[moshe_levy]

Hi All-

This really isn't a model-specific post, but all testing was done on a 2015 R1200RT. Back in 2019 (episode #55,) I ran a comparison between Dunlop's Sportmax Roadsmart III and Michelin's Pilot Road 3, 4, and 4GT over 60,000 miles of high-speed highway commuting, to verify if Dunlop’s ad campaign at the time (which boasted of a longevity advantage over Michelin) was true or not. In this new episode, I’ve got data tabulated with another set of Dunlop Sportmax IIIs, this time used for weekend leisure riding and slow suburban commuting. Just how much does riding style as a variable affect tire longevity? The results may be surprising to some riders, but they do indeed prove the adage that "comparing tire mileage between riders is a fool's errand.” Let me know your thoughts!

 

[Mellow]

Yeah, I've always taken mileage comments with a grain of salt. Ultimately, I get a set of tires and see what mileage I get.. then try a different brand/model and do it again...

It makes a lot of sense that a shorter commute would impact mileage a lot due to accelerating/decelerating cycles and basic friction.

Most of my yearly miles are very similar trips and I don't commute. The bike will sit for a month or 2 sometimes then I'll go on a 2,000 to 5,000 trip somewhere. If I get a tire that gives me a good 8,000 range I'm satisfied.

My OEM PR6/GTs I just took off with 8200 miles on them but have a trip coming up in the TX Hill Country and those chip / seal surfaces can chew up a tire fast in roads that inspire aggressive riding. I put some RS IIIs on and I'll see how they do FOR ME this year then put on some BS T32s next.

 

[pkpr1998]

A lot!

 

[PadG]

Hi All-

This really isn't a model-specific post, but all testing was done on a 2015 R1200RT. Back in 2019 (episode #55,) I ran a comparison between Dunlop's Sportmax Roadsmart III and Michelin's Pilot Road 3, 4, and 4GT over 60,000 miles of high-speed highway commuting, to verify if Dunlop’s ad campaign at the time (which boasted of a longevity advantage over Michelin) was true or not. In this new episode, I’ve got data tabulated with another set of Dunlop Sportmax IIIs, this time used for weekend leisure riding and slow suburban commuting. Just how much does riding style as a variable affect tire longevity? The results may be surprising to some riders, but they do indeed prove the adage that "comparing tire mileage between riders is a fool's errand.” Let me know your thoughts!

I haven't looked at your video yet (I will later, since I do subscribe to your channel, and prefer to watch on my TV), but I am a very firm believer that riding style has everything to do with the longevity of your tires, regardless of brands! I have used all of the Michelin from PR2 to the present Road 6GT, as well as Metzel Z8, and Pirelli Angel GT. In all cases, I can get more than 10k miles from every one of them. I tend to ride hard, whenever I can, and fast, again whenever I could. I do start off rather briskly from stops, but where I think the big difference occurs is the fact that I always use "full-lean" turns, even at very low speed, which tends to place a lot of the wears to the side of my tires. Old habits! Heck I often scrape peg making a left turn out of the end of my driveway!

Having said all that, now it will be most interesting to see your findings!!!

 

[jzeiler]

If you are hard on the throttle you will wear out your rear tire faster and if you are also hard on the front brakes you will wear out your front tire as well. Gentle starts and stops will give you the most tire life, but where is the fun in that?

 

[Mellow]

If you are hard on the throttle you will wear out your rear tire faster and if you are also hard on the front brakes you will wear out your front tire as well. Gentle starts and stops will give you the most tire life, but where is the fun in that?

True, if you want great mileage and tire longevity then get a Prius... uh... I just threw up a little.

 

[beech]

This tire came into the shop on a bike last summer. All available miles were had. See the pattern in the rubber where it has not quite gotten to the metal. A serious indication of impending doom. Don't let your tires get below 1.5mm in tread depth.

 

[kbob12]

I spent many years on sport bikes and I felt fortunate to get 5k miles out of 'em!
Riding year round back east in the '70s and early '80s with all the rain and snow, I couldn't afford to let my tires wear down to nothing! One year I rode over 30k and I ran through a slew of tires!
And, since riding ATGATT for over 40 years now, I don't take chances when it comes to my well being! I have enough broken bones to last me a lifetime!
Anyway, I am thrilled to get 8.5k - 9k miles on my KLT and Harley Barge FLSTC!
The hassle for me is finding tires when out on the road for the LT.
I have a big trip planned for this summer, and I dread carrying a pair of tires for the first half!

 

[Sandancer]

I can’t believe the mileages showing in the video! 18k miles on a rear tyre! I would have previously thought this impossible but it’s there quite clearly. I’m a gentle rider on the whole but I reckon I’ve done well if I get 10k on a set of tyres, and usually it’s less. Mainly highway type riding and very little commuting.

