Replacement tyres

[Alman]

Hi , any recommendations for tyres on a R1200 Rs , existing ones are Bridgestones , rear has squared off already. Happy to listen to other people’s opinions. Don’t do mega mileage so wouldn’t mind sacrificing mileage wear for a bit more feel and grip.

 

[Neil W]

Rode my brother in laws r1200r lc about 200 miles on brand new Pirelli Angel GT 2 tyres , absolutely brilliant

 

[Alman]

Wet grip?

 

[wessie]

I had a R1200RS for 9 years. Best tyres I used were Avon Storm 3 but no longer made since the UK factory closed. Great balance between cost and performance. There is the ST Spirit now, made in France by Goodyear/Dunlop.
When I sold the bike, it had Bridgestone T31 on it which were okay but went out of shape. Fitted as there was little else available at the time.
Consensus on the RS forum is that Michelin Road 6 or the Metzeler Roadtec 01 or newer 02 are best.
Personally, my view of the R1200RS is that the relatively long wheelbase means the geometry wears out tyres prematurely, with thr front developing a weird ridge. Happened to the OE Metzelrs, the otherwise excellent Avons and the last set, the T31.

Any of the mainstream sports touring tyres will be fine and differences will be marginal. People slag off brands mostly because they did not inflate the tyre properly, they had a moment due to going too fast for the conditions or they blame the tyre for a poor road surface they failed to spot.

 

[younger06]

My last set where Pirelli Angel GT 2.....haven't a bad word to say about them. Brilliant in the Wet & Dry.....

Current set are Dunlop Roadsmart 4.......absolutely amazing tyre. Amazing confidence on cold wet roads and I'm looking forward to seeing how they perform on warm grippy surfaces.

 

[Bravo]

Michelin Road 6s for me

 

[wessie]

So, Avon, Dunlop, Michelin and Pirelli so far.

Anyone for Metzelers, Bridgestone or Continental so we have the full set?

Just as well pick the prettiest tread or cheapest price!

 

[Neil W]

Wet grip?

Excellent and weather was also cold below 5 degrees, he has since toured in 27 degrees plus with zero issues

 

[Rasher]

I have used and really liked the Dunlop Roadsmarts, used version 1-3 but not the latest 4, all worked well in all conditions.

Conti Road Attack 3's are good and became my new favourite (Also now on V4) until I had Roadtec 01SE last year, which are great wet or dry, and will be fitting the O2's when they wear out.

Had Michelin Road 5s on two bikes and did not like the feel - although many love them, which is the biggest issue, different people like different feeling from tyres, none of us get through them quick enough to try all of the latest tyres before they get replaced by a new one.

I suspect any premium Pirelli, Dunlop, Metzeler, Conti, Michelin or Bridgestone has way more abilites than we can use with a safety margin for when we fuck up.

Mileages seem relatively consistent on these tyres, most will last ~5k, which is odd as it has been like that for around 15 years with each new tyre claiming to last longer, and my riding becoming steadier and more restrained so I would expect them to last 20k by now?

 

[glenn2926]

So, Avon, Dunlop, Michelin and Pirelli so far.

Anyone for Metzelers, Bridgestone or Continental so we have the full set?

Just as well pick the prettiest tread or cheapest price!

I think you’ve covered it there. There are very few riders that can find the limit of any modern tyres on the road. Not many more off road.
I’m not sure but think my bike has Anakee adventure tyres on it. I certainly am not a good enough rider to find the limits of them on the road so they’ll do me. Hopefully they’ll last a long time too.

 

[littleade]

I think you’ve covered it there. There are very few riders that can find the limit of any modern tyres on the road. Not many more off road.
I’m not sure but think my bike has Anakee adventure tyres on it. I certainly am not a good enough rider to find the limits of them on the road so they’ll do me. Hopefully they’ll last a long time too.

For me anyway it's how the tyres feel in all conditions and how quickly they reach their operating temperatures that's important to give the rider (me) the confidence they're not going to let go without warning (anyone remember Avon speedmasters in the winter? ). It used to be the case that full on sports tyres were great in the dry, but not so confidence inspiring in the cold and wet as they were not generating enough heat. Not sure if that's the case now adays but it's likely decent sports touring tyres are made to work in a wider range of conditions at the possible expense of full out track performance, which most of us arn't capable of exploiting anyway.

