Roadsmart, Pilot Road 2 or other?

[Reppyboyo]

Hi,

Im looking for the next pair of tyres for my Speed Triple as the stock Pilot Powers are running low after around 3500 miles.

Can anyone recommend a long lasting sports touring tyre?

I used Pilot Road 2`s on my previous bike and loved them but at £220 fitted they are quite pricey.

Anyone know the going rate on Roadsmarts?

[Itchy]

BT20s last about 10K, unless you are dodger where they last about 3000 miles, and cost about the same, and in the heat they were very grippy but are apparently poor in the wet.
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Spain 2008France 2007Big one 2009 We all die. The goal isn't to live forever, the goal is to create something that will. In the end, your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it is worth watching.

[Reppyboyo]

I ride all year round, so wet grip is very important.

[Itchy]

I did say apparently , but coming back from France I was rained on for 3 days solid , heavy heavy hurt through your jacket type rain , and I'm still ok.
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Spain 2008France 2007Big one 2009 We all die. The goal isn't to live forever, the goal is to create something that will. In the end, your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it is worth watching.

[B_A_B]

[The Tot]

Well you should have read my review regarding the roadsmarts.

I case you didn't. here it is again!

Okay, so here's the story:

After the Sachsenring GP qualifying, I took a gamble and decided to get my kit on and go for a hoon. I reset the trip meter this morning when i first picked my bike up.

https://w3.bikepics.com/pics/2008%5C07%5C12%5Cbikepics-1351012-800.jpg

And then i went hunting for MY sort of roads, fast twisties... so i decided to head along the city bypass and head down the A703 road to peebles, then the A72 to galashiels before heading up the A7 to edinburgh... Loads of very tricky switchbacks that i took at >90mph... On the roads, had it not been for traffic, i would have averaged at least 75mph through the sections. I'm not bragging about anything, LukeVFR stylee here, because I think that i'm the kinda person that appreciates good scenery and a technical challenge by exploring roads that I ain't been on before... not a roundabout surfer or stunt maniac. Now if this criteria suits your style of riding, then i MUST IMPLY that the dunlop roadsmarts are THE tyre to get!

Overall impressions are that it's very netural and stable in the dry and you can really push it. On a few corners on the A7, i was going at least a good 5-7mph quicker through them than with my Bridgestone BT014/020 combo, such was the confidence that they inspired in me. You can feel like your riding on a magic carpet... the ride is very smooth and you wouldn't be unfluttered if you were going over cats eyes or other pebbles whilst cranked over (bearing in mind i have a riding style where i hang off LOADS and am very animated).

Needless to say, recommended scrubbing in periods are about 50-150 miles, taking it easy on the tyres... Fair enough, but this is a SPORTS TOURING tyre and i've managed to achieve this in the 1 1/2 hours i've had them on for!


https://w3.bikepics.com/pics/2008%5C07%5C22%5Cbikepics-1361022-full.jpg


Granted, i'm not trying to incite another argument or start a one-upmanship match regarding chicken strips, but merely just to indicate that if you had more skill than me (or balls) then i'm pretty sure that you'd have the tyre right on the sidewall within 75 miles, such is the level of grip they provide... i wasn't going to push it THAT hard because it was still damp in certain places and i was just getting used to how infinitely better these tyres were compared to the bridgeshites! That's about 1-2mm to the edge.. Its taken me 1 hour to do what took me 6 months to achieve on the bridgestones!


The front profile promotes plenty of leant over grip and increased contact patch.. It's much better than the BT014.

https://w3.bikepics.com/pics/2008%5C07%5C12%5Cbikepics-1351011-800.jpg

So, conclusion is.... If you have a sports bike, want to do loads of commuting miles, don't fancy riding in the damp, and want plenty of grip in the dry and have a 6000+mile tyre life, then these are MY tyres of choice! AS good if not MUCH better than the qualifiers!

My shout is for the roadsmarts - neutral and very quick to warm up. I can now say that i've scrubbed the tyres all the way to the edge on the rear and about 3mm on the fronts - such is the confidence

VERY GOOD wet grip & deep tread patterns
Stable front and rear profile
Heats up quickly even in the damp
Good feedback
Just read BIKE magazine for the tyre reviews
£20 cheaper than PR2's in most cases and people have given very encouraging positive feedback
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The Tot 2019 Z1000SX - 2007 R1
Never argue with autism

[Wooly R6]

I have had my roadsmarts since about april - done about 2k on them so far and they are fantastic - did a wet trip to the nurburgring (didnt get out on track) and they excelled in the wet.

