VTR1000 - Metzler M3 or Michelin P-Power

[WINJA]

Dont Buy Tyres Worth More Than The Bike , After All Its Just A Shitty Honda , Get Second Hand Shinkos

[manyrevs]

You do do best to just answer the qestion rather than to try to impress people with your silly witty humour, because you failed. It may be just a "shitty" old Honda but I wasn't quite asking for your opinion on the bike, JUST the tyres, but thanks for the reply and for revealing what a brain dead half-breed you are...

[imdying]

That would be 'Brain dead half breed'

[idb]

I've just got exactly 6,000ks out of my rear Michelin PP on the 888.

They're all I've used and I've never had a nervous moment (aquaplaning in a torrential downpour excepted).
Mind you, reading some of the posts here I don't push them anywhere near as hard as most.

[geoffc]

I've had Michelin Pilot and more recently Pirellis on my VTR1000. The Michelins lasted longer, no question. A lot of personal preferences are listed in this thread. Talk to your dealer for their thoughts, but the key question is how hard do you plan to ride your bike? If you are going to push the limits ask for and get a sticky tyre. Happy riding.

[The_Dover]

Talk to your dealer for their thoughts

my dealer says the sticky shit is the best.

[Jinx3d]

Last year, super bike magazine did a monster tyre shootout. 3 riders, a prof racer, a mad journo and a wannabe trackday pilot.

2 bikes, GSXR thou and a GSXR 600.

All tests done blind.

The key point here is that, the fast guys liked one sort of tyre and the slow guy prefered others.

They ended up concludiong that you wont get the best out of a tyre unless you are using for what it was designed for.

Ergo, supersticky is not nessesarily what everyone needs regardless of price and longevity.

Did anyone else see it, it wasnt included in the NZ issue, only the UK.

Cheers ears

[manyrevs]

I didn't see that one but I did read a tyre shootout in another mag, and they never told the guys what tyres were on the bike at the time. They just got on each bike and tested them, like you said - "blindly", then they put all the comments and facts together and more or less came up with the same thought. The best tyre is the one you are going to get the most out of at your own style of riding. One rider was consistantly slower around the track but had a completely different outlook on each tyre, than the other testers. Some tyres gave him more or less condifence than the others...

You can make you own conclusions here...

When I asked the original question - Michelin or Metzelers? - I had made up my mind on those two, based on other riders that I know personally. Of course, each one swearing black and blue that theirs was the BEST choice... Usually a guy who has a certain tyre will give more B/S than fact when it come to the question, but, I don't see myself going wrong with either. My style of riding is in the mid speed range and some good lean angles around those tight ones. No matter which way I eventually go, one of my friends will say I was wrong - hahahaha...!!!

At the moment I am inclined towards the Metzeler...

[redr1]

I have M3s on my R1. They are ok, but get the feeling may not be soft enough for a lighter weight twin. Good wear life though.

[manyrevs]

I have M3s on my R1. They are ok, but get the feeling may not be soft enough for a lighter weight twin. Good wear life though.

I think you'll find that your R1 is about 20 kgs lighter than my VTR1000 - 170 vs 190 approx. I like to hum along at speeds a little above the 100kph limit and try not to slow down too much just because the road develops a few twists here and there... I like to lean it over too and like the feeling of knowing it wont suddenly drop me on my arse halfway around a corner. On the standard Dunlops, I have ridden the tyres right to the edge of their tread and while I don't hate these tyres, they do have a tendency to slip a little sometimes when exiting corners under a bit of throttle, as well as showing a little bit of slip n slide into corners if you change down too quickly... I've done just on 4000kms on them and they are starting to show some real wear now. I "will" replace them over Xmas/New Year... It's just a matter of "what with"...

[redr1]

Didn't realize the VTR1000 was around 190kg. I don't have much experience with Dunlops. Have always had michelins on previous bikes until I got the R1 with M3s on it. I have to say the grip is pretty good after spending a day at Puke track on Sat. 3 sessions each around 10-15 laps really chewed up the rubber though.