Michelin PR4 tyre wear on my 2009 R1200R-Anyone else had premature side wear?

Motorcycle Michael

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I keep my R1200R down in Spain on the Costa Blanca coast and last Christmas I fitted a pair of Michelin PR4's.
The Mrs and myself love the bike,it has a set of decat headers with a stock silencer,K&N filter and a remap from Hilltop m/c's.
It goes really well,it's very comfortable and always returns mid 50's mpg. It's a much better bike than my 2014 GS TE!!
I had Dunlop Roadsmart 2's fitted last time but it destroyed both tyres at once so I thought I'd give the Michelin's a go.
The front is fine this time and will see out another rear but the rear has gone again on the sides leaving the centre with the most tread!!
I run almost exclusively 2 up, panniers (sometimes containing a picnic and a bottle of chilled Rosado) with 35psi front and 40-42psi rear

Has anyone else experienced wearing the sides out before the centre on the road?
 

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sorry to report that despite having owned a r1200r and used the tyres you mention I can be of absolutely no help at all!................................ BUT was thinking how much I would like to have this problem/issue.
 
Hard cornering, on a heavy bike - perhaps not so unusual?

If you spent a lot of that time, on twisties - it would explain it?

Al
 
As Al says , heavy hand, heavy bike and nice dry roads...........I had the same problem with my K1600 on PR 4 `s . You could always try the GT version for better results.
My K16 did about 3500 to a rear tyre and by that time the front was well worn too.....

Shinyface
 
Yep - I've got the same problem with tyres on my 1150. Also ride mainly two up mostly with luggage. I seem to be getting under 2500 miles from a PR3 or PR4 rear tyre - I've since switched back to PR2's which seem to provide slightly longer life although they lack the wet grip that PR3's and especially PR4's provide.

I have recently been told that a poorly setup or failing rear shock can have a big impact on the tyre life. How many miles are on your R1200R and are you running OEM or aftermarket suspension?
 
I had some bt23 which did exactly the same I put it down to the fact I was a riding superhero but probably just the centre was harder compound than the sides . Great for grip and confidence though. Out of interest how many miles has that tyre done. I have just put them on my GS
 
I had the same on some Pirellis years ago riding around the Picos. Heavy bike, twisty hot roads and the surface that seemed very abrasive.
 
I'm currently on my 2nd set of RP'4's. 1st set was horrible on white lines after about 5000 miles. This set is as bad after 4000 miles. Wont be getting any more of these.
 
As Al says , heavy hand, heavy bike and nice dry roads...........I had the same problem with my K1600 on PR 4 `s . You could always try the GT version for better results.
My K16 did about 3500 to a rear tyre and by that time the front was well worn too.....

Shinyface

I'm a quick rider but like to think of myself as smooth with it-steady handed?! I'm sure that if I was riding in any other manner than quick and smooth,I would feel the Mrs tense up and then a jab in my lower back swiftly follows. We've all had that treatment-right?
The tyre has done about 1500 miles on twisty, shiny and quite slippery roads (like ice when wet) that with lots of use and minimal resurfacing have polished up nicely thank you. British roads have far more grip and feedback.
All of the above aside,the PR4's do grip well and are predictable. I have PR4's on my GS and on our roads at least,they have worn very evenly and still have plenty on them after 2500 miles of enthusiastic entertainment.

If anyone has occasion be down on the Costa del Sol in early April or mid October,I'd be only too pleased to show you round some of the best biking roads I have the pleasure of riding.
 
Perhaps the PR4 is just not suited to Spanish temperatures. They have superb grip here in the UK which suggests they are quite a soft compound, on the outer thirds at least. They may just get too soft on the Costas which makes them wear very quickly.

Do tyre companies make different spec tyres for warmer climates or do you just have to put up with fewer km per tyre compared to those in the north of Europe?
 
Perhaps the PR4 is just not suited to Spanish temperatures. They have superb grip here in the UK which suggests they are quite a soft compound, on the outer thirds at least. They may just get too soft on the Costas which makes them wear very quickly.

Do tyre companies make different spec tyres for warmer climates or do you just have to put up with fewer km per tyre compared to those in the north of Europe?

Hmm,there may be something in what you say but I've just returned from 3 weeks over there and it wasn't warm. While there I could not help but notice the wear on the tyre and,the images were taken a week before I came home so even less tread there now.
I'm going to speak to my tyre man about the GT version as I'm now thinking that version may be more suitable.

Michelin claim that:
Thanks to improved 2CT technology, new MICHELIN Pilot Road 4 tyres last up to 20% longer than the MICHELIN Pilot Road 3 tyres***. Over the long run, that adds up to fewer tyre changes and a lower total cost of ownership.

I'm glad I've not had the pleasure of the 3's if the 4's wear like this!
 
It's unlikely that Michelin have actually made successively-worse tyres since the initial Pilot Road which really stole the show - with the PR2

"I'm glad I've not had the pleasure of the 3's if the 4's wear like this!"

If you are so dismissive of them - have the courage to try all the other brands on the market - and then come back and let us know which are the best. I doubt you will better the Michelins.

Al
 
It's unlikely that Michelin have actually made successively-worse tyres since the initial Pilot Road which really stole the show - with the PR2

"I'm glad I've not had the pleasure of the 3's if the 4's wear like this!"

If you are so dismissive of them - have the courage to try all the other brands on the market - and then come back and let us know which are the best. I doubt you will better the Michelins.

Al

Dismissive?
I've not dismissed the PR4's I use,I actually praised the tyres for their grip and stability. I've tried other brands over the years and ended up on MIchelins.
I am only passing on my observations and findings.

Out of interest what tyres do you use on your bike?
 
Tourance (orig) on my R1200GSA
Dunlop Sportsmart on my R-1
Michelin Pilot Road 3 on my Boxercup Replika
 
Tourance (orig) on my R1200GSA
Dunlop Sportsmart on my R-1
Michelin Pilot Road 3 on my Boxercup Replika

My previous Spanish bike,a 2005 GS had the Tourances and while they lacked a little grip,they were always pedictable and gave good mileage.
I used the Dunlop Sportmax on my K13R and thought they were great both on the road and were especially good on trackdays. Lots of grip with excellent feedback especially when out of shape.
When I had my Boxercup new in 2004 it came with Metzler M3's as original fitment. The rear only lasted 900 miles but tyres have come a long way since then. I wish I'd held onto that bike but we were building a house at the time so it was PX'd when my K12R arrived.

I've spoken to the chap that supplies all my tyres and he was surprised at the wear pattern and says he will pass the images on to the Michelin rep.
We also had a discussion about the GT version which has a slightly different carcass construction with different compounds. He thinks Michelin will advise me to try the GT.
 
Dunlop Roadsmart 2

I've come across a picture of the Dunlop Roadsmart 2 I used before the Michelin's.
Similar wear rate on both rears.
 

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