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A big post on tires

What sort of tires and sizes are you looking for?

I think I'm gonna go for the Pilot 2's in 110/70 and 160/60. They seem to be the right fit an the right price! I like the look of the Conti Attack 2's but I don't think my experience level really needs that much of an aggressive tire.

It has just been pointed out to me how old my tires are. VERY is the answer. The hawkgtforum suggested I try these sizes. I was just wondering if there were any more opinions or thoughts on modern tires, as mine are from the stone ages of 2003/2001!
 
Which Pilots are you referring to? I'd recommend the Pilot Road 2s, I'm currently running them on my SV and they are great all around tires.
 
Yes, the Road 2's is what I was referring to. I have an opportunity to mount them this Friday at MotoShop so I need make my decision.
 
Yeah they're good tires, can't go wrong with them. Long life, good warm up speed for commuting, but sporty enough to let you have a blast up a twisty road too.
 
Pilot Power 2CT are great tires for winter if you do at least as much twisties as you do commuting. I enjoyed my set. For the summer, I tend to go up to the next level for even more grippy and less good in wet. These tires are super in the twisties and on the track, but suck for commuting as they don't last very long.
 
Wow, I'm not exactly sure where to begin with this thread... I'll start by saying AFMotorsports has it pretty much nailed. There is no better or worse when it comes to similar category tires from top MFGs, just different. If the rest of your bike is set up properly for the specific tire you will get very similar performance but different feel from any of them.

A soft carcass doesn't actually absorb more of the bumps, because you should be running it at a higher pressure which means equal high amplitude absorption to a stiff carcass at a lower pressure. However, it will transmit less high-frequency, low amplitude vibration which will feel "smoother" if you like it, "numb" if you don't. At correct pressures, there will be no significant difference in grip, even at lean. Likewise, a stiff carcass transmits more of the high-frequency, low amplitude vibration either making it "high feedback" or "harsh" depending on your preference.

I happen to prefer a softer carcass (Pirelli), because a smooth feel gives me more confidence than lots of feedback. Nothing to do with actual grip and everything to do with my personal bias. I suspect if I were more competent and in tune with my bike, I'd prefer a stiffer carcass and more feedback. Also a soft carcass and under-inflated tires can mask poor suspension setup, but at the expense of tire heat/grip, handling (overly sluggish), and rim durability.

Notes for nerds: at full lean, the differences are more significant because you're taking a significant portion of the damping circuit out of the equation by compressing the suspension with +1g, and tipping it on it's side so the suspension sees less than 75% of the bump vector. Still with proper inflation the large bump absorption will be similar, but the differences in feel magnified, and on truly uneven surfaces (e.g. old chip-n-seal) the soft carcass will have a grip advantage if you're actually managing 50%+ lean angles on roads that look like a Proactive commercial.
 
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I recently put on a pilot road 3. I am very happy with it. Used it in the wet for the first time today and was very surprised with how much wet grip the tire has.
 
Very informative! Thanks for the write-up :thumbup

I'm contemplating replacing the tires on my new-to-me 2007 Speed Triple. Bike had ~1800 miles (!) on it when I picked it up nearly 4 weeks ago, and still had the original tires (Michelin Pilot Powers, not 2ct, and not sure if the OEM Michelin rubber differs from off-the-shelf rubber). That would put the tires at roughly 5 yrs old.

I've put roughly 1000 miles on the bike so far, and tires haven't really indicated anything odd. I had Pilot Power 2CTs on the 599 for roughly 6k miles before selling it (and replacing the rear), and these behave very similarly (other than increased wear :teeth ).

I'm taking Lee Park's TCARC this weekend, so I'll be giving them a solid run-through.

I think I might have another 1k miles left on the rear. From there I'm contemplating either going with PP2CT, PR2 (for better tread wear) or Q2s, just to give them a shot.
 
Well, a friend asked for this recently, and I figure I may as well drag this out of retirement for the people who wouldn't have seen it in in the last 4 years.

And wow, I posted this in 2009. How time flies!
 
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