Tire suggestions?

[Teez]

It's tire time again and I am a bit overwhelmed with the selection. There seem to be a lot of good tires, but I am having trouble narrowing it down.

They need to be for street riding only, no track, on the stickier side to support twisties, wheelies and stoppies. I am not looking for the most expensive, but definitly not the cheapest...middle of the road pricewise is good. They are for Man God's ZX-9R.

Please let me know what you guys/girls use and how you like it, and a rough idea of the cost.

Thanks

[TheIglu]

Pilot Powers.

Uh oh, I'm about to hear an echo....

$225.99 shipped. You can't beat that.

http://www.tireexpress.com/

[jesse_k]

pilot powers.

[RandyO]

if your not doing track days, I'd go with a sport touring tire for the street , they're stickier than the sport tires of a couple years ago, and last quite a bit longer, Pilot Road, Z6, Diablo Strada, Continental Road Attack, Azaro ST, are all good tires

I would either buy tires from my local dealer or Dave

[ChR1s]

Pilot Powers are some great street tires, but they aren't the most confidence inspiring tire when the going gets wet.

[Half Squid]

I say go with Michelin Pilot Powers if you really want a great feeling tire for seriously ripping up the twisties. Only problem is the life of the tire is 25% less than most other tires on the market. The trade off is better grip to the road/heat up quick/respond extremely well! I have no issues with the rain yet, baceause I have avoided it!

If you want a longer lasting tire go with the Michelin Pilot Sports, or the Pirelli Corsa's

The cost of the powers are lower because Michelin knows we are going to go through them faster and be buying more bcause they are such a great tire! I myself am on my second set, and will be getting a third come seasons end or over the winter to start the year off next season. After these ones are spent I am mounting up a set of Pilot Sports I got for FREE !!!!

[Kham]

get something that last longer than pilot power.

[richw]

Crap I can't find it..

There was a tire chart I think on a now defunk discount tire store that showed tread depth

a look at the chart revealed an interesting fact.

The tread depth of the sport tires was 5/32
The tread depth for the sport/touring tires was 7/32

Less the wear bars 1/32 so sport 4/32
sport touring 6/32

Just found after initial post
I have found Bridgestone has tread depths
and the rear bt014 is 7/32
the rear bt020 sport tour is 8/32
so the advantage in brigestone is only 1/6 or about 15% less rubber

This analysis was 2 years ago with Michelin So do the math and you get 50% more usable road rubber on the sport touring tire then the sport tire.

If you wear your tires so they kinda square off then you should have little to fear of the more open profile of a sport touring tire.

I have a 1/4 inch chicken stripe on my left tire so I ain't used all of it and am not going to a track day.

I am not sure what I am gonna do but at around 3000 my bt 014 is just about toast and 1000 was break in

Poked right now I am leaning toward pilot road

[RandyO]

Originally posted by Half Squid
I say go with Michelin Pilot Powers if you really want a great feeling tire for seriously ripping up the twisties. Only problem is the life of the tire is 25% less than most other tires on the market. The trade off is better grip to the road/heat up quick/respond extremely well! I have no issues with the rain yet, baceause I have avoided it!

If you want a longer lasting tire go with the Michelin Pilot Sports, or the Pirelli Corsa's

The cost of the powers are lower because Michelin knows we are going to go through them faster and be buying more bcause they are such a great tire! I myself am on my second set, and will be getting a third come seasons end or over the winter to start the year off next season. After these ones are spent I am mounting up a set of Pilot Sports I got for FREE !!!!

Pilot sports are an obsolete tire that michelin hasn't made in over a year, those that are available are leftovers

[Karaya One]

The cost of the Powers are lower because Michelin knows we are going to go through them faster and be buying more bcause they are such a great tire!

This is NOT how tires are priced.

