Michelin Pilot Roads Review

[crazykz]

Hi All,

Well I know some of you have been waiting to here my review on the Pilot Roads. So I'll put a link to it here and then post the text so there's a copy to keep here. Hope people enjoy the review. I'm no prose writer but it will have to do.

Michelin Pilot Roads Review for the ST1300 (http://www.hard-core-ware.com/reviews/index.php?page=pilotroads)

I'll post the text in the next couple threads.

Curt

[crazykz]

Michelin Pilot Roads Review for the ST1300
Front: 120/70R-18
Rear: 170/60R-17

Preface

I was offered the opportunity by Motorace to evaluate a set of the Michelin Pilot Roads since Michelin has been reluctant to ship the Pilot Roads, at least the front tire, for the Honda ST1300 into the US due to the lack of sales. This isn't due to the poor performance of the tire but rather the lack of marketing on Michelin's part to advertise these as tires for the ST1300. The ST1300 uses an odd front tire size, 120/70R-18, along with certain years of the Kawasaki Concourse. Now Michelin is caught in a situation where people aren't buying the Pilot Roads for the ST either because people are unaware that the Pilot Roads are designed for the ST or that the tires are only available in limited quantities but that is now starting to change. As I'm writing this there is a shipment on its way from Europe and I'm sure they will go quickly once they arrive, although we are coming up on winter. Motorace has taken the initiative here to allow a couple ST1300 riders to evaluate a set of these tires. They were shipped quickly and arrived within a few days of closing the deal with Dave at Motorace.

Inspection

The first thing you notice about these tires when comparing them against the Bridgestone BT020's "F" series (the stock tire for most ST's in the US) is the shape of the tires. The front tire has more of a semi-elliptical shape versus the 020 and the rear has more of an ovaled shape versus the 020. These shapes greatly change the handling and the wear of these tires. The second attribute to notice here is the tread pattern. The Pilot Roads probably have the most aggressive horizontal tread pattern of just about any sport touring tire out there. I believe this tread pattern is a main contributor to the stability and predictability of the tires. However, the pattern also has a downside in that it produces more road noise. Although this noise is more noticeable at slower speeds it is overcome by wind noise, ear plugs, and/or a helmet at higher speeds. It did take some getting use to but it wasn't enough to be distracting. If the tires perform well a little road noise isn't going to keep me from using them.

First Impressions

Upon having the PR's put on, properly mounted, balanced, and inflated to the manufacturer’s recommendations I set out on a small trip around the block. The road noise caught my attention but it wasn't a surprise from looking at the tread pattern. It was obvious I was on a different set of tires compared to the 020's as the ride is noticeably more comfortable. The PR's seem to provide a softer ride than the 020's. This makes for easier miles on the interstate and on city streets with uneven pavement. The PR's are also considered to be a commuting tire, by Michelin's literature, and a fair amount of the mileage I put on these tires was commuting since Wisconsin had very little rain this year. The other major part of my riding is in long distance trips so one of my main interests in testing these tires was in their longevity but it could not be at the cost of handling or grip.

Roads and Mileage

Michelin's recommendation for these tires is as follows (out of a maximum possible score of 5), highway (5), sport touring (5), commuting (4), and track (1). These tires aren't recommended for the track because the tires are designed to warm up quickly. This, plus the fact that the tires are silica-charged, provides more wet weather grip for the Pilot Roads. The Pilot Power is recommended for those that like the track and knee/peg dragging.

These PR's went through a lot of interstate miles but also saw some mountain riding ranging from sweepers, to twisties, to switchbacks. Two trips from Milwaukee to Denver contributed to 4000+ miles on the interstate. About 2000 miles was commuting on the interstate but it's usually stop-and-go for half of it. The other 4000+ miles was running the wonderful country roads of Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, and Iowa. Overall the tires took the mileage very well and after 11,000 miles they still had a little more in them before they gave up the ghost but with a 2000+ mile trip coming up I had to change them out. For comparison I usually get between 9000 and 10000 out of a set of the Bridgestone BT020 "F" series tires. It was a disappointment to see them go but I'm sure I'll return to them come next year as I decided to try another tire combination for further comparison.

Comfort

As I mentioned before when you use these tires compared to the Bridgestone 020's or the Metzler 880 you will feel the comfort provided by the rear tire. Harder compounds make the rear end a little more unpredictable when hitting rocks, cornering, and when relying on the tires in wet cornering. I'm not sure what "comfort" means in a tire but it does provide a softer ride and on long trips and uneven pavement that kind of comfort really helps. The Pilot Roads are rated 5 out of 5 by Michelin in this category.


