Michelin Pilot Power 3 - Strange wear

[Devil]

Anyone else had this experience with the Pilot Power 3? A visible ridge between the different compounds on the rear tyre?
It really stands out when you run your finger over it, bumping down to the edge compound. Handling doesn't appear compromised - profile remaining consistent even after 6000km (photo taken at about 4500km).
293556

This is a 190/50 R17. Same wear displayed on my partners Power 3 - except a 180/55 R17. Haven't run into it before.

[BigAl]

Yep they all do that, doesn't seem to affect grip.

I'm up to 7000km on my PP3 rear and should get another 1000, will def buy another.

[hayd3n]

its a 2ct so the edges are super soft compared to the other 1/2 so they are wearing unevenly

[Scouse]

I just put a set of these on my Buell yesterday so far they seem superior to the Pirelli's that they replaced

[Drew]

:shit:Look at the chicken strip FFS, lean it over a bit and they might wear better!:laugh:

[James Deuce]

:shit:Look at the chicken strip FFS, lean it over a bit and they might wear better!:laugh:

Fuck off, you fucking fuckhead.

[Drew]

Fuck off, you fucking fuckhead.

Hahahahahahahaha, not yer best work, but fucken funny anyway.

[mulletman]

Ive got about 8000ks on mine and its just starting to slighty square off with no strange looking ridge
like yours, my fronts on about 11000k and still looking real good , im very happy with the PP3s.

[p.dath]

Anyone else had this experience with the Pilot Power 3? A visible ridge between the different compounds on the rear tyre?...


Yes mine have a very visible line as well.

[James Deuce]

Yes mine have a very visible line as well.

You can get panties that have no seam...

[Drew]

You can get panties that have no seam...

They must actually be getting leant over.

OP, why are you running a 190/50 anyway?

Never seen an advantage on anything other than laden tourers, Busa or ZX14s. If you're not in those groups, you're just adding to the big contact patch in the middle for no gain.

[James Deuce]

They must actually be getting leant over.

Possibly even ridden hard.

[Devil]

They must actually be getting leant over.

OP, why are you running a 190/50 anyway?

Never seen an advantage on anything other than laden tourers, Busa or ZX14s. If you're not in those groups, you're just adding to the big contact patch in the middle for no gain.

Standard size on '05 RSV1000 Factory. I know it's homologated for 180/55, 190/50 and 190/55 but still first set of tyres i've had on it and haven't seen a reason to change.

[Drew]

Standard size on '05 RSV1000 Factory. I know it's homologated for 180/55, 190/50 and 190/55 but still first set of tyres i've had on it and haven't seen a reason to change.

Twins are mongrels on tyres, so if it's working for you then all good.

If it is a limiting factor for tyre option or price, 190/55 will help with more even edge wear by increasing the contact patch size when ya get it on it's side.

[Devil]

I've heard all over the place about twins and tyre wear but i've never had crap mileage from tyres. This set is up to 6700 or so now, and i think the rear might get to 9000, or 10,000. Usually wear everything out evenly.
Really impressed with the general wear of the PP3, held its profile really well. 5000 of those current k's are from zooming around the country.

If I head down the 190/55 route I might have to do a bit of a speed comparison - it's quite a bit taller than the 190/50. Dont need any tickets!
Speed pickup on the RSV is off the rear brake rotor bolts.

[Banditbandit]

I just put a set of these on my Buell yesterday so far they seem superior to the Pirelli's that they replaced

Yeah ... I will never run on Pirellis again ... the shit tyres took one of my mates down hard in the Waioeka Gorge on Friday .. he'd replaced the rear Pirrelli and was going to replace the front ... TOO LATE ... the tyre let go and the Street Triple is totalled and he's in pain and off work (at least he walked away .. )

I haven't run Pirelli's for about six years after I hated them. I MIGHT use Pirellis on a track but never again on the road

I'm back on PR3s on the big Bandit and very thankful I am too ..

