Cold damp roads, what's the best tyres?

[rustic101]

Pilot Power 2,

Running a new set front and rear and swear by them - I really don't do wet corners, yeah I know, wuss.. However these are excellent in the wet if you warm up a little first.

They work like shit with lots of frost on the road though haha

[2wheeldrifter]

I am riding with BT016 tyres and think they are great, I have not slowed down still sticking to the hundred K speed limit (on 25k corners the topic comes as a friend of mine came off his blade last week and it is put down to cold tyres. My next tyres will probably be Pures, whe on the track I use less pressure some say so tyres sont overheat, some say to warm up faster. Me i do it cause thats what i was told to do.

True drop your pressure on the track a few psi's does help to warm up faster and stay hotter and will be softer and flex more giving you a bigger surface footprint etc.

Try the PP's next... the sport/ CT's and the Pure will wear fast, but hey they grip and all good then

[george formby]

I rode the Old Russell road last week. For those who don't know it's very windy, some parts get no sun at all at this time of year (moss grows!) & it suffers from bad surfacing, gravel & various other detrimental surfaces. It rained & the sun shone, prick of a day but oh well. Coming into a corner would be dry, the apex damp/wet & then who knows on the exit. I had no problems at all just being smooth & conservative, my tyres never got above luke warm & I had minimal chicken strips when i got home. It is not the road temperature that generates heat it's the friction from contact. I would worry less about the tyres & more about being as smooth as possible & anticipating changes in road surface.
Sliding the sole of my boot along some very slimy looking tarmac I was amazed at how grippy it felt despite appearances.
I have mixed BT021/Conti road attack on the bike.

[skippa1]

They are good wet or dry. Scrubbed them to the edge in the wet when they were new.

[CTD]

I can tell you what tyres are crap in the cold...

dunlop q2's

[crazyhorse]

FWIW I'm running Conti Road Attacks which seem to suit the smaller SV. Never had a problem with any road conditions (bar ice).

You should try the Conti Attack 2's. They are great. Been riding summer and winter, and I've not experienced any problem in the wet either. But commonsense will prevail on cold, slippery corners.....

[bluebird]

Cold tyres need lower pressure, quality tyres in good condition are still no substitute for riding to the conditions.

[insomnia01]

Tried them all & wont put anything but Avon Storms on scooter now, good price ( always buy from Boyds ) excellant footprint in the wet, great in the dry & I get good milage out of a set also

[Swoop]

Have run Pilot roads and they never gave a hint of trouble. Superb!
Currently running Road 2's and they have been superb this winter. No hassles at all.
Have had good recommendation on the Pilot Powers for winter riding as well.

Smooth lines and sensible on the throttle.

[Pixie]

Have run Pilot roads and they never gave a hint of trouble. Superb!
Currently running Road 2's and they have been superb this winter. No hassles at all.
Have had good recommendation on the Pilot Powers for winter riding as well.

Smooth lines and sensible on the throttle.

Yesterday coming back from Mangawhai:Pilot road 2 with 1000 km on it,following a car at 70 km/h just before the Port Albert rd turn off,no acceleration just a steady speed - the rear wheel spins up.

Not the fault of the tyre,just veeery slippery roads out there.

There was a continuous trail of diesel through Wellsford.I couldn't see,it but it probably continued down SH16

[Banditbandit]

Sorry, have to fully disagree with that comment. Fitted a new Pirelli Sports Demon on my old bike and the grip in the wet just disappeared.

Naaa .. that's riding style - not riding the bike to match the condition of the bike and the road surface ... I'd expect a sport tyre like that to function less well on a wet surface ... the difference between wet and dry on a sports tyre will be much greater than the difference bewteen wet and dry on an al-rounder like the PR2s ...

I run PR2s on my 1250 long distance bike - great all round tyre.

I run Continental Road Attacks on my 650 .. fuken wonderful tyre .. and more grip in the wet than I expected from a tyre with such minimal tred patterns ... I'd recommend either ..

[ellipsis]

...ive always found that the round black sticky ones that i cant generally afford are the ones i should have put on, then the sun comes back and everything is just all right.....