do you know about bridgestone s20 evo? i like bridgestone brand.
Pirelli Diablo Rosso II vs Stock Michelin Street
I just swapped tires today from the stock Michelins to a set of Pirellis. Here is my initial impression after 100 miles. I changed tires in order to have something a bit stickier for the twisties. I didn't really have any problems with the stock rubber but just felt a bit hesitant about pushing them.
Pirelli Advantages
1. Improved ride. They feel more compliant particularly over sharp edged bumps.
2. More stable. The bike holds a line better without any "hunting". This is noticeable not only on the highway but to an even greater extent when pushing in a corner. The stock tires moved around requiring more mid corner correction. There is a downside to this which I'll mention below.
Pirelli Disadvantages
1. The Pirelli is more stable as mentioned but at the same time it is slower to turn in and when transitioning left to right as an example. I also noticed that when initially leaning into a turn it felt like the bike wanted to steepen the lean on it's own. The bike is also less responsive to counter-steer. You have to shift your weight more to get it turned. Most likely this feeling is a result of a rounder tire profile and possibly going from a bias ply tire to a radial. I'm sure I'll adjust to it over time but its quite noticeable initially. One of the things I really like about this bike is the ability to throw it around in turns with little effort. These tires change that.
2. There is less siping (water dispersion grooves) particularly on the rear. Normally less siping means less traction in the wet. Wet weather performance also relies on the rubber compound used as in the percentage of silica, etc so there other factors that go into it.
In my opinion the Pirellis are better for the more sporting rider who can take advantage of the increased traction afforded by a softer compound. For the casual rider I would suggest sticking with the original Michelins as they make the bike easier to ride, offer potentially improved wet weather performance and most likely will last longer. Of course these are only my first impressions as yours may be different.
I'd be interested to hear from anyone else who has made the switch.
Marc
Pirelli Advantages
1. Improved ride. They feel more compliant particularly over sharp edged bumps.
2. More stable. The bike holds a line better without any "hunting". This is noticeable not only on the highway but to an even greater extent when pushing in a corner. The stock tires moved around requiring more mid corner correction. There is a downside to this which I'll mention below.
Pirelli Disadvantages
1. The Pirelli is more stable as mentioned but at the same time it is slower to turn in and when transitioning left to right as an example. I also noticed that when initially leaning into a turn it felt like the bike wanted to steepen the lean on it's own. The bike is also less responsive to counter-steer. You have to shift your weight more to get it turned. Most likely this feeling is a result of a rounder tire profile and possibly going from a bias ply tire to a radial. I'm sure I'll adjust to it over time but its quite noticeable initially. One of the things I really like about this bike is the ability to throw it around in turns with little effort. These tires change that.
2. There is less siping (water dispersion grooves) particularly on the rear. Normally less siping means less traction in the wet. Wet weather performance also relies on the rubber compound used as in the percentage of silica, etc so there other factors that go into it.
In my opinion the Pirellis are better for the more sporting rider who can take advantage of the increased traction afforded by a softer compound. For the casual rider I would suggest sticking with the original Michelins as they make the bike easier to ride, offer potentially improved wet weather performance and most likely will last longer. Of course these are only my first impressions as yours may be different.
I'd be interested to hear from anyone else who has made the switch.
Marc
1 - 19 of 19 Posts
I too replaced my stock tires rather early due to " hunting" with traction. I found at high speeds on the freeway the stock tires moved some without my consent so to speak. But they are quite the flickable tires those OEM Pilots.
Just in looking at the picture I noticed you installed the shock reservoir on the inside of the bracket rather than on the outside as shown in the install instructions. Any particular preference for having it that way? I kinda like having it in the stock position since you can adjust the compression while you're sitting on it. Maybe to keep it protected in the case of a slide?
Marc
Marc
That's it. I generally adjust suspension between sessions after I get a chance to look at the tires, so a little loss of ease of access was an OK trade. The hose routed fine, so that wasn't an issue either.Maybe to keep it protected in the case of a slide?
Marc
There were instructions?
As far as OP assessment - the Michelins I think are very good all-purpose tires. For maybe 95% of the R3 community, they are a good option as they offer better wet pavement grip and life (mileage) than the Pirelli's, while still having fairly good dry pavement grip. I'd have no problem with a novice track-day rider running these. You can see that the Michelins still have 'whiskers' after about 150 track miles - they will last quite a bit longer than the Pirelli's based on what I saw. At advanced track-day or race level, the Pirelli's are a better choice for grip - but here's the deal: they are specifically engineered for track conditions, meaning they have to be hot to work best (now tire warmers and stands can come into play) - not a good winter street tire.
