Best rain tire?

[musicman]

I live in NW Oregon, and despite things being wet a lot of the year I still ride. The stock Metzlers haven't given me a whole lot of confidence in the wet, granted I ride the bike pretty gentle on wet pavement, it still felt "squirmy" for lack of highly sophisticated technical lingo. Thinking about the Michelin pilot road tires? My fj1100 has battleaxes on it and I can't say they're all that great.

 

[musicman]

I guess I should mention too I do a lot of highway riding since its my commuter bike, I'm at 4500 miles and the rear stock Metzler is starting to flatten out, looking like it has about 1500-2000 miles left. So something that lasts a little longer would be nice too.

 

[Fuzzy]

I took my Metzlers off early for same issue. Happy with PR3 and now PR4.

 

[StratTuner]

I took my Metzlers off early for same issue. Happy with PR3 and now PR4.

Everything I read says Michelin PR3, or PR4 are the best for rain. I'll second that.

 

[ziggie]

Everything I read says Michelin PR3, or PR4 are the best for rain. I'll second that.

I third it[emoji2]

 

[turbodieseli4i6]

I'm very impressed with both the PR3's and PR4'S in all conditions so far.

 

[showkey]

I will jump on the Pilot Road 4 band wagon and add you might look at the GT version........while it is tuned for larger bikes it appears to be also changed slightly for better wet performance with a slightly different tread pattern. I have them on a ST and they are great.

The availability of all the Pilot Road can be spotty ........I was on a waiting list for the ST sizes at two different sellers.

 

[turbodieseli4i6]

FWIW the best prices I have found was at Jake Wilson / Rocky Mountain.

 

[dduelin]

I also think Michelin Pilot Roads are the best in the rain but Bridgestone 023s or the T30 aren't far behind. When my current Michelins are done on the NC I'm going with the T30. I love them wet or dry on my ST and that's after running PR2s and 3s for over 60,000 miles. They are currently about 2/3 the price of Michelins.

 

[Jelly]

Avon Storm Ultra 2.

I'm now on my 3rd set of these tyres, 2 sets on a Suzuki RF900 and now a set on my NCX.

 

[Old Can Ride]

I do not have any idea what the best tire in the rain is, but I do know that if you drive any tire in the rain the first 100 miles of the tire's life it will slip because of product used to help pop the tire from the mold.

 

[OldJeff]

3500 miles on my PR4s, they still look new I'm overly cautious on wet pavement, but these tires stick like glue on everything.

 

[musicman]

Sounds like I'm gonna try some PR4's, thanks for the input everyone.

 

[ziggie]

And they do good on light gravel/dirt also.

 

[Deleted member 1183]

Firstly, imho the original Metzeler Z8 tyres are the worst tyres I have had on a motorcycle in some years. I am told they are good on some bikes but in my experience they just did not suit the NC. I moved them on well before they were worn out as they almost destroyed my confidence in the bike. I generally ride briskly enough to get good heat into any tyre, but still the Z8's gave me too many bad moments. I replaced them with Michelin PR3's. They are excellent tyres in all conditions and all was well with them.

You are seeking longevity. However longevity does not always come with top class grip. The best you can hope for is a compromise in that area. I am told also by a trusted friend that Bridgestone T30's are very good tyres. They will replace the Michelins at next change as they are significantly cheaper over here than the Michelins. If they are as good as the Michelins I will continue to use them. If not, then I will return to Michelin.

 

[SergeantChuck]

I've got 9,000 miles on a set of PR4's. They have been great. I ride year round in all conditions. I only made it 8,000 miles on a set of BT-023s and lost traction a couple times in wet conditions. I'm temped to try the T30s. The cost is not an issue. I'd just like to try something else.

 

[musicman]

Has anyone here tried the Shinko 009 Raven tires? The tread seems like it would be decent in the rain, and the $170 price tag for the pair is interesting. I've got Shinkos on my '79 Suzuki and really like them, but being a cafe racer it never sees rain (well... once, and it was the worst experience ever with no rear fender...). Part of me says try them since the pair cost what 1 Michelin tire costs basically.

 

[marotajo]

I had a Shinko Raven put on the rear on Friday. I am still running the original Metzler on the front. Put a couple hundred miles on it over the weekend and I am happy so far. I did not see any rain as we had sunny skies all weekend. Another good "value" tire would be the Continental Motion - they are priced about the same as the Shinko Ravens. I will most likely try a set of these when my rear runs out again.