Kawasaki Sportsbike Riders Club - Australia - Online Forum

I'm due for a new rear and I'm going to have to go for a hard compound tyre (commuting)

Now, what's peoples experience with hard compounds and dual compound tyres - also what brands make what tyres in hard compound/dual compound - I know theres a battleaxe in dual compound and hard.

Secondly, when its time to replace the front should I stick with a sticky front tyre and hard back etc?

Just wanna get some thoughts on it - I'm so used to just buying a sticky tyre

Pirrelli diablo's are good option. Good tyre in the wet, long life - I until recently used the bike as a commuter and have had two rears and a front in 19000 k. Great for hard riding also very grippy. Before these I was using the Pilot sport and found that when I changed handling was so much easier also, the pilots are triangulated and cause a very sudden tip into corners. Diablos much more consistent.
What are you using now?

207RR - they came with the bike.
I've done 7,000 on them which aint bad.

But i'd rather have a longer life than that because 7k has gone so quick

what you mean ...hard front & sticky back

dont get me started again

fab

I found the Pirrelli to be good, have Dunlop 208s now and find the wear is no better but the profile is awefull for anything other than commuting. I also think the Pirrelli gave better grip in the wet.

I've got a Pilot Sport on the front and a Pilot Road on the rear. I commute on mine, too. I expect to get around 15000km out of 'em. Decent grip wet or dry, and the profile suits my riding. I'll probably end up getting the same combination again - it's looking like they're wearing at similar rates.

The last tyre I had on the back was an 020 - very nice tyre, but was $60 dearer than the Michelin when it came around to replacement time. It had no more grip than the Michelin, but was very easy to "read" - feedback was excellent. The Pilot Road gives a little more grip at greater lean angles due to the more triangular profile, but doesn't give as much feedback, nor does it warm as quickly. I got 14000km out of it, and it was 3000 km odd old when I got the bike.

The last tyre I had on the front was a Dunlop D220, and hated it. It had just been fitted to the bike when I got it. Not as much grip as I'd been used to on my old Honda (BT45), washy sort of feel and a weird wobble in the front end. Scared myself more than once on that one. Dunno, maybe I just got a bad 'un - others seem happy with D220s. I won't be getting another, though.

Matty will probably need to get into this post and correct it for me because I'm not too observant about the numbers etc of the tyres, but Randy had a brand new BT020 rear when I bought him and the equivalent front (half worn). The rear lasted nearly 15000kms - but I was a brand new rider and not pushing it during that period. I just replaced it with a Pilot Power and the difference between the two is quite scary (in a good way). The power's a lot stickier and predictible whereas the Battlax used to skip and slide quite a bit.

On the last track day, I had to get a second-hand Pirelli fitted during the first session because they wouldn't let the old Battlax through scrutineering. Again, the difference was huge - even on a 'pre-loved' tyre. I'm really happy with the combination of pilot power rear and Pirelli front, but I might even go for a Pirelli rear next time to see if that's even better again.

Duane if Budget is a concern Try a set of Shinko's. I have a pair of 003's fitted to ""tiggr" atm. Ultrasoft Front & soft rear. They like a little more air pressure then the Bridgestone 014, but after softening rebound I found them as good as the 014. They aren't pilot race's, but at less then $300 a pair fitted. You'd be hard pressed to beat them for value.
Shinko also do a 005 & Ken (Scotty's Dad) could give you the low down on what he thinks of them. They seemed pretty good on the way back to town from the motogp not long back.
my 2cs. hth.
cheers Brett

It's not so much budget as it is long life. which comes down to budget.. in the end


I'd just like to get alot more than 2/3 months or so of riding highways out of a tyre!


I dont mind the back slipping and sliding but would like a bit of confidence in the wet.

I have about 10,000km on my current Pilot Powers and I reckon there's another 2,000 in the rear and another 5,000km in the front... and that's not pushing the borders of legality.

I won't buy anything less than Powers... saving a few bucks or having something that lasts a little longer just isn't worth that question in the back of my head... regular tyre changes are cheaper than a new bike and time off work.

I did the 014/020 combo on my six and the 020 seemed to wear ok but wasnt what i would call confidance inspireing.

Went down to pi and back and theres still plenty of it left so more than 6000kms from the rear and the 014 front is still in good condition.

Did tend to slide around a fair bit in the wet but not in a bad way and the bike had rider plus 2 full bags of gear on the back.

I think perelli are making something in duel compound now as well and thats the way to go if you want more mileage but you have to be prepared to have it skipping around a bit as well.

we mostly use bridgestone and michlins up hear because thats what our tyre guy sells and at the price why argue.

MadFab wrote:what you mean ...hard front & sticky back

dont get me started again

fab

I think it was sticky front and hard back mate.........but I don't want to get you started again.........

BTW you will be pleased to know that I now have a matched set of Pilot Powers on the 12...........mmm, feels nice........

Duane - the tyre guys here reckon that it is hard to go past the Bridgie dual-compound rears. I think Scotty37 has used these on his 12 and was pretty happy with them, can't see any reason they would'nt be the same on your rig.

Long life v grip........its always a *compromise* in the end.......

I think I'm gonna go a pilot road and see how we go, in the end I suppose if im not that confident with the tyre on there - I'll source a second wheel and put a pilot power on it for ride days

I have just recently changed from Metzeler Z4's to Pilot Roads. The Metzeler's are apparantly a "sport/touring" tyre. Anyhow they were crap on my FJR1300. 10,500 and they are toast! Have almost cut in the pilots and so far the comparison is chalk and cheese. Sooo much more grip, have only been told how good they are in the wet (which is good reports). My bike is I'm told a bit of a barge so will see how much life these pilots get. The only good thing about the original tyres was that they wore pretty evenly. That is to say they both needed replacement.

I have found some models/brands of tyre favour some bikes and not others. So if say xyz tyre feels great on one bike may feel sh%^ on another. I found the pilots roads very similar in turn in etc than the OEM tyres if that helps.

Cheers

I have just had pilot roads fitted back and front for trip to adelaide the long way round and long way back, I am still a bit hesitent to push them really hard but so far so good. Did do some wet stuff through the twisties on the way there and they were good in that