Road 6 not in GT

It’s the combined max load of both rear and front tires that is max allowed vehicle gross weight. From that we subtract wet weight of bike. More or less 731 lbs for ABS or 720 for non ABS. What’s left over is max payload which will be about 395 lbs IIRC. Payload includes riders and cargo.

The load rating of the tire is when aired to 42 psi cold. Max cold psi is on the sidewall.
 
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Kevcules said:
Seems like 783lbs max weight would be easily gone over, even with an average rider at 200lb
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That is the rating for the rear only. The weight is distributed between the two tires, and not neccessarily in equal proportions. I think that it would be hard to load up an ST1300 to a gross weight that would cause that limit on the rear tire to be exceeded.
 
Esti1300 said:
So the question is if your Shinkos performed well, why change? What makes you think or believe that the Road 6 is so much better on wet?
My Shinkos perform very well in the wet, equal to Michelin or OEM Bridgestones.
Gotta ask yourself as well, how often do you “push” your ST where you “need” the GT stiffer sidewall? Shinkos are not GT rated and IMHO perform admirably. YMMV.
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Yes, I absolutely believe the Michelins will be better in the wet. Previously I rarely rode in the wet, and was willing to risk it to get home for the cheaper tire. I like(d) the handling on the Shinko and the mileage wasn't bad. It is very tempting to put it back on. However, my job is going to be changing and I will be commuting 80-140 miles twice a week. My wife hates driving my truck. I can't afford to drive my truck those distances. So, unless its a monsoon I expect to be on one of my bikes. Living in the PNW rain is a reality, and if I am commuting, I am guaranteed to be riding in it. So, my calculations on risk reward have changed.
Normally I would agree with your assessment.
 
TerryS said:
As I understand it, the Road 6 GT is not available in the 170/60 x 17 that is stock on the ST1300. It is available as a 180/55 x 17 however, and by calculation that tyre would be 3mm/1% smaller in radius than a 170/60 so the gearing would be slightly affected as would the geometry. I've no idea if there are any clearance issues e.g. with the swingarm or driveshaft.
GT tyres usually use the same compound and profile as a non-GT but include an extra ply belt to stiffen the carcass to reduce heat generation and prolong life. I doubt there would be any handling/performance change. I'll be putting on another Road 5 GT shortly, unless Michelin starts to manufacture the Road 6 GT in the stock size. I'd also have no hesitation in using a set of T 32 GTs, but I have a Road 5 GT front that is in decent shape and I'm reluctant to mix the brands.
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I once ran a 190 on the ST; however, after doing more thinking and reading, I decided just because you can doesn't mean you should. It isn't much of a change to run the 180, but I now prefer running the the manufacturers recommended sizes unless given a clear convincing proof for why not.
There should be no problem putting a 5 GT on the rear and a 6 GT on the front, right? The front is where stopping comes from, and I have no intention of ripping it up from the line or in the corners when it is wet.
 
Thanks everyone.

I don't think the load would be a problem without the GT (though I do ride 2up frequently); however, I do think it would likely reduce the life of the tire.
Perhaps a compromise. 5GT rear/6GT front. That way I would get most of the benefit for stopping power and would likely never notice the difference in handling anywhere else.

I know the Shinkos are not GT rated, but if I am spending big bucks on a tire, I care more that it wears more evenly and lasts as long as possible.
 
Flash86 said:
Thanks everyone.

I don't think the load would be a problem without the GT (though I do ride 2up frequently); however, I do think it would likely reduce the life of the tire.
Perhaps a compromise. 5GT rear/6GT front. That way I would get most of the benefit for stopping power and would likely never notice the difference in handling anywhere else.

I know the Shinkos are not GT rated, but if I am spending big bucks on a tire, I care more that it wears more evenly and lasts as long as possible.
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I needed a front tire and I asked the shop to put on a PR4 GT. They said they couldn't get one and the PR6 was the replacement.

Not that I necessarily trust them, but I think the PR6 will be fine.
 
I just had the bike out for a leisurely ride that included a few easy sweepers. The new PR6 front tire was a vast improvement over the old tire which was a PR4 GT.

I THINK the difference was due to old vs new and not so much a better tire per se. I can't attest to grip wet or dry since I don't really ride aggressively and certainly not in the rain.

Previously, my bike had a tendency to want to stand up in the turns and I had to keep pressure on the bars to maintain the lean angle. Now, it's very neutral and stays where I put it until I add input. I may have waited too long to replace the front tire, but I'll be sure to replace it early the next time I notice it misbehaving in turns.
 
I decided to go with the Road 5GT on the back. It barely changes the max load and I haven't been running GT tires before, but I hope it will help the wear and the stiffer sidewall should make it feel more stable when cornering fully loaded.
I am putting the standard Road 6 on the front (they don't have the 18 in GT). I likely won't need the extra traction for acceleration or cornering but for stopping in the wet.
Helps that the 5GT saves 40 bucks and the R6 is only 3 bucks more expensive than the 5GT.

Thanks all for the thinking it through with me.
 
dduelin said:
I wouldn't ride an ST on non-GT tires, my opinion, my choice. It's 230 lbs or 46% over the recommended 500 lb weight cut-off for GT tires.

There are published objective tests on how certain tires perform in wet and dry conditions. Michelins tend to perform top tier in regular objective comparisons done in Britain and Germany. Maybe Shinkos do as well but they are never in such tests.
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My Honda dealer agrees....they will not install anything but the GT-rated tires on these and other heavy bikes.
 
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