Pirelli Angel GT's ??

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CDNolddude
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Re: Need new tires Pirelli Angel GT's ??

Well guys, partly because I didn't have a choice, and the good feedback from here, I got the angel gt's. I got the regular size so not the A-spec on the rear. Did 250k klms today to run them in a bit before my trip to the BRP next week.
They are very different ride from the BT023 GT's that I had on before these. It will take some time to get used to them.
After only 1 ride today with them I will give some initial thoughts,not really complaints yet as they are brand new.
They do not appear to be as stiff or solid as the bt23, maybe I should have got the A-spec?
They have a softer (almost mushier? ride) which I am not used to. (both tires are at 42psi)
On older asphalt back roads they are MUCH noiser than the BT23. Hiway also noisier. If these are supposed to be quieter than the PR4's then the Michelins might be annoying in that sense.
Hitting SMALL stones on back roads is much more noticeable with the Pirelli than the bt23's
They do however fall into turns much quicker and easily than the bt23. Maybe this is what people are calling more neutral, but it is an adjustment for sure.
I'm sure I'll adapt and get used to them, just hope I end up as pleased with them in the long run as others are.
 
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Re: Need new tires Pirelli Angel GT's ??

Sounds like what you are describing is tire feed back. Rather than riding on a rock hard tire that gives you no feedback on what's under your tires, you are now feeling it and are aware of it. Can't comment on the noise as I do not wear my hearing aids when riding. I can hear the PR4 tires though.
 
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Re: Need new tires Pirelli Angel GT's ??

Wouldn't have anything else. 16000 km on a rear tyre on Australian Roads. Make sure your pressures are at 42PSi
 
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CDNolddude
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Re: Need new tires Pirelli Angel GT's ??

Sounds like what you are describing is tire feed back. Rather than riding on a rock hard tire that gives you no feedback on what's under your tires, you are now feeling it and are aware of it. Can't comment on the noise as I do not wear my hearing aids when riding. I can hear the PR4 tires though.
You are probably right.. just got to get used to it..
 
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Re: Need new tires Pirelli Angel GT's ??

I do wear my earplugs most of the time now,,, after 42 years without them. And they are a really good custom fit industrial set, with high frequency filters. It is a another topic,,, but I encourage anyone who has not tried earplugs to give them a try. As for the Angel GT's,,, I don't find them any noisier than my previous tires. They are at the prime of their lifespan now,, with near max tread,, and minimal cupping (ALL treaded tires cup to some degree,, btw). The A-spec tire may be a bit quieter due to the heavier carcass resisting that hollow resonance which can occur with lighter tires. Cat'

You are probably right.. just got to get used to it..
 
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Re: Need new tires Pirelli Angel GT's ??

Well I did a 2500klm trip down to Virginia/BRP etc with the new Pirelli's.. Very little rain so not really sure about wet grip but did seem just fine on some wet roads.
I still do like the BT23's that I replaced better. If I get the Angel GT again, it will be an A-spec rear. On quite a few turns the bike just didn't feel right?(solid?) in the rear. Thought I got a flat and went wide??? The front held just fine but the rear was not as confidence inspireing.. I never noticed the same weird feeling on the Stones... Not sure I can even explain it as I don't know what it was. Yes the do have more road feel for sure.
They are not a cheap tire, so I may try the new stones or the PR4's next time.
 
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Re: Need new tires Pirelli Angel GT's ??

Just curious,, CDN,,, when you got that feeling of mushing,, or wallowing in the rear,, Were you at a heavier loading on the bike,, ie,, two-up,, top case,, stuff in the panniers ?? And where was your rear suspension pre-loader set ?? Just to add my experiences so far,, with the A-spec rear. Overall handling is great,,, as is wet weather,, and now cold weather too. If they last me to the end of next season,, totalling about 16,000km's,,, I will be buying another set. Cheers,, Cat'

Well I did a 2500klm trip down to Virginia/BRP etc with the new Pirelli's.. Very little rain so not really sure about wet grip but did seem just fine on some wet roads.
I still do like the BT23's that I replaced better. If I get the Angel GT again, it will be an A-spec rear. On quite a few turns the bike just didn't feel right?(solid?) in the rear. Thought I got a flat and went wide??? The front held just fine but the rear was not as confidence inspireing.. I never noticed the same weird feeling on the Stones... Not sure I can even explain it as I don't know what it was. Yes the do have more road feel for sure.
They are not a cheap tire, so I may try the new stones or the PR4's next time.
 