Dry Grip

The PR's are solid when it comes to griping the road in dry conditions. My commute consists of a tight 270 degree on ramp that allows me to lean the bike over on the high side and accelerate all the way through the turn without worrying about grip. Even to the point of scraping the peg on occasion. This includes on cold mornings below 60 and within the first few miles of my commute. This can probably be contributed to the fact that the PR's warm up quickly due to their composition. This grip continues through the twisties and switchbacks in the mountains. In the 11,000 miles I never had these tires slip on dry pavement once. The tires also seem to take rocks on the road well although they skip over them the tires immediately grab the road again. It makes the tire predictable and it quickly gains your trust after the first couple hundred miles. They handled every dry surface very well without fail.

A second area where the Pilot Roads show their grip is off the pavement. On my travels this summer I encountered a few more gravel and dirt roads than I usually do. After running the Pilots on these types of roads I found myself looking for these types of roads or at least I was not apprehensive about taking them like I was with the Bridgestones. I believe the tread pattern here is to the PR's advantage on these surfaces. The tire gripped during acceleration and was easy to keep in a line along with making the turns. I pushed the tires to their limits until I could feel the rear wheel start to kick out. I wanted to see what the tire would do to the stability of the bike. It was surprising to see that it made the kick out very predictable and easy to control. Tearing down these roads was easy and it did not tend to follow or get stuck in the grooves as the Bridgestones seemed to do a lot. The tires gave me enough confidence at certain points that I didn't give passing a second thought. I simply committed to passing and the PR's were right there the whole way. The PR's aren't motocross tires but for a street tire off the street they sure are a pleasant surprise. And if you're a long distance rally participant you know you're going to need that at some point.

Michelin rates the dry grip of these tires a 4 out of 5 but I'm not sure why they aren't a 5 out of 5. I simply couldn't find any issue with their dry grip so all I can assume is that high speed grip provided by the Pilot Power on the track is the qualification needed to obtain a 5 in this category but in obtaining that type of grip you're most likely going to have to sacrifice somewhere else.

Wet Grip

Finding out the capabilities of the PR's on wet pavement was not an easy job. Trying to find where the limits are of a tire when running the risk of an unexpected kick out is not a trivial matter and requires some level of skill in recovery. I'm not sure my riding skills are of that caliber but my level of daringness (or carelessness depending on your view) when riding in the rain seemed to work here. Most of my experience with rain usually comes in when making interstate runs to destinations unknown without losing pace. The PR's are rated a 5 out of 5 by Michelin in this category and I really don't have any reason to doubt it. The Bridgestones were at best unpredictable in this area and made commuting in the rain an adventure.

Making turns was solid although I didn't push my luck and traveling at interstate speeds was also acceptable. The predictability of the tires here made riding in the rain less worrisome. The tires did not follow the grooves and hydroplaning was not something that occurred. Passing other vehicles on the interstate without issue was a sign that the grip provided in accelerating is there when you need it. Braking with the ST provides some compensation because of the linked braking and ABS but in testing straight line braking on wet pavement the ABS never engaged. I could attribute this to the grip of the tires but it may have also been my reluctance to engage the ABS.

This is starting to sound like a broken record because the tires seem to excel in almost every category so far. Well the Pilot Road was designed to be a well rounded tire and it does seem to handle most situations very well.

Continued on next thread...

[crazykz]

Durability

This is where I was hoping to see more longevity from the PR's but they did last 10,000+ miles. Compared to the Bridgestone 020's I will say that the Pilot Roads had slightly more available tread left at the same mileage. The margin here is so close though that I can't call it more than a tie. Honestly though that is about the most miles I've been able to squeeze out of a set of tires. For long distance riders that have been on the scene longer than me they tend to migrate to the Metzler 880's but I'm unsure what kind of mileage they are seeing from them. I've just mounted my first set so I'll have a comparison hopefully in the next few months.

The second part of durability, in my opinion, is how the tires wear. In doing interstate miles all tires will tend to get flat-spotted in the center. However, even though all tires flat spot to some degree not all tires react the same to this wear. Some tires tend to become non-linear when cornering after wearing this way, some more than others. The Bridgestones I took off before putting on the PR's were so flat spotted that it made every turn a surprise as the tire would cause the bike to swing over quickly after hitting the edge of the flat spot in a turn. Besides flat-spotting there's also cupping where the tire gets uneven wear causing instability in the tire. In this respect the PR's wear was consistent through the miles. There was never a case of cupping and flat-spotting was kept to a minimum where it did not affect cornering as dramatically as the Bridgestones did. I would contribute this to the shape of the tires and the compound chosen. For long distance riding flat-spotting becomes a real issue and the PR's performed well here without losing any of their handling attributes.

