5k in and there is noticeable squaring of both front and rear.
I don't think the front will have any life left in it when the rear needs replacing.
This may be down to the commuting I tend to be doing, but since my last update, I've been getting a shimmy at the rear as well as the front. I had the blokes in work have a look at the head and wheel bearings and all was well there.
Front:
Rear:
I've been running the stock pressures for the Varadero 36psi front and 40psi rear.
Looking at the pictures you can see a big step on the rear between the block's trailing edge and the leading edge. This going around the corner can be felt and is starting to concern me.
The front is also showing lumps and bumps where it's not worn evenly. The last time I saw this was on my Wee with a very knackered (near collapsed) wheel bearing.
Overall the effect of the odd wear patterns on the front and rear combined makes the bike weave in a straight line and wobble when trying to hold a line in the corners at a steady speed. Riding in anger nulls this out, but moderate cornering on the motorway you do feel the inconsistency of the tread.
The major positive of these tyres is the grip. I've given it mean handfuls of throttle in the wet and in the dry, over muddy twisty mountain roads @ 3degrees and never had a moment on them. Warm up is very fast, meaning you don't have to worry about that first wet corner.
Lifespan wise they do seem to be holding up. I'm around 5k in and they do have some life left, but the all motorway commuting I'm now doing to a new job will finish them sooner than planed. 6.5k looks likely.
Pricing them up they come to around £300+ a pair fitted (ride in, ride out) where most can get Anakee 3's, PR4's for around the £230 and A40's for £190. I don't think somehow I'll be putting another set of these on regardless of the grip they give.
In the end Money talks Grip walks.