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Re: Need new tires Pirelli Angel GT's ??

Just curious,, CDN,,, when you got that feeling of mushing,, or wallowing in the rear,, Were you at a heavier loading on the bike,, ie,, two-up,, top case,, stuff in the panniers ?? And where was your rear suspension pre-loader set ?? Just to add my experiences so far,, with the A-spec rear. Overall handling is great,,, as is wet weather,, and now cold weather too. If they last me to the end of next season,, totalling about 16,000km's,,, I will be buying another set. Cheers,, Cat'
Heh Cat..
rear setting at about half way as always.. solo ride with bags and top box fairly heavy.. this feeling was not on level smooth turns, but mostly uphill turns and not rough roads but not new smooth asphalt either. (did not happen on the BRP) but surrounding roads at 221 250 etc ..where speeds might have been a little higher than on the brp
Ken
 
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Re: Need new tires Pirelli Angel GT's ??

I have always enjoyed the stories and articles and video's from Canyonchasers.net . I came across a tire article that relates to this thread. Also, in the article is a link to some mileage comparisons based on their experiences. My own Angels are about half done now,,,,, with performance continuing to meet expectations. I am surprised at the wear pattern on the front tire (cupping),, but am unsure of the cause. The A-spec rear is wearing uniformly. Anyway,,, I thought you all would enjoy these links,,, and the balance of their website,, Cat'

http://www.canyonchasers.net/reviews/tires/pirelli/angelgt.php

http://www.canyonchasers.net/reviews/tire-miles.php
 

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Re: Need new tires Pirelli Angel GT's ??

For you guys saying you are running the A spec Angel GT on the rear.....I am assuming you are running one size up ie. 180/55 ? From what I can see, there is no A spec in the standard 170/60 size. Not sure how much difference a 22lb increase in load factor (783 to 805) would make in overall performance and mileage. I am about halfway through a regular set of Angel GT's and so far am quite pleased with them. They do not seem to suffer the sharp sided/flat middle wear pattern of the PR4 on the front.
 
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Re: Need new tires Pirelli Angel GT's ??

Yup,,, I went with the 180/55 A-spec. It is half done and running great. I would buy it again. Although,,, I am not as happy with the front GT's wear rate, and showing a bit of cupping. I would not mind so much if it were 2/3rd's the current price. Still,,, I don't see a better looking alternative out there for it. I will likely give it another shot,, at the same time the rear is replaced. Cat'

For you guys saying you are running the A spec Angel GT on the rear.....I am assuming you are running one size up ie. 180/55 ? From what I can see, there is no A spec in the standard 170/60 size. Not sure how much difference a 22lb increase in load factor (783 to 805) would make in overall performance and mileage. I am about halfway through a regular set of Angel GT's and so far am quite pleased with them. They do not seem to suffer the sharp sided/flat middle wear pattern of the PR4 on the front.
 
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Re: Need new tires Pirelli Angel GT's ??

Sounds like you need to service or adjust your preload settings, that will reduce the cupping on the front tire.
My front tires are still round when I approach 10K and start getting close to the wear bar indicators.
 
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Re: Need new tires Pirelli Angel GT's ??

Good point,, Igofar. I have a bit more front end sag than I like,,, and am coming up on a fork oil change. I will likely swap out the oem springs,,, or shim them at that point. I am guessing you were not referring to rear pre-load,,, or did you mean both ?? Constant 42psi inflations on each tire is also critical. Cat'

Sounds like you need to service or adjust your preload settings, that will reduce the cupping on the front tire.
My front tires are still round when I approach 10K and start getting close to the wear bar indicators.
 
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Re: Need new tires Pirelli Angel GT's ??

Both! You don't want the hobby horse effect when you take up or slow down, as this also causes the front tire to cup, as well as braking, stuffing it into a corner too hard, etc.
 
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Re: Need new tires Pirelli Angel GT's ??

Well,,, time to revive this old tire thread, cause two new tires arrived in the mail today. And are they another set of Pirelli Angel GT's,,,, NO,, they are not sir's. Despite my over-all satifaction with the GT's,, these two new boots both are made by Metzeler !!

