Ok...so this question was bound to get asked. Sure...everyone else's opinions are all over the internet. But, I figured we needed to have this discussion on OUR forum.

So what are you guys using on the street. Sticky tires...dry weather...wet weather...what's the best?

Pilot Powers. Best of both worlds. They have a harder surface in the middle for more tire life, and a softer outer edge for more grip in the turns.

Do you have any experience with Diablo Corsa's or Metzler Sportec M-1 or Bridgestone BT-014??

WTF - first oil change and you are looking at tires already? Wear out the ones you got first... :lol:

However...

Love my Corsa's! :thumbsup Sticky all the time, no need to warm 'em up (much here in FLA anyway) and don't seem to suffer the same heat cycle hardening that similar performance tires do...

Corsica's like most race tires are not good in colder temperatures.

I would highly recommend Diablos though, good wear, good in the cold and wet conditions. Lots of traction!

got my first set of brand new tires this morning. didn't do any research on tires before setting out. the shop guy asked me what type of riding i do and if i wanted grip or more miles. for me, definitly more miles. he recommended metzler or diablo strada, said i couldnt go wrong either way. chose the strada's. i've only ridden on the new tires, about 30 miles. can't give a review yet.

these are my first set of new tires, the guy warned me to ride carefully for the first 50 or so miles. i can't believe how slippery new tires are. felt like i was sliding at ever cruve.

can anybody give me an estimate on how long/miles touring tires should last.
( commuting only, no twisties. about 25+ miles a day ) i have to make these tires last.

Yes, New tires are unbelievably slippery. Do lots of weaving and try to scrub them in, even after a while of riding that when starting to get aggressive, the chicken strips are still a bit slippery so progressively get lower in the corners...

Pirelli Diablo Corsas - Can't say how they are in extreme, would think a softer tire is a softer tire but will defer to Steve. They are the one of the room temperature softest tires I've seen outside of pure track tires. After 4 or 5 miles they are stick warm. Amazingly sticky even in wet (others tell me as I don't ride in the rain) and look beautiful.

Hard to say how many miles anyone will, get so many factors. And I doubt you'll wear front and back the same. Basic for me is 2 rear to a front. Best indicator is your previous mileage...adjust for if you went to a softer tire or harder tire. This rear Pirelli Diablo Corsa is almost done at about 5k. On my old bike, was getting 10k average in a commuting set up with Battle Axe BT45’s

WTF - first oil change and you are looking at tires already? Wear out the ones you got first... :lol:

However...

Love my Corsa's! :thumbsup Sticky all the time, no need to warm 'em up (much here in FLA anyway) and don't seem to suffer the same heat cycle hardening that similar performance tires do...

It was MY first oil change...not first for the bike. I don't need tires yet...but I am curious about alot of stuff, and trying to learn for future reference... :D

I loved the Pilot Road's my bike came with.

Very easy to get up to temp, and with proper pressures, they stick just fine up in the mountains.

Well, I ended up getting two big a** nails stuck in my rear tire today. No idea how it happened. I got home and got down to clean and lube my chain and heard something whistling...that's when I found the two nails.

SO, I could have bought a new Pilot Road since the front only has 2,000 miles on it. But, I decided to go ahead and just buy a complete set of Pilot Powers since Ron Ayers was having a sale. They are scrubbing in nicely...but weren't really that slick to begin with...

Wow, you got nailed within the first couple weeks of bike ownership. Bad luck! Good thing you noticed them before you went out again, though.

Let us know how you like the Powers once they're scrubbed.

Yep...nailed in the first TWO weeks of ownership. It really sucked. But, it gave me an excuse to get a set of Powers...so...ended up being a pretty good day.

I'm not sure I would be all that great at telling how I like them. I don't really have anything to compare them to. Being a new rider, I'm very hesitant to give opinions about a tire, or mechanical equipement, etc, because I don't really have any other experience to serve as a baseline.

I will say there is something that feels very different about these tires though. I'm not sure how to explain it. They're not as...smooth feeling...if that makes sense. It could just be in my head though. When they're scrubbed in, I'll tell you if they work for ME or not... 8) 8)

This reminds me of when I went to get my intial service at the Honda dealership. There was a military guy there with an '03 yellow 919. He was getting some new tires. The rear tire, you could see the radial mesh it was so worn. When the mechanic tried to take the tire off the rim, it was like fused to it. He spent almost an hour trying to get just one tire off. He said he'd had them for two years. He must have been running the hell out of them.