[richw]

Michelin confirms power sports are being phased out but claim a few are still in production.... yesterdays news

WTF Dunlop...asleep

[Karaya One]

Michelin Europe had considered keeping a few Sport sizes in production as a lower cost alternative to the Power. Kinda of like a "budget" tire.

This was a very short lived idea.

[oreo_n2]

my pilot powers have made it through about 6k miles.
i think your twin and trottle habits help chew em up quick mike! Me and my priller did too.

[Teez]

Thanks for all of the advice, please keep the reviews coming!

[ZX-12R]

Originally posted by Half Squid
If you want a longer lasting tire go with the Michelin Pilot Sports, or the Pirelli Corsa's

You think the Corsa's are a longer lasting tire? Apparently mine didn't get the memo! Although the more I think about it, my bike quickly chews up whatever I mount on the back!

I would also put the Diablo Corsas in the same class as the Pilot Powers and would compare the Pilot sport with plain Diablo.

[ZX-12R]

Originally posted by Teez
Thanks for all of the advice, please keep the reviews coming!

I'm sure most would agree that bare-back is better than rubber any day of the week.

[iwannaride]

I had the regular Pilots and i hated them. Tehy actually fell apart. I have the Dunlop 208 and I love them. I would recommend them to anyone. I am sure there are many others that also compare.

[Half Squid]

Originally posted by ZX-12R
I'm sure most would agree that bare-back is better than rubber any day of the week.

[richw]

Well I am glad about this post

I was thinking of the tre modification to release
gixer 1st through 4th.

The single resistor one that gets full power everywhere would just melt tires and maybe make it much squirrelier out of turns.

It already power wheelies in 1st and 2nd and sometimes 3rd.

There is a tunable tre mod box that lets you pick which gear gets full power.

My bt 014 front looks pretty healthy so maybe I will just put a rear bt 014 in stock and worry about a pair the next go around.

I do think its funny that we pay $.06 per miles for tires

[xvrider]

Originally posted by ZX-12R
I'm sure most would agree that bare-back is better than rubber any day of the week.

Ok, How did a thread about tires get turned dirty???

[TheIglu]

I'm running DP208's right now. They actually do surprising well. I do have Pilot Powers getting mounted in two weeks once I get back down to THE GAP!!!

I'll let you know how they compare if you are still in the market by then.

My old Pilot Sports felt good, did well on my trackday and never made me feeling uneasy.

[patricia929]

i've had both the pilot sports and dunlop 208's on my 929. numerous track days and decent miles on both with no complaints.

[jjs777]

On (3) of my 535lb bikes...they were/are shod with the following rubber in the past 12 months

michelin macadams (now michelin pilot road I think)
pirelli supercorsas
michelin pilot powers
bridgestone bt010's
dunlop D207's

By most all accounts, the pilot powers are supposedly lasting longer than most any other modern compound tire from what I've heard. And they STICK real well in moderate to hot temps. I have not ridden them in cold weather ~yet~

The bridgestone bt010's...are now surpassed by the bt014's I think...and the 010's are superb but I dont think they will last as long as the powers. They offer excellent feel for an older design tire.

The supercorsas are excellent, sticky tires. I think they are more for the person that wants ulitmate stick in good weather riding conditions. They are also the most costly tire of the bunch I have tried. They are seriously likend to riding on rails.

The macadams, now called the pilot road? are superb ALL WEATHER (...k minus snow) tires but not for the overly aggresive rider IMHO. I couldnt believe the stick these things had in heavy down pours. Maybe I should never try a tire like this again...they let me go too fast in the rain and thats not smart.

I really don't think you can go wrong with the pilot powers. Or perhaps less aggressive but higher mileage pilot road. Good luck - hope this helps.

[akira700]

check out Metzlers...
Road Tecs or ME4s...

click here...

I have Powers now love em also liked
Metzler Sporttecs but for more
longevity and slightly less performance...
maybe these are in order.

[richw]

just ordered another rear bt-014 when its burnt i will worry about a pair