Why oh why,,, you ask,,, well let me put it this way. My evaluation of the GT's is a "B" for the front tire,,, and an "A" for the rear tire (180/55zr17 A-spec). That set performed excellently,, which is what I expect from a premium priced tire with a strong pedigree. The only downer was the wear rate and wear pattern the front tire,,, and I do realise that can be affected by many factors. Both tires have been driven hard,, and the front is done after 16,000km's. The rear has hung in even better,,, with about 12,000kms on it now,,, and likely another 4,000 still go. It will change out just prior to my planned pilgrimage to the TOD this fall.

But I am still looking for A+ performance on both ends of the bike. And the new Roadtech 01 (180/55zr17 HWM) looks good and gets great 1st year reviews. Sadly,,, they don't have a front size for the ST13,,, so I chose a roadtech Interact z8, which I actually like the design of better than the 01's front tire anyway. Yes,,, I have a history of mixing tire brands and model and even sizes, to get the performance that I desire. But they are always pretty heavily researched and informed choices,, that have worked well for me in the past. And I am expecting big things from this pair. Hey,, at least they are both made by Metz !! Metzeler and Pirelli are like sister companies,,, I think I heard. With Pirelli prone to taking successful race tires,, and beefing them up for the S/T crowd. While Metzeler comes from a high endurance and reliability background.

The new front rubber goes on Friday,, and we will see how it pairs with the 3/4 done rear GT,,, Cat'
 
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Re: Need new tires Pirelli Angel GT's ??

Do the side of your Metzeler's say made in Germany or Made in Brazil?
Harley Davidson had a very bad string of luck when they were using the tried and true Metzeler's after they switched plants and sourced them out to Brazil.
Be careful mixing tire brands, models, and sizes, especially on the ST1300, we don't want to hear about you causing a high speed weave issue.
Good luck.
 
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Re: Need new tires Pirelli Angel GT's ??

I will check the origin's in the morning,, Igofar. Thanks for the tip. In what way did the Brazilian HD tires under perform ?? Was the issue limited only to tires made for HD ?? As an engineer who worked for a world wide manufacturer,, named Dana,,, I saw many times how out sourcing to India/China/Mexico affected quality. Thx,, Cat'

Do the side of your Metzeler's say made in Germany or Made in Brazil?
Harley Davidson had a very bad string of luck when they were using the tried and true Metzeler's after they switched plants and sourced them out to Brazil.
Be careful mixing tire brands, models, and sizes, especially on the ST1300, we don't want to hear about you causing a high speed weave issue.
Good luck.
 
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Re: Need new tires Pirelli Angel GT's ??

Large strips of the tires separated and peeled off, or blew out while riding!
HD pulled every single tire that was made by Metzeler out of their inventory and had several memo's and warnings about it.
I was one of the lucky ones and mine just got a large hump/bump in the sidewall before exploding lol.
Metzeler put something out on the net letting folks know that their new plant was having issues with the dual compound they were using, and were working on it lol.
Not trying to scare you or discourage you from using your tires, just want you informed to be safe.
A couple guys I know used the new Metz on their ST's and their only complaint was loud noise, wiggle, and cupping on the front tire....but these guys really push their bikes.
 
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Re: Need new tires Pirelli Angel GT's ??

Igofar,,, so,, the rear tire Roadtech 01 is made in Germany,, and the Z8 is made in China. This is likely because the 01 is a new design,, and the z8 has been around for a while. I did read up on the HD story regarding Metzeler manufacturing in Brazil. It was over 10 years ago,, and affected the bias ply design that was shifted there. Seems the HD solution was to run those tires 10psi over pressure. My new boots are all radial construction,, and the HD incident was quite some time ago. But you can bet that I will explore and evaluate very carefully. After all,,, I am very fond of the test riders,,,, Cat'

I will check the origin's in the morning,, Igofar. Thanks for the tip. In what way did the Brazilian HD tires under perform ?? Was the issue limited only to tires made for HD ?? As an engineer who worked for a world wide manufacturer,, named Dana,,, I saw many times how out sourcing to India/China/Mexico affected quality. Thx,, Cat'
 
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