[Banditbandit]

:shit:Look at the chicken strip FFS, lean it over a bit and they might wear better!:laugh:

Yeah ... yeah ... mildly funny Drew ..

From the wear pattern I suspect that the rider is opening the throttle coming out of corners (while still lent over) - it's acceleration wear that is showing, not braking wear.

[SMOKEU]

What's so bad about Pirelli tyres?

[BigAl]

From the wear pattern I suspect that the rider is opening the throttle coming out of corners (while still lent over)

Isn't that the idea on a motorcycle? :scratch:

[Banditbandit]

What's so bad about Pirelli tyres?

I've found them to be not as grippy as expected or wanted ... they may be fine on a track, but on the roads in Godzone??? No .. not enough stick.

Half an hour before his off my mates rear tyre - Bridgestone - was hot and sticky ... the front tyre - Pirelli Diablo Corsar - was just hot ... Pirellis might get hot AND sticky on a track, but they certainly don't seem to work on the road ..



Isn't that the idea on a motorcycle? :scratch:

Yes .. but most frequently I've seen wear patterns from braking ... and little wear patterns from acceleration ..

[hayd3n]

I've found them to be not as grippy as expected or wanted ... they may be fine on a track, but on the roads in Godzone??? No .. not enough stick.

Half an hour before his off my mates rear tyre - Bridgestone - was hot and sticky ... the front tyre - Pirelli Diablo Corsar - was just hot ... Pirellis might get hot AND sticky on a track, but they certainly don't seem to work on the road ..




Yes .. but most frequently I've seen wear patterns from braking ... and little wear patterns from acceleration ..

could have just lowered his air pressure a little, that would aid in the heating of the tyres

[Drew]

I've heard all over the place about twins and tyre wear but i've never had crap mileage from tyres. This set is up to 6700 or so now, and i think the rear might get to 9000, or 10,000. Usually wear everything out evenly.
Really impressed with the general wear of the PP3, held its profile really well. 5000 of those current k's are from zooming around the country.

If I head down the 190/55 route I might have to do a bit of a speed comparison - it's quite a bit taller than the 190/50. Dont need any tickets!
Speed pickup on the RSV is off the rear brake rotor bolts.You're speedo reads high now, and the 190/55 isn't 5-10% bigger in rolling radious.


Yeah ... I will never run on Pirellis again ... the shit tyres took one of my mates down hard in the Waioeka Gorge on Friday .. he'd replaced the rear Pirrelli and was going to replace the front ... TOO LATE ... the tyre let go and the Street Triple is totalled and he's in pain and off work (at least he walked away .. )

I haven't run Pirelli's for about six years after I hated them. I MIGHT use Pirellis on a track but never again on the road

I'm back on PR3s on the big Bandit and very thankful I am too ..
Never thought I'd reply to a post of yours thus, but here goes.

Are you fucking RETARDED? A shit tyre didn't take your mate down, his inability to recognise that the limit was reached did. And the tyre was due for replacement? Get the dumb fuck off bikes and then join him, if you are gonna say that a brand of tyre caused a crash because the cunts too dumb to show restraint!

Cunt deserves what he got, if his attitude toward the crash mimics yours.

[James Deuce]

Undies, undies, undies, undies, TOOOOGS!

[AllanB]

Height difference between the 190/55 190/50 is not much the 50/55 is the sidewall height in a percentage ratio relative to the tyres width (190).

[Drew]

Height difference between the 190/55 190/50 is not much the 50/55 is the sidewall height in a percentage ratio relative to the tyres width (190).

5% of 190 is 9.5

X2 is 19

X3.141 is 58ish

Rolling radius of 190/50 r17 is greater than 580mm, difference is less than 10%.

[sil3nt]

Never thought I'd reply to a post of yours thus, but here goes.

