Road Pilot 3s

[danbrink]

My Roadsmarts finally needed replacing after 7,800 miles and decided to give the new Michellins a go (no issues with the Smarts just that the Pilots are the flavour of the month over here in the UK).

Only done under 100 miles so far so haven't really ridden in anger but my initial thoughts are that they feel quite different to the Roadsmarts, which was quite a surprise.

I can't put my finger on it but the bike feels taller and the best way to describe the effect is that it's as if the forks are a bit longer (?). The steering requires more input but then it tends to roll into the turn a lot quicker too - seems as if they must be heavier than the Roadsmarts.

Finally one additional surpise is that the Pilots are quite noisy. Very noisy in fact. I never noticed the Smarts but the Pilots are very audible.
Is this down to them being a softer compound?

Anyone had any experiences with these tires?

Cheers
Dan

 

[Crocop43]

U just gotta break them in....no worries... fresh tires tend be louder at first. Another thing u could do is check the tire pressure on them make sure it's correct...forget what it's suppose to be off the top of my head but someone here can tell ya

 

[Marthy]

Just keep an eye on the wear and tire pressure. There's a gentleman that blew up his tires on the FZ6 forum. He was around the 10K mark but still, just be cautious. I heard a lot of goods about those tires... ride safe!

 

[CrazyCawi]

I have them. Hard compound center which is part of why you get the audible noise, its designed for commuting. The quick roll into the corner is because it has a soft compound edges on the tires. I currently have about 5k on mine and are just now starting to show some centerline wear.

 

[motoguy82]

I have them. Hard compound center which is part of why you get the audible noise, its designed for commuting. The quick roll into the corner is because it has a soft compound edges on the tires. I currently have about 5k on mine and are just now starting to show some centerline wear.

makes sense, as you lean over, the softer compound begins to bite and feels different. does it feel planted better in corners? or any other differences, particularly during cornering?

 

[CrazyCawi]

Yeah it feels like shes got alot of tacky grip. Not to mention if its ever raining or just rained its the absolute best wet grip traction tire.

 

[Detrich]

i'm only hearing great things about the Pilot road 2CT' s too from friends who have them on their CBR's...

that said tho, i'm thinking that i might just go with the Q2's for the convenience & price this time- cuz they're on sale at a local shop very close to me... to get a better price on the tire + install for Pilot 2CT or 3's, i'd have to ride 60 miles...

i know the Q2's grip & heat up well, but supposedly have low tread life. but, i don't commute and do prolly 80% canyon, 20% freeway (to ride to canyons). so, i'm hoping this will hold me over for at least 4500 miles...

 

[CrazyCawi]

i'm only hearing great things about the Pilot road 2CT' s too from friends who have them on their CBR's...

that said tho, i'm thinking that i might just go with the Q2's for the convenience & price this time- cuz they're on sale at a local shop very close to me... to get a better price on the tire + install for Pilot 2CT or 3's, i'd have to ride 60 miles...

i know the Q2's grip & heat up well, but supposedly have low tread life. but, i don't commute and do prolly 80% canyon, 20% freeway (to ride to canyons). so, i'm hoping this will hold me over for at least 4500 miles...

great choice det!!!

 

[danbrink]

still wearing mine in but bike definitely feels more planted in corners and in general riding!

 

[teban]

I been ridding the pilot 3 for 2 day now....

they are loud yes yes... a lot... my dunlop neve made that noise...

but i really feel safe, comfortable and free on curving with the pilot 3.

nice tires

 

[JJ Fz6r]

I love my pilot 3s mine got quieter after a little break in :wav:

 

[cloudfire]

One thing that will definitely make them louder is they have A LOT more tread grooves than other bike tires I've seen which will definitely add to the road noise.

Oh, and in case you were wondering, recommended pressure from Yamaha is 33 front, 36 rear. I don't know if that changes for specific tires though. Anyone have any feedback on that?

 

[DragonBlu]

All road tires should be the same air pressure on this bike. Track tires are going to be different pressures. Recommended pressures are for a specific load. Regular load 33 front,36 rear. Max load is more and you can find that info on the swing/arm tag or in the manual.

 

[linkgt]

Bumping thread. Can you guys share Mileage and experience with this tire so far?

 

[danbrink]

feedback

So far, so very good.

The levels of grip are confidence inspiring, even in the wet and the wear looks pretty standard too.

I would recommend them.

 

[stuna]

mine are wearing well but i hate the noise :zombie:

 

[YamaDon]

Pilot Road 3

Best upgrade ever!!! I also had the Dunlops as OE, and at 6K had to replace the rear, so stayed with the same tire. At 8K needed to replace the front, so again stayed with the OE. Now at 14K I needed to replace both so decided to try the Michelin Pilot Road 3. WOW!!!!! This bike can LEAN!!! Loves to!! At first it took me by surprise how eager it was to bend into corners, but quickly fell in love with the respnsiveness and confidence they deliver. Corners that used to be taken at 50mph are now 56+, and what I used to take at 70 are now 80+ with complete confidence. These tires BEG for more! As a plus the rear is wider than the Dunlop. Even though it is the same "size"(160/60R17) it looks more like a 180. Several freinds asked if I went up in size. Have not noticed any noise from the tires, but I also have a modified exhaust. Even if they are noisier they are well worth it. I highly reccomend them.

 

[BKP]

I have the PR2s. 4500 miles, and no sign of wear. They definitely lean into the corners and inspire a feeling of confidence much, much more than stock.

However I'm not familiar with the noise thing. I usually have music playing so I probably would not notice regardless.

I went with the 2's instead of the 3's because its my understanding that the 3's are better in the wet, however they give up just a bit of wear in comparison to the 2's. So, I went for longevity over wet traction. I'm not sure if this is fact, just what I've read in other forums and articles. Either way, the Michelin PR's are fabulous tires and I'll be buying another set when the time comes.


Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD

 

[MNGreg]

I've only got about 200-250 on my PR3's now but I absolutely love them. I can feel the difference in grip in corners and I find myself more comfortable leaning over a little bit more. I haven't noticed anything with noise

 

[dsanchez222]

I'm actually having an issue with my back tire. I got mine shortly after buying my bike used. Right now they have just over 7.5k miles on them, and all since October '12. So far they have been good except one thing.

About 3 weeks ago I noticed that the center portion of the tire, the part with the harder rubber compound, started to become raised to the point where the center part is a good inch to an inch and a half higher than the outer edges of the tire. And it's not rounded like it used to be. Think of the center portion looking like a plateau. The center has been flattened out a little due to wear but still plenty of tread left.

The pressure was still normal so I've been still riding on it. This probably happened when the tire was around 7k. Today after coming out from paying a bill I noticed that I could now see where the thread was showing in the transition area between the center compound and the outer compound. Needless to say I took the bike straight home and won't be riding it until I can get the tire replaced.

Now I'm not sure if this is normal wear or a defect in the tire. I've heard of people getting between 6-10k on them, so this could just be normal wear, but the tire doesn't have the normal rounded shape that most tires do. Or even rounded with the flattened center.

If you know anything about this please let me know.