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Pilot Road 4

IT WASN'T ME! said:
So, I have a k1200s. Which would be best for it, the standard or GT version? I think it's about 550lbs.
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Hey Jim, according to the Michelin PR 4 guide, your k1200s should run the GT version. Especially if have luggage or ride 2up :thumbup
 
I doubt I'll see a noticeable increase in durability going from the 3 to 4. The 3's are pretty great mileage-wise as it is. I've never gotten much more than 3k out of a rear sport tire on any bike and that's fine.
 
Something to keep in mind about ST tires; they are popular for BIG bikes. Take any review of a ST tire with a grain of salt until the owner has confirmed he's running the GT spec tire on his GT bike.

I've mentioned how much I like the Pirelli Angels in previous posts; I've owned several sets, and have run them at the track. This time, I accidentally purchased the conventional variant rather than the big bike variant. It was fine at first, but as the tires have worn down, they've gone completely to shit, and I hate them.

I've run many many conventional tires on this bike. Every time I've run a non GT spec tire, I've regretted it. This isn't because the tires themselves are bad; it's because the tires aren't designed for my bike.
 
bunnygoat said:
I doubt I'll see a noticeable increase in durability going from the 3 to 4. The 3's are pretty great mileage-wise as it is. I've never gotten much more than 3k out of a rear sport tire on any bike and that's fine.
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PR4 is supposed to have 20% longer tread life than the PR3 :party
 
If that's without any loss of dry grip, feel or turn-in it will be really impressive. That 20%+ figure may be more in-line with touring conditions than hard sport riding, but we'll see. Chemical engineering = amazing!
 
Burning1 said:
Something to keep in mind about ST tires; they are popular for BIG bikes. Take any review of a ST tire with a grain of salt until the owner has confirmed he's running the GT spec tire on his GT bike.

I've mentioned how much I like the Pirelli Angels in previous posts; I've owned several sets, and have run them at the track. This time, I accidentally purchased the conventional variant rather than the big bike variant. It was fine at first, but as the tires have worn down, they've gone completely to shit, and I hate them.

I've run many many conventional tires on this bike. Every time I've run a non GT spec tire, I've regretted it. This isn't because the tires themselves are bad; it's because the tires aren't designed for my bike.
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This is true. I ran Powers on the FA and they were friggin fantastic at first but they dropped off heavily as you might expect. but to get through the Summer months isn't such a bad thing and I love the grip/feel so that is what I do; powers (1 set anyway) in the Summer and PR3s for Fall/Winter. Seems to work fine.
 
So here's the follow up question. I have a K1200s and the Michelin tire guide says to go with the GT if you are going to ride two-up, or carry a load. What if I just ride it solo like a full on sport bike and only ride fast in the canyons? Do I still need the GT because of the weight of my bike, or because of how I ride the standard would be better?
 
RaptorFA said:
This is true. I ran Powers on the FA and they were friggin fantastic at first but they dropped off heavily as you might expect. but to get through the Summer months isn't such a bad thing and I love the grip/feel so that is what I do; powers (1 set anyway) in the Summer and PR3s for Fall/Winter. Seems to work fine.
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wtf is an FA?
 
Burning1 said:
Something to keep in mind about ST tires; they are popular for BIG bikes. Take any review of a ST tire with a grain of salt until the owner has confirmed he's running the GT spec tire on his GT bike.
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What is the cutoff for GT vs non-GT tires? 500lbs? Would a VFR800 be a good candidate for GT or not?
 
K1300GT curb weight: 635lbs
K1200S curb weight: 546lbs
VFR800 curb weight: 538lbs
S1000RR curb weight: 461lbs

I don't know for sure where the cut-off is, but if you're running a VFR or K1200S I'd suggest you give the GT spec tires a shot to see how you like em.

Here's my experience with the Pielli Angel ST E spec vs the Pirelli Angel GT standard spec tires...

The Angel ST E spec tires are designed for larger bikes. On the K1300, my experience has been great. They tended to fall into corners when new, and started to feel a little more neutral as they wore down. I loved them because they gave ST performance, with sport handling.

When I purchased the Pirelli Angel GT tires, I mistook them for the Angel ST E spec tires designed for my bike. Turns out, they are a newer release of the Angels. I should have purchased the Angel GT A spec tires.

When new, the GTs felt a lot like the ST-E tires. As they wore down, the handling started to fall apart. They have plenty of tread left, but feel very heavy and want to stand up at low speeds. They feel like cruiser tires on my bike.

If you're experiencing similar handling changes as the tires wear, consider the Pilot Road GT.
 
Revzilla posted a video "review" of the PR4 couple days ago—more of a technology review than an on-the-road review. Perhaps most interestingly, there's a significant change in compound mix on the rear: 20% hard down the middle and 40% medium on each side, versus the PR3's 80% medium in the middle and 10% soft on each side.

So that's where the increased longevity claim is coming from. I'm not sure I push my tires hard enough that the lack of soft 10% on each edge will make a difference for me—at least on a regular basis—but if you're pushing your PR3s to the edge regularly, maybe it'll matter to you. I suspect the hard section in the middle will be good for me, since I commute on these too.

[youtube]gGD6HLdNcW4[/youtube]
 
Nice review, thanks for posting.

I really appreciate RevZilla's review of all sorts of products. I'll often learn more watching these videos than discussing products with salespeople at shops.

CJ
 
:bump

Does anyone have a real-world opinion of the PR4's? I just pulled the trigger on a set, replacing the PR3's. :ride
 
they are a bitch to mount. beads won't seat without straps and alot of cursing or a bead blaster.
 
fast4d said:
they are a bitch to mount. beads won't seat without straps and alot of cursing or a bead blaster.
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i didnt have this problem with mine. the beads were way easier to seat than my pirelli supercorsas.
 
I have a set of PR4 GTs on the new RT and I like them so far (750 miles), though I can tell you that they do not like grooved pavement at all. I have a set of PR3s on the Tuono that I can't wait to pull off and sell. Hate them.
 
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