ST1300 Tire experts?

[Jay51]

I have had both Michelin Pilot Road 4 GTs and Battalax T30 GTs. The T30s are wearing evenly and quite well for having 7000 miles on them. The have a lot of life still on them. I wouldn't hesitate to put T31 GTs on when the time comes. And would also be quite happy with the Michelin Pilot Road 5 GTS when they become available in 2019. I think Mellow has a point about the stiffer T31s giving you time to slow down and get off the road in the event of a fast blowout!

Here is what is on the Michelin site about the Road 5 GTs.


MICHELIN Road 5 Standard versus the GT version
The above sizes of MICHELIN Road 5 tires are designed for naked bikes and roadsters such as the Triumph Street Triple and the Suzuki SV650.
Heavier grand touring bikes such as the BMW R 1200 RT or the Kawasaki 1400 GTR require the GT version of MICHELIN Road 5, which will become available in 2019. Until then please choose MICHELIN Pilot Road 4 GT tires.

 

[MarkyD]

Put on a set of the good Bridgestone T31 Snow radials and come on up to Canada. Tire chains are optional but highly recommended.

Do you have snow experience with those and they provide added confidence with handling? Like in slop and fresh with some pavement contact beneath they are OK? (Understanding that two wheels on iced ruts just don't work. That's what light bikes are for.)

I've about 1 month yet before I need to begin thinking about how the bike will handle on the way home if I ride in and it snows.

-mark

 

[SMSW]

ZR means a tire of radial construction with a speed rating of 149+ mph. The bike is capable of +/-143 mph so you wouldn’t want a tire at the next lowest rating of H (130 mph). GT versions of Bridgestone tires are recommended for motorcycles over 500 lbs. There are unspecified differences in carcass construction or rubber compounds however they do not carry load ratings any different than non GT versions of the same tire. On my bikes the GT tires do last a little longer.

I thought the speed rating means the tire is capable of sustained travel at the rated speed. Even though the bike is capable of 140+ mph, I've never had it anywhere near that speed, and in fact have probably touched the ton only once or twice with no plans to do it again. Would not a tire rated S (112 mph) be sufficient for my riding style as long as the load rating met Honda's specs? This is a rhetorical question because I don't think there are any tires rated S for this bike. (Were someone to steal my bike w/ S rated tires, wind it up to 140 while fleeing from the gendarmes, explode the tires and crash, I'll deal w/ the subsequent lawsuit. Dead thieves do, however, have a hard time suing.)

 

[MajorTom]

Do you have snow experience with those and they provide added confidence with handling? Like in slop and fresh with some pavement contact beneath they are OK? (Understanding that two wheels on iced ruts just don't work. That's what light bikes are for.)

I've about 1 month yet before I need to begin thinking about how the bike will handle on the way home if I ride in and it snows.

-mark

Tim's just pulling your leg on the snow radials thing. My advice to you if you get caught in a snow event while at work is to park the bike, get a ride home, and wait for it to melt.

Many years ago when in university I was attending a night course and came out at around 8 pm, in the dark, to find four inches of wet snow covering the world. The pavement was just wet in the parking lot so I pulled out onto the main road and proceeded down a slight slope to the controlled intersection where I would have to come to a stop. That was when I noticed the appreciable shine to the road surface in the street lights and as soon as I touched the back brake the bike went sideways and I was down. There wasn't much harm to the bike, but I wrenched my knee badly. I managed to get the bike up limped it back into a parking area where I left it for a couple of days until things warmed up enough to ride home.

 

[dduelin]

I thought the speed rating means the tire is capable of sustained travel at the rated speed. Even though the bike is capable of 140+ mph, I've never had it anywhere near that speed, and in fact have probably touched the ton only once or twice with no plans to do it again. Would not a tire rated S (112 mph) be sufficient for my riding style as long as the load rating met Honda's specs? This is a rhetorical question because I don't think there are any tires rated S for this bike. (Were someone to steal my bike w/ S rated tires, wind it up to 140 while fleeing from the gendarmes, explode the tires and crash, I'll deal w/ the subsequent lawsuit. Dead thieves do, however, have a hard time suing.)

Tire fitment publications and vehicle placards are driven by DOT and FMVSS regs in our country and not by your riding style or needs. You are free to mount any tires if you like on your own but vehicles are approved for sale using certain tire and wheel combinations based on the performance potential of the vehicle. For liability reasons motor vehicle manufacturers will not list lower speed or load rated tires than those approved when the vehicle was sold as new. For the same liability reasons motorcycle shops have an interest in not mounting just any tire that might fit.

