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Tire time.

Beemerphile

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It seems with my fleet that everything needs tires at the same time. This is such a time. The NC and the R1150 both wear Pilot Road 4's. I caught a deal on the pair for the R1150 (180/55-17 + 120/70-17) but ended up having to pay more as separates for the NC700 (160/60-17 + 120/70-17). Go figure. The R100RS is an outlier with its old skinny tires (120/90-18 + 90/90-18) and it completes the Michelin tire trifecta with Pilot Activs. Nest time I will probably break the Michelin stronghold and try a set of the new Classic Attack radials that Continental has developed for the older bikes.

Another maintenance item that seems to arrive in bunches is batteries. Happily, everything appears ok right now on that front.
 
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I did run the pr4's in 2014. Last year ran the 3's. If I didn't no better the 3's seem to be a little softer and got about the same mileage. I do like a softer tire and am thinking on running a different make with a more aggressive treading for off road.
 
Having tried Z8's, Bridgestone T30's and PR4's on my NC, I am now firmly of the opinion that PR4's are the best tyre for that bike. Indeed I could try others but why do so when the bike handles and grips so well on them.

I recently tried Dunlop Trail Smarts on my Triumph 1200 Explorer and they also are excellent tyres. They are particularly good in the wet and very confidence inspiring. Their sharp profile also suits the steering on that bike very well. I tried Anakees on that bike and while they were good on it, they slowed the steering a little.
 
You can still find some Pilot 3's and even 2's around but the mfg dates must be getting pretty old now. The discounts are not enough to compensate for even the wear rate, much less the age. I have gotten better wear going from the 2's to the 3's and from the 3's to the 4's. Performance improvements were large from the 2 to the 3 but less so from the 3 to the 4. I am like you Griff - settled in with them because they simply work so well.

Others do, but I don't do enough dirt work to consider any of the dual sport types. Heck, I went to Prudhoe Bay and Inuvik NWT on full street tires (Metzeler Marathons). Even though that trip covered over 2,000 miles of unpaved roads, it covered 11,400 miles of paved roads. I live a mile down a dirt road with a 1/2 mile gravel drive, but it is my belief that dirt tires on the street have the capacity to hurt me much more than street tires on the dirt can. I proved that to myself when I threw the NC with Heidenau/TKC80's down the loading ramp of a ferry in the rain at Tadoussac, Quebec.
 
I've been thinking about Trail Attack 2's when i replace my current PR4's. I ride gravel about 5-10% of the time, just for giggles. Nothing technical. There are some sandy roads I go to once or twice a year. Sand scares me.
I want to hit the NC mountains about once or twice a year and fire road a little more.
 
I don't recall what tires came on my 2014 DCT, but the rear was done in less than 2000 miles.
 
Weren't those Dunlops that were wearing so fast?

I have been very pleased with PR3s and PR4s. I am happy with the Continental Motion on my rear wheel so far. I'm anxious to see the final mileage I get out of it. I'll still probably go back to the Michelin though.

I've thought about a more dirt-oriented tire, but I've been on some pretty rough jeep trails with the Michelins, and the only really difficulty I had was in mud and sand. Go slower, let a little air out, and the NC handles it just fine. I don't feel that the trade off for more off road traction would be worth it for me.
 
...So for the pavement going types, why is a PR3/4 better than a Z8 better than a Conti Motion? Bump absorption, tracking, ride quality?

The PR4's are as good as the best in all those areas and they get very good life - probably enough to defray most or all of their premium cost. But where they are head & shoulders above the crowd is wet performance. My NC has hydroplaned and been completely sideways in the rain at speed with the Metz Z8's. The only downside I have seen from PR4's is that they are not the quietest tires you can buy.
 
A minor advantage to using PR4s is that their softer sidewalls make them easy to install compared to the stiff Conti Motions.
 
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it is my belief that dirt tires on the street have the capacity to hurt me much more than street tires on the dirt can.

I totally agree. Imho most road tyres do fine on offroad conditions as long as there is not mud or soft sand or wet grass involved.
 
When folks are talking about the best tire for a NC, what criteria are you applying to your decision making process? why is a PR3/4 better than a Z8 better than a Conti Motion? Bump absorption, tracking, ride quality? I'm interested in what you are perceiving, as it must be something other than ultimate traction. A NC cannot produce the HP nor torque to overwhelm any of these tires. If your bike is breaking traction, sliding, pushing the front, etc on any of these tires, it is your suspension setup, a bad component, improper loading or your riding (inputs). I have personally watched an acquaintance on a Triumph Daytona 675 with Conti Motions outperform all others in the riding group.

Some folk focus on longevity. My primary criteria are leaned over grip. I like to feel confident in a tyre when well heeled over, wet or dry. I disagree that the NC does not have sufficient HP or torque to overcome any of the tyres mentioned. That statement and does not cover all conditions on the road. It particularly does not cover the front tyre. Imho, if ridden hard, some of the lowest powered bikes can overcome the grip of their front tyres.

I agree that poor suspension set up can contribute to tyre grip issues. Sadly the NC as standard does not have any suspension adjustment if we are to go by the book. As such Z8's were an appalling choice of tyre for this bike. Z8's are good tyres on other bikes but not on the NC. Perhaps the tyre compound has something to do with this. However it has been my experience, and also the experience of many others. I have other bikes and I pay attention to setup. On the same roads I never had problems with them, but the NC on Z8's almost destroyed my confidence in the bike. On occasions when riding briskly in the wet, I felt the front let go too easily to the point that I went back the road to see why the bike had slipped. Nothing was evident. I made as much adjustment as I thought possible at the time but they were still a problem. A change to PR3's initially made a huge difference. A further change in the rear suspension made the final satisfactory adjustment. I also tried Bridgestone T30's. They were ok but not as confidence inspiring as PR4's which I eventually settled on.

One of my bikes (Triumph 1200 Explorer) has almost three times the HP of my NC. I use Dunlop Trailsmarts on it and have no issues whatsoever. It is a big, tall, top heavy lump. From A to B I ride the Triumph somewhat quicker than the NC no matter what the state of the road. It is simply easier to do so despite its greater weight and bulk. Obviously steering geometry and the ability to adjust suspension play a big part in this. To get anywhere near the Triumph (on twisty rough mountain roads) I have found the PR4's to be the best choice on the NC with the suspension adjustment that is currently available to me. Perhaps wheel diameter also play a part.
 
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