Michelin Macadam vs Pilot

Le Fri, 27 Feb 2009 21:21:00 +0000, Lozzo a écrit :

A proper Jawa should be fitted with Barum/Mitas tyres.
Using modern Dunlops would double the bike value: you should ask your
insco first.

 

You don't want grippy tyres on an old outfit anyway - better to drifft than
break spokes.

 

Yea, i'm surprised they're OEM on something they don't suit, but i'm
convinced they're a good choice for the rear on the 12R (i've replaced
them with Dunlops twice) . They've never stepped out on me, ever. -
including some spirited riding in the wet on the IOM.

I can't remember if the front is still an 014. It's black and round
and still has tread. On the 12, you replace 2.5 rears to 1 front

I still have Azaro's on the FJ. They're hard wearing and I like them
in the dry. I'm finding them hard to love though.

I don't like the Tourances on the Tiger either, so i'll probably take
the Wessie route (Conti road attacks) when the fuckers finally decide
to wear out.

P.

 

snip>

Azaros have to be the worst tyres I've ridden on since the early '80s.
One lap of the IoM (including a stop at Ramsey for beer then fish and
chips) two up on a B12 left them in such a state that they were
sliding as if it had pissed with rain for the first time in months and
the tread was 'peeling' on almost every block.

The worst part was exiting Windy Corner when it moved with such a
pronounced slide that I thought we were going into the field and Adie
had a hissy fit in my ear. I know others swear by them but if a B12 is
too much for them then they're crap and if I was given a pair of brand
new Azaros I'd chuck them in the bin rather than sell them and feel
responsible for someone crashing.

Don't start blaming the Bandit btw, we didn't go over 105mph anywhere
on the lap and even though it was old the shocks would have had to
have been replaced ones off a CG125 for them to have been the reason
for the slides.

 

<Yawn>

--
Lozzo
Versys 650 Tourer
Fireblade 929 (For sale)
ZX-7R P4 (for sale)
CBR600F-W trackbike
SR250 SpazzTrakka,
RD400F, somewhere
I see a bright new future, where chickens can cross the road with no
fear of having their motives questioned

 

Yeah, that's exactly my reaction when I see you praising them.

 

But I'm amongst many many people who like them, and you're about the
only person I know who doesn't. It's not taht you don't like them, it's
the vitriolic way you describe them.

You expected super-sports tyre performance from a sports touring tyre
on a Bandit with soggy suspension, and got upset when it didn't deliver.

--
Lozzo
Versys 650 Tourer
Fireblade 929 (For sale)
ZX-7R P4 (for sale)
CBR600F-W trackbike
SR250 SpazzTrakka,
RD400F, somewhere
I see a bright new future, where chickens can cross the road with no
fear of having their motives questioned

 

Ok. Bandits fitted with Azaros are shit but it's nothing to do with
the tyres.

You're having a fucking laugh.

I rode a bike two up over the mountain, didn't exceed 105mph, both of
us were wearing the sort of bike kit you'd pop to the corner shop in
and you think I expected super-sports performance? I didn't really
expect anything above what would be acceptable from a tyre suitable
for a 1200cc naked bike and they just weren't up to it.

I'll spell it out for you again so you can try to understand why I
think they were shit:

We left Onchan and rode to Peel. It's not far, it's not a fast bit of
road and there are speed limits for most of the way there. We had an
ice cream in Peel and sat around for maybe 30 minutes.

We went from Peel to Ramsey. No speed limits between Peel and
Kirkmichael but it's a bit bumpy so nothing excessive along there
because it's not somewhere you'd want to crash, Kirkmichael to Ramsey
has one or two fast bits but it also has long sections that have speed
limits and cops all over them. We had a beer and something to eat in
Ramsey.

Ramsey to Onchan is fast. Everyone knows it's fast but it's a good
road with very few bumps and a good surface nearly all the way. The
tyre overheated along this bit and by the time we were halfway over
the mountain the bike was sliding.

