Bike Magazine Tyre Test

[APE]

Latest issue of Bike Magazine has a group tyre test for the 1200GS.

Dual Purpose winner Dunlop Trailmax and the Avon Distanzia.

Pure Road winner Bridgestone BT020 and the Continental Road Attacks.

They don't test the TKC's

 

[Droopy Dick]

I'm on my 4th set of 607s.

They're ACE!

 

[ampthill]

Latest issue of Bike Magazine has a group tyre test for the 1200GS.

Has it? Is this the UK edition? I thought I had the current - May - edition of Bike and no mention of GS tyres in there. Interested as I'm planning to buy a pair of Michelin Road Pilots next week and they are not mentioned in your post. Did they test them as well? Questions, questions, so many questions...

Peter

 

[Deleted account 211025001]

Has it? Is this the UK edition? I thought I had the current - May - edition of Bike and no mention of GS tyres in there. Interested as I'm planning to buy a pair of Michelin Road Pilots next week and they are not mentioned in your post. Did they test them as well? Questions, questions, so many questions...

Peter

Yes June! - see here

Overall the Pilots came out pretty good, just let down by "slow direction changes" and "not able to hold a tight line"

The Avon Azaro and Conti Road Attack came out much better.

Andres

 

[DavidHale]

just let down by "slow direction changes" and "not able to hold a tight line"

Sounds like my riding style, not the tyres.

 

[cookie]

Latest issue of Bike Magazine has a group tyre test for the 1200GS.

Dual Purpose winner Dunlop Trailmax and the Avon Distanzia.

Pure Road winner Bridgestone BT020 and the Continental Road Attacks.

They don't test the TKC's

no tourance?

 

[Steve]

no tourance?

Or MT90?

 

[Deleted account 211025001]

no tourance?

Yeah, they liked them a lot

Andres

 

[APE]

It's a shame the new Bridgestone BT021 and Pilot Roads 2s aren't available in the GS front wheel size yet. I have tried the current Pilot Road and BT020 and agree with the magazines view. Might try the Road Attack next. Does anybody have a view on their wet weather perforance ? - tread pattern looks a bit odd...

 

[Bones]

tread pattern looks a bit odd...

When Ducati released their Sport Classic range, Pirelli produced a modern day version of it's famous Phantom from the 80's to grace it (Avon Roadrunner and Dunlop TT100 era) .The new Phantom would perform as well as a modern tyre according to the factory, because the tread pattern was largly driven by fashion. It is the compound and construction of the tyre that determines performance

 

[Big Lee]

Tyres tested

Road attacks
BT020`s
D607`s
Avon AM33/34 Distanzia
Tourances
Scorpion Sync
Pilot Roads
Battle wings
Anakee`s
Avon AV45 ST Azaro/AV56 Storm ST

607`s Got top tyre, Avon AM 43/44`s did as good on road as the 607`s. Road attacks were the best road tyre on road.

 

[sycomoto]

This is why i don't read bike mags anymore.

"They were rated as road tyres and track tyres, but sadly, not off road "


well they do a duel sport tyre test and don't test the off road abillities. huh, is it me or what. don't gs's have more chance of a bit of off road action than they do doing a track day, This is why when you go to a bike meet you'll see all the gixers etc with the latest super sticky race tyres that have two inch fat chicken strips round the edges, most of these bikes could ride round on plastic tyres and the owners wouldn't be able to tell the difference. I'd never buy a tyre cos a muppet from a mag said they were good.

I used conti road attacks on the ZX12R and they brill, pegs on the deck grip and good wear.
i used Avon Azaros on a TLS with no problems.
tyres are a personal choice, you should choose by how you ride, what you want in the way of mileage/grip etc and don't go by what some dick in the mag says coz it wont be right for you. Track tyres are great for the track but bear in mind the track is very different from the road, the tarmac is totaly different and the grip level worlds apart, track tyres take ages on the road to heat up, saw it last week guy on a blade fires it off the line from cold and nearly highsided but he had sticky tyres,nuf said.
I've tryed TCK, metzes and now Bridgestones on my ADV, there all good, some slightly better in areas than others. all do dry off road, all grip in the wet, at the end of the day i make my choice on cost and mileage and just adapt my riding to suit the tyre

 

[Bones]

'Crispy Chicken Strips' on the menu at work today. fAlways wondered what they did with all those old bike tyres

 

[wessie]

I really like the Avons too. My rear is almost down to the wear bars and the still roll into corners nicely. Much better than worn Tourances if my memory serves me correctly.