My roadsmarts still have some of the little bobbly things you get on new tyres - they still havnt worn off!!!!

excellent - 100% recommend them.
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R6 has been sold - 2004 Honda VFR VTEC now sold too - no bike at the moment

[andi]

If you liked PR2 before then why not go for them again? Got a set on my fazer and am very pleased with them
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Before: Suzuki GT 185. Honda Superdream 250. Yamaha RD350LC. Suziki RG250. Yamaha FZS600. Honda CBR600F3
Now: Honda Fireblade 929

[Fnatic]

I have Michelin Sporty's. Nothing wrong with them.

[neatbik]

Ive got an 014/021 setup on my speed 4, and i reckon its really good. The 014 is a good sporty tyre, but the 021 heats up quickly, has bags of feel and is very confidence inspiring. Its ace in the wet too, it just feels like its gripping like stink. I did a trackday on it and it felt fine, and after 2000 miles of motorways, hooning and a trackday it looks barely worn.
When my front 014 is worn out im going for an 021 on the front too

[Mr Nice Guy]

I've put around 5k on a set of Pilot Road 2 on a k4 gsxr 750, majority of it commuting as I go to work on the b1tch ...the crown has just gone, can feel it at slow speeds ...but not at higher speed

tremendous tyre, I will not replace it with anything else.

p.s. there looks to be around 3-5k left on it if you can live with it slowly squaring off
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Suzuki GSX-R750K4 ~ Mivv GP

[Seb]

Another thumbs up for the roadsmarts. In the dry they were not that different to the bridgestones, but in the wet they are leagues ahead, as much as I don't like old dunlops, roadsmarts really are a solid choice for an all weather rider.
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2010 Triumph 1050 Sprint ST

[B_A_B]

[The Tot]

Crown is the part of the tyre that's in contact with the road 70% of the times, i.e. middle of the tyre, you know the bit that squares off . I'd like to think that the crown is the round bit at the top of my head, but since i'm a dickhead anyway, it might be the meatus
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The Tot 2019 Z1000SX - 2007 R1
Never argue with autism

[Whosthedaddy]

The 7 has Diablo Corsa III's and I have done in excess of 7,000 miles since having the bike, not sure how old they were from the previous owner, but they were scrubbed with chicken nuggets to prove it.

I commute in all weathers and the majority if not all of the commute is straight and boring.

The amount of squaring off is minimal and I am really surprised at the evenness of the remaining tread.

The grip they give in the dry is superb and the wet is just as good.

I'd recommend them.

[The Goat]

my bt016's rock, lasted a fair old distance and the level of grip and speed in heating up is awesome, fantastic for track too. They also take a long time to square off due to the multi compound, worth a look

[Reppyboyo]

Just a got a couple of quotes from my local guy who did my pervious ones.

£260 for Pilot Road 2
£300 for Roadsmarts

All balanced and fitted.

I need to find a new guy to fit my tyres.

[Mr Nice Guy]

Cheers for answering that titz

[Reppyboyo]

Yea I did notice the ebay prices, quite tempting.

Just finding someone to fit em should be fun.

[The Tot]

"fella under the arches" will do them for about 20 quid per wheel fitted or less if you bring them in loose. I got mine from roundandblack for £163 I think? You can't go far wrong with either the PR2 or roadsmarts or even the diablo strada's. If it's longevity that you want, any of them will do. I had to junk my bridgestones at 6000 miles because they were REALLY squared off. I hated them at that point (shame really because there was a GOOD 2-3mm tread left in them, but they were too wooden).
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The Tot 2019 Z1000SX - 2007 R1
Never argue with autism

[Reppyboyo]

[The Tot]

Any independent bike mechanic... ones who often work on the side of a car mechanics. There's plenty of them knocking about for sure and most of these folk are often retired main dealer mechanics starting their own establishments and have loads of experience to boot - so less overheads as a result - more likely to charge you cheaper. Most of them are located under railway arches/warehouses, hence the term i use as being "under the arches" - i'm not implying that they're illegitimate
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The Tot 2019 Z1000SX - 2007 R1
Never argue with autism

[r1_lad]

I was in the same situation as you with my stock Pilot Powers on my speed triple.

I put Pilot Road 2's on there just over a month ago. I rode all around the twisties in Spain/France, covered 3000+ miles and they still look new. I tend to push the bike quite hard when I'm riding around and haven't noticed a difference between them and the Pilot Powers.

Good tyre IMO.

Edit: I got mine brand new off ebay for £180 delivered.
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RS50 -> RS125 -> GSXR600 SRAD -> 02 R1 -> Speed Triple 1050 -> Ducati Streetfighter 1099 -> DRZ400 Superetard