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Replacement Tires and Brake Pads

grisolm1

Just got it firing!
Joined
Nov 3, 2008
Messages
17
Like to get the groups opinion on tires and brake pads. Griso is coming up on 10K miles and will need both soon.

Tires - I used Pirelli Diablo Strada's last time. No issues but the rear isn't wearing as long as I had hoped. At ~6Kmi rear is pretty close to what I would consider safe, front is fine and probably about 3Kmi from replacement. I generally drive pretty sane with the occasional adreneline boost kicked in to test the ticker(the bikes and mine :p ).

Pads - Brembo, EBC, Galfer, Ebay? Disk life is more important than ultimate stopping power or fade resistance. Rotors have definite wear marks already, I plan to keep this bike till it's fairly well worn out so don't want anything too aggressive.

Thanks
Wally
 
My G1200 is on it's 5th rear at 18,000Km! I've just swapped from Avon Storms to Michelin Pilot Road 2's in the quest for a bit more life. I've had 'em on the Mana for several thousand Km now and they wear good on that. Both my Griso's have been tyre hogs, I dunno how you're getting the mileage out of yours you are.

On my 1100 I changed to EBC-HH pads and they had a lot more feel.

Pete
 
The Metzler Z6's are related to the Stradas but seem to get better mileage. They worked great on my G11. They are a bit noisy but unless you have a stock pipe I doubt that would be a concern. I have heard great things about the new dual compound Michelin Pilot Road 2s. I have not tried them but every Michelin I have ever tried has been great. I have the ContiForce tires on my G11 now. Great value tire so far. Good mileage and performance at a great price. I may like to try the new ContiMotions next.
As far as brake pads, I have used plenty of EBCs and they are good but they do tend to wear the disc more then a less aggressive pad. With non stainless discs I prefer an organic or semi-metallic pad. SBS makes pads that work well for me. My second choice tends to be Ferodo. Beyond that EBC is probably next (for me. Brake pads can be more of a personal choice then tires)
 
I am using Diablo Stratas and I will be thrilled to get 6000 miles out of them. I didn't get 2500 miles out of the original rear tire. I am still on my original brake pads but will likely go the EBC-HH route when I replace them.
 
Dunlop Qualifiers work the best for me on my Griso, and EBC HH pads add a bit more bite to the brakes... Pete's feet stick out so he grinds off his boots faster than he wears out tires...
 
So looks like 6,00K mi (10,000 KM) is about as good as it gets for dual compound sport touring rear tires. At least I know I am in the ballpark with everyone else (Except Pete the tire shredder)

Probably just stick with stock pads, brakes are plenty responsive now and I don't want to chew up the rotors any more than they already are.

Thanks everyone

Wally
 
I got over 6k miles from the stock Rennsports, over 8k miles from the Z6's, and am working on 5k miles from the ContForce tires I have on it now.
Riding style, air pressure, and pavement/roads you ride on can make a huge difference.
 
pete roper wrote:
double.d wrote:
I got just under 10,000 klm out of my last Pilot Road 2. Can't fault them :*

I bloody wish! I can't get anything like that and I'm not a hard rider.

Pete

This tyre mileage thing is wierd. The one i took off was shreaded and the outside edges were a molten mess.I live not far from some realy good fast and winding roads, so i don't do any highway or suburban riding.
The suspension guru who set up the Griso before the new tyre was fitted sais i should get a lot more miles out of the rear now :unsure:
 
I ordered a Michelin Pilot Road 2 on the recommendation of my local indy shop. I asked about dual compound sport touring tires. He says he get's rave reviews from customers about this tire. Also ordered an accurate tire gauge, I'm sure I wasn't always at my recommended 36 PSI.
 
You won't be dissapointed with the Road 2CTs. I put the rear on at +/- 16,000Km. Bike has got 29,000Km now and the tyre is starting to show some flatness in the center due to the last thousand Kms being on the highway.

That (Pete) is 13,000Km out of a rear Road 2CT... and I'm not changing it yet. I use to load 2.5 bars front and 2.9 bars rear (36-42 psi).

Previous sets were Metzeler M3 and lasted 8,300Km and 7,600Km respectively.

Next set will be Michelin Power 2CT front and Road 2CT rear.
 
12000 k diablo corsa 111 front
due to a piece of steel i had to change the back
to a pilot power 2 and got 10000 k out of it

but i think a lot is due to this
it is written for left hand drive vehicles
but appplies to all roads and it works for me.

