Pilot Powers

[Bytor]

I was due to put on a set of Conti Sport Attacks, after the BT014’s gave up, but my ‘deal’ fell through and after a quick visit to Cycletreads I came out with a set of the latest ‘must-haves’ Pilot Powers. This was the first time that I’d ever put on a set of new tyres and the trip from the North Shore was filled with anxiety, stocked up with the horror stories from the Cycletread team about people crashing within sight of the shop, and the wise words of ‘take it easy’ ringing in my ears. I decided to get them gently ‘scrubbed in’ over the weekend rather than risk it at Pukekohe. Took it to a new housing development off Botany, where the roads have been put in but no houses built. Found a bit that was the size of an indoor go-kart track and just kept going around left then right, gradually leaning further over - Brilliant! Did about a 20 ‘laps’ then headed off towards Clevedon and Hunua. Took it easy at first but the PP’s were so confidence inspiring that I was soon moving the bike left and right around the twisties without a flinch from the tyres. Sure I was still riding at 80% but I’m so far well impressed with the Powers.

[98tls]

Be interested to know what people think of the contis......cant go wrong with the pilots though.

[Zed]

Last 3 sets of tyres i've fitted have been Powers, currently i have a Pilot Race on the front as i was doing a track day the day after i needed to replace the front. Great tyres, had very few 'moments' on them, good choice! :2thumbsup

[robertydog]

Ive done a 1000kms on Pilot Powers and ive found them to be awesome. Great choice.

[Leong]

BUMP!!

After the last taupo trackday I'm down to the treadwear indicator on the left side rear, and not much better on teh front. Not sure whether to put new tyres on before the 28th Oct trackday, or finish the BT014s off there.

Can't decide betn Pilot Powers and M3s either so keen to read opinions!

[Zapf]

North Shore was filled with anxiety, stocked up with the horror stories from the Cycletread team about people crashing within sight of the shop, and the wise words of ‘take it easy’ ringing in my ears.

True story.... I was one of them myself :(

[kiwifruit]

BUMP!!

After the last taupo trackday I'm down to the treadwear indicator on the left side rear, and not much better on teh front. Not sure whether to put new tyres on before the 28th Oct trackday, or finish the BT014s off there.

Can't decide betn Pilot Powers and M3s either so keen to read opinions!

powers dont wear around taupo. not t i ride "hard" tho....

[Devil]

Can't decide betn Pilot Powers and M3s either so keen to read opinions!
You're not going to survive that argument without running into bias either way. I'm about to try powers (just because I can) after running on M3's.

Facts: I've got 13,000km out of the M3's and the wear has been very even, not all squared off. Rubber appeared to go off at around 10k.

Choose the ones you get the best deal on. You'll have more people saying powers, because they've been out there longer and more people have tried them, most of those people wouldn't shift so they cant compare it to the M3's!

[TerminalAddict]

I've done 500 kms on the M3's .. and after 200 kms of taking it easy, I've got to say they seem to be the bizzo .. not that I am a hard rider, but the confidence is inspiring.
after 500kms I've got 6-7mm of chicken on the back, and about 20mm on the front (huge I know .. but who cares) .. but they feel quite snappy in the twisty bits, allowing me to throw around corners more than my last set, which were Michellen macadam's

Just my opinion :)

[boomer]

The pilot powers make the bike feel very heavy; i'll be going back to the 208rr's after this set. Now they're the dox bolloxs.. tip in and back out so easy..and fast and get warm VERY quick.. like real quick.

[The_Dover]

how much you want for the powers off your bike then dunc?

vic needs rubber on her 750 and the powers would be the go. then you can get back on yer pushie tyres.

[boomer]

I'd be stupid to throw em away cos they're all but brand new... and i don't for a minute believe your gonna give me what i paid for -$100.


make me a 'sensible' offer.

[The_Dover]

what did you pay?

i'll give you a packet of gummi bears, a ride on a real bike and a 1999 Bradford City FC away shirt (it looks like Barcelona from a distance!!)