 

[PadG]

OK, now that I have looked at the video, I have to say that I am in full agreement with Moshe and his opinions! Just 2 notes though:

1. WOW, I have never allowed my tires to wear THAT much!!! I had always changed them out well before they are down to that level. I suspect that if I had let them go that far, I would have been able to add a few thousand miles to the 10k - 12k that I usually get, and so the data fits for me as well. I don't do short rides. Being retired, and widowed, I ride whenever I want to, and that's usually 2x a week, and typically for at least one tank-full, which translate to 250 miles+ for each ride. BTW, we have lots of seal-and-chip (or whatever you call it) roads around here! No fun when they are freshly done, with the tar still molten and deep layer of rock chips. I usually run into the fresh one at least once a year, as much as I tried my best to avoid them.

2. I am rather surprised though that shorter rides have greater wears on the tires! Any thoughts on why?

For Moshe - how does the Dunlop handle the wet roads? I am interested in trying out the tire, but wet road handling is important to me!

 

[PadG]

I spent many years on sport bikes and I felt fortunate to get 5k miles out of 'em!
. . . . . .

You would have loved riding on my all times favorite bike! That was my 1963 Norton Dominator 650ss. Fantastic ride.

 

[kbob12]

You would have loved riding on my all times favorite bike! That was my 1963 Norton Dominator 650ss. Fantastic ride.

Wow! I had a friend who owned a '67 back in the early '70s! Three other friends had late '60s Triumph Bonnevilles! Wild times when I was still buzzing around on Ducati, Yamaha, and Suzuki two-strokes!

 

[meese]

Remember, every BMW has a built-in tire wear rate compensator up on the right handlebar. Turn towards you for more fun and worse tire wear, and turn away from you for better wear and less fun.

That handle has the same basic effect on fuel mileage as well...

 

[RTinGB]

This tire came into the shop on a bike last summer. All available miles were had. See the pattern in the rubber where it has not quite gotten to the metal. A serious indication of impending doom. Don't let your tires get below 1.5mm in tread depth.
View attachment 181374

Looking at how the tread area is worn, I would say this tire was run with too much pressure IMHO.

 

[JimW]

Hi All-

This really isn't a model-specific post, but all testing was done on a 2015 R1200RT. Back in 2019 (episode #55,) I ran a comparison between Dunlop's Sportmax Roadsmart III and Michelin's Pilot Road 3, 4, and 4GT over 60,000 miles of high-speed highway commuting, to verify if Dunlop’s ad campaign at the time (which boasted of a longevity advantage over Michelin) was true or not. In this new episode, I’ve got data tabulated with another set of Dunlop Sportmax IIIs, this time used for weekend leisure riding and slow suburban commuting. Just how much does riding style as a variable affect tire longevity? The results may be surprising to some riders, but they do indeed prove the adage that "comparing tire mileage between riders is a fool's errand.” Let me know your thoughts!

According to the guys at my local BMW dealer (Eurosport in Asheville, NC) this is pretty typical mileage for this bike on our local roads. Think Dragon, Rattler, Blue Ridge Pkwy, Cherohala Skyway, day after day after day. (I know, really sucks, right! ) I knew it was getting worn, but it didn't look like this when I left the garage. We did an out and back on The Rattler (234 turns in 33 miles) on a hot day that was in the 90's. Stopped for lunch afterward and as I walked up to the bike I saw this! Nearly pooped right there!

2021 R1250RT
5,480 miles
Michelin 120/70 ZR 17
Road 5 GT

 

[rtwiz]

Hi All-

This really isn't a model-specific post, but all testing was done on a 2015 R1200RT. Back in 2019 (episode #55,) I ran a comparison between Dunlop's Sportmax Roadsmart III and Michelin's Pilot Road 3, 4, and 4GT over 60,000 miles of high-speed highway commuting, to verify if Dunlop’s ad campaign at the time (which boasted of a longevity advantage over Michelin) was true or not. In this new episode, I’ve got data tabulated with another set of Dunlop Sportmax IIIs, this time used for weekend leisure riding and slow suburban commuting. Just how much does riding style as a variable affect tire longevity? The results may be surprising to some riders, but they do indeed prove the adage that "comparing tire mileage between riders is a fool's errand.” Let me know your thoughts!

Moshe:

The riding style that changes rear tire wear, especially on RTs, is long 80mph interstate miles in hot weather. It destroys the center and makes the bike handle strangely in turns, but it becomes easier to ride with no hands on the interstate...Never do that.