Handling

Probably the most important part of any tire is how it handles overall and allows you to control the bike. I've already discussed the PR's ability to handle itself in rain and non-pavement conditions but how does it handle on the street under normal riding conditions. The biggest factor that contributes to the handling of the Pilot Roads, I believe, is the profile of the tires themselves, more so on the front. The front tire is more rounded and the rear is more ovaled. This changes how the bike corners considerably compared to the Bridgestone's or the Z6's. The biggest noticeable factor is the linear movement of the bike as it leans into a turn. The Bridgestone 020's after a certain amount of lean have a point where the tire will begin to cause the bike to dive farther into the turn. Although this can be a good attribute in a tire it makes the tire somewhat unpredictable in a turn and if you add flat-spotting to this it gives the tire two points where it will dive into a turn. The PR's do not suffer from this because of the semi-elliptical shape of the front tire. However this predictability and more linear feel can make it feel like the tire does not react as quickly as a tire like the BT020. This however is a real fine point and more interpretation than anything else. If I had to choose between the more stable Pilot Road and the non-linear feel of the BT020's I would choose the Pilot Roads every time. A fast reaction time is great but you need to be able to control the recovery of the bike in those types of situations and the PR's provide that stability where as the Bridgestone's seem to need a little more hand holding, no pun intended, to get them to stabilize.

The PR's provide stability in turning but the ST suffers from a slight handling issue against other bikes in its category that makes the ST a little stubborn in the corners. The ST usually takes a little more effort to get the bike into a turn more than its other sport touring counterparts like the Yamaha FJR and the BMW RT. I believe that Honda attempted to compensate for this with the front tire they chose and possibly the dimensions of the front tire, which might explain the odd size. So the ST and the Bridgestones do compliment each other in this case but it isn't a perfect match as it seems to give the bike a nonlinear feel when banking into the turns. The PR's front tire makes you steer the ST into the turns more so than with the 020's, at first, but the PR's stability and linear feel when turning is worth it compared to the 020's as the PR's pull you through the turn with a consistent feel.

There was a behavior that I can't explain but I've felt this with other bikes in the past. In a high speed banked sweeper I would counter steer to lean the bike into the turn but after being fully committed to the turn it started to feel like the forks wanted to actually turn and I had to hold the bars in place to prevent the steering from turning in farther. This felt very odd to me and I only mention it to be fair and also to possibly find a reason for this as I do not necessarily believe it was the PR's causing this issue more so than me paying closer attention to the physics at play in a turn of this type. This only occurred a couple times but I'm stating it here so that if someone else has the same experience then maybe there is something to it. I've discussed this at some length with another ST rider and the best conclusion we can come to is that it's most likely a reaction of the bike to a combination of the tire, speed, and road camber change.

The rating that Michelin gives for handling on the PR's is 4 out of 5. I think this is fair because it does handle well but there is some work that could be done with the front tire. If there was a way to give it all the desirable attributes it currently has but also give it some of the initial smooth cut in that other tires provide when entering a turn in my opinion it would then earn a 5 out of 5. This isn't to say the tire isn't everything you need. It's just saying there's always room for improvement. The front tire gives the bike the stability you need when taking the corners and the tire's shape makes it predictable and linear in the turns. It also handles skips, wet pavement, dry pavement, and gravel roads very well. Michelin describes this tire as an all-round performance tire and after riding on them in just about everything I'm convinced they're right.

Economy

Here's maybe where the PR's take a small hit and Michelin admits this also to a certain degree by giving it a 3 out of 5 in the economy category. The rear is priced close to the Bridgestone 020's but the front is more expensive. At first I thought the extra amount of tread on the front would add to its longevity but in the end it only slightly extended it but not enough to leave it on and swap out the rear. However, I was very pleased with the predictability of the front tire and consider this to be worth the extra money. The street price for a set of the PR's is about $220.00 shipped although the retail price of the tires is higher. This is only slightly higher though than what the Bridgestones go for and a lower cost than the Z6/ME880 combination that some are running on the ST. For the amount of overall durability, stability, and predictability that the Pilot Roads provide I believe the price is competitive compared with other tires that are available for the ST with similar attributes. Most riders I think look at the cost first when purchasing a set of tires. I know I do as I'm now looking at my fourth set this year. However you can't overlook the performance of the tire in making this decision. Taking into consideration the performance of the tire is a difficult thing to do because doing that is subjective from rider to rider. It shouldn't be ignored though and I think a lot of riders want a tire that lasts a long time without sacrificing performance. If you're looking for those attributes in a set of tires then you probably won't be looking at the cheapest tires available.