 

[cdnemsguy]

Well the shipment came in today and as you can see from the photos, the rating is on the tags, just not posted on the website ad. All is good, and now just to wear the new set that I had just put on, so I can get to these. Great price and rebate on them now.

 

[Dale_I]

I just mounted some T31 GT's not too long ago. I had a question about the weight ratings and GT designation. Here is the response from Bridgestone:

"The load rating will change from tire size to to tire size and application to application.The 'GT' spec is not a higher load rated tire it is a tire that is designed to cope with the stresses and heat that the bigger sport tourers put through the tire causing wear.

The advantage that a 'GT' spec tire provides is through combating the tire stress and heat it makes a bigger sport touring bike get better mileage out of the tire than a non 'GT' spec.

I hope this answers your question.

Thanks.

Rory O'Neill
Performance Tire Service Company"

For what it is worth, I'm enjoying this set a bit better than my last set, which were Angel GT's. The Pirellis started out good, but I had funny wear the last 3rd.

The T31's really handle tar snakes better as well. I'm a fan. But, will try the PR5 GT next year...

 

[Upt' North]

I just mounted some T31 GT's not too long ago. I had a question about the weight ratings and GT designation. Here is the response from Bridgestone:

"The load rating will change from tire size to to tire size and application to application.The 'GT' spec is not a higher load rated tire it is a tire that is designed to cope with the stresses and heat that the bigger sport tourers put through the tire causing wear.

The advantage that a 'GT' spec tire provides is through combating the tire stress and heat it makes a bigger sport touring bike get better mileage out of the tire than a non 'GT' spec.

I hope this answers your question.

Thanks.

Rory O'Neill
Performance Tire Service Company"

For what it is worth, I'm enjoying this set a bit better than my last set, which were Angel GT's. The Pirellis started out good, but I had funny wear the last 3rd.

The T31's really handle tar snakes better as well. I'm a fan. But, will try the PR5 GT next year...

Dale, thanks for this, although I'm still confused as to why the GT's are not recommended for the 11. But on the plus side I am running correct non GT on my 11 and the T31's are the best tyres I have ever used. They come up trumps on grip, wet grip, braking grip and longevity. Price is not too bad either.
Upt'North.

 

[Dale_I]

I'm still confused as to why the GT's are not recommended for the 11. But on the plus side I am running correct non GT on my 11 and the T31's are the best tyres I have ever used. T

I had no idea the T31 GT was not recommended for the 1100. I have the GT version mounted currently and love them.

I knew Pirelli is recommending PR4 GT over the PR5 until 2019 when they are coming out with a GT spec, but I haven't seen anything that the T31 GT should not be used.

 

[Whooshka]

Thanks for the replies everyone. Well almost everyone. (read below) …………….

Also a funny part to this question I posted this morning, I asked the question and thought... Do I have to state that I don't care about the Bridgestone haters and the flavor of tire that is the only tire to run...aka tire thread? Well appears I should have as it is obvious that some people just can't help themselves. Counselling might be in order but there is not shame in that.

So... you spent a half hour on the phone with Bridgestone, and received an email from them (sounded like whoever wrote is was taking a guess), but yet you still came here to look for answers. Did you really expect to get the only answers you wanted to hear?

 

[ST Gui]

This was the relevant part of his answer:

LOL You apparently touched a nerve. And since exclamation points are free why not use 'em!

 

[Dale_I]

I would like to revisit the comment, or maybe I misunderstood, that the T31 GT was not recommended for the ST1100? They don't have my exact size, but I normally run a size wider with a size lower profile without issue.

I didn't copy the entire letter, only the GT construction comments, but I was definitely recommended to use the GT spec T31.

Even though I could technically get a non-GT with a slightly higher load rating, the heat dissipation of the GT construction was preferred and suggested.

I could understand not recommending a tire because it differs from OEM size standards, but I am not worried about the size issue.

 

[dduelin]

I would like to revisit the comment, or maybe I misunderstood, that the T31 GT was not recommended for the ST1100? They don't have my exact size, but I normally run a size wider with a size lower profile without issue.

I didn't copy the entire letter, only the GT construction comments, but I was definitely recommended to use the GT spec T31.

Even though I could technically get a non-GT with a slightly higher load rating, the heat dissipation of the GT construction was preferred and suggested.

I could understand not recommending a tire because it differs from OEM size standards, but I am not worried about the size issue.

I think what we might not understand is in the USA we can mount any tires we can fit but those residing in the UK can only mount tires recommended and approved for fitment or the bike will not pass inspection. (MoT inspection????) Two of us in the last few posts are on the other side of the pond where recommended means something different than on this side.