When we got back to the scout hut the rear tyre was fucked. Others saw
the tyre and agreed it was fucked but if you think the suspension on
that bike was so shot that it could do that then fine. I've always
admitted I'm shit when it comes to suspension so I wouldn't know the
difference but the tyres let go when I didn't think they should have
done.

Regardless of what you might think, I don't try to do qualifying laps
with Adie on the back and if I want to do a fast one on the Island
I'll use my 10R and have someone else along to give me a tow.

 

You rock.

Everyone's a winner with that summary.

Tyre choice is really down to the individual and how much confidence
you've got in the tyre because every fool knows that if you're tensed
up and expecting slides then they sure as shit happen which is why I
tend to go to my tyre dealer of choice and just ask them what's the
best available at the time.

I do so few miles that I can afford to put the best I can get on any
bike and not worry about the constant drain on my pocket replacing
them. If I was worried about mincing tyres in 1000 miles then I
probably wouldn't ride sports bikes or the KTM which really isn't a
very eco-friendly bike when it comes to consumables.

 

The bike wasn't actually that bad. It was old but the mileage wasn't
very high and it hadn't been neglected.

I've not ridden on Dunlops that didn't have RR as part of their name
so I'll not comment on the cheaper versions.

I'm not falling out with him. He just doesn't believe me how wanked
they were after a short distance and I know what they were like. I
probably wouldn't believe it if I hadn't seen them but there you go.

I'm not the only one to be distinctly underwhelmed by them but 99% of
people buy them for their longevity rather than their grip. I'd sooner
have a compromise rather than all or nothing give me the miles.

Not a chance. I back off once they start to lose their grip and I
never trust them again.

I've got Dunlop Qualifier RR tyres on my 10R at the moment and they
grip really well but every time I look at them and can see three
distinct bands of differing compounds I feel uneasy. I went for them
because the tyre suppliers said they were better than the Michelins I
had on before and they're as good as claimed but they don't look as if
they're going to be any good iyswim.

 

I've heard that the OEM tyres aren't the same as those we can buy in the
shops even though they bear the same name/number. Could be bollocks, but you
never know.

I've only really loved one tyre and that was the Bridgestone 014 and they
(or their latest version) are going back on the Zed. The Azaro's were
perfect for the job I chose them and I'll never regret using them.

My brother swears by Road Attacks and he's ridden since he was 16 (56 now)
and only had a couple of offs since he started (knocked off by some
U-turning **** and once coz he was pissed off and fucked up on a gravel
road), but the only Conti's I've ever used were Sport Attack and they needed
too much time to warm up. Great when they *were* warm, but...

--
Beav

VN 750
Zed 1000
OMF# 19

 

I'd have been chuffed if I could rag a tyre that badly. (ANY tyre) As it
happens I can't, so mine survived pretty well up to the point where I fucked
them up overheating them. At 7 thousand miles mind and they'd been
overheated on quite a few ocassions.

--
Beav

VN 750
Zed 1000
OMF# 19

 

Piece of piss.

Let it down to 15psi.

Then go and attack roundabouts.

 

I should have been clearer on that, I'd sooner have a compromise than
go for longevity *if I had to choose between those two*.

I eased off after Windy Corner because that's where it slid a long way
and I wasn't sure it'd recover itself if it did it again. It had given
a few small 'steps' earlier but that was where I decided I needed to
check the tyre pressures when we got back to the hut.

I still think they're a really good tyre but they're the first tyre
I've had where you can see visible lines between the compounds and in
my naivety I always believed the compound change took place over maybe
3-4mm rather than being a distinct line.

I'd use Avon tyres if I thought they'd had one better than the
alternatives offered by everyone else.

 

snip>

Buy a lighter bike. I'm still only on my 3rd front tyre on the 10R
after over 10k miles and I reckon the tyre's good for another couple
of thousand.

 

The roundabout would win hands down. It'd probably go down the road faster
than me too.


--
Beav

VN 750
Zed 1000
OMF# 19