 

[Bones]

My rear is almost down to the wear bars .

Incoming innuendos

 

[st247]

"They were rated as road tyres and track tyres, but sadly, not off road "


well they do a duel sport tyre test and don't test the off road abillities. huh, is it me or what. don't gs's have more chance of a bit of off road action than they do doing a track day,

This was explained in the mag, they'd done a survey of there readers and forum members and found that 70% of them never went off road . They also said that more people were doing trackdays on them now aswell. The 'track' in question was Bruntingthorpe Proving Ground, which comes complete with bumpy surface, manhole covers and overbanding, not exactly Cadwel Park. In fact it was probably a similar track that decided the oe fitment anyway.

This is why when you go to a bike meet you'll see all the gixers etc with the latest super sticky race tyres that have two inch fat chicken strips round the edges, most of these bikes could ride round on plastic tyres and the owners wouldn't be able to tell the difference. I'd never buy a tyre cos a muppet from a mag said they were good.


tyres are a personal choice, you should choose by how you ride, what you want in the way of mileage/grip etc and don't go by what some dick in the mag says coz it wont be right for you.

I wouldn't buy on the basis soley of a test. They do however throw up some interesting things, on this test the Avon Azaro/Avon Storm mix was the fastest on the track, and had good comments from the tester, but after ten laps had an inch and a half split across the tyre not really confidence inspiring. A test will also give people an idea of were to start without trying loads of different tyres (very expensive). Personally i like the feel of Dunlops but i'm not keen on Michelins so my next set may well be the D607.

As a side note Bike tested tyres last year and said that for the road you'd be better off with a road tyre, the same has been said by RiDE. So the sportsbike riders with supersport tyres would appear to be followers of fashion. Then again how many people really NEED TKC's.

 

[charlie bimmerman]

There's so much bulls**t written about tyres. My bike came with new Anakee's fitted and I haven't got a problem with them - despite being poorly rated in the test. I'm fairly brisk, I like to corner hard and I ride every day in all weathers. They grip and the bike handles brilliantly. Maybe if I stuck on the tyre test winners I might notice a tiny difference. But frankly I doubt it.

The rider is the biggest variable here - so much so the other factors are almost irrelevant. Which is why when I was last at Cadwell the old guy with an open face helmet on an ancient Ducati was the fastest by miles - he was just a brilliant rider. Balls to tyre tests.

 

[Bones]

This was explained in the mag, they'd done a survey of there readers and forum members and found that 70% of them never went off road . They also said that more people were doing trackdays on them now aswell. The 'track' in question was Bruntingthorpe Proving Ground, which comes complete with bumpy surface, manhole covers and overbanding, not exactly Cadwel Park. In fact it was probably a similar track that decided the oe fitment anyway.
.

'tis true http://bike.mywowbb.com/forum27/3383.html

they did only get 11 votes though

 

[JayGee]

There's so much bulls**t written about tyres. My bike came with new Anakee's fitted and I haven't got a problem with them - despite being poorly rated in the test. I'm fairly brisk, I like to corner hard and I ride every day in all weathers. They grip and the bike handles brilliantly. Maybe if I stuck on the tyre test winners I might notice a tiny difference. But frankly I doubt it.

The rider is the biggest variable here - so much so the other factors are almost irrelevant. Which is why when I was last at Cadwell the old guy with an open face helmet on an ancient Ducati was the fastest by miles - he was just a brilliant rider. Balls to tyre tests.

I think your spot on there, after the rider the biggest differences in handling are down to the bike and the GS seems to be good no matter what tyre is fitted. The GS is unique amongst the bikes I've owned in that it is in NO way sensitive to tyres (make, type or wear). The other thing is that dry testing tyres is a complete waste of time, all modern tyres stick in the dry it's the rain where the better tyres are most noticeable and important.

 

[terayon]

No wet testing and no testing on rate of wear either. And I wish they would make their minds up, is the tourance OE fitment or the Dunlop? One page says tourance and the last page says 607