Conclusion

I was more than pleased with the performance of these tires. They handle well, if not excellent, in every area. Dry grip, wet grip, and off-pavement control are all excellent. The tire also lasts as long if not slightly longer than some of its competitors. If the front tire could provide slightly more lead in and still maintain all of its current qualities it would get a 5 out of 5 from me. Even with that the front tire is still linear in the turns, stable, and out performs other tires in this category. Overall the tires are extremely reliable and are priced right. I enjoyed comparing these tires against the Bridgestone 020's and now the Metzler Z6/ME880 combination. Once I'm done with my latest set I'm pretty sure I'll be looking for another set of the Pilot Roads. Motorace looks like they are working to make sure they have a steady supply for those wanting to try the Pilot Roads. If you want a predictable, stable, durable, and comfortable tire that is a "general-purpose ultra tire" for sport touring the Pilot Roads from Michelin should be your first choice as you will be hard pressed to find another set of tires with the mix of qualities that the Pilot Roads provide.

Curt Gran
Just Ride
'04 ST1300A

[sherob]

Very well done Curt... :yr1: I guess I'll be ordering soon... :)

[Ken]

Excellent post, Curt. Thanks for taking the time to share your experience and feedback.

[Bones]

Great job, Curt. [Don't go putting me out of business ;-) ]

[crazykz]

Great job, Curt. [Don't go putting me out of business ;-) ]

Yeah I don't think there's any chance of that happening in either of our life times but thanks.

Curt

[Kempo-STer]

Nice job Curt..

Between you, Bones and Georgeorge each on a set...I'm thinking these will be on sooner than later..(Especially with a plug in the rear from Tuesday).

[SteveST1300]

Todd you got plugged where? I hope you used your latex ROFLMAO!!!!! :03biker:

[Mark]

--snip--
Upon having the PR's put on, properly mounted, balanced, and inflated to the manufacturer’s recommendations
--snip--
Curt

Curt,

Nice writeup.
A couple of questions:
What were the "Manufacturer's recommendations" on pressure?
And what did you maintain for pressure on your stock tires?

Thanks,
Mark

[crazykz]

Curt,

Nice writeup.
A couple of questions:
What were the "Manufacturer's recommendations" on pressure?
And what did you maintain for pressure on your stock tires?

Thanks,
Mark

42/42 and I always run the manufacturers recommedation.

Curt

[gstanfield]

good review, looks like I may have to try them instead of the Z6/880 combo I was going to try. I still have some miles left on my stock dunnies though so maybe in the spring.

George

[Bones]

Curt,

Nice writeup.
A couple of questions:
What were the "Manufacturer's recommendations" on pressure?
And what did you maintain for pressure on your stock tires?

Thanks,
Mark

The folks at Motorace recommended lower pressure to me. Sto Smead, the founder of the business, recommended 38/38. I ran mine like that for about 1000 miles then went back to 42/42. The ride is a bit stiffer at 42 but I prefer the feel of steering inputs.

[John Anthony]

Wow! Excellent write up, Curt. I'm glad they gave you a set to check out. Seems like you did a thorough job of evaluating them. I'm ready to a new set of tires and will be interested in pursuing these.

John

[crazykz]

The folks at Motorace recommended lower pressure to me. Sto Smead, the founder of the business, recommended 38/38. I ran mine like that for about 1000 miles then went back to 42/42. The ride is a bit stiffer at 42 but I prefer the feel of steering inputs.

That's the first time I've heard to run them under pressured. Most times I here of people running that at 46. From the wear that I got on the ones I had I would say 42 was the right spot to be. Maybe 40 but I'm pretty happy with 42.

In other news I had the ME880 slip on me once this afternoon. I'll have to make sure I watch myself with these. I would have preferred not to run them into the cold months but the Roads are all I want to run and I couldn't get them in time. Plus I wanted to get another set to compare against.

Curt

[farblue1]

Great review Curt. Mine just arrived and can't wait to get them mounted.
Thanks to Dave at Motorace.
Ride on :04biker:
Dan

[Kennedy]

Thanks curt.

[uptoblackwood]

Great review. Thanks.

[saaz]

The 120/70 18 is the standard tyre for later ABS ST1100s as well. I have run 120/70 front and 170/60 rear in Z6s on a standard ST11 without any problems.

[sherob]

Got my PR's last night. I really like the tread pattern on these... and boy is that tread deep. Will probably have them mounted by HoH with my 90 degree stems on 12/31 :p:

[Kempo-STer]

Got my PR's last night. I really like the tread pattern on these... and boy is that tread deep. Will probably have them mounted by HoH with my 90 degree stems on 12/31 :p:


2 commuting rides on my new tires and then 10 inches of snow falling as I type..:snow1: :cus:

[georgeorge]

Just think....You'll have fresh rubber in the spring!

[Kempo-STer]

Just think....You'll have fresh rubber in the spring!


Anyone inserts a Trojan Man joke here..I'm coming for you! :spank1: :crackup

[sherob]

No joke on your Lifestyles... I think these tires will give me a Pleasure Plus ride... I'm sure I'll get Beyond Seven thousand miles on them too. These as the One for the Maxx riding conditions Today... I wonder if Joe Lube changes oil on bikes? Might save me some Elbow Grease ;)

[Kempo-STer]

No joke on your Lifestyles... I think these tires will give me a Pleasure Plus ride... I'm sure I'll get Beyond Seven thousand miles on them too. These as the One for the Maxx riding conditions Today... I wonder if Joe Lube changes oil on bikes? Might save me some Elbow Grease ;)


OH MAN ROB!!

