I'd rather not to talk someone into or out of a tire that I like, what can I speak to is that my experience with the Road 2 tires, which felt super-numb and marble feeling. Having a tire that last a long time, but doesn’t inspire confidence is the exact tire I stay clear from.
Roadsmarts’ are marketed as a touring tire, touring tires tend to last longer than there sport counterpart, I don’t know how long they will last, but it last however long it last and with that I’ll be satisfied.
I won’t use a tire because it lasts long, since that has not been an issue or a priority in the past. Tires’ are the only thing keeping my bike in contact with the road, so I purchase tires with that in mind, first and foremost.
To date, I’ve had 17 motorcycles and about 30 years riding expierence, I have never, ever taken a set of brand new tires off a bike because of how they handled, until the Road 2’s. I’ve have found that there are folks that can’t tell tire from a rock, I believe that I’m in tune with both my suspension and tires and can typically tell when my tires are a few pounds off in air pressure. I also believe that different riding styles work better with different tire types.
Worth mentioning again is that Roadsmart’s took 1st place in some motorcycling magazine (sorry can’t remember which magazine) and after trying both new Road 2’s (took 5th place) back-to-back with the Roadsmarts, it understandable and I completely agree how they reached this conclusion. Also, I don't want sport tires on my touring bike, nor touring tires on my sport bike, they make them specifically for a particular model and purpose, not going to try to fool Mother Nature on this one.
Hope this helps,
Michael
Nothing wrong with the tire. Plenty of grip, though not as much feedback as a sport tire. About what one would expect for an S/T tire. You'll probably like it, but as RR said, YMMV.
