Best Sport Touring Tyre

A tire for the NorthWest. Rain for 8 months of the year.

To those of us sporting a brand spankin' new set of Z8's, this is comforting. Now, if it was as easy to acquire some riding skills....

Ozonewanderer said:

FWIW, according to MCN the best sport touring tire in a wet track time test is the Metzeler Roadtec Z8 as compared to

• 
  Conti Road Attack 2
  Bridgestone BT-023
  Michelin Pilot Raod 3
  Dunlop Roadsmart 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GG4VkYGBOv8&featur=grall-u

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Very interesting. That's what I have. However, I've read other comments and comparisons which put the Michelin PR3 on top for wet riding. Others which put the Dunlop on top. I know I've had Michelin PR2 on another bike, and I liked them very much. I never liked Bridgestone 020 or 021, which both came, first with my F800 ST, then my RT. Ditched them. I don't know about the 023. Just saying.

Interesting, I've new Z8 on the back at the moment it seems fine wet or dry tbh. The front 023, although still plenty of life in it I can't wait to get off as it makes the bike very twitchy. I think it's the odd profile it has now.When I put on my spare wheels with new Conti RA's on for the French tour I'll whip that 023 off and replace it with a Z8 front. for the winter.
\v/

I have no doubt that any of these fine tires far exceed my most aggressive riding skills. I measure my chicken strip width in inches!

Furthermore I have no experience or motivation to race in the rain. It's good to know that I'll be safe no matter which one of these I pick.

Roadsmarts hands down. I've never had a better performing tire that also yields high mileage.

Ahh... that's better. 023 front off, and Conti road attack fitted. Now tracks where I point it.
\v/

Isn't that somewhat normal, new tires feeling better as compared to old ones?

Hell yeah! but I've been bitching about the 023 since I put it on really.
I also have new EBC discs and pads all round. It's like a new bike!
\v/

Thats interesting about the bt023, was gonnna put one on to match the rear for the trip to Austria in August, then when both shot was gonna ride some PR3's, hmm think I may just jump to PR3's
FWIW I dont trust EBC pads since the friction material came clean off the metal backing plate on my wife's renault after just 5 months, wouldnt like to think it happened on the RT just as I was hard braking for a corner....Just sayin!

Thanks for the heads up, I have read a couple of of post about EBCs delaminating in the past.

I did wear out a pair of rear EBC pads in 6k miles but I did hammer the rear brake on a Swiss alpine trip. I've also run a pair of EBC fronts at a Track day at Cadwell, they seemed to stand up OK stopping the RT, discs turn a bluey colour so they were working hard.
I still have those pads, hardly worn really but...
I fitted new EBC discs and to keep warranty they dictate EBC pads must be used, so I bought another set as I'd lost the recipt for the 1st set..
They'll come out fairly often for a clean anyway so I can keep an eye on them.

Conti Road Attacks (not 2)seem to roll well mind.
They do seem soft, I plucked a flint out of the rear earlier, thought it might be a gonna in 200 miles but was OK.
I better keep an eye on that as well.
\v/

Just picked up the wheels today and put them on. I replaced the PR2s with PR3s. I hope I made a good choice. It was either that or Z8s. Normally I like Metzelers best, but the Michelins where pretty good. In the past my bikes came with stones, which were garbage and were switched out for metzelers. I haven't ridden on them yet, too much to do around the house as I am moving to AZ next week, but I am riding the RT down... :bmw:

yo1200yo said:

Thats interesting about the bt023, was gonnna put one on to match the rear for the trip to Austria in August, then when both shot was gonna ride some PR3's, hmm think I may just jump to PR3's

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Last year I put a pr3 on the front with a half worn bt023 on the rear. That definitely doesn't work, the front end felt really unstable on bends so I put another bt023 on the front.

Like you I'm touring soon so for a change I've gone with a pair of pr3's as there are so many folks raving about them. I've had 4 rears and 3 fronts on this bike, all bt023s and found them to be pretty awesome, but after doing quite a lot of twisties riding recently, the sides of the rear 023 are now bald after 4k which I thought was a bit disappointing.

Hardly rains in my part of the world but I like the Z8s for their mileage. Much better than the Z6s they replaced. I have over 10,000 miles on the rear with still a lot of life left in it. I had 12K miles on the front but replaced it because I was going on a long trip and it also had a bit of cupping on it.

I ride alone (but weigh in at about 200lbs) and ride high speed on hot roads.

tsp
Blog: www.swriding.blogspot.com