The Pace
Separating street from track, riding from racing
By Nick Ienatsch


"The Pace", first appearing in the November 1991 issue of Motorcyclist magazine.
Racing involves speed, concentration and commitment; the results of a mistake are usually catastrophic because there's little room for error riding at 100 percent. Performance street riding is less intense and further from the absolute limit, but because circumstances are less controlled, mistakes and over aggressiveness can be equally catastrophic. Plenty of roadracers have sworn off street riding. "Too dangerous, too many variables and too easy to get carried away with too much speed," track specialists claim. Adrenaline-addled racers find themselves treating the street like the track, and not surprisingly, they get burned by the police, the laws of physics and the cold, harsh realities of an environment not groomed for ten-tenths riding. But as many of us know, a swift ride down a favorite road may be the finest way to spend a few free hours with a bike we love. And these few hours are best enjoyed riding at The Pace.

A year after I joined Motorcyclist staff in 1984, Mitch Boehm was hired. Six months later, The Pace came into being, and we perfected it during the next few months of road testing and weekend fun rides. Now The Pace is part of my life - and a part of the Sunday morning riding group I frequent. The Pace is a street riding technique that not only keeps street riders alive, but thoroughly entertained as well.

THE PACE
The Pace focuses on bike control and de-emphasizes outright speed. Full-throttle acceleration and last minute braking aren't part of the program, effectively eliminating the two most common single-bike accident scenarios in sport riding. Cornering momentum is the name of the game, stressing strong, forceful inputs at the handlebar to place the bike correctly at the entrance of the turn and get it flicked in with little wasted time and distance. Since the throttle wasn't slammed open at the exit of the last corner, the next corner doesn't require much, if any, braking. It isn't uncommon to ride with our group and not see a brake light flash all morning.

If the brakes are required, the front lever gets squeezed smoothly, quickly and with a good deal of force to set entrance speed in minimum time. Running in on the brakes is tantamount to running off the road, a confession that you're pushing too hard and not getting your entrance speed set early enough because you stayed on the gas too long. Running The Pace decreases your reliance on the throttle and brakes, the two easiest controls to abuse, and hones your ability to judge cornering speed, which is the most thrilling aspect of performance street riding.

YOUR LANE IS YOUR LIMIT
Crossing the centerline at any time except during a passing maneuver is intolerable, another sign that you're pushing too hard to keep up. Even when you have a clean line of sight through a left-hand kink, stay to the right of the centerline. Staying on the right side of the centerline is much more challenging than simply straightening every slight corner, and when the whole group is committed to this intelligent practice, the temptation to cheat is eliminated through peer pressure and logic. Though street riding shouldn't be described in racing terms, you can think of your lane as the race track. Leaving your lane is tantamount to a crash.

Exact bike control has you using every inch of your lane if the circumstances permit it. In corners with a clear line of sight and no oncoming traffic, enter at the far outside of the corner, turn the bike relatively late in the corner to get a late apex at the far inside of your lane and accelerate out, just brushing the far outside of your lane as your bike stands up. Steer your bike forcefully but smoothly to minimize the transition time. Don't hammer it down because the chassis will bobble slightly as it settles, possibly carrying you off line. Since you haven't charged in on the brakes, you can get the throttle on early, before the apex, which balances and settles your bike for the drive out.

More often than not, circumstances do not permit the full use of your lane from yellow line to white line and back again. Blind corners, oncoming traffic and gravel on the road are a few criteria that dictate a more conservative approach, so leave yourself a three or four foot margin for error, especially at the left side of the lane where errant oncoming traffic could prove fatal. Simply narrow your entrance on a blind right-harder and move your apex into your lane three feet on blind left turns in order to stay free of unseen oncoming traffic hogging the centerline. Because you're running at The Pace and not flat out, your controlled entrances offer additional time to deal with unexpected gravel or other debris in your lane; the outside wheel track is usually the cleanest through a dirty corner since a car weights its outside tires most, scrubbing more dirt off the pavement in the process, so aim for that line.

A GOOD LEADER, WILLING FOLLOWERS
The street is not a racing environment, and it takes humility, self assurance and self control to keep it that way. The leader sets the pace and monitors his mirrors for signs of raggedness in the ranks that follow, such as tucking in on straights, crossing over the yellow line and hanging off the motorcycle in the corners, If the leader pulls away, he simply slows his straight way speed slightly but continues to enjoy the corners, thus closing the ranks but missing none of the fun. The small group of three or four riders I ride with is so harmonious that the pace is identical no matter who's leading. The lead shifts occasionally with a quick hand sign, but there's never a pass for the lead with an ego on the sleeve. Make no mistake, the riding is spirited and quick in the corners. Anyone with a right arm can hammer down the straights; it's proficiency in the corners that makes The Pace come alive.