Yup. It came with a generic manual, specific instructions including settings and a couple of stickers.
Marc
Marc
Just yankin' yer chain... I did actually read the instructions, then chose to disregard some of them.....
What size did you go with in the Pirellis? If you went with a 150 size that would explain the slower turn in and then quick dip, once turned in. The tire might have more of a square shape because of our small (4") rim. I know many of the RC390 track and race riders talked about switching to a 140 from the 150 that comes stock on the KTM for the faster turn in.
Stock 140.What size did you go with in the Pirellis? If you went with a 150 size that would explain the slower turn in and then quick dip, once turned in. The tire might have more of a square shape because of our small (4") rim. I know many of the RC390 track and race riders talked about switching to a 140 from the 150 that comes stock on the KTM for the faster turn in.
Marc
Ahh. Guess my theory is out the window.
Just wondering if anyone has any longer term impressions about this tire now that they've put more mileage on them. Have they been easy to adjust to? Has the grip levels been that much better?
Diablo Rosso III's Just Released
@ Stirz
You are using them tires for what they are made for lol. Mine have 3k miles and you almost cannot seperate them from new ones. I'm way to consious lol
You are using them tires for what they are made for lol. Mine have 3k miles and you almost cannot seperate them from new ones. I'm way to consious lol
Looks like the 140 rear size is not made for the new Rosso III
http://www.sportrider.com/pirelli-diablo-rosso-iii-first-look
http://www.sportrider.com/pirelli-diablo-rosso-iii-first-look
Should have said "Just ANNOUNCED". Won't be available until early 2016.
As 87112's link to SportRider article states, there is no 140 size available, at least at first, so you'd have to go +1 on the rear and get a 150/60-17.
Are there any issues with going to a 150 on the R3?Should have said "Just ANNOUNCED". Won't be available until early 2016.
As 87112's link to SportRider article states, there is no 140 size available, at least at first, so you'd have to go +1 on the rear and get a 150/60-17.
Can of worms time!Are there any issues with going to a 150 on the R3?
1.) The 150/60-17 is .63"/16mm shorter, which means the rear of the bike will be 8mm lower and that's enough to make a big difference in handling characteristics.
2.) The 150 is .4"/10mm wider but there won't be a clearance problem.
3.) The 150 has a shorter sidewall by .32"/8mm, which means a stiffer carcass and harsher ride.
3.) The 150 circumference is 2"/50mm less, that throws off your speedometer reading very slightly (1-2 mph at 40-80mph) and increases wear due to more revolutions per mile (837 for the 150 vs. 816 for the 140)
4.) The overall shape of the tire will change slightly, which can adversely affect handling:
http://www.sportrider.com/does-size-matter?image=0
Here's the comparison:
https://www.tacomaworld.com/tirecalc?tires=140-70r17-150-60r17
Personally, I'd wait for them to come out with the 140/70-17 tire or just buy some S-20 EVOS in the stock sizes. There are really no benefits, and possibly a big down side in handling characteristics, to changing tire sizes on the R3.
See posts in this thread:
http://www.r3-forums.com/forum/538-tires/5753-changing-tire-sizes.html
Thanks Fang for your indepth answer. You've convinced me to stay with the 140. I'll probably stay with the stocks for a little longer and see what is offered next spring or summer.Can of worms time!
1.) The 150/60-17 is .63"/16mm shorter, which means the rear of the bike will be 8mm lower and that's enough to make a big difference in handling characteristics.
2.) The 150 is .4"/10mm wider but there won't be a clearance problem.
3.) The 150 has a shorter sidewall by .32"/8mm, which means a stiffer carcass and harsher ride.
3.) The 150 circumference is 2"/50mm less, that throws off your speedometer reading very slightly (1-2 mph at 40-80mph) and increases wear due to more revolutions per mile (837 for the 150 vs. 816 for the 140)
4.) The overall shape of the tire will change slightly, which can adversely affect handling:
http://www.sportrider.com/does-size-matter?image=0
Here's the comparison:
https://www.tacomaworld.com/tirecalc?tires=140-70r17-150-60r17
Personally, I'd wait for them to come out with the 140/70-17 tire or just buy some S-20 EVOS in the stock sizes. There are really no benefits, and possibly a big down side in handling characteristics, to changing tire sizes on the R3.
See posts in this thread:
http://www.r3-forums.com/forum/538-tires/5753-changing-tire-sizes.html
1 - 19 of 19 Posts
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