 

[Larry Langford]

Here is an article done a couple years ago by the BMW test riders on 1250 RS's
https://www.tyrereviews.com/Tyre-Tests/Best-Motorcycle-Tyres-for-2024.htm
There are three tires that did well in the comparison, and others were OK. I'm running road 6 GT's on my 1250 RS. I can't fault them in anyway so far ...

 

[Rasher]

Great article, showing how good the main brands are, and how close in real terms, and mainly the "feel" of the tyres and testers preferences being a more important factor than measurable lap times / stopping times.

Generally I take more interest in wet grip, as I know all of those tyres will never let me down in the dry, running out of grip is so unlikely on a clean, dry road, but grip levels in the wet can be very low, and here feedback is also important as it really helps with confidence, in the dry I just "know" I have enough grip 99% of the time, in the wet I am always (rightly or wrongly) not so sure.

Might look at Dunlops next time as perhaps the sporty profile will help agility on big adventure bikes.

The Pirelli and Metzeler are the same company, I often wonder if they are the same tyres with a different pattern on them, but the braking test was very different - so maybe not - or the pattern makes that much difference?

 

[Larry Langford]

Great article, showing how good the main brands are, and how close in real terms, and mainly the "feel" of the tyres and testers preferences being a more important factor than measurable lap times / stopping times.

Generally I take more interest in wet grip, as I know all of those tyres will never let me down in the dry, running out of grip is so unlikely on a clean, dry road, but grip levels in the wet can be very low, and here feedback is also important as it really helps with confidence, in the dry I just "know" I have enough grip 99% of the time, in the wet I am always (rightly or wrongly) not so sure.

Might look at Dunlops next time as perhaps the sporty profile will help agility on big adventure bikes.

The Pirelli and Metzeler are the same company, I often wonder if they are the same tyres with a different pattern on them, but the braking test was very different - so maybe not - or the pattern makes that much difference?

My take was they did in fact base points awarded on lap times in the above posted article. Opinions can be useless in these types of matters .... I thought it was weird that the road 6 GT was last in the wet braking test, but first in the wet lap times and buy a noticeable margin ... And the pirelli angle II GT looks pretty good too.
And then there is the glaring truth that they didn't even test the plain versions of any of these brands, all the tires were GT's, except for the metzler 02. So I gather that is what they use in non-english speaking parts of Europe, apparently.
I ended up with the GT version of the road 6 at the recommendation of my local shop, before this article had been posted on the RS forum. The test riders claim it it has the absolute best feedback, and so I deduce that the GT version is in fact, not wooden, like some guess ... It is also fair in the dirt, and I've seen them on GS's around here. Great tire, very resistant to cupping, which is due to the tire holding it's form very well under hard braking ...
So , myself personally I value the input from the experts in this tire test as there is no way that one rider can test all the tires available ... and well opinions .... everyone has one ....

 

[beemerboy9]

I thought it was weird that the road 6 GT was last in the wet braking test, but first in the wet lap times and buy a noticeable margin

Having read many tyre tests in the german magazine Motorrad over the last 20 years, this "lap time in wet" anomaly is down to how far the testers feel able to push the tyre. This depends on how the tyre is able to transmit feel at the point of breakaway, how quickly the tyre breaks away when traction is lost, and how predictable the tyre feels when accelerating round a corner under power.

 

[Boxerboy55]

So, Avon, Dunlop, Michelin and Pirelli so far.

Anyone for Metzelers, Bridgestone or Continental so we have the full set?

Just as well pick the prettiest tread or cheapest price!

Of course. Metzeler SE01s are the best

I’ve used 8 or 9 sets on this bike and they’ve never let me down. Torrential rain. Autobahn. Track.

I’ve got a new pair waiting in the garage.

 

[Larry Langford]

Having read many tyre tests in the german magazine Motorrad over the last 20 years, this "lap time in wet" anomaly is down to how far the testers feel able to push the tyre. This depends on how the tyre is able to transmit feel at the point of breakaway, how quickly the tyre breaks away when traction is lost, and how predictable the tyre feels when accelerating round a corner under power.