Center of the rear tire is always the spot that shows cord first...Always check your rear tire all the way around after a ride if your tires have more than 5000 miles on them, especially if you're doing long distance riding at higher speeds.

 

[rtwiz]

This tire came into the shop on a bike last summer. All available miles were had. See the pattern in the rubber where it has not quite gotten to the metal. A serious indication of impending doom. Don't let your tires get below 1.5mm in tread depth.
View attachment 181374

Pah! I've had a stripe all the way around the tire and had to ride 300 miles home on it. Not recommended, but it's amazing what tires will still do near the end of their life.

According to the guys at my local BMW dealer (Eurosport in Asheville, NC) this is pretty typical mileage for this bike on our local roads. Think Dragon, Rattler, Blue Ridge Pkwy, Cherohala Skyway, day after day after day. (I know, really sucks, right! ) I knew it was getting worn, but it didn't look like this when I left the garage. We did an out and back on The Rattler (234 turns in 33 miles) on a hot day that was in the 90's. Stopped for lunch afterward and as I walked up to the bike I saw this! Nearly pooped right there!

2021 R1250RT
5,480 miles
Michelin 120/70 ZR 17
Road 5 GT

View attachment 181384
View attachment 181385

According to the guys at my local BMW dealer (Eurosport in Asheville, NC) this is pretty typical mileage for this bike on our local roads. Think Dragon, Rattler, Blue Ridge Pkwy, Cherohala Skyway, day after day after day. (I know, really sucks, right! ) I knew it was getting worn, but it didn't look like this when I left the garage. We did an out and back on The Rattler (234 turns in 33 miles) on a hot day that was in the 90's. Stopped for lunch afterward and as I walked up to the bike I saw this! Nearly pooped right there!

2021 R1250RT
5,480 miles
Michelin 120/70 ZR 17
Road 5 GT

View attachment 181384
View attachment 181385

Wow! Living in Chicago, I've never seen a tire wear through on the sides like that. Always worn in the center on every worn tire I've ever seen.

 

[JimW]

Pah! I've had a stripe all the way around the tire and had to ride 300 miles home on it. Not recommended, but it's amazing what tires will still do near the end of their life.




Wow! Living in Chicago, I've never seen a tire wear through on the sides like that. Always worn in the center on every worn tire I've ever seen.

I grew up in Louisiana and would agree that every time a tire change became due it was because the center of the rear tire was done. Then I moved to western NC and got the RT. I don't feel like I'm a particularly "fast" rider, but living in the mountains I do love riding all the twisties! I routinely see 45º-46º lean angles on the bike, but after 9k miles, my overall average is only about 38 mph!

When that front tire suddenly looked like that after only 5k miles, I thought it had to be defective and took it to the dealer to look at. Evidently, the combination of bike weight, aggressive cornering & braking, road surfaces, etc, make 5k about normal around here. The rear tire still had a bit of life left, and while the center of that front tire was getting there, it wasn't that bad. Anyway, lesson learned! That tire hangs on the garage wall right in front of the bike so I don't forget!

I really wondered how the new Dunlops would compare to the GT's (and they were on sale), but I needed a tire now and the new GT was all they had in stock so I stuck with them this time. Also, I read some comparisons that seemed to indicate that the new GT 6's were stickier on turns and were a better rain tire. With my kind of riding that's more important than highway mileage. Would like to hear thoughts from others after they've had a chance to try the Dunlops in the mountains.

 

[doron grudo]

True, if you want great mileage and tire longevity then get a Prius... uh... I just threw up a little.

You threw up just by saying “Prius”. You must see both an MD and a psychologist.

 

[GoldenWest]

Re; “Just how much does riding style as a variable affect tire longevity?”, other than the very astute entry from
“ #3 · Jan 10, 2023 A lot! “, I can’t even think of by what metrics “how much” could be measured.
So, I would rephrase the question as a simple statement; “Riding style variables affect tire longevity”.

Re; #10 · Jan 11, 2023 …”how does the Dunlop handle the wet roads? I am interested in trying out the tire, but wet road handling is important to me!”; from personal experience riding in slick and rainy Northern Oregon with my 2006 and 2018 RT’s, the Roadtec 01 GT is my preference. Lively, intuitive, communicative tire, and phenomenal tire for wet weather riding, and on wet / slippery reduced traction surfaces. They also wear quite evenly.
I’ve used but was never impressed or confident with Michelin Road 2,3,4 & 5. The Dunlop RoadSmart 3 was better in the above areas, but recently removed them from the 2018 RT after less than 700 miles. The rear in particular consistently slipped and lost grip in those conditions, triggering the ASC / DTC.