Another laugh out loud moment at work...That was too funny..And to think my initials are 'TMG'....You rock:bow1: :D

[Medicine Bear]

No joke on your Lifestyles... I think these tires will give me a Pleasure Plus ride... I'm sure I'll get Beyond Seven thousand miles on them too. These as the One for the Maxx riding conditions Today... I wonder if Joe Lube changes oil on bikes? Might save me some Elbow Grease ;)

Just think, Rob, if it ever snows down here you could throw a ribbed one on your bike for better traction. Sure to give you intense pleasure.

Good post!:D

Fred :03biker:

[Lola]

Where did you find these tires? I looked on Motorace web site but did not find the Pilot Roads peroid.

[georgeorge]

I actually got them on eBay when he (Dave at Motorace) first made them available. Call him at Motorace and he'll point you in the right direction. I think, the last I knew, you couldn't buy them direct from him because he's a distributor, but he had a retailer selling them for him. I could be wrong. You might be able to buy from him, but I don't think so. Call him and ask him. He's familiar with the odd tire size issue of our ST1300.

[crazykz]

Motorace I believe will stop selling them directly.

Because of the limited availability of the front it is probably best to call but the 3 places below are suppose to be selling them. The first two received the last shipment of fronts. SWMotoTires is pretty good to deal with but they say on their site they don't have the front in stock.

http://www.sporttour.com
Has the rear but isn't advertising the front. They were suppose to be selling it.

These guys are advertising both and are suppose to have both.
http://www.amotostuff.com
Front (http://www.amotostuff.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=17-3607&Category_Code=tires-michelin)
Rear (http://www.amotostuff.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=17-3612&Category_Code=tires-michelin)

These guys I buy from a lot but they are saying the front is not in stock
http://www.swmototires.com

I'm hoping to get a set over winter to have in the spring. It really bites that people now want these and the supply is limited but hopefully over this year if people start requesting them more they will start shipping more to the US.

You can also mail dave@motorace.com to ask when the next shipment will be coming into the US if you strike out at all the places above. He should be able to tell you when and who will be getting the tires once they are here.

Curt

[billxp]

I ordered mine from Competition Accessories (http://www.compacc.com/category.cfm?Category=2245)

[CarSalesman]

Are these miracle tires available in the correct size for the ST1100A?

[crazykz]

I ordered mine from Competition Accessories (http://www.compacc.com/category.cfm?Category=2245)

Thanks for that one Bill. Didn't know about that one.

I should put some of these as links on my article. Of course then people will yell at me when they don't have them in stock. Oh the perils of publishing. ;)

Curt

[sherob]

Thanks for that one Bill. Didn't know about that one.

I should put some of these as links on my article. Of course then people will yell at me when they don't have them in stock. Oh the perils of publishing. ;)

Curt

Or we can yell at you for not including them :rolleyes: Your article was about the tires performance, not were to get them... more vendors will carry them over time (hopefully) ;) Unless you have special powers and can see the future, ain't nothing you can do... you did a great job :)

[Kempo-STer]

Or we can yell at you for not including them :rolleyes: Your article was about the tires performance, not were to get them... more vendors will carry them over time (hopefully) ;) Unless you have special powers and can see the future, ain't nothing you can do... you did a great job :)


Curt..
I second Rob's comments..Both you and Bones did a great job on these tires...:bow1: :04biker: :bow1: :03biker:

[wishey1]

I got a screw in my back tire (stock) and now I'm about to buy a new one.....

My Question is----this tire with a screw in it has a slow leak but it's only got 800 miles on it......Is it trash???

Can I patch it of put a tube in it (radial?) or do I just throw it away.....$260 for a new one......guess the heli risers will have to wait........

Bumed...

[georgeorge]

$260 for a new tire???? That's outragious. Shop around. There's plenty of sites on the web with way better prices than that. I wouldn't pay more than $130 without feeling like I got raped.

By the way, as far as the punctured tire goes, you can plug it. For what it's worth, that's what I would do.

[wishey1]

$260 for a new tire???? That's outragious. Shop around. There's plenty of sites on the web with way better prices than that. I wouldn't pay more than $130 without feeling like I got raped.

By the way, as far as the punctured tire goes, you can plug it. For what it's worth, that's what I would do.


ok.....$160 for tire (either dunlap 220 or mich pilot roads).....$90 more for taxes and mounting......todal $250- $260....that's the rates around here.....

