as "bombastic," but I submit that it was no more bombastic than the reply I was responding to. If his intent was to say he disagreed with my results - not sure how you could even do that without saying they are not being honest, but anyway he could have said "I respectfully disagree" or said "that is not what I have gotten from those tires." Yet that didn't happen, he refuted what I said with a claim that he got less than 20% of what I got which is an inference that I am lying about my results - incidentally he doubled down on that by admitting that was his intent with his next reply. What else could that mean? Maybe - wow buddy you must be on drugs, I got 1/5th of that and so does everyone else. Any way you slice it it is calling my report into question which is the same as saying I am lying. What if created a new post today that said, "Wow got a 32 MPG average on my trip to and from work today!" And someone said I have made the same trip today with the same bike and only got 5.5 MPG. First of all, simply saying that claims that you are not honestly reporting your results and later insisting that they are right and you are wrong because they "own" the facts and you're ignorant only proves your understanding of their initial inference. There is no confusion or misunderstanding there.

Let's be completely honest, 1900 miles for any bike tire is ridiculous mileage when the norm is more like 5 or 6k for most tires - the first impression you get is - there must be is something is wrong with the claim or their usage, and it is quite possible they replace their tires before they actually need to be replaced which means their reply is more about personal preference than actual mileage. I never said 10K is a norm, it is definitely an exception and I never claimed it wasn't an exception. How exactly does a tire company stay in business if their tires wear like sidewalk chalk? Simple answer - they don't. And Continental has been around for quite some time. There are certainly different use cases, loads, inflation, riding style, road surface, and so on that impact the results but a 80% delta?!? Or reporting a variance that is more than half of normal wear which most report as 5 to 6k across a cross section of brands.

So what would a rational response to the report of the 5.5 MPG vs your 32 MPG report (with a norm of 24-26)? You definitely would question their riding style, bike condition and so on. But in this case that was a terrible thing for me to do....... And THAT is the problem here. Why is questioning that such an insult - as if I insulted the King by questioning a royal decree? In normal discourse that isn't an affront, but in this case it is.

I didn't do anything wrong in this, nothing at all, from start to finish. Yet I respect your right to disagree and I will not call you stupid, or ignorant for not agreeing. That is not how things should ever be done.
 
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Continental ContiMotion tires are giving me 10K+ and here is the proof!

Conti Motions netted me 10 days & 1,900 miles when I tried them. I know of one other person that tried them & he got 2,200 out of them, mostly highway miles for him.

Your roads must be paved with cotton balls! 😁
I am not sure what to make of that response. Maybe you may want to stop with the burn outs or taking them to the track because that is not what they are designed to do. You are definitely doing something abnormal to burn them up because that is not even close to reasonable mileage FOR ANY TIRE. And of course there could be the exaggeration factor - to what end I have no idea. I'm just reporting my results.
Please explain to me how my very simple straightforward reply to your post brought on your 1st reply.

I simply stated mine & one other persons mileage with a lighthearted road comment which the smiley face indicates, nothing more.
 
Ok, everyone chill..
This started as a simple reply that I feel was taken incorrectly.
{This sometimes happens on Forum's; because written notes can be easily miss-understood}
It expanded from there... :cry:

We're all riders, with common interests.
Lets go back to tires/oil/etc and riding!

Ride safe, Ted

PS: It's riding season : Jim/I are forming a group for a meet/eat/ride in Arkansas at the end of April.
,,,,,,,Come ride with us!
 
Ok, everyone chill..
This started as a simple reply that I feel was taken incorrectly.
{This sometimes happens on Forum's; because written notes can be easily miss-understood}
It expanded from there... :cry:

We're all riders, with common interests.
Lets go back to tires/oil/etc and riding!

Ride safe, Ted

PS: It's riding season : Jim/I are forming a group for a meet/eat/ride in Arkansas at the end of April.
,,,,,,,Come ride with us!
What Ted said. There is no absolutes here. Everyone can have a different experience. For instance I used to be a Michelin guy. My thought was there are a lot of fellow riders saying just how great the Michelin is. I needed tires and after reading about the RS3's I tried a set and they were cheaper. I am now a Dunlap RS guy. These tires work for me. They might not work for you just as the Michelin's didn't work for me.

I came to the conclusion I was worried about mileage and not riding enjoyment. I would rather enjoy the ride with tires that work for me than worry about the mileage I get out of a set of tires.

Again this is a tire thread which is almost like an oil thread. Everyone needs to chill and weather permitting get the bike out and go for a ride.
 
Tire Tread;
I'm using Dunlop Road Smart 2's as their cheap/last a long time/give me decent mileage/even wear/they handle great/"and" Their CHEAP!

Ride safe, Ted

PS: Did I mention that their cheap?? {less than $200 a set}
 
Ted can you let the RS 2’s hang out there, I mean as in really rip it?

The Stones that came with the bike I broke loose on dry clean pavement corners. Pilot 4’s and Power 5’s have never lost grip or confidence.
 
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