Nah, seriously though, if you are keen to chop em out for dunlops and the chicken strips are still as big as last time I saw them then we can talk sensibly

[boomer]

i haven't been out on it since we went south mate, and the time before that was the thursday night ride. So they've only had two runs, not including the trip back from cycletreads.

they cost me 550 i think... and i have both home & away barca tops however appealing the bradford city top might be... :lol: ( why the fuck do you have a bradford city top????? you mum own a corner shop?)

lets talk! i don't know why everyones harpin on about these tyres to be truthfull.. the 208rr's are far better. :Pokey: if we do this deal i might even get the qualifiers

[SimJen]

Powers are cool, I like em way more than any other tire I've used and they last a decent time too.
Not necessarily the best on track but you gotta be pushing hard to find out.
Plus my daughter likes the little Michelin Man "Bibendum"

[Toast]

Last 3 sets of tyres i've fitted have been Powers, currently i have a Pilot Race on the front as i was doing a track day the day after i needed to replace the front. Great tyres, had very few 'moments' on them, good choice! :2thumbsup

Yo Zed, what's the Pilot Race like compared to the Power? Is it the Pilot Power Race that you're using? Or the old one, the Pilot Race?

Boomer, PP's have a fairly round profile on the front tyre, so they do tend to steer a bit heavier. Turn is very nice n progressive as a result though.

[Prof - R]

hello all well on my little nsr250 i use the pilot powers & just think that its an awesome tyre

[SimJen]

Just be careful on smaller bikes as they can have difficulty warming some tires up as they don't weigh much. Lots of tires are designed for 600+ size bikes.

[Leong]

I was due to put on a set of Conti Sport Attacks, after the BT014’s gave up, ........................... Sure I was still riding at 80% but I’m so far well impressed with the Powers.

Keen to hear how you're getting on after a few more k's..... seeing you ride the same bike as me and also going from BT014s to Pilot Powers


powers dont wear around taupo. not t i ride "hard" tho....

That'd be cool seeing as theres a few trackdays coming up!!


You're not going to survive that argument without running into bias either way. I'm about to try powers (just because I can) after running on M3's.

Facts: I've got 13,000km out of the M3's and the wear has been very even, not all squared off. Rubber appeared to go off at around 10k.

Choose the ones you get the best deal on. You'll have more people saying powers, because they've been out there longer and more people have tried them, most of those people wouldn't shift so they cant compare it to the M3's!

When are you gettign the M3's?


The pilot powers make the bike feel very heavy; i'll be going back to the 208rr's after this set. Now they're the dox bolloxs.. tip in and back out so easy..and fast and get warm VERY quick.. like real quick.

This would annoy me... best part of my bike is the agility / light feeling, hope it's not all due to the tyres!!

[The_Dover]

nah, boomer's just a homo.

I went from 014's to powers on the thou and it still turned as well, better actually.

I loved the PP, on Supercorsa Pro's now but going back to Powers again soon.

[DMNTD]

Dunno what Boomer's on about(again) but my Pilot Power's turn in sweet...so he should know :Pokey: Maybe it's his bike's setup...dunno but more likely to be the floppy haired git himself :buggerd:
They're the only tyre I can get mileage out of,they heat up fast and are awesome in the wet IMO.
BTW...yes I have tried other brands

[Toast]

This would annoy me... best part of my bike is the agility / light feeling, hope it's not all due to the tyres!!


Learn the dark art of suspension set up and you'll be sweet...teach me when you do.

Boomer's bike could probably be set up to turn quicker with the tyres, but PP's aren't the most aggressive profile, so they will turn naturally slower than some tyres.

[boomer]

Compared to the RR's the Pilot Powers are shit. Thats for me, on the cbr600. probably all good for you guys.

you wouldn't know light if it hit ya with a fuckin 12foot stick Dmntd, you ride a 2 tonne fukin kwaka ffs :lol:

[Toast]

Compared to the RR's the Pilot Powers are shit. Thats for me, on the cbr600. probably all good for you guys.



Just keep in mind that the 208RR's have been superseded by the Qualifier...so ya might want to try that first...reviews say that they shit on the 208RR.

[DMNTD]

...you wouldn't know light if it hit ya with a fuckin 12foot stick Dmntd, you ride a 2 tonne fukin kwaka ffs :lol:
What ya talking about? I'm a delicate wee soul that rides an adult sized bike :Pokey:

[boomer]

your kwaka avatar sums it up nicely i think :bleh:

( fk'in 'cum gargler ) :lol:

[WRT]

I'm running pilot powers on the aprilia, found them brilliant. No probs with turn in, and they have lasted very well for the level of grip they provide.

