Do Any Of You Feel This? How Good Do You Need To Be?

you can deffo feel the difference from tyre to tyre. and this from a somebody that rides like a pussy. I couldn't get the SC's that the 848 came with, hot enough to work on most morning early season commutes on our colder roads which led to the rear skipping out twice on my favourite test twistys, so they came off pronto and where swapped for Michelin power pure. all good. I put it in for a service and new tyres last year, tho I asked for the same again, I hadn't noticed what they had fitted until the following week after It went back to them for some eh, rework.
it was a lovely hot summers day, half way up the road I chose to pull over and check the tyre pressures as it just felt like a dog. and there they where. fugging pilots. maybe they are classed as the equivalent, I dunno, i aint researched it, as another shop, did the same with my fugly and fitted a pilot to the front after asking for the Power Pure. i didnt check before leaving. tho I felt and hated the difference by the time I had got home.

 

Interesting, loads of folk seem to like the Pilots. I had Pilot 3’s on my ST4, I have to say I hated them with a vengeance. They wriggled, they were slow to turn and they didn’t inspire confidence.

I changed from Pirelli to Metzeler M7RR’s on my Panigale and within 20 yards I could feel the difference.
Quicker to turn and all round confidence inspiring. I really liked them and have recommended them to friends who also seem to get on with them.

So I changed the St4 over to Metzeler 01’s which I liked but maybe weren’t as quick to turn. I say maybe as I moved the bike on before using them that much.

Consequently when weighing up the options for the Multistrada my experiences with Michelin and Metzeler swung the decision. As I don’t ride much in the wet so I decided not to go for the Metzeler 01’s or the Michelin Pilot 5’s but I was very taken by the new Michelin power 5.
However I could see by the shape of the tyre it would be slower to turn than the new Metzeler M9RR.

The Metzeler M9RR’s won the day due to previous experiences. I’ll report back when I’ve tried them.

 

im no expert either but i can definitely feel the difference in tyres even if i can't tell you exactly what is going on. had some pirellis on my 749 for a bit and they were just plain dangerous (they were 5 years old so not dissing pirelli ) i fired michelin pilots and still didnt feel great. on all my bikes i run bridgestones so i fitted t30 evos and the transformation for me was amazing. but there is so many factors involved its impossible to recommend a tyre to someone else unless they have the same bike, ride like you and weigh the same as you. even then the feel they get might not be the same as you get.

 

Here's my 2 cents worth....I swapped out my 1098 Streetfighter from Super Corsa 2's to Battlax S22s and it was night and day...The S22s were more positive, stickier and rolled in beautifully...Will be getting these for my 1198 as soon as i have a spare £350

 

I had a Speed Triple back in the mid nineties, it was a pig of a bike to drop into a corner on Michelin’s or Dunlop’s. I then put Bridgestones on it was literally like night and day. So yes in my experience tyres make a significant difference.

On the down side a rear lasted about 1K ☹️

 

For as long as i can remember now, i have used Maxxis SuperMaxx Diamonds. I ride everyday, into and around London, and the grip, wear rate and rain grip are fantastic.

I tried them initially after using Maxxis for years on MTB's - surprisingly they seem to get dismissed online, and i believe part of that is because they are cheap, but i see no compromises.

My 1198 came with some Diablos (forget the exact name) and i hated them, let go much earlier (in the rain) than i was expecting.

 

That is so interesting, I am also a huge fan of Maaxis on my MTB bike, wouldn't use anything else tbh. And you are right, the motorbike version gets slated, but you reckon they are good on the 1198?
Can you also push them in the dry, on the road?
I'd be very interested to know that

 

Yes. Big time. Any racer will tell you the same as well.

I can tell you if a tyre is 5 laps old or 10 laps old. Especially if it’s a Pirelli or a metz.

Different tyre brands feel very different to me and require a different bike set up to get them to work.

this ranges from but is not limited to, grip (under braking, entry, mid corner, exit), longevity (often based on how much silicon the tyre has which is a trade off), how quickly they drop off, how quickly they come on, Sidewall stiffness and support, tip in (profile etc), stability.

I can feel 1psi of pressure or less difference when I’m in my window.

and so on ... isn’t it exciting !

 

I have them on my daily commuter, an S1000R, and the ride home is usually exhilarating, especially over the last few days when it's been drier and not so dark. One particular corner on the A1 is a favourite for cranking it right over, and the tyres are faultless.

 

Agreed, Maxxis are standard fit on my KTM 790, I’ve ridden wet or dry and experienced no issues. They aren’t rated however by some on the KTM page I joined, Bridgestones seem a popular choice.

 

I can highly recommend the Michelin Power RS , i had a set fitted to my 1200R Monster last September Rex and they are superb, have a read of some of the reviews and see what you think.

 

I always use Dunlop d212 tyres on my track bikes, they just feel right to me.

 

My 848 had Pirelli SC on when I bought it. Always felt fine when it was hot and I had warmed up the tires with a spirited ride. Before that and on colder mornings id say they gave me a few moments that lacked confidence in them.
Had some power 2s fitted and id far prefer them. they work far better in the temperature range most get to on a road.
And I think that is the key, its well and good having the stickiest tyre, however fot 90% of us they aren't working at optimum all the time due to pace on the road.
Most are better off having a more road focused Tyre where it works across the temp range we mere mortals can get them at.

 

Supercorsa’s Especially the race ones but also the road ones go off very quickly.

initial grip is good though. Which is the price you pay

 

The fact you are asking about tyres and thinking about them means you probably would feel the difference if you were able to do a magazine type shoot out day, where you could try lots of tyres on the same bike but not know what they are. Unfortunately for the rest of us its not that easy and want to get the right tyres, for the right bike, at the right price.
I don't run Supercorsa Sp's on my 1199 but am now on Michelin Power 5's. They were new out this year and I like them. I have had S21's in the past and they also were nice. I ride 90% road 10% track and as much of the year as I can which includes commuting to work at 5degC in the mornings.