They did mention that the R6 GT had very good wet road traction under acceleration, and that is what they say made the difference. Apparently the stopping time doesn't amount to much, in track times anyway. My point is the tire would still have to have very good braking to get the top lap time in the wet.
It seems to me the main ulterior motive of the article is to try to come up with something good to say about ... every tire in the test. But the test does narrow down the choices quite a bit. If I was in for tires at the shop and all they had was either the pirelli angle II GT or the dunlop roadsmart IV GT they tested I would give those a try too. I already had the R6 GT's on when I saw the article that I posted as I mentioned above ....
I'm firmly in the camp that the front tire on the RS is a bit small and can be overwhelmed with the powerful brakes on the bike. Hence the extra belts in the front tire of the GT set ... The bike definitely feels much more planted and solid with them and they are holding up very well too. Hardly any wear except on the chicken strips a little, especially after a romp in the colorado mountains ...... I also took a big hit on the freeway east of denver in the dark, a long narrow pothole that I didn't see in time, but no damage, no bent front rim.
I know what takes to bend one, having bent two different wheels on my /5. If you come out CO to ride watch out for the rough roads. worst in the country I've heard from others and I70 is a parking lot most of the time now with year round road construction going on now near idaho springs ....

 

[Bravo]

They did mention that the R6 GT had very good wet road traction under acceleration, and that is what they say made the difference. Apparently the stopping time doesn't amount to much, in track times anyway. My point is the tire would still have to have very good braking to get the top lap time in the wet.
It seems to me the main ulterior motive of the article is to try to come up with something good to say about ... every tire in the test. But the test does narrow down the choices quite a bit. If I was in for tires at the shop and all they had was either the pirelli angle II GT or the dunlop roadsmart IV GT they tested I would give those a try too. I already had the R6 GT's on when I saw the article that I posted as I mentioned above ....
I'm firmly in the camp that the front tire on the RS is a bit small and can be overwhelmed with the powerful brakes on the bike. Hence the extra belts in the front tire of the GT set ... The bike definitely feels much more planted and solid with them and they are holding up very well too. Hardly any wear except on the chicken strips a little, especially after a romp in the colorado mountains ...... I also took a big hit on the freeway east of denver in the dark, a long narrow pothole that I didn't see in time, but no damage, no bent front rim.
I know what takes to bend one, having bent two different wheels on my /5. If you come out CO to ride watch out for the rough roads. worst in the country I've heard from others and I70 is a parking lot most of the time now with year round road construction going on now near idaho springs ....

I'd just like to point out to any colonials out there that the correct spelling is tyres

 

[beemerboy9]

And then there is the glaring truth that they didn't even test the plain versions of any of these brands, all the tires were GT's, except for the metzler 02.

No, they didn't.
This is because some kind manufacturer (often BMW - German magazine, German bikes) has to supply 6 identical bikes from their Press fleet to conduct this test. In 2024 BMW stumped up 6 1250RS's - and BMW recommend GT type tyres (or tires) for this machine. Why GT? Because they are used two-up, with luggage at sustained speeds of 100++ mph on the German autobahns. And it is, after all, a test of Touring tyres to go touring with.
The riders swap bikes throughout the test to even out their riding styles.

Incidentally, I read these tyre tests in their original German.

You will be relieved to know that the magazine is offered non-BMW bikes sometimes!

 

[Larry Langford]

No, they didn't.
This is because some kind manufacturer (often BMW - German magazine, German bikes) has to supply 6 identical bikes from their Press fleet to conduct this test. In 2024 BMW stumped up 6 1250RS's - and BMW recommend GT type tyres (or tires) for this machine. Why GT? Because they are used two-up, with luggage at sustained speeds of 100++ mph on the German autobahns. And it is, after all, a test of Touring tyres to go touring with.
The riders swap bikes throughout the test to even out their riding styles.

Incidentally, I read these tyre tests in their original German.

You will be relieved to know that the magazine is offered non-BMW bikes sometimes!

That isn't the kind of riding they did in the test. The need for a stronger tire can arise in hard braking, during spirited riding. I'm guilty of assuming that RS owners would be interested in that sort of thing .... And I checked again and most of the tires were GT's.
For pure sport the RS is fairly heavy, but only a little less weight than an RT, which comes with the GT tires as far as I know. So if you figure that your going to ride the RS harder then this whole thing is not that surprising. I've also noticed that folks are putting the standard tire R6 on mid-size sport bikes which are much lighter than the RS.
But from a more practical view all of the tires in the test will work for commuting, touring and all that. And there really isn't that much difference in them, especially the top three in the test.