NO ONE I called would plug a MC tire.....now , I am keeping the tire cause it's like new and I heard they make a specific type of tube tube for a Radial.........anyone??........


I am getting a new Mich. Pilot Road rear tire....based on the reviews here......better than the Dunlops, right?....please say yes....

The guy at the Honda place said you should get the same rear tire as what came off cause the tread patterns won't match up if you put another kind of tire on there......anyone know about the dangers of mismatched tire patterns....hahaha.....sounds suspect to me??

I have ordered the pilot to match the stock dunlap front....but if anyone would comment that it's a mistake to do that I will just cancel the order tomorrow........any feedback would be helpful....my mind is spinning now about my brand new tire that got a screw in it.......still bummed......TIA.....

w

[billxp]

I'd still plug it as long as its not near the sidewall. They sell kits to do it yourself. You may have to shop around some more to find a shop that will patch or plug your tire.

I would never use a tube, reason being you can't plug a tube even if its just to make it home.

[Bones]

I am getting a new Mich. Pilot Road rear tire....based on the reviews here......better than the Dunlops, right?....please say yes....


Yes. :03biker: :04biker: :biker: :06biker:

You can patch a radial bike tire with an inside radial patch. You can also plug it using the stringy stuff and rubber cement or a mushroom plug. It won't be good as new but done right it can be trusted as long as you verify that it's holding air. (You check your tire pressure before every ride anyway, right?)

[wishey1]

Yes. :03biker: :04biker: :biker: :06biker:

You can patch a radial bike tire with an inside radial patch. You can also plug it using the stringy stuff and rubber cement or a mushroom plug. It won't be good as new but done right it can be trusted as long as you verify that it's holding air. (You check your tire pressure before every ride anyway, right?)


Hello again Bones....

Hey.....can you plug AND patch both at the same spot?

TIA...

[Motorace1]

I am getting a new Mich. Pilot Road rear tire....based on the reviews here......better than the Dunlops, right?....please say yes....

The guy at the Honda place said you should get the same rear tire as what came off cause the tread patterns won't match up if you put another kind of tire on there......anyone know about the dangers of mismatched tire patterns....hahaha.....sounds suspect to me??

I have ordered the pilot to match the stock dunlap front....but if anyone would comment that it's a mistake to do that I will just cancel the order tomorrow........any feedback would be helpful....my mind is spinning now about my brand new tire that got a screw in it.......still bummed......TIA.....

w

You can run the Michelin rear with the Dunlop front. The bike will not kick you off and stomp on you - I promise!!:)

By design, the front is made to work with the rear. The front creates the path for the rear in poor weather. BUT - a good quality radial rear can work with a good quality radial front just fine, no matter the make. Just make sure you run the correct pressure, and the front has adequate tread depth to work properly with your new rear.

And since I am a Michelin stooge, I do wish you bought the Michelin front! :)

[wishey1]

[QUOTE=wishey1]ok.....$160 for tire (either dunlap 220 or mich pilot roads).....$90 more for taxes and mounting......todal $250- $260....that's the rates around here.....

hmmmmmm.....intereSTing........the guy at the MC shop quoted me $160 out of the book....I saw it on the page.......

now when I called him this a.m. and told him I found a back tire on the internet (sporttour.com) for $136(delivered) he says "What am I gonna do with the one ordered and coming in today?" I said well---'send it back' He says well---'they charge a 20% restocking fee' Do ever get that feeling when the battle starts to turn in your favor...? See, I know he made a boo-boo with that one, I mean come on, the guy just told me he gets ALL his stuff from these guys---now saying they are gonna stiff him with a turn back tire??? No way........so he writes down the exact prices off the site and said "I'll call you back"....he calls back 15 min. later and said he will sell me the tire for the same price $136......saved $25......just like that......

[wishey1]

You can run the Michelin rear with the Dunlop front. The bike will not kick you off and stomp on you - I promise!!:)

By design, the front is made to work with the rear. The front creates the path for the rear in poor weather. BUT - a good quality radial rear can work with a good quality radial front just fine, no matter the make. Just make sure you run the correct pressure, and the front has adequate tread depth to work properly with your new rear.

And since I am a Michelin stooge, I do wish you bought the Michelin front! :)


....hahahaha......that's funny....

....Thanks Motorace1.......yeah......got the deal done yesterday for the PR's and got it done better today.........or 'mo bettah' as they say around here......
......yes, I will order the front now and put it on.....will plug the rear and have like a new set of Dunlops in reserve.........

yesterday, I was in town without a computer and riding around trying to figure out what to do with air leaking out the screw hole.........
Makes me feel like businesses are set up to make people "pay" for little or no info. in a desperate situation......a computer and sites like this one
changes all that.......guess I need to strap one on my back...lol.....

Thanks again,
wish

[Bones]

Hello again Bones....

