CTA3 Tyres

[stick]

Stick don't tell Rossi I have the answer for him getting back on the podium...
As Fast street riding and Fast track riding are totally different and require different techniques to stay alive...A track obviously is a controlled environment with clean & smooth asphalt as also repetitive so you know where the turns go and nobody / no surprises are coming as also you run tighter lines which are often slower in order to shut the doors on others.Here of course you make the straights as long as possible , the turns short and brake deep into the corners...If you do this on the street you won't live long and are still going maybe at a 70% pace compared to the track.On the street fast means smooth with not much brake and plenty of cornerspeed staying outside as long as possible to see far ahead in turns to know where they are going...THat is fast , safe and makes your tires last longer... As hard braking and accelerating eats tires and often is still slower than a smooth-fast pace where your only option is max lean angle and a little positive throtle to keep the weight bias off the front tire...No brakes and throttle gets you speed and 10-15K miles on the front...If you load the front braking hard especially while still leaned over gives you 3-5 K miles and the risk to loose the front and crash hitting stuff like sand,pea gravel,oil,diesel,antifreeze and all the other nasty stuff you don't encounter on the track...Road & Track require 2 different techniques...Even the fast guys on the Isle of Man who trail-brake on the streets because they know the course and it is closed are 99% of the time not as fast as the guys who only race on the track and visa versa...Think about it ! That is how I se it and lived by for the last 35 years...

I only do the street as you call it ,and to ride fast you need brakes ,period. I will take you to Spain and give you a reminder of the real world lol where corners at speed require brakes and the ability to scrub speed off as you push , yes you need to be smooth but also you need to use the throttle to add distance , so .......................... You ride Mexico i ride the technical Welsh B roads and Spainish /French twistys ........... you dont need brakes !!! get fucin real FFS
If you keep your eye on the ball you can trail brake any time ,if you keep thinking ,i can smooth this baby out by no brakes you will be overtaken by Rodney Trotter calling Numpty

 

[Boxerlust]

Stick , Mexico has some of the best motorcycle roads that are very curvy and technical as you call it...Of course sometimes you have to brake/scrub off speed...But I try the flow and go between 75 and 125 and stick the bike into turns without braking just leaning until the pegs touch and keeping a positive throttle to keep weight off the front...On the S1000RR on the track coming off a longer straight into a slower turn you have to trail-brake of course if you want to be fast without going off track...Street/Track - 2 completely different environments that require different riding techniques !
If you trail-brake on the street you are often slower as also get more wear on the front tires & brake pads and risk losing the front if you hit gravel or sand...I would love to ride with you though I used to ride in Spain,France,Austria & Germany when I lived in Europe...When I retire I want to make one big Alpine excursion collecting all the passes + the Transfaragasan (probably wrong spelling) in romania...But I'm ready for you in mexico anytime... In the US riding is really no fun despite nice scenery in Kalifornia dies to ridiculously low speed-limits and lots of LEO's...

 

[younger06]

I have just bought a pair of these fabled CTA3 for my Honda.......they better be good after all the praise ye lads are heaping on them!!

S20 5G sent this......

 

[stick]

I have just bought a pair of these fabled CTA3 for my Honda.......they better be good after all the praise ye lads are heaping on them!!

S20 5G sent this......

Shit ...... a Honda ... they turn into Nasty3

 

[younger06]

Shit ...... a Honda ... they turn into Nasty3

Cheeky bollix

S20 5G sent this......

 

[J biker]

Running the Contis for last few years. Superb.

 

[richardbd]

TA3 - pointless tyre IMHO.

If you’re going to ride on the road all the time just admit it and put some decent road tyres on - they make a huge differenceTo the way a big old barge rides at pace.

If you’re actually going to venture onto anything that a road tyre can’t handle then best you fit some proper dual sport tyres. They’re better on the road then you might think and have a chance of holding some traction in the gravel and light mud.

As for 15k miles out of any bike tyre, I’ll take a puff on whatever you’re smoking. I reckon if you pushed a laden 1200 in a straight line for much more than half that distance you’d expose the bands...

Tyres are the only subject that attract more bullshit than windscreens ������

 

[J biker]

TA3 - pointless tyre IMHO.

If you’re going to ride on the road all the time just admit it and put some decent road tyres on - they make a huge differenceTo the way a big old barge rides at pace.

If you’re actually going to venture onto anything that a road tyre can’t handle then best you fit some proper dual sport tyres. They’re better on the road then you might think and have a chance of holding some traction in the gravel and light mud.

As for 15k miles out of any bike tyre, I’ll take a puff on whatever you’re smoking. I reckon if you pushed a laden 1200 in a straight line for much more than half that distance you’d expose the bands...

Tyres are the only subject that attract more bullshit than windscreens ������

Never had more than 6 thou from any tyre on any motorcycle.
Conti road 3 s last well. But handling does deteriorate after 3-4 thou.

 

[stick]

TA3 - pointless tyre IMHO.

If you’re going to ride on the road all the time just admit it and put some decent road tyres on - they make a huge differenceTo the way a big old barge rides at pace.

If you’re actually going to venture onto anything that a road tyre can’t handle then best you fit some proper dual sport tyres. They’re better on the road then you might think and have a chance of holding some traction in the gravel and light mud.

As for 15k miles out of any bike tyre, I’ll take a puff on whatever you’re smoking. I reckon if you pushed a laden 1200 in a straight line for much more than half that distance you’d expose the bands...

