Pilot Road 4

[Belzybob]

He admitted it was his riding style which I can't recall but it really put me off them as they obviously would have clunked in and out of corners. Obviously not for everyone.

Bear in mind that he may have been one of these tyre pressure experts. You can do all sorts of interesting things to tyres if you try.

[gringo]

So running different pressures can effect the way they wear bob, that makes sense. I usually try to keep mine near 38 38, just to give me a little more traction than the factory option.

[Huls]

Up for tyres in the next thou or so...........and do about 100-120 per day, so maybe a fortnight at the most.....

First quote for Pilot Road 4 was $585 fitted for front and rear. Not really impressed but they had their chance. Both tyres need replacing although it is the rear that has worn the most. I have done about 4K on the Battlax that were on the bike when I bought it. Both front and rear had noticeable flat spots across the middle.

I will be getting other quotes anyway, but I wondered what other members had paid - and if there are any club friendly outlets over here in the west that would like the business.

Try Tyres for Bikes in Vic Park. Have always found them the best price. Others mention Bike Tyre City which I think is in My Hawthorn.

[Pa King]

I've got new Michelins going on my B King today.
Front - Pilot Power 3
Rear - Pilot Road 4 GT.

Tyres coming off are same front and a Road 2 rear. These have been the best combination so far doing 11000k. I'm happy to change them at that but another rider would and could get another 2000k or more from them.
I've had the Road 2 and 3 front before but they did develop that dreaded flat centre and were not nice to ride with towards the end of their life.

[busybusa]

Have that combo on the Jaffa at the moment Russel with the 55 rear profile, have had it for a few months, and love them

[Homer]

Have that combo on the Jaffa at the moment Russel with the 55 rear profile, have had it for a few months, and love them

What were your reasons behind the 55profile? If you stay at 190 and have a bigger diameter, what needs adjusting to compensate?

[busybusa]

At the time I needed them, Mono only had the 55 profile in, and was always going to give the profile ago, bike steers better than ever. Not worried about, if there may be a different's in speedo reading as wouldn't be enough to worry about, and besides, lets be honest with ourselves, do we really worry about speeding when you ride one of these. lol

[Batfink]

Actually if the profile dimensions are as stated (some say they aren't) then your speedo will be showing very close to your real speed. The difference, on paper, is an increase of 3% while a standard speedo reads 2-5% faster than what you are doing...
But that's all theory lol

[Homer]

I have had a set of Pilot Road 4 GT fitted. Pretty much everyone in the dealership reminded me to be careful on the new rubber. By the time it came to ride away, I had convinced myself that it was all going to end in tears and probably a reasonable fireball somewhere along the road home. I'm sure that this was not the intention, and maybe they assumed more skill/experience/confidence given I was riding a Hayabusa in the first place, but next time I get tyres it won't be with so much dread.

Is it really so bad? How much caution do you really need?

Anyway, the only thing I can say about the new rubber is the improvement in handling. Improvement is probably an understatement. Both the old tyres had significant 'flat spots' and I was not aware of what result this had. The bike had this when I bought it and so has been always part of how the bike handled. I'd thought that the initial reluctance to lean in was because it was a big heavy bike. Remember my only other experience was on a CBR250R.

You can imagine my reaction to the new 'round' tyres. Cornering requires so much less effort and the bike suddenly feels like it is only half as big and heavy as it did before. I am amazed at the difference.

I don't push the bike hard - and tyres will be no different. I feel I made a reasonable choice in the Michellins, but honestly - any new tyre would have given me the handling improvement I got.......

I had developed some real confidence on the bike even with the old tyres. Acceleration and speed are still a bit intimidating, but I was in control at the level I rode at. For the first time I feel that I am perhaps a better rider than I gave myself credit for, given the response from the bike is so quick and easy it almost seems instinctive.

I'll never put up with crap tyres again. Looking back, without even knowing it, I'd really reduced my chances of being able to react as quickly as I should have been able to.

To all other newbies out there - check your rubber. I thought that I was ok since I wasn't down to the markers. I assumed that what went for car tyres went for bikes as well.

[Corpsedealer]

I still scrub up new tyres before going hard on tha twist grip, on cold roads those waxy new hoops can be bad news!
Just put Power pure on rear of my Busa scubed him up with a brick and hit the cool rd as though it had been on for a thousand kiloflogitz.
.

[Homer]

I still scrub up new tyres before going hard on tha twist grip, on cold roads those waxy new hoops can be bad news!
Just put Power pure on rear of my Busa scubed him up with a brick and hit the cool rd as though it had been on for a thousand kiloflogitz.
.

Read the last sentence over, but still missing something.........

Are you removing the waxy coating by hand (brick) rather than letting it happen as you ride. I'd worried about the edges giving me grief the first time I get it down......

Are you perhaps lifting the rear on a stand and letting it spin in gear at idle?

Help me, obi wan.........

[Corpsedealer]

Thats exactly what I did. Rear paddock stand second gear at idle and grab a rough brick or paver.
Hold onto tyre whilst it spins put some pressure on it and move around the grip area after about 15min the entire suface area
is scrubbed up roughed up and clean of that waxy shit. My Uncles used to do it 30 years ago, I saw, I asked and they explaned!. Some people use realy hot water, soap and then scrub brush, then re-wash with just realy hot water to get rid of the soap(I've never tried that coz the brick is good). Front a bit harder usually leave wheel off and smaller brick( alot more elbow grease).

[Homer]

Thats exactly what I did. Rear paddock stand second gear at idle and grab a rough brick or paver.
Hold onto tyre whilst it spins put some pressure on it and move around the grip area after about 15min the entire suface area
is scrubbed up roughed up and clean of that waxy shit. My Uncles used to do it 30 years ago, I saw, I asked and they explaned!. Some people use realy hot water, soap and then scrub brush, then re-wash with just realy hot water to get rid of the soap(I've never tried that coz the brick is good). Front a bit harder usually leave wheel off and smaller brick( alot more elbow grease).

Thanks for the info. Don't have a front stand so that will be a joy job. The back end was concerning me more anyway. Seems a cheat to remove the chicken strips like this though.

[Corpsedealer]

You can tell what is real road wear and what is srub up.

[storm]

What's the difference between Pp4 and pp4 GT ? And they r cheaper ny $2 than thePP3 road,
I think the old days they used wax to get the tyre outs die,I never scrub tyres, 10 kms and they will get flogged