Tyres

Bike is a CBR600F 2004 model, currently shod with Dunlop D207's which
are IMO like riding on slicks in the wet. My last CBR got treated to
BTR 010s which were much better on wet/greasy roads but I understand
are no longer available. So any recomendations for new tyres which
behave reasonably on wet roads.

 

I use BT014s which I didn't rate in the wet until I did Mallory on the
rain where they performed really well.

 

I didn't rate the 014, as I slipped the front on a greasy corner in
France after about 100 miles of riding (so should have been up to temp)

I don't think the 014 is the best on a lardy tourer, i'd have preferred
an 110/020 combo on the 12. The 014 compound seems to get ripped to
shreds on a heavy bike.

The 020 on the Blackbird wore fine ~4000-5000 per tyre.

Oh, and I got the rear Azaro on the FJ to let go just outside Hulland
Ward.

Looks like i've explored the limits of both bikes now in the wet

Cheers

Paul.

 

Nidge says...

Good in what way? Fewer slides, easier to put the power down without
them spinning up, more stable under heavy braking, easier to turn in?
How are they better?

I defy most normal road riders to tell the difference between one
manufacturers offerings when pitched against someone elses, in either
the wet or dry conditions. Unless you're pushing tyres to their absolute
limits it's virtually impossible to give a good description of how they
perform, and if you're pushing them that hard then you ought to be
racing.

 

Lozzo wrote

Rock on Brother.

However, I do have to say that replacing the Avons on my Bloo GS with
BT45's has made quite a difference to the handling. Although now the
middles are starting to wear out it does seem to be regaining it's
former "**** you if you want to do anything other than travel in a
straight line" habits.

 

Weell, sometimes something just feels... confidence-inspiring.

In a slightly different vein, someone recently said here that feedback
from a bike is useless if you don't have the skill to read it and use
it. I think that's only partly true: I have two litre V-twins, a TLR
and a Tuono. Both the TL and Tuono run Dunlop tyres: 207RRs on the TL
and 208RRs on the Tuono. The TL has no real vices, but *feels*
heavier, most especially in the wet, and there's little feel (to me)
as to what the tyres are doing. The Tuono by comparison may well be
metaphorically waving its arms and gabbling in Italian, but its
*friendly* gabbling that inspires confidence, even if I don't actually
understand the exact content.

 

Pip Luscher says...

I should have been a bit clearer in my statement. I mean super-sports
tyres, such as SuperCorsas and Rennsports etc. There is a world of
difference between normal road tyres that even a mere mortal like me
can feel, but only the riding gods amongst us would be able to tell how
good or bad a super-sticky set of tyres was on the road.

 

snip>

Absolute bollocks.

I can find the limits on most (if not all) road biased tyres as can a
lot of other people who don't race.

I'll also readily admit that I'm not racing because I was too slow to
be any good and it's too fucking expensive.

 

Andy Bonwick says...

Read my earlier reply to Pip Luscher

 

Don't think I'd agree. I can tell the difference between crap tyres and
decent tyres. When it comes to telling the difference between products
competing in the same sector, it's trickier. There are so many
variables.

Only way to do it dispassionately, with any meaningful accuracy, is to
hop off a bike shod with brand X and immediately onto an identical bike
shod with brand Y, and ride it on exactly the same route.

Funnily enough, I remember a tyre launch 20 years ago (Pirelli, if
you're interested) where they did exactly this. Misano, it was. Every
single bike there was paired. It was an education swapping between
GPZ900Rs shod with different tyres (that also tells you how long ago it
was).

 

Can I class it as a retraction?

 

Quite. I was just about to offer the opinion that if you can't tell the
difference between Macadam 90x and Pilot Power 2CTs on the same bike
something is lacking in you sensitivity to grip department.

 

Andy Bonwick says...

No, merely a clarification

 

You don't say how hard you push the bike in the wet or the dry. Plenty
of tyres will give you confidence in the wet if you ride steadily but
it's a different story if you start to really go for it.

More info might get you a reasonable suggestion.

 

Well, I reckon I was doing ok on the ukrm trackday and my bike was shod
with 207s. Not the RR type mind, they're shit.

 

MattG says...

My trackday riding was limited by two things, fistly; the bike was
running out of ground clearance, and secondly; I'm shite.

 

I just didn't want to embarass anybody with my supreme racing talent, so
took it easy.. ;-)

 

ginge says...

Yes, yes...that's right, and ermmm....so was I really.

 

I was trying hard. <thinks> Must have been the tyres.

 

Thread hijack alert...(Dunno your real addy Matt)

Matt, thank you so much for the medical stuff. The kids at my Holiday
Club have been listening to each other's hearts and nursing and
doctoring dollies ever since it arrived. I have made up a 'doctor's
bag' of stuff and it comes out every day. We were OFSTED inspected
last week and got a 'good'. The inspector commented favourably on the
amount and variety of play equipment put out for the children, of
which the doctor kit was a part.

--
Marina Mayes - Reading, UK. To email me remove XX from my address
SR250 - on the road again. BOTAFOT12, BOD#2, BOTAFOS#2
KotLBOD#s, KotLBOTAFOS#s,IMC#2, Tart#10-19, SR#3
I never give in to fear or blackmail; I always give in to temptation.
"You're a national treasure" - porl, 18.1.03