[boomer]

for you slow pokes i'm sure there fine, but if you want to get that last bit out of ya bike, then get the Dunlops:finger:

[The_Dover]

fuck man, I was on my third pint before you got there, and I was on michelin macadams.

[Lou Girardin]

I'm going to try some Continental Milestones, I want them to last as long as the bike and to be able to light up the rear like Melandri.
I like ice skating too.

[beyond]

Metzler Z6's.

Awesome donuts and stick well in the wet and dry. Never let me down and plenty of warning when things get out of hand. Once they let go they regrip very quickly, well before any chance of a highside. :)

[boomer]

aahhaha Dover, i had three moments last night; a suicidal dove, a huge chunck of gravel which gave us all a scare and a lapse in concentration in the tight stuff.. fukin funny seeing the lemmings follow me over the white line.

all 3 moments can be attributed to the shitty shitty Pilot Powers. :(

[Scouse]

all 3 moments can be attributed to the shitty shitty Pilot Powers. :(Bullshit it was yer flopy hair gettin in yer eyes get a fuckin hair cut

[Cajun]

Boomer honstly i think alot of it is your head, but if ya head not in the game you will have problems i have the same thing riding on pirelli supercorsas.

Just get rid of the powers, i am sure someonen will buy the set off you

[boomer]

Boomer honstly i think alot of it is your head, but if ya head not in the game you will have problems i have the same thing riding on pirelli supercorsas.

Just get rid of the powers, i am sure someonen will buy the set off you


aahahha Cajun mate, i was jokin about blaming my 3 moments on teh tyres :)

that being said, enigma keeps telling me i power out of corners far too early and the bikes gonna bite me one day, well 'coincidentally' the rear gave under power on thursday which its never done before.. who knows?

hey, im sure all these tyres in the price bracket are top notch, its what you like and whats suits you and your setup ( including ya head ) ... i'll run these till theyre gone but i wont be gettin another set.

* edit, why don't you like teh SC's??

[Leong]

Just get rid of the powers, i am sure someonen will buy the set off you

I've been considering it!! But I'm not through with the 014s just yet, and meantime Boomer's putting the miles on his PPs, so guess the timings out. It must be a pain not being completely happy with your bike


that being said, enigma keeps telling me i power out of corners far too early and the bikes gonna bite me one day, well 'coincidentally' the rear gave under power on thursday which its never done before.. who knows?

Funny... that was what Aaron Slight told me I was I was doing at Taupo! Hope we don't do it on the road though..

[Devil]

Just had Powers fitted on saturday. Haven't had a big blat yet, just Kaukap and back. So far I think the M3's were better. The front and rear profiles on the powers dont seem to work together. I'm just about running off the rear of the Power, yet still have 10mm chicken strips on the front. M3's feel far more progressive in the corners.

Grip not a problem at this stage, you'd be hard pressed to spot the difference between the two. Next test is to see if I can get 13,000km out of the Powers like I did with the M3's.

[Bytor]

[QUOTE=Leong;776173]Keen to hear how you're getting on after a few more k's..... seeing you ride the same bike as me and also going from BT014s to Pilot Powers

Scrubbed in now but still awaiting to give them a good test. Commuting wise they are fine with no movement even in the monsoon weather last week. So it's still too early to say, but they are no worse or no better than the shagged Bt's. Suspect that unless you ride really hard like some do:spanking: then it would be hard to seperate them from the BT's, M3's blah blah blah

[beyond]

Ummm, what sort of K's would I get with Pilot Powers on my GSX1400?

Rear tyres have lasted:
Pirelli: 3,000kms
Dunlops: 3500 and 3300kms
Pilot Roads: 7,000kms (best k's and real good grip)
Metzler Z6's: 4100kms, 4000kms and 3800kms. (good grip wet/dry)

Pilot Powers?????? Anyone. Remember it's 250kgs with a tank of gas so heat up is no problem. :)

[Toast]

Keep the pressures highish, 36/40 (I'm assuming there's a bit of weight on the rear of that thing?) and you can expect great grip and good mileage.

