Hitcher
6th December 2009, 19:01
After 31,000km, (2,170km, according to the onboard odometer) my Shiver is now on its fourth set of tyres.
Set 1. OEM, Dunlop Qualifiers (approx 8,500km): Nice tyre. There's a lot of wailing, moaning and gnashing of teeth on the Aprilia forums about these. I think they're a great dry road/wet road tyre. Wear-wise they're not a sports touring tyre though. The rear met an untimely demise between Gisborne and Mahia, requiring it to be ridden dead flat for 70km back to Gisborne. That sort of rooted it a bit.
Set 2. Avon Storms (approx 14,000km): Rated previously by me as the Gold Standard of sports touring tyres (this set being my fifth set on three bikes, and Mrs H is on her third set on her Bandit 650). The Shiver was very happy on them.
Set 3. Conti Motions (approx 8,000km): Promised much at the beginning but became increasingly skitterish as they wore, particularly unnerving in the wet. I ended up running the front at 38psi and the rear at 45psi, as anything less made them decidedly playful. I bought them because they were being specialled at a particularly sharp price. Other riders with mid-size bikes love them. The Shiver and I ended up distrusting them. Even though they had a few thousand km left on them, my patience wore out first.
Set 4. Pirelli Angel STs (approx 700km so far): For a comparative novice who has ridden about 210,000km on five different bikes over the past almost seven years, this is my first set of Pirellis. Thinking about this today, I have rationalised this lack of interest in (in my estimation) Pirelli not making a true sports touring tyre at a reasonable price.
I'm running the Angels at 36 front, 40 rear. That feels about right. In the past two days they have been over a variety of Wairarapa roads and today to Otaki and back, finishing with a southbound squirt over the Paekarariki Hill Road.
What do I think of them so far on dry roads? I love them. They are extremely confidence inspiring. Last night I managed an 11 minute Hill on my way back from the Wairarapa. That was in the dark and I was taking care not to overreach my headlight on the descent. They're that good I've got to a point of not thinking about them, instead marveling at what an SL750 Shiver can do when asked nicely.
If I was super keen, I would be out riding right now to see how well these go in the wet. That's their next test.
Another test will be wear. The Shiver's rear suspension, based on the Motions' experience, is pretty intolerant of inferior rubber. If they last 14,000km or better, I will have found a new Gold Standard. I think they're that good.
Interestingly, they're quite round. I had the Shiver up on its race stands tonight for a wash, and I couldn't spin the rear with the front stand in place. Removing the front stand let me turn the rear, but it wouldn't spin.
Set 1. OEM, Dunlop Qualifiers (approx 8,500km): Nice tyre. There's a lot of wailing, moaning and gnashing of teeth on the Aprilia forums about these. I think they're a great dry road/wet road tyre. Wear-wise they're not a sports touring tyre though. The rear met an untimely demise between Gisborne and Mahia, requiring it to be ridden dead flat for 70km back to Gisborne. That sort of rooted it a bit.
Set 2. Avon Storms (approx 14,000km): Rated previously by me as the Gold Standard of sports touring tyres (this set being my fifth set on three bikes, and Mrs H is on her third set on her Bandit 650). The Shiver was very happy on them.
Set 3. Conti Motions (approx 8,000km): Promised much at the beginning but became increasingly skitterish as they wore, particularly unnerving in the wet. I ended up running the front at 38psi and the rear at 45psi, as anything less made them decidedly playful. I bought them because they were being specialled at a particularly sharp price. Other riders with mid-size bikes love them. The Shiver and I ended up distrusting them. Even though they had a few thousand km left on them, my patience wore out first.
Set 4. Pirelli Angel STs (approx 700km so far): For a comparative novice who has ridden about 210,000km on five different bikes over the past almost seven years, this is my first set of Pirellis. Thinking about this today, I have rationalised this lack of interest in (in my estimation) Pirelli not making a true sports touring tyre at a reasonable price.
I'm running the Angels at 36 front, 40 rear. That feels about right. In the past two days they have been over a variety of Wairarapa roads and today to Otaki and back, finishing with a southbound squirt over the Paekarariki Hill Road.
What do I think of them so far on dry roads? I love them. They are extremely confidence inspiring. Last night I managed an 11 minute Hill on my way back from the Wairarapa. That was in the dark and I was taking care not to overreach my headlight on the descent. They're that good I've got to a point of not thinking about them, instead marveling at what an SL750 Shiver can do when asked nicely.
If I was super keen, I would be out riding right now to see how well these go in the wet. That's their next test.
Another test will be wear. The Shiver's rear suspension, based on the Motions' experience, is pretty intolerant of inferior rubber. If they last 14,000km or better, I will have found a new Gold Standard. I think they're that good.
Interestingly, they're quite round. I had the Shiver up on its race stands tonight for a wash, and I couldn't spin the rear with the front stand in place. Removing the front stand let me turn the rear, but it wouldn't spin.