Are you fucking RETARDED? A shit tyre didn't take your mate down, his inability to recognise that the limit was reached did. And the tyre was due for replacement? Get the dumb fuck off bikes and then join him, if you are gonna say that a brand of tyre caused a crash because the cunts too dumb to show restraint!

Cunt deserves what he got, if his attitude toward the crash mimics yours.someone had to say it :yes:

[Ocean1]

I've seen wear patterns from braking ... and little wear patterns from acceleration ..

Yeah, well, you've got a bandit.

Y'know?

[Mental Trousers]

Anyone else had this experience with the Pilot Power 3? A visible ridge between the different compounds on the rear tyre?
It really stands out when you run your finger over it, bumping down to the edge compound. Handling doesn't appear compromised - profile remaining consistent even after 6000km (photo taken at about 4500km).
293556

This is a 190/50 R17. Same wear displayed on my partners Power 3 - except a 180/55 R17. Haven't run into it before.

Looks like the outer part has overheated and you've peeled a layer of rubber off it. That's the sort of thing that happens when there's a combination of low tyre pressures, too much preload, too much compression damping, hot surface temperatures and long right hand corners. Usual fix is more air, less preload and less compression damping.

[BigAl]

Looks like the outer part has overheated and you've peeled a layer of rubber off it. That's the sort of thing that happens when there's a combination of low tyre pressures, too much preload, too much compression damping, hot surface temperatures and long right hand corners. Usual fix is more air, less preload and less compression damping.

Nah, I've seen several including mine like this.

It's just the different compounds.

[Devil]

Looks like the outer part has overheated and you've peeled a layer of rubber off it. That's the sort of thing that happens when there's a combination of low tyre pressures, too much preload, too much compression damping, hot surface temperatures and long right hand corners. Usual fix is more air, less preload and less compression damping.

<--- Anal tyre pressure checker. Consistently run at 33/36. Couldn't ask for better in the suspension department - Ohlins forks and shock only tweaked slightly from bike manual to get sag correct.
Left hand side of tyre is identical wear.
If it was an air issue I'm certain I would have noticed squaring off over that distance.
Tyre temp (to the touch) was never excessive. No tearing and no balling. Most K's were in South island and moderate temps. No real scorchers.

[Mental Trousers]

Nah, I've seen several including mine like this.

It's just the different compounds.

Different compounds overheat at different temperatures


<--- Anal tyre pressure checker. Consistently run at 33/36. Couldn't ask for better in the suspension department - Ohlins forks and shock only tweaked slightly from bike manual to get sag correct.
Left hand side of tyre is identical wear.
If it was an air issue I'm certain I would have noticed squaring off over that distance.
Tyre temp (to the touch) was never excessive. No tearing and no balling. Most K's were in South island and moderate temps. No real scorchers.

By the time you stopped the tyre temperature will have dropped right back. They only tend to overheat for a very short period, usually only seconds.

I've had a race tyre that looked exactly like that (although it was a slick with no tread pattern) and it was down to a single corner - the big sweeper turn 6 at HD. Everywhere else the tyre wasn't on it's side long enough to do any damage and could cool down a bit, but turn 6 it was on the same part for a very long time comparatively, just pumping more and more heat into the tyre.

Did the South Island roads have lots of long sweeping corners where you were able to give it some gas while leaning over??

[Banditbandit]

Are you fucking RETARDED? A shit tyre didn't take your mate down, his inability to recognise that the limit was reached did. And the tyre was due for replacement? Get the dumb fuck off bikes and then join him, if you are gonna say that a brand of tyre caused a crash because the cunts too dumb to show restraint!

Cunt deserves what he got, if his attitude toward the crash mimics yours.


Hmmm .. yes and no .. I wasn't there - only heard about it ...

1 My mate's an old racer - raced many a Castrol Six Hour f'rinstance ... (probably while you were still in nappies ... ) so he's not an inexperienced rider .. and when he opens the throttle I would not try to chase him ... I trust what he says about bikes and riding ..

