road tyres

[kissofdeath]

So for the past few yers I've stuck to pilot road tyres (2,3,4 and now 5 ), but as the 5s are trail tyres they tend to be rather soft and square of quite quick so was thinking of something different.
Whos using what?
Road only.

[Darren marsh]

bridgestone BT 023 sport tourer
put them on in the summer I use my bike for commuting and do 300 miles per week they are great tyres for me and my riding
Mind you bike has bike in garage for the last 2mths due to this sh*t weather we are getting
Few more weeks and should be back it  on everyday for work yippee can't wait its the only time I get to work and have a smile.on my face

[Ianmc]

+1 for BT 023 tyres.

[kwackboy]

I'm pretty sure you can get the rear in a "non" trail version.

They are identical in appearance but the "non" trail version is a harder compound, as for the front , you could still use the trail . 

[mr_diver]

BT 023 are an excellent sport touring tyre, longer lifespan than the newer T30/31 Evo.
Wet grip is marginally improved on the newer version... still it takes a hand full to get the rear to step out on SWMBO's GSX14, and I won't skimp on her tyres! But the BT023 is my tyre of choice.

The Road 5 comes in trail front in the 19" but the rear can come in the standard. Just don't buy a pair deal as it'll be a trail rear.

The Pilot Road 4 is generally considered a longer lived tyre than the newer 5 and doesn't have the nasty tendency to scallop both front and rear like the 5. Wet weather grip marginally better on 5 but 4 is the better package. Also was/is avaliable in trail rear.

Seems manufacturers were making excellent tyres that gripped and lasted well, but then people stopped buying so many tyres. 

So the later generation have improved grip but shorter lifespan. = sell more tyres   

But M&P have recently had A40 Adventure on offer for £99-115 (don't know that its at now)
And they are road tyres with an aggressive looking tread - they ain't worth $hit if you take them on anything more than hard packed dry dirt... so basically anywhere you'd take a road tyre. 

Last well enough and you can buy two pairs for the price of one set of Road 5

[joethebike]

Metzeler Roadtec 01 are the best I have found after previously using Pilot 2, 3 and 4s.  The grip level in wet and dry is unbeatable with the last Roadtec 01 rear lasting 15,000km.

[vstroman]

I wonder are those Metzeler Roadtec 01 a 'trail' version too with softer compound than the 'road' version? they are only available in an R rating far as I can see, good tyres, had them on a few years ago.
Don't see the new 'SE' variant in vstrom sizes either.

[Barbel Mick]

BT 023 for me now. Swapped last year after one set of Anakee 2's & two sets of Anakee 3's.
I got over 10k on the rears of the Anakees but don't know how the 023's will compare as I've only done about 4k on them.....still look good though.

[colin]

Have used Anikee 2. good grip and lasted 10.000 miles. but noisy on smooth tarmac.   Currently using Avon Trailriders  good grip in wet, don't tramline, I don't go off road.

[mr_diver]

The Roadtec 01 were a pile of shiyt on the Varadero, wet grip was crap, rear scalloped within 3k enough to be able to feel the drop off the edge of the tread block into the dip when moderately banked over.
Also the rear stepped out all to often, giving zero confidence in the tyre.

Rear was nearly at legal limit around 6k, front wasn't far behind and had sizeable cracks in between the tread.
Tyres were 7 months old (manufacture date) when taken off the bike so not aged rubber.

Thank feck I didn't pay for them.

I'm not into Metzler bashing, I have Tourance's (original) on the Varadero atm and I'm quite happy with them.

[kwackboy]

Strange...

Feedback for the roadtec 01 is mostly good and I've personally had them fitted to my old Vee when we rode down to Sicily and back.
We covered over 4000 miles two up fully loaded and they weren't even half worn.. 
Personally for me they were a great tyre in all weathers and peg scratching was plentiful due to the confidence they empired.

[porter]

Like Kissofdeath I too am looking new rubber for my Veek . I've  used Bridgestone A40's, good mileage for the rear, 7k, but I never liked them, to harsh. Then I went to pilot roads, 4 and 5's, great tyre but short lived. The 4's where OK, 5k rear but the road 5 only lasted 4k, to short for me, all rears where the standard tyre not the trail.  Last change was to aneeke3's, back to good mileage, should last 7k but poor wet grip and harsh front tyre like the Bridgestones. Might try Pirelli scorpion trail 2's next or thinking of mixing tyres. I like the Michelin road 5, or 4 fronts as they grip well but also they're soft side walled so don't feel harsh on bumps (the Veek has to much high speed compression damping in the forks) and combine that with any cheap rear I can get.

[aderio]

Just had a pair of these fitted, I avoid the rain but do a lot loaded two up, will report

http://www.mitas.co.uk/Adventure-/Trail-Tyres/TERRA-FORCE-R.html

Good price, well balanced

[Brockett]

I know nothing about mitas tyres but I note from their blurb they are 90% road and 10% off road. What does that mean?  When I ride to that famous West Wales Campsite on the road it is only 90% of what I need and going up the (possible wet) grass field leading up to the parking area it is only 10% of what I need.  How do they know it's not 89% and 11% ?

[pb]

BT023 for me too. On the second rear now, last one managed nearly 8,000 miles, still on the original front at almost 9,000 miles plenty of miles left in it yet. They seem to grip really well. I think they may have changed to a harder compound on the middle section of the tyre over the older version (bt021 I think) which I had on a Bandit a few years ago they only lasting about 4,000 miles on the rear then.

[Reddevil]

I have a 2008 k8 DL1000, I too want a road tyre, however I can’t seem to see the likes of the BT023 in my size F- 110/80R19 R-150/70R17

[Cartejo5]

F- 110/80R19 R-150/70R17 is pretty much a standard size for older adventure style bikes. I had Bt023 and later T30 evos on my 1100gs both were good tyres and I'll be fitting them to my 650 when the time comes to change tyres. Conti RA3's are also available in them sizes again had them on my gs, good tyres but pricy.

Hunters on westagate road can get most tyres and are normally competitively priced.

[Nelson]

I bought two pairs of Bridgestone A40's from M&P for £109 per pair delivered, which is near as dammit half price. When they arrived the date code read 4 years old! They were older than the A41's I was taking off!
I find the A41's are perfect for me, and would take some convincing to change. Up to 10,000 miles front and rear, but don't penny pinch and change earlier generally to keep handing sweet. Great in wet too.