Following distances are relatively lengthy, with the straightaways taken at more moderate speeds, providing the perfect opportunity to adjust the gaps. Keeping a good distance serves several purposes, besides being safer. Rock chips are minimized, and the police or highway patrol won't suspect a race is in progress. The Pace's style of not hanging off in corners also reduces the appearance of pushing too hard and adds a degree of maturity and sensibility in the eyes of the public and the law. There's a definite challenge to cornering quickly while sitting sedately on your bike.

New rider indoctrination takes some time because The Pace develops very high cornering speeds and newcomers want to hammer the throttle on the exits to make up for what they lose at the entrances. Our group slows drastically when a new rider joins the ranks because our technique of moderate straightaway speed and no brakes can suck the unaware into a corner too fast, creating the most common single bike accident. With a new rider learning The Pace behind you, tap your brake lightly well before the turn to alert him and make sure he understands there's no pressure to stay with the group.

There's plenty of ongoing communication during The Pace. A foot off the peg indicates debris in the road, and all slowing or turning intentions are signaled in advance with the left hand and arm. Turn signals are used for direction changes and passing, with a wave of the left hand to thank the cars that move right and make it easy for motorcyclists to get past. Since you don't have a death grip on the handlebar, your left hand is also free to wave to oncoming riders, a fading courtesy that we'd like to see return. If you're getting the idea The Pace is a relaxing, noncompetitive way to ride with a group, you are right.

RELAX AND FLICK IT
I'd rather spend a Sunday in the mountains riding at The Pace than a Sunday at the racetrack, it's that enjoyable. Countersteering is the name of the game; smooth, forceful steering input at the handlebar relayed to the tires' contact patches through a rigid sport bike frame. Riding at The Pace is certainly what bike manufacturers had in mind when sport bikes evolved to the street.

But the machine isn't the most important aspect of running The Pace because you can do it on anything capable of getting through a corner. Attitude is The Pace's most important aspect: realizing the friend ahead of you isn't a competitor, respecting his right to lead the group occasionally and giving him credit for his riding skills. You must have the maturity to limit your straightaway speeds to allow the group to stay in touch and the sense to realize that racetrack tactics such as late braking and full throttle runs to redline will alienate the public and police and possibly introduce you to the unforgiving laws of gravity. When the group arrives at the destination after running The Pace, no one feels outgunned or is left with the feeling he must prove himself on the return run. If you've got some thing to prove, get on a racetrack.

The racetrack measures your speed with a stop watch and direct competition, welcoming your aggression and gritty resolve to be the best. Performance street riding's only yardstick is the amount of enjoyment gained, not lap times, finishing position or competitors beaten. The differences are huge but not always remembered by riders who haven't discovered The Pace's cornering pureness and group involvement. Hammer on the racetrack. Pace yourself on the street.-MC
 
How are you guy's getting that kind of miles from your tyres.....I had barely 2200mls out of the renn's (took it easy getting used to the bike), less than 2000 out of the Michelin HPS's (soft tyres, but got a great deal on them) and am almost thru my battleaxe bt16's (multi compound tyre) at 2500mls.

I'd be as happy as a pig in s**t if i was getting anywhere near 6000mls....

Road 2's or 2CT's seem to to be the way to go....
 
Noticed that the Tenni is wearing something different. The tread pattern is chunky, like a flat-tracker, in fact it reminds me of the tires on the Stelvio.

Anyone used or considered these?
 
I run my tyres around 36 psi 39 0n the rear with pillion
but i always check them before i go on a run
 
Note that 2CT tyres are dual composite, the center being harder than the sides. AFAIK Old Road 2 were not.
 
Maybe there is a connection between the usage of the rear brake and the low milage some people get out of their rear tyres?
I seldom use my rear brake and get good milage out of them.
 
klaas123 wrote:
Maybe there is a connection between the usage of the rear brake and the low milage some people get out of their rear tyres?
I seldom use my rear brake and get good milage out of them.

I dunno... I never use my rear brake and I go through rear tires faster than I'd like (2500 on the Rennsport).
 
Must be difference in road surfacing?? :unsure:
My Dunlop RoadSmarts just hit 8,000 miles... but they need changing NOW. Much better than the stock Metzlers I burned through pretty fast. I'm not a "light-weight" and ride a mix of slab and rural sweepers, occasionally two-up and usually with tank bag & top box.
 
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