2 Other riders were leaving him behind that day so he as not going as fast as it is possible to do that road ... those riding wth him were waiting at the Opotiki end of the gorge for ages before deciding to go back to look for him ..

3 No, the tyre was not due for replacement - he didn't like the Pirrellis and he had a rear Bridgestone of the right size, so he swapped it. He was going to buy a front to match but he totalled the bike before he could do that.

4 Yes, I would say that the limit was reached ... however, I would say that the limit of the tyre was below expectations ... he hit the brakes too hard for the tyre ... but no harder than he would have on other tyres ... which would not have let go ..

Yes, you can argue that he knew the tyres were not that grippy - that's why he wanted to change it ... so he should not have been pushing so hard ... that's all true ... but in the end, when he needed to stop the bike, the tyre was not up to it... he could have been riding easy - and needed to stop because a dickhead in a cage did something stupid .. the tyre would still have let go ...

And yes, he could have run them softer - might have got them hot enough to grip .. he was running them at the manufacturers recommended pressure ..

My experience of Pirellis leads me to say I will not ride with them again ... I have found the grip to be less than other tyres of comparable price ... On a smooth surface track they are probably excellent tyres - on a chunky big chip NZ road they are not grippy enough ...

I don't really care what you think in this case ... I've been riding for 40 years and I'm still alive - and I will not trust Pirellis on New Zealand roads ... knowing and keeping to shit like this has kept me alive ..

(And yeah .. somewhere in the back of my mind is a little thought that goes "He should have known better .." But I will still never ride on Pirellis again) )

[JayRacer37]

Standard size on '05 RSV1000 Factory. I know it's homologated for 180/55, 190/50 and 190/55 but still first set of tyres i've had on it and haven't seen a reason to change.


Twins are mongrels on tyres, so if it's working for you then all good.

If it is a limiting factor for tyre option or price, 190/55 will help with more even edge wear by increasing the contact patch size when ya get it on it's side.

Worth trying a 190/55. Suit the bike much better - when it was released in 05 perhaps that wasn't so much the case, nowadays, that bike would be a lot nicer on the 190/55. Even the 180/55 will give a better profile to match the bike.


Height difference between the 190/55 190/50 is not much the 50/55 is the sidewall height in a percentage ratio relative to the tyres width (190).

Depending on the exact tyre, 190/55 has a smaller sidewall and a taller peak, making a more triangulated tyre than the 190/50. This is a generalisation though!


5% of 190 is 9.5

X2 is 19

X3.141 is 58ish

Rolling radius of 190/50 r17 is greater than 580mm, difference is less than 10%.

Bridgestone S20 as example;

180/55 = 187mm width, 630mm Outer Diameter
190/50 = 193mm width, 632mm Outer Diameter
190/55 = 198mm width, 650mm Outer Diameter

There ya go.


<--- Anal tyre pressure checker. Consistently run at 33/36. Couldn't ask for better in the suspension department - Ohlins forks and shock only tweaked slightly from bike manual to get sag correct.
Left hand side of tyre is identical wear.
If it was an air issue I'm certain I would have noticed squaring off over that distance.
Tyre temp (to the touch) was never excessive. No tearing and no balling. Most K's were in South island and moderate temps. No real scorchers.

The Michelin side-area compound is very soft. In that PP3, they say they can go even softer because of the firmer base. That compound will wear ridiculously quickly - faster than a race tyre if it were in the centre. Also, because it is so soft, it's prone to flex and therefore heat, and won't take much to be too hot. Long fast sweepers - see if you can feel the difference between cold at the entry and hot at the exit! :) Pretty normal wear all in all though (for that tyre) keep an eye on it but don't worry too much. Might make the transition over it feel 'steppy' though, and will be the least grip area of the tyre by far.

[mulletman]

Ive got about 8000ks on mine and its just starting to slighty square off with no strange looking ridge
like yours, my fronts on about 11000k and still looking real good , im very happy with the PP3s.

