Tire question

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Hey fellas,

I've put about 4k miles on my bike, and I would like to replace my stock tires, Dunlop D214. They are not the greatest even when it's new, people usually throw them away after few thousand miles as they don't have great traction and they don't last long. Sizes are 120/70/17 (f) and 160/60/17 (r)

My driving style is usually spirited (but no wheelies - burnouts etc.), I like to lean/corner and I practice a lot, but I don't go over 90 on the highway or anywhere. Sometimes I commute to work but I try not to ride if it rains, so it's very rare. I am also planning to go to few occasional track days (open lapping) next year.

So long story short, I'd like to get a tire that can last over 10k miles and good enough to handle few track day session if possible.

I did a quick search and people usually recommend Rosso III - Angel GT/Pilot Road for my type of usage, but I was actually wondering if it is good for occasional track days? I'd like to hear your experience.

Thanks in advance

Dan
 
You won't find a tire that'll last 10,000 miles that's suited for a track day. For sure you could go out and ride around like you do on the street, but start pushing it and you're going to fry the tire, IMO.

What bike are you putting this on? I noticed the 160 series rear.
 
Originally Posted by Bonz
You won't find a tire that'll last 10,000 miles that's suited for a track day. For sure you could go out and ride around like you do on the street, but start pushing it and you're going to fry the tire, IMO.

What bike are you putting this on? I noticed the 160 series rear.



Kawasaki Z650, it's around 70 horsepower so the power band is not overwhelming but still you can have fun
 
Definitely a nice bike for fun at the track on occasion!

I was real happy on the road with my modded ZRX 1200 running the Dunlop Roadsmart 3 and Pirelli Angel GT. Your bike on the dyno puts down lower 60's on horsepower, and around 43 foot pounds of torque, so you should get even better tread life.
 
I have run Avons on my Wing for years and am very happy with them. My friend just put a set on his RoadKing and said the transformation in ride and handling is significantly better than the Dunlop tires he has been using. I think their sport tires would also work well for you.
 
In the past, I've had good luck with the Shinko tires. Specifically the Raven 009 and the Verge 011/016. Over 10,000 miles on the front/rear of each of those on my ZRX 1200. Never had a misstep on the street but don't know how they would do on a track if they were pushed harder than on the street.

I got 5,000 miles out of a Shinko 005 Advance on the rear I ran as a replacement to a tire that punctured. It handled great but tire life wasn't very good considering it was all street riding. Also ran a pair of Angel GT's, the rear taking a nail at 6,500 miles and replaced with the above said 005 Advance.

The Shinko 010 Apex could be an option, but haven't run them.

Recently, I started with the Dunlop Roadsmart 3 when they first came out a couple years ago and they are such good tires that I went ahead and replaced the rear at 7,500 miles with another one. Still had 1,000- 1,500 miles or so but was leaving on a trip. The front RS3 is still going strong with almost 10,000 miles on it now.

Interesting side note... The original Roadsmart 3 when they first came out had 6.2 mm of tread on the rear. That was total depth, about 4.7 mm to the wear bars. The replacement Roadsmart 3 I put on two months ago has 8.2 mm of tread, 6.7 mm to the wear bars. It has a little over 2,250 miles on it now and the rear has worn .3 mm based on my consistent and deliberate measurements.

The front Roadsmart 3 started at 3.9mm of tread when new, it's barely down to 3.0 mm, at almost 10,000 miles. That tire is wearing fantastic. Gives superb road feel all the time, confidence in the down pours it has seen, as well as hard braking when practicing stops.
 
Don't cheap out. If you want the best, anything MIchelin. Bike tires are so very subjective. Most folks are fine with black, round and full of air. Me, I demand the best that I can afford. I mount my own, do all my own maintenance and ride hard, when I can. Trackdays and aggressive street riding. Even sport touring I get half the mileage that dudes claim on the www. But, that's just the way it is. If I rode like an old lady, I know i'd get more miles out of any tire I chose. But, I want the most stick, the most confidence inspiring profile and respectable mileage. The best for me are the Michelins...enjoy
 
I am a Michelin Motorcycle tire fanboy. But they never last much more than a year for me. Michelin car tires I will not ever use again. Sidewall cracking, very severe after 4 years. [censored] even the cracks had cracks in them. Only half worn out, but severely unsafe to use. Wonder if the Europeans specify biodegradable rubber. I am not an internet hero. I ride pretty hard, usually only the aggressive sport bike riders pass me. I do not wheelie, or ride much more than 10 to 20 over the limit,

Rod
 
Originally Posted by ddtmoto
Don't cheap out. If you want the best, anything MIchelin. Bike tires are so very subjective. Most folks are fine with black, round and full of air. Me, I demand the best that I can afford. I mount my own, do all my own maintenance and ride hard, when I can. Trackdays and aggressive street riding. Even sport touring I get half the mileage that dudes claim on the www. But, that's just the way it is. If I rode like an old lady, I know i'd get more miles out of any tire I chose. But, I want the most stick, the most confidence inspiring profile and respectable mileage. The best for me are the Michelins...enjoy


Tires are subjective, and Michelin is absolutely the best? You get half the mileage "dudes claim on the www" on sport touring tires? Doesn't sound like you ride anything like what this fella is going to be doing with his tires. You really get after it and push things hard each time you get on the bike.

By the nature of being subjective as stated above, there is no backing behind that conclusion, only feeling and personal opinion. Not wanting to cause any heartburn, however that's the nature of the statement.

To each his own, however if anyone thinks Dunlop, Bridgestone, Avon, Continental, or Pirelli to name some are not at the same level as Michelin, I would do more reading on my own to find out if most opinion sways that same way.
 
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Michelin's are at the top IMO and the years of racing translate into true know how in the different tires they offer. Buy a set and put them on and go ride you'll have an Ah-Ha moment.
 
I personally like Continental M/C tires. I run the road Attack 3s on my XSR.

If you are going to do some track riding the Sport Attack 3s would serve you well to do both street and some track use.

Bridgestone S21 or S22 are good choices as well for a dual purpose sport tire.
 
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I've ridden on lot's of tires, from most of the brands. All the big name brand tires are good, some are better than others, but that switches from one brand to another as all the manufacturers constantly strive to improve their products. Being a fanboy for just one brand will at some point have you on a tire that is not the best in it's category.

Bottom line: Do your due diligence.
 
Thanks for all input.

I'd rather go with top tier brands, and for other vehicles, I usually prefer Continental tires. Currently running on DWS06 summer / WinterContact SI winter and even have Continental S4000 II on my bicycle
smile.gif


For motorcycle tires, I'd like to also try different brands as I have limited experience.

I am also going to check Dunlop Q3+ as I've heard it lasts long and can handle occasional track days.
 
Michelin pilot power 3 should give you a good balance of performance.
If you like good leaning and corner speed (like me) then the straight pilot power is hard to beat.

Bur 10k out of the rear, I don't know

For a quicker handling I would look for a more pointed crown profile on the tyre.
 
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