Tyres are the only subject that attract more bullshit than windscreens ������

Thing is that the pure road tyres dont last as the weight of the bike and the way the bike rides /suspension characteristics make tyre wear an issue when riding fast on the roads.
PR5 , chocolate (sub 1500 miles ), great grip .The standard brigdestone fitted to the new bikes , less than 1800 on the front. RT01 ,good but not suited to hard riding as two wet weather bias and weaves and to be honest not a great set . These have low markers and the tyres like the TA3 have more rubber and will last longer when asking a lot from them in harsh riding conditions like the hot abrasive mountain roads and back lanes ( all tarmac) . I will be trying the new Dunlop TT soon as wish to see how they cope as they are pure road but i feel they will not last as well as the CTA3 ( around2.5 to 3 K max ) but may well be proved wrong.
I have tried most types and the only set that always delivers is the CTA3 ( so far) so its hardly a pointless tyre if you take the time and investment to experiment . I still have a few makes on the list but have waited to try due to feedback on forums and net as they seem to fall short on the needs im after.
All the info is based on the R1200 GS and R1250 GS and the way I ride which is fast ,pleasure only and no m-ways or main roads as they are just boring . The mileage quotes have also been based on pure road mileage ie ,new tyres on the lorry to Spain ,2 to 3 k rides in the mountains , them back on the lorry ( fly /ride /fly) .
The best fun was on the PR5 but they did not last and finished my trip early due to wear but they were awesome and superb under hard braking.

Sometimes bullshit as you call it may be you arguing with yourself too much and not understanding others perhaps.

 

[turpin]

''Sometimes bullshit as you call it may be you arguing with yourself too much and not understanding others perhaps.''

I believe that your comment can also be applied to you! Equally I feel that there is not a tyre out there that fully meets your exacting demands/needs!

 

[stick]

''Sometimes bullshit as you call it may be you arguing with yourself too much and not understanding others perhaps.''

I believe that your comment can also be applied to you! Equally I feel that there is not a tyre out there that fully meets your exacting demands/needs!

Calm down.....I only post my findings and results and truth over a period of experimentation and have found the points I make. I added the information of my style to maybe help others . Sorry if it gets up you as I find the Pointless comment harsh and uniformed as the CTA3 is as good as any road tyre you can put on a GS.
My needs are to keep me on the tarmac not in the hedges , so if I feel a tyre has issues i will point it out.

Lets see what happens with the Dunlops , just hope they last and give the grip you need on the roads I ride , lets see hey may surprise us all , now sit back and relax

 

[Boxerlust]

The Conti TA3 tires are indeed the best street tires for the GS currently for sale... They stick until the pegs scrape at the 20mm kifted GSA or GS with sports-suspension which is 52+ degrees lean angle with the aftermarket 719 BMW HP pegs that are a little higher than the aftermarket regular GS BMW pegs , Both made by Gilles Tooling.Stock pegs would already scrape away and/or take your foot off the peg...THe TA3 are very quick & light steering to be fun and last very long on the front (if you are a high cornerspeed/high lean-angle rider & smooth and not hard on the brakes)and ridden hard on DynamicPro up to 6000 miles on the rear...Good in the rain , long lasting and fun / confidence inspiring on fast road riding - What more do you want or can ask for in a tire ? The former benchmark was the Pirelli Scorpion Trail 2 and the Michelin PR5 is not as sticky,does not give you the same confidence ridden hard because of softer sidewalls , is not as stable at high speed and wears awfully quick.
On the street the TA3 ticks all boxes
For the track a tire like the new Metzeler M9 Sportec would be awesome because if you are in the fast group the TA3 would get too hot...But then as it is for the track the GS needs more power,more ground clearance,17" wheels and 320 mm rotors....M1300GS
Until then sportier tires for the GS are pointless because on the street they don't give you more performance than the TA3 but quicker wear and thus are only more expensive to run...
That is how I see it...

 

[Slipperyeel]

I'm just about to pass 11k miles in my current set of CTA3s... By the time I'm back in blighty, that will have been 4 return trips to Italy, one two up. I still keep looking at the rear thinking it should be heavily squared off by now, but it isn't and there's good year depth left.

I'm not riding it like Stick. But considering most of the miles are ridden full of luggage, I still get some fun when the roads get curly.

Never had a single moment of doubting my attachment to the road with these tyres

Sent from my SM-G975F using Tapatalk

 

[TTBen]

Yes you do, and I found out two days too late after paying another£25.00 or so from tyreleader.
I think it would be only right and proper that you send me half the difference. It would make me slightly less miserable.

Ahh, you win some, you lose some. How about this: the next time you need a pair of tyres, just give me a call and mention this thread. I'll do my best to offer a similar saving on whatever tyres you're after.

 

[CPJS]

Ahh, you win some, you lose some. How about this: the next time you need a pair of tyres, just give me a call and mention this thread. I'll do my best to offer a similar saving on whatever tyres you're after.

Thanks, I will.

 

[Rockred]

I'm with Stick and Boxerlust on the CTA3 its the best tyre out there for the roads I ride ( Mountain twistys, with off cambers thrown in ) I like a tyre that gives me confidence when lent over, it turns in well, and gives me that all important grip, the CTA 3 has that in abundance. Before I rode with STA2, and that too was an excellent tyre with great grip.

 

[Boxerlust]

Rockred I'm with you...The PST2 was the king and now it's the CTA3 until something better comes along...For a trackday the CRA3 is probably better because it can take a little more heat and works excellent on the street in more powerful bikes like S1000R or S1000XR...The Dunlop TT can take even more heat like a Conti SA4 or Metzeler M9 would but is a waste on the GS because too much wear and only theoretically more performance for a few guys on fast group pace...For that we need the M1300GS as the current GS needs more power/more ground-clearance. 40 lbs less weight and 320 mm rotors...Nothing that would it back on the street in current form though...Thanks to T-L and shift-cam TORQUE 1290 KTMs and 1260 Multistradas see only the GS' rear...and not for long...
But for the track and even more road-performance/fun/excitement the M1300GS will hopefully be just as exciting as the new M1000RR...