After last weeks riding ive noticed mine has started looking the same now , not nearly as much as in the original post but a definate line between the harder middle and softer sides, all good tho .

[Stylo]

After last weeks riding ive noticed mine has started looking the same now , not nearly as much as in the original post but a definate line between the harder middle and softer sides, all good tho .

Previous posts aside, my mate had a pair of PR3's on his speed triple, all good till at about 5000k's the front was badly cupping to the point where it was virtually unrideable and dropping into the corners without notice. Very scary( and I was riding ) I wouldn't rate them at all and think they're over-rated having read this thread and others on the net, PR2's were a good tyre though have to say, had a set on my last 'Busa.

[nzspokes]

Previous posts aside, my mate had a pair of PR3's on his speed triple, all good till at about 5000k's the front was badly cupping to the point where it was virtually unrideable and dropping into the corners without notice. Very scary( and I was riding ) I wouldn't rate them at all and think they're over-rated having read this thread and others on the net, PR2's were a good tyre though have to say, had a set on my last 'Busa.

Ive got 12k on my PR3s including 2 track days. Fronts fine but the back is getting down. Does his suspension need some work?

[caspernz]

Ive got 12k on my PR3s including 2 track days. Fronts fine but the back is getting down. Does his suspension need some work?

In all fairness the PR3 is a sport/touring tyre, and while it will do ok with spirited riding. Add a nose heavy bike and a keen rider, the suspension can be top notch and you'll still cup a PR3...or put it this way, if you don't cup the front PR3 you're not taxing the tyre :weep:

[nzspokes]

In all fairness the PR3 is a sport/touring tyre, and while it will do ok with spirited riding. Add a nose heavy bike and a keen rider, the suspension can be top notch and you'll still cup a PR3...or put it this way, if you don't cup the front PR3 you're not taxing the tyre :weep:

Hornets are easy on tyres. Which is a thing I like about them...

[mulletman]

Previous posts aside, my mate had a pair of PR3's on his speed triple, all good till at about 5000k's the front was badly cupping to the point where it was virtually unrideable and dropping into the corners without notice. Very scary( and I was riding ) I wouldn't rate them at all and think they're over-rated having read this thread and others on the net, PR2's were a good tyre though have to say, had a set on my last 'Busa.

Aint we talkin Pilot Power 3s NOT Pilot Road 3s ?

[Drew]

Hornets are easy on tyres. Which is a thing I like about them...Really? Mine used to bloody eat the things.

[p.dath]

Previous posts aside, my mate had a pair of PR3's on his speed triple, all good till at about 5000k's the front was badly cupping to the point where it was virtually unrideable and dropping into the corners without notice. Very scary( and I was riding ) I wouldn't rate them at all and think they're over-rated having read this thread and others on the net, PR2's were a good tyre though have to say, had a set on my last 'Busa.

Note that this thread is about PP3's, nor PR3's.

I've only had one set or PR3's and found them to be excellent (my favorite sport/touring tyre so far). I'm using PP3's now as Michelin don't recommend PR's for my current bike. I would think it is abnormal to only get 5,000km out of PR3's. Perhaps they aren't a good fit for the riding style of your friend, aren't suited for the kind of bike he rides (for example, they generally are not recommend by Michelin for 1000+cc bikes), or perhaps the tyre was under-inflated for an extended period or the suspension failed to keep the tyre in constant contact to the ground.

Note that Michelin don't recommend the use of either a PR2 or a PR3 on a 'Busa. Neither the PR2 nor the PR3 are designed to handle the kind of power a 'Busa can lay down.

The Michelin Motorcycle Tyre Selector is a great tool to make sure you choose a recommended tyre (or rather, prevent the selection of a cheaper/inferior tyre that may not be up to the job).
http://moto.michelin.co.uk/Tyre-Selector