Anyone using Pilot Road 3's?

[Tungtvann]

Was out on the bike today in the pissing down weather, first time I've been out on the PR3s in that much rain. No worries at all, but I wasn't exactly pushing it. It's still nice to know that I've probably got some of the best wet weather road tyres on, so it gives me that bit of extra confidence I need whilst riding like a day one noob in the wet.

[garth]

Mini track review of the Pilot Road 3's;

I guess the clue is in the name of the tyre - they're road tyres. They did ok - I was at Rockingham on the international circuit, I've had two years off and never ridden my gsxr600k2 in anger, or been to Rockingham before, so I booked into novice.

Tyre pressures that worked well were 30R 32F. 30F was too low for me personally. They heat up quickly, they'll be some video to follow, but I was having no problems at the pointy end - should've booked inters.

They move about a bit on the brakes, a bit squirmy. It's not really unnerving, they just move a bit. I was out breaking people on supercorsa's and slicks though (wtf are they doing!) so they did ok.

Getting on the power they tend to move a bit too. I was leaving a few black lines exiting the bends, although the tyres don't look that bad for it considering.

A word of warning; no matter how good they are, they are road tyres. WOT in third gear, ~110 on full lean, chasing down a Daytona on sticky tyres, I got thrown out the seat. It was moving about a little any way, but I found the limit and went straight over it. I was pushing it a bit though. I was lucky to stay on, but it was 2nd to last session so I came in early and had a gentle one last time out.


So, if you've got PR3's and you want to try a trackday, the tyres will be fine - I got overtaken about twice all day, on a 12 year old 600. However, if you're regularly heading to the track and are going to be in inters/fast, goes without saying really, get something more suitable.

Overall, I was pretty impressed at how far you can take the piss on them, for what they are.

Pics;

https://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y459/nark_square/5B214209-A3DB-4176-9604-2904E52CB38B-1183-000001FA944839DB_zps87d1ddd7.jpg

https://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y459/nark_square/B3DA190B-787C-478B-BBF8-2AE61E7FFD34-1183-000001FA841685E7_zpsd118ede2.jpg

[Nick_Giles]

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Your 'chicken strips' are unacceptable.!

Pussy.


Nick
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Peter Cook: "I have learned from my mistakes, and I am sure I can repeat them exactly".

[radicalrabit]

Nick ? and just how far do you lean your bike on bends? Kiddin ....
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VF1000 F2F, BLACKBIRD with carbs, 2nd VF1000F2F just need somewhere to go now..

[garth]

Well I put an extra 5psi in the rear yesterday and I've ridden to work today in the pissing rain with no moments at all, braking pretty hard and they inspire plenty of confidence when tipping into bends in the wet. Pretty versatile these!

[0l0dom0l0]

I'm really keen to try a set of these.

I had a set of BT023's on the FZ6 and have done a couple of trackdays on them. Not pushed them hard but never had any moments at all, and they scrub up nice too.

Did one wet trackday at Silverstone and was all over the place on them so didn't rate them to great in the wet. However, I then did another trackday at Oulton Park in just above freezing temperatures in the pissing rain with a PR2 rear and a BT023 front.

Together the combination worked really well, until the front end washed out on me on the brakes and I lost it going into the first corner. So it was the bridgestone that let me down.

In the corners in places I reckon I had enough lean for KD I just wasn't hanging off or going for the KD which is why it didn't touch.

So I'd love to try the PR3's.

Only thing that doesn't do it for me is the tread pattern. It's god awful ugly. BT023 is much better looking.

Oh on for people moaning about price, I got my last set of 180 and 120 BT023's for £210 fitted to loose wheels, which isn't bad at all.
____________________
CBT Passed: 30/08/2009, Theory Passed: 31/08/2010, Mod 1 Passed: 6/9/2010, Mod 2 Passed: 13/09/2010. Restriction ended 13/09/2012.

Bikes: 2007 Derbi GPR 50, 1998 Yamaha Fazer 600 (written off), 2002 Yamaha Fazer 600, 1994 CBR 600F, 2003 Triumph Daytona 600, Kawasaki ZX6R J1.....Current: 2006 Yamaha FZ6, 1998 Suzuki TL1000R and a Honda VFR 400 NC30.

[UnspeedySam]

Off topic for a moment, what tyre pressures do you guys run for road use. Did you say you only use about 35r 32f garth?