Hey.....can you plug AND patch both at the same spot?

TIA...
Interesting question. I never tried doing both. The plug is more convenient because you don't have to remove the tire from the rim, but the patch is likely more permanent as it covers the hole and the surrounding area from the inside. Air pressure, centrifugal force, and glue conspire to keep the patch in place. A plug extending inside the tire would probably prevent the patch from making an optimal seal.

I bet Dave from Motorace is a more reliable source of information on this topic.

[sherob]

Had my PR's mounted this morning... :D I have noticed 2 things on them riding home... about 30 miles :rolleyes: They do roll real nice into turns... they are kinda spongy... they kinda bounce a little rather than a hard shock type hit on road surface imperfections :D

[crazykz]

Had my PR's mounted this morning... :D I have noticed 2 things on them riding home... about 30 miles :rolleyes: They do roll real nice into turns... they are kinda spongy... they kinda bounce a little rather than a hard shock type hit on road surface imperfections :D

That was the first two things to me also. Glad you finally got them.

Curt

[wishey1]

Interesting question. I never tried doing both. The plug is more convenient because you don't have to remove the tire from the rim, but the patch is likely more permanent as it covers the hole and the surrounding area from the inside. Air pressure, centrifugal force, and glue conspire to keep the patch in place. A plug extending inside the tire would probably prevent the patch from making an optimal seal.

I bet Dave from Motorace is a more reliable source of information on this topic.


Hey......about patching a radial......I just found out.......the only "approved" method is....they make a 'plug-patch' just for a radial MC tire......the drill a small hole where the puncture is and insert it.........

[sherob]

Curt and Bones... I got a nice ride in today on the PR's... aka Starbuck's run :D These babies are the shiz of all shiz of tires (had throw in a Carl reference). I had the Pilot Commanders on my Sabre and thought those were hard to beat... these are wonderful :bow1: I thank both of you for your reviews ;)

[crazykz]

Curt and Bones... I got a nice ride in today on the PR's... aka Starbuck's run :D These babies are the shiz of all shiz of tires (had throw in a Carl reference). I had the Pilot Commanders on my Sabre and thought those were hard to beat... these are wonderful :bow1: I thank both of you for your reviews ;)

Another convert. Resistance is futile. ;)

Curt

[Kempo-STer]

Curt and Bones... I got a nice ride in today on the PR's... aka Starbuck's run :D These babies are the shiz of all shiz of tires (had throw in a Carl reference). I had the Pilot Commanders on my Sabre and thought those were hard to beat... these are wonderful :bow1: I thank both of you for your reviews ;)


Yeah they did it to me too.....I am borg:eek:

[Bones]

Glad to help.
Just make sure your have them mounted so they rotate in the right direction....I'll spare the individual who had his rear tire on backwards any public humiliation. :rolleyes:

[crazykz]

Had a dealer do it to me on my Harley. Grrrrr. Couldn't figure out why the tire was wearing out after 6000 miles.

Curt

Glad to help.
Just make sure your have them mounted so they rotate in the right direction....I'll spare the individual who had his rear tire on backwards any public humiliation. :rolleyes:

[sherob]

Glad to help.
Just make sure your have them mounted so they rotate in the right direction....I'll spare the individual who had his rear tire on backwards any public humiliation. :rolleyes:

I checked... :eek: Just went back out and looked again... LOL!!!!

[BentAero]

I emailed Sport Tour yesterday, (where I have bought 3 or 4 tires from in the past) asking about the 'roads' for the ST. Here is the response I received 02/07/06:

"Yes we do have the 120/70ZR-18. I just updated our Pilot Road web page
http://www.sporttour.com/tires/michelin-pilot-road.htm with the pricing for
the 120/70ZR-18 and you can also find the pricing at the bottom of our
ST1300 page http://www.sporttour.com/honda/st1300.htm . Currently we have both the front and rear in stock."

Thanks,
Glen Sullivan
(866)761-0936
www.sporttour.com

[Tor]

Michelin Pilot Road
120/70ZR - 1817-3607 $108.95
170/60ZR - 17PRR-53 $125.95
+ $20 shipping.

Is this is good price, or can I get them cheaper elsewhere?

[rwl1955]

Dave
Does Michelin make the Pilot Roads in sizes to fit the ST1100?

[sherob]

Michelin Pilot Road
120/70ZR - 1817-3607 $108.95
170/60ZR - 17PRR-53 $125.95
+ $20 shipping.

Is this is good price, or can I get them cheaper elsewhere?

That sounds pretty cheap to me... maybe cheaper than I paid :eek: Once you ride on these, you'll never want to ride on anything else ;)

[Pred8tor]

In the past it was hard to get both front and rear. Now I see both advertised. Is the "shortage" over, or is the availability of both tires limited?