I had a half set of Pilot roads on my old 600, and they didn't seem to wear much slower than the Pilot Powers, maybe even faster wear under hard use.

HAving said that, I got about 7000kms of not overly hard use out of my last on the 'Blade and wouldn't expect you to get anymore than that on that bike.

[NinjaBoy]

Next test is to see if I can get 13,000km out of the Powers like I did with the M3's.

you'll be dreaming. I got 12000 before running out of tread on the front. (too many trackdays). I'm hoping for 7-8000km on the rear.

2000km so far and after some initial twitchiness in the rear it seems to have settled. Next stop 2 trackdays at the end of the month.

Also have switched back to the 65 profile which was originally on the bike.
M3's only came in 70 profile. Turns in faster but not sure whether that is due to tyre shape, 65 profile or just new tyres.

[loosebruce]

for you slow pokes i'm sure there fine, but if you want to get that last bit out of ya bike, then get the Dunlops:finger:

When did you become fast? :Pokey:


i have the same thing riding on pirelli supercorsas.



No offence Cajun but chances are you dont push the Supercorsa hard enough to get it to a decent working temp into it, hence it not giving you a good feeling.


And for the record the Power is the best road tyre i'm yet to come across, next too the Avon Vipers, Power's had more outright grip in the dry and wet, but the Vipers would slide very nicely compared to the power. But then again what would i know?

[boomer]

When did you become fast? :Pokey:

Whilst you've been making pita bread me old china



And for the record the Power is the best road tyre i'm yet to come across, next too the Avon Vipers, Power's had more outright grip in the dry and wet, but the Vipers would slide very nicely compared to the power. But then again what would i know?

you know how to make a mean desert pizza

[The_Dover]

I got 9500km's out of a PP on my gixxer but then that's probably cos I ride like a fag.

I've got a supercorsa on there now but it feels shit until it does get up to temp, then it's great, just takes me a while to get there.

I've heard a lot of people slagging the BT014's but I put a new rear on Vic's 750 on Friday and took it 2 up with the norfland crew and I've got to say I felt superconfident in that tyre ALL day long. Thru the forest, up old russell rd, everywhere we went it just felt great. The only other time I've felt like that with a tyre was on the PP's going up the same way. I'd choose the PP's over the BT014's primarily due to the better wear from the PPs. But if you can afford it and like the feel then the 014's are a great tyre.

[Cajun]

No offence Cajun but chances are you dont push the Supercorsa hard enough to get it to a decent working temp into it, hence it not giving you a good feeling.

Yeah i know bruce, i noticed that they wanted to fully cranked over in a corner, and were very twicty if were not, and for a while there i was doing abit of milage just going betweeen tga and akl. Never had this problem on the pilot races i have just taken off.

They pirellis were good when going hard, and as long as you were all way over, leaning
The sc1s were the set i put on just before we went for that road trip to wellington couple years ago

[DMNTD]

for you slow pokes i'm sure there fine...
Bwahahahahha!!!! I just wee'd a little bit!!! :lol: :lol:

Still love 'em Pilot Powers but after getting just under 2000kms out of my last rear I'll be looking for a tyre with the same attributes but hopefully some better longevity....can't see it happening though

[Cajun]

Keen to hear how you're getting on after a few more k's..... seeing you ride the same bike as me and also going from BT014s to Pilot Powers

Scrubbed in now but still awaiting to give them a good test. Commuting wise they are fine with no movement even in the monsoon weather last week. So it's still too early to say, but they are no worse or no better than the shagged Bt's. Suspect that unless you ride really hard like some do:spanking: then it would be hard to seperate them from the BT's, M3's blah blah blah


Bytor i ride same bike as you. so far the stock 014s lasted me 5,000kms before rear was shagged ( was doing 300kms a week straight road communting) I then went sc1s for 2500kms, then i did 15,000kms on powers, that was two rears and 1 front, then did 6000kms on a set of pilot races. I have acutally gone back to 014s (helped i scored a set that done 75kms for $400) The 014s stick just as well as power, i think its just when get to edge don't give as good feed back as the power.

I have great faith in the power, I have made father in law put them on his busa and he in turn toured the south island on it, have also put the powers on wifes 1k. But i am very much a michelin or bridgestone man.