I spend a bit of time reading at www.fireblades.org , great website. Seems like all the guys over there just love the Pilot Powers. Next favorite over there is Diablo Corsa's.

Makes me feel good about my purchase to see guys on Honda literbikes praising the Pilot Powers.

When I bought them today, I noticed the "profile" of the tires, especially the rear, is different than the stock Pilot Roads. Seems the profile is more "triangular." I realize SOME of this may be due to my stock tires having seen a good bit of vertical riding. But, seems to me like the Pilot Powers are constructed in a more triangular fashion. I'm guessing some of this is what makes them grip better in leans??

Some of the guys over at the fireblades site said exactly what I was trying to say, but wasn't sure how to word it. The Pilot Powers seem to "fall in/drop in" to leans much more naturally. It's like when you start to lean, the bike just wants to "fall" right into the lean...almost like they were made just for leaning.

I've still got about 3/4inch~2cm worth of chicken strip that is not scrubbed in. Other than this, the tires are scrubbed in. I did A LOT of riding today after getting the tires put on.

I admit, alot of stuff feels better to me because I get it in my head that it is better. But, I really can't help but think these tires really feel much more "planted" when I lean than the stock Pilot Roads felt.

If they keep feeling like this, I believe I will be sticking with the Pilot Powers.

I'd love to find a track here in NC a ride a day at the track. It would be nice to get on a track with plenty of curves and NO cages (cars). To be able to take a day and just ride at MY pace on a track would be lots of fun.

I'm 30 years old, and I wish I had bought a bike 10 years ago. I'm haivng more fun than I've ever had in my life!

Yup, a tire's shape really factors into grip , ride, and wear characteristics. Touring tires tend to be more flat or round in profile, while more race oriented tires are more like a V shape to maximize traction at an angle.

I have the stock tires on my 919 and they are definately round, with a lot of rubber on the road in a straight line. They have a little over 2k mi on them and are a bit over 2 years old. Seems to me like they were ridden on the highway a lot...or maybe it's just the profile...but you do have to kind of pull the bike over into a lean. I've been thinking about getting new tires next season just because i'd like to make the bike feel a little more nimble than it currently does, and i've had my eye on the Pilot Powers as well. I haven't heard anything but praises about them. The only reason i wouldn't want to get them is for riding in the rain (few grooves = bad for standing water)...but i pretty much never ride if i know it's going to rain, so that's not really much of an issue for me.

...I admit, alot of stuff feels better to me because I get it in my head that it is better. But, I really can't help but think these tires really feel much more "planted" when I lean than the stock Pilot Roads felt...
Oh, they are...Trust in that. The group I ride with seems to favor the Pilot Powers but think it's more of a cost issue as they buy in bulk for the group. But you can't go wrong with either of those two tires.

I'm really liking these tires. They are not as solid/comfortable riding long distances on the highway...but at this point I'm getting the idea they weren't made to ride long distances on the highway in a straight line.

Give em a few twists and turns...and they shine.

I'm finding learning to lean much easier now. I'm starting to pick lines much better than I was...and I'm not sure if the tires are helping, or I'm just having more practice. Either way, these tires are giving me alot more confidence in the turns...and they are sticking...really sticking.

can anybody give me an estimate on how long/miles touring tires should last.
( commuting only, no twisties. about 25+ miles a day ) i have to make these tires last.

i got about 12k out of the pilot road that came stock on the back, 7K'ish on the replacement(same type) but got a flat and did not want to trust a plug on a 3K trip. and 19K'ish out of the front stock tire.
put on a set of the new HPX tires from Michelin, did vary good in the rain(god knows i had enough of it last week), only time will tell on the durability.
i think they feel better in the corners also, but that might just be me getting more comfortable pushing my bike in the corners...

have to make these tires last.

yeah...same here...found out tires aren't cheap...

yeah...same here...found out tires aren't cheap...

Oh man. If you think this is bad, you'll have a heart attack if you ever try to put some serious tires on a car. But for two rather smallish tires, they do seem a bit steep.

...got a flat and did not want to trust a plug on a 3K trip...
I've done track days on a plugged tire, not one issue and wore it down to nothing. (it was like almost brand new so I couldn't see chucking it)

yeah...same here...found out tires aren't cheap...

Oh man. If you think this is bad, you'll have a heart attack if you ever try to put some serious tires on a car. But for two rather smallish tires, they do seem a bit steep.