[Purm1300]

Those of you who are running the Pilot Roads, how did you determine where to align your valve stem?

I just took delivery of a set of Pilot Roads and cannot find any marking that would indicate where to align the valve stem.
I called Michelin customer support and was told that they don't mark a spot and that a competent mounter could mount the tire properly (with minimum weighting). A lot of help he was.

Thanks for any help and input,

Andy

[sherob]

Those of you who are running the Pilot Roads, how did you determine where to align your valve stem?

I just took delivery of a set of Pilot Roads and cannot find any marking that would indicate where to align the valve stem.
I called Michelin customer support and was told that they don't mark a spot and that a competent mounter could mount the tire properly (with minimum weighting). A lot of help he was.

Thanks for any help and input,

Andy

I bought my own 90 degree aluminum stems and brought those into the dealer... they did the work ;)

[billxp]

I bought my own 90 degree aluminum stems and brought those into the dealer... they did the work ;)
I think he was talking about the light spot on the tire that is most often just a painted spot on the tire. Most places align this with the valve stem.

I'll have to check my pair since I haven't mounted them yet.

[billxp]

Michelin Pilot Road
120/70ZR - 1817-3607 $108.95
170/60ZR - 17PRR-53 $125.95
+ $20 shipping.

Is this is good price, or can I get them cheaper elsewhere?I paid slightly less HERE (http://www.compacc.com/category.cfm?Category=2245).

[EdsST]

Mine are being mounted as I type (okay not this very minute, but when I pick the bike up this week they will be on it)

[sherob]

I think he was talking about the light spot on the tire that is most often just a painted spot on the tire. Most places align this with the valve stem.

I'll have to check my pair since I haven't mounted them yet.

DOH! :o: My bad... did you see it? :confused:

[billxp]

DOH! :o: My bad... did you see it? :confused:
Nope no painted marks on my set.
I must have gotten perfectly balanced tires. ;)

[sherob]

Nope no painted marks on my set.
I must have gotten perfectly balanced tires. ;)

Same here or there is some unwrtitten super double top secret way to mounting Michelin tires :rolleyes:

[Bones]

Those of you who are running the Pilot Roads, how did you determine where to align your valve stem?

I just took delivery of a set of Pilot Roads and cannot find any marking that would indicate where to align the valve stem.
I called Michelin customer support and was told that they don't mark a spot and that a competent mounter could mount the tire properly (with minimum weighting). A lot of help he was.

Thanks for any help and input,

Andy

I've got a message into Dave at Motorace. Maybe he can shed some light onto the subject.

[Motorace1]

Those of you who are running the Pilot Roads, how did you determine where to align your valve stem?

I just took delivery of a set of Pilot Roads and cannot find any marking that would indicate where to align the valve stem.
I called Michelin customer support and was told that they don't mark a spot and that a competent mounter could mount the tire properly (with minimum weighting). A lot of help he was.

Thanks for any help and input,

Andy

Michelin's do not come with a balance dot. After the tire comes out of the mold, it is put into a machine where it is both inflated and spun to check for defects.

The tire is designed to be balanced out of the mold. You are only balancing the rim with a Michelin.

I hope this answers your question! :)

[Motorace1]

Dave
Does Michelin make the Pilot Roads in sizes to fit the ST1100?

Yes - it would be the 110/80ZR18 front and 160/60ZR17 rear.

The 160/60 rear will work just fine on the ST100, though it does take from the factory a 160/70.

[Motorace1]

In the past it was hard to get both front and rear. Now I see both advertised. Is the "shortage" over, or is the availability of both tires limited?

The shortage initially was in the front tire. Michelin brought it in, never told anyone and then put it on closeout. Motorace bought all of them, I eBay'd 50 sets in about 3 months and then we bought 100 more - all Michelin had made.

The tire is now in the regular production schedule and is available in the USA.

The rear 170 has been available forever. A very common BMW fitment.

[claw]

Are these still being produced or recommended for the ST?

I have just done a search here http://two-wheels.michelin.com/2w/front/affich.jsp?codeRubrique=2092004113028&lang=EN on their tyre (tire) selector page and nothing appears either selecting the choice in the UK or the States.

My 020's are needing replacement and i thought i'd give these a shot.

Have they been replaced with a newer type or withdrawn?

[crazykz]

Are these still being produced or recommended for the ST?

I have just done a search here http://two-wheels.michelin.com/2w/front/affich.jsp?codeRubrique=2092004113028&lang=EN on their tyre (tire) selector page and nothing appears either selecting the choice in the UK or the States.

My 020's are needing replacement and i thought i'd give these a shot.

Have they been replaced with a newer type or withdrawn?

They are available from SWMotoTires
http://arizonamoto.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=SWMT&Category_Code=Pilotrd

and AMotoStuff
http://www.amotostuff.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=tires-michelin

Curt