I run my 6R at 36f, 41r as per the Kawasaki specs. That's on BT023s which I think are much better than me!
____________________
Riding: BMW R1150RT `02 bought mildly crashed
Fixing: Also the BMW as I get less broken bits
Gone: ZZR600 '00, TRX850 '97, RXS100 '93, JS125-6B '07, BMW R1100RS '93, Kawasaki ZX-6R-J2 '01, Honda Bros NT400 NC25 '88

[c_dug]

I had mine up in the high 40's by accident for a couple of months, dropped them down to the high 30s now and not noticed a difference really.
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I am a bellend, I am a man of constant sorrow, I am a gummy bear, I am a rock.

[UnspeedySam]

[c_dug]

The only time I've ever noticed a difference was when I first got a 600 and didn't know any better, my dad got me to check the pressures because my tyre looked funny and the front was 12psi! Bumped it up to about 36 and it was miles better.
____________________
I am a bellend, I am a man of constant sorrow, I am a gummy bear, I am a rock.

[0l0dom0l0]

[whitedevil]

A lot of these newer sport tourer tyres (bt023, pr2,3 2cts have quite hard side walls. I was recommended by the Guy at MCT who did my suspension to run 34-36F and 36-38R. He said 42 was way to high unless you were 2up.

I found it made a good difference but having the suspension refurbed and set up made a huge difference.
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GPZ500 sold ~ CBR600FS-2 sold ~ ZX6R sold ~ Street Triple R

[UnspeedySam]

[evoboy]

[whitedevil]

Gary Hartshorne Motorcycle Product Manager for Bridgestone Europe and their so called tyre expert recommended me to use 34F/32R (hot) on track and 36F/36R (cold) on the road with my bt023's.
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GPZ500 sold ~ CBR600FS-2 sold ~ ZX6R sold ~ Street Triple R

[evoboy]

[whitedevil]

Dunno about the owners manual but the haynes and shop manual both state 36f/42r but also state 42r with pillion and loaded. Im guessing the 42r is just to cover them if a fat bastard and his mrs go touring fully loaded and have an off due to running under inflated tyres.

The best thing for anyone to do is have a play around with the pressures and find what feels right to them as everyone gets a different feel from their tyres.

My bt023s will be about done in a month and im trying to decide if i should try these, something else or stick with the 023's
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GPZ500 sold ~ CBR600FS-2 sold ~ ZX6R sold ~ Street Triple R

[garth]

They seem to feel a bit better when they are softer, for me.

One thing I do like is how quickly they warm up. Takes until about the end of the driveway.

[UrbanRacer]

Nice post Garth, thanks for taking the time to give your opinion on the PR3's on track. I have a set on the S1K for road use.

[garth]

[garth]

Rather than start a new thread I thought I may as well update this one, could be useful for someone choosing a new tyre.

I've been commuting on these now on the gsxr for a few weeks, and can say that in my 9 years of road riding and several (20+) bike / tyre combinations, I haven't had better for road use.

I have a better feel with the rear tyre on 36 instead of 42, likewise I run the front around 32/34 instead of 36. They take about ten seconds to warm up and I have no issues whatsoever with them, including hooning as fast as I'd go regardless of tyre on the road.

I'm just about to depart for a 2-2.5k mile euro (alps etc) trip, two up, so I will get a picture of them at the end to judge how well they are wearing.

All good so far!

[MattJ]

Thanks for the info garth.

I've got PR3s on my bike and I've been impressed with them too, but I don't have enough experience of different tyres to be able to say how good they are compared to others. I'm also gonna do my first trackday next month so it's nice to know that these tyres will be fine on track.

[MarkJ]

Agreed My PR3's are by far the best tyre I've ever had. I used to wear a rear Pirelli Diablo out in 4k miles, these have currently done 7k or so and still look new

[willis1337]

I got a set of PR3's on my K1300s and have now done 5k on them since May, touring around the alps (and surrounding countries) as well as a long weekend trip up to the midlands (Buxton, Matlock etc). Bike had full luggage on sometime, however on this tyre, coupled with the ESA on the BMW, it made no difference to cornering confidence, I could still have fun in the twisties regardless of luggage or not (it was slightly slower on acceleration with the luggage).

These are by far the best tyres I have used (Metzlers, Bridgestone etc). I reckon I'll get another 1k out of the rear (just) and maybe another 3k out of the front. Great tyres.
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Current bike: KTM SD1290GT
Previous bike: BMW K1300S

[kramdra]

Tire question for you all. I think I read somewhere its unsafe to have a grippier tire on the rear than the front. Hence the rule about mixing radials and bias plys etc...


I've got dunlop sportmax D209's on right now. Rear is bald, replacing it with a part worn PR3. In the dry, Im sure the dunlop will be grippier, but in the wet, it will be the PR3. Is this bad? Fronts got about 4k miles left