I know what it's like to put $1200 worth of rubber on my car. I don't mind. It's relative I think...value of car/cost of tires < value of bike/cost of tires. Just doesn't add up.

So what kind of rubber was that exactly? And how did you like it? (I'm always curious about tires...I'm always, you know, stopping in the parking lot to check out this car's tires, etc.)

Is it me or are these prices really good? Please confirm for me that these are the correct tire measurements for the 599.

http://img209.imageshack.us/img209/1528/tireshp0.gif

[Is it me or are these prices really good? Please confirm for me that these are the correct tire measurements for the 599. ]

Those prices are better than the places that I have bookmarked. I've used MAW, TiresUnlimited and AmericanMotorcycleTires.

I moved away from the Pilot Road tires. I got only 3500 miles on the front tire but did get over 6000 on the rear. I replaced the front and later the rear tire with a Dunlop (D220) sport touring tire. The front has about 6100 miles it is ready to change. Michelin did offer pro rate the milage but required that I take it to a dealer and let them evalute the tire. I did not care for that option and changed brands. I like the Dunlop and have them on my cruiser and the 599. I am changing to the Pirelli just to see if I might like them better. My cruiser gets about 5 or 6 thousand on the rear and I hope to improve on that.

I moved away from the Pilot Road tires. I got only 3500 miles on the front tire but did get over 6000 on the rear. I replaced the front and later the rear tire with a Dunlop (D220) sport touring tire. The front has about 6100 miles it is ready to change. Michelin did offer pro rate the milage but required that I take it to a dealer and let them evalute the tire. I did not care for that option and changed brands. I like the Dunlop and have them on my cruiser and the 599. I am changing to the Pirelli just to see if I might like them better. My cruiser gets about 5 or 6 thousand on the rear and I hope to improve on that.

So far I'm really liking the Pilot Powers. I'll be interested to see how many miles I get out of them. I MAY end up trying a set of Diablo's...but so far (with my very limited experience) I'm VERY happy with these Pilot Powers in terms of how they perform. They stick like glue...don't know how many miles I'll get on them though...

Okay guys, stupid simple question from a first time bike owner. How do I really know when the tire is ready to be replaced? Is it the same as with car tires?

Yeah, except with a blowout, you don't need to push your luck. That's where it's not like cars. If you look down and see the tread is almost gone, better order a tire or schedule in a service. I don't go too much by tread depth gauge though. The dealer would have you replacing a tire that looks new to me

Also, the front tire wears on the sides instead of the middle and it become necessary sometimes to change the tire to improve handling and tracking before the tire is seriously into the tread. You wear out tires so much faster than cars. I changed the tires on my cruiser 3 times last year. Three rear tires and two front. Good average 5000 rear, 7000 front

If the tire is slick, ground yourself. I took the cruiser for a 250 ride with the rear tire past due, I rode somewhat fast on the Blue Ridge Hwy, got home, turned up the driveway,,,,,boom. I was lucky it happened there instead of when passing a string of traffic at 80 mph. I wasn't lucky that my wife told everybody every time we got around anyone for a month or so.
As a rule, I don't tell stuff on myself but this is a saftey note and you did ask and I hope others learn from my experience.

Watch the tread and the tire pressure. Don'tlet that bike sit and have to change the tire because it is getting old and cracking. That's bad.

Do you have any experience with Diablo Corsa's or Metzler Sportec M-1 or Bridgestone BT-014??

My bike came with the Michelin Pilot Roads. They were good in the reain as well as dry surfaces. I ran them for while before I changed to BT020, s port-touring tire. I ran those for a long time. They are great for commuting in dry and the rain. While not perfect for the twisties, they are good tires. If you commute and ride straight, then try the BT-20.

I recently changed to the BT-014. What a difference! I think this has been my best tire yet! It rolls nicely in and out of corners, is smoother, and dampens the bumps more. It is a softer tire than the BT-20. It also increases my confidence in leaning the bike over.

Note: If you run a sport tire, they are softer and require replacement a lot sooner than sport tires. I see people buy track tires or near track tires but they never get to the edge of the rubber (chicken strips). If you are investing money in a sport/track tires and are not sliding knees, then you probably do not need the tire. You can get a lot out of sport-touring and sport tires. If you go with the BT-014, you will not be disappointed. THe Power Pilots are taller and provide excellent grip, wet or dy. my friends all had them at one time and liked them, but they take some getting used to.

Hope these tips help. There was a good article in Sport Rider about 2 months ago on different tire types.