Wet weather tires

[dlim]

I will be riding all year round, rain or shine in the Seattle area. I have great personal gear to keep me warm and dry.

My ST1300 has a rear BT020 with PLENTY of tread left. The front tire needs replacing very soon.

What tires do you recommend for all season riding, considering all the wet weather we get here in the pacific northwest? The salesman at my local cyclegear suggested the PR5 today when I was there for wet weather and longevity. I will be replacing the front tire first, and then the rear tire when its time.

I'm open to hear your suggestions and experiences. Thank you!

 

[ToddC]

Yep!

 

[Chris09]

I'm just north of you in Vancouver, I've got Michelin Pilot Road 4 GT took it out in the rain a few times some real heavy rain too, no slipping at all in the winding pavement but not too agressive in the curves [no guts] but some hard acceleration and braking [never enough for ABS to kick in] and nearly no slip, great feel probably overconfident. Also in rain and dirty wind they felt excellent.
I just put a set of Michelin Pilot Sport All Season 4 245 / 45 ZR on my car, don't know if there's anything in common with the compounds, I can slip all four on the dry in the curves with those, a little more than the previous Goodyears I had, but those were not good in the rain.

 

[STRider]

I'm running a matched set of Bridgestone Battlax T32 GT's on my 1300.

They claim some innovative "pulse groove" technology to equalize water flow through the grooves in the tread which displace water more effectively than conventional grooves. Could be snake oil, could be space age tech for all I know. They got graphs!



I don't avoid wet riding, but my work commute is so short the chore of suiting up, shedding it all at work, placing it to dry and then repeating on the ride home has me using my cage more than I'd prefer even when its raining. $5.50/gal gas may change my attitude on that.

But returning from eastern Washington to Oregon after NEW-STOC last year, I rode through some lengthy frog stranglers and I was very happy with their wet weather grip and stability.

I'm not a lackey of the manufacturers, but I've frequently heard recommendations from unbiased sources to keep tires in matched sets. Sure they're all round and made of rubber, but their traction characteristics - carcass flex, traction at the same lean angle, etc... - and the way a front tread parts the water that the rear will encounter 56 milliseconds later* could make some difference. They did the math, trust me there. Does it matter? Maybe not much.

* ST1300 wheelbase = (58.7in/ST1300) / (12in/ft) = 4.8917ft/ST1300
(5280ft/mi) / (4.8917ft/ST1300) = 1079.4 ST1300/mi
(1079.4 ST1300/mi) * (60 mi/hr) = 64762 ST1300/hr
1/(64762 ST1300/hr) = 0.00001544 hr/ST1300
(0.00001544 hr/ST1300) * (3600s/hr) = 0.05559s/ST1300 @ 60mph or 56ms ​

 

[pmatulew]

Michelins have been the correct answer for the last ten years. However we seem to be going through a bumpy transition between PR4 - PR5 - PR6
Metzeler also have a high reputation for bad weather.
I've got a fresh set of Conti RA3 that are working well in the warm and dry. By the end of the weekend I may be able to tell you how they do in the wet. Looks there is already an RA4 headed to the market.

 

[dduelin]

Michelin Road 5 or 6 in GT spec. Fantastic wet tires and they leave behind the strange wear patterns in the previous Pilot Road 4GT series.

 

[sherob]

I just put a set of Michelin Pilot Sport All Season 4 245 / 45 ZR on my car, don't know if there's anything in common with the compounds, I can slip all four on the dry in the curves with those, a little more than the previous Goodyears I had, but those were not good in the rain.

I have ContinentalExtreme Contact Sport's on my A6... they've been great in rain, snow and ice! Take a look at them if they're available for your car... BFG's g-Force COMP-2 A/S PLUS were amazing on my Camaro in rain and even snow/ice when I got caught in it.

Good luck!

 

[Daboo]

Continental RoadAttack 3. I might try the Metzeler Roadtec 01 SE next. The non-SE version was nothing special, especially for mileage. The Conti RA3 has the best feel and turn in I've experienced. Very confidence inspiring. I've never had them slip on me either.

If you're interested in someone to ride with, let me know.

Chris

 

[dlim]

Is it necessary to get the gt version of tires? The guy at cycle gear said the st1300 is light enough for the regular version. .

 

[ST Gui]

They got graphs!

 

[Daboo]

Is it necessary to get the gt version of tires? The guy at cycle gear said the st1300 is light enough for the regular version. .

And I'd say he doesn't know what he's talking about.

At over 600 lbs, the ST1300 is heavy...and that doesn't include the rider, passenger and gear. It's also a function of how much torque you're applying to the rear wheel. If you ride a Honda moped, you'll probably never wear out the tires. But with a bike that heavy, and with any kind of tendency to either get on the throttle, or on the brakes...those tires will wear out fast if you try to go cheap.

If you want an inexpensive tire, find the Dunlop Roadsmart III tires. They come in only one version because they have stiff sidewalls anyway. With the rebates they often have, they are dirt cheap. I've had those slip out on me only once, and that was a place where there might've been some oil accumulated...and I was getting on the throttle like it was summer.

Chris

 

[dduelin]

GT spec tires are generally recommended for bikes exceeding 500 lbs. and the ST1300 is 721 to 730 lbs. depending on ABS.

 

[Al Gully]

It's up to you on your favourite brand of tire, but here is my story.
Purchased my ST1300 in 2009 used, Needed a tire after I put 5000 miles on it. Went with a brand (Avon) that my previous bike just loved in the curvy corners.
Well after 300 miles on the new tire and driving on the North Cascades highway (Hwy 20) in Washinton pulling a trailer (see my avatar) with the wife too, I had a rear tire blowout in Wintrop.
Glad it happened when I just pulled into town doing 10 mph on a gravel road looking for accommodations
No fun breaking down in the middle of nowhere, now I only use a heavy duty sidewall, (GT) marked on the sidewall is a must for me.
The only tires that I have used on this bike other than the brand above has been Bridgestones GT

 

[Daboo]

Another thought...go to the darkside. I know several riders who have and many are ST owners.

@The Dan is a good person to talk to about it. It doesn't seem to affect his bike's cornering ability. You'd be hard pressed to keep up with him.

 

[Sadlsor]

I have no experience with the Dark Side rubber romping yet, but I feel really confident in wet and dry with the Michelin PR5s in GT aspect.
Actually, I'm surprised at the consensus for this tire, as we all have our preferences based on riding style and experience. It's rare to get this much agreement in a tire thread.
Fortunately, there's already an oil thread with current responses, so I need not stir that silly pot here.

 

[cjames431]

I ride year round rain or shine and am on my 4 or 5 set of PR4s. Just changed the front today. They are spendy but I have had them last up to 20k. When the WASP was riding STs they ran PRs in the winter/rain season and battle-axes in the dry.
I have a manual tire changer setup you can use if you're game.