Michelin Pilot Road 3s...I joined the club

[the Ferret]

Well my Dunlops were getting a little down on tread and I didn't feel like riding on them thru the winter so today I rode over and had new Michelin Pilot Road 3's installed. Today was supposed to be the warmest day of the week but the weather terrorists got me again. 35 degrees when I took off, 33 degrees by the time I got home. 83 miles round trip ( would have been a little less but I took the long curvy way home lol ... just can't help myself. )

Mileage on stock Dunlops was 8,543 (they could have gone maybe another thou)

New front Pilot Road 3 110/80-18



New rear Pilot Road 3 160/60ZR18

[url=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/theferret111/media/PilotRoad3s009_zps4e102027.jpg.html]

I know there were some questions about clearance on the 13's between the centerstands and the edge of the tire, so before they installed mine on the 14 DLX I called EmptySea for verification. He said at least Pterodactyl cut his centerstand brace for extra clearance and that maybe CIP had ground his, but ES just installed them and went with it as his mechanic said there was enough clearance

I can tell you on the 14 DLX there is plenty of clearance

Clearance left side

[url=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/theferret111/media/PilotRoad3s008_zps50ff930d.jpg.html]

Clearance right side

[url=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/theferret111/media/PilotRoad3s014_zpsdf395b60.jpg.html]

These are dual compound radials so maybe we will see a little more mileage out of them. I have always liked Michelin tires and run them on everything I own, cars, truck, motorcycles.

YMMV

 

[emptysea]

Good luck with the new tires. Yes, I decided not to cut down the feet on the center stand. I just let the rear tire rub against them for a few miles. Eventually enough rubber wore off and it's fine now...I mean, no rubbing and it doesn't leak or anything and there's a cool stripe around the tire now. Enjoy!

 

[CIP57_imp]

Looks good, you have a lot more clearance then we do with the 2013, I did not touch mine and have about 1/4 with no tire rubbing.

I would say that front is toast, wore just like mine more on the left than right.

 

[the Ferret]

CIP you could stick the fingers of a flat hand easily between foot and tire

 

[kevbroce_imp]

I have less clearance than that on my 2013, no rubbing on ~5000 miles. I too got around out of my Dunlops and they looked better the Ferrets), but swapped them because I had an 1100 mile road trip coming up. The PR3's are holding up great, I should be able to run them longer than the Dunlops.

 

[OldF7Guy_imp]

Ferrett, have you been able to ride enough to form an opinion? You may know Im interested in these tires for my Nighthawk along with my CB11 when the time comes. I want to know what you think. Please tell us when you log some miles. Thanks.

 

[emptysea]

OldF7: There are at least three of us who have them already and have logged significant miles on them. All reviews thus far have been positive. I have 6000 or so miles on them and find them better on wet, better on dry, and quieter than the original tires. Yes, the rear is wider and that causes unwarranted concern about clearance and performance, but I for one can tell you that they are superior in every way to the original tires. The only open question is if they will wear better than the orignals. I suspect they will, but I won't know for sure until about May, 2015. CIP has had the RP3s longer and Kevin lives in Cali so they may be able to give a wear report sooner. I too look forward to Ferret's review, though.

 

[Guth_imp]

Any noticeable differences regarding how the bike feels leaning into corners, during low-speed maneuvering , holding a line through corners, etc., etc.?

 

[emptysea]

For me, they seem (keyword) to jump into the turn quicker than the stock tires. I don't know if they call it "oversteer" in the bike world, but that's what i notice just a bit. They seem (keyword, again) to want to lean over quicker. Not at all sure that that's because they have more tread because they are newer, though.

 

[kevbroce_imp]

They felt way better than my Dunlop's, but I think any fresh tire would feel better the cupped front, squared off old tires. Sqared off tires dont feel good at all... I've done over 600 miles in the rain and wet and have had a single oh crap moment. Granted, I'm not pushing it in the wet, but I'm more confident on them in the rain. The fronts wearing much better than the stock Dunlop (no cupping), the rear seems to be holding up better as well. I had a few iffy moments on the Dunlop's leaned over and hitting a tar snake or a pebble in the road, nothing surprising on the PR3's. I had no chicken strip on the Dunlop and would drag the pegs in spirted rides. The rear PR3 has a different profile than the Dunlop, when dragging the pegs there still is tread left at the rear. I feel like thats got to be a good thing for hard riding. I've gotten to the point of lightly dragging my exhaust and all feels fine tire wise, but I feel like my Yoshimura RS3 has less clearance than the stock pipe so others may be able to lean a little further to the right. Ive ground off a fair bit of peg feeler, and when the foot peg pivots up a bit my pipe drags, its right at that limit.

I'm not sure I could ask expect more from a tire, they are exceeding expectations.

13,700+ miles on the bike. ~5000 on the PR3's.

 

[Cormanus]

I know that Pterodactyl and I replaced tyres at around the same time. He put PR3s on and I put on BT45s. I've put another set of BT45s on and, so far as I know, his PR3s are still going strong. I suspect we've done roughly the same sort of mileage.

Somewhere on this forum is a post of his extolling their virtues, but I can't find it at the moment.

 

[Pterodactyl_imp]

I have around 12,000kms on the RP3s and couldn't be happier with their performance. I would, however, take issue with ES in that, in my case at least, some concern may be warranted with clearance. On the '10 model the standard tyre clearance from the right side of the centre stand is approximately 12.5mm. With the RP3S this was reduced to 7mm.

OldF7: There are at least three of us who have them already and have logged significant miles on them. All reviews thus far have been positive. I have 6000 or so miles on them and find them better on wet, better on dry, and quieter than the original tires. Yes, the rear is wider and that causes unwarranted concern about clearance and performance, but I for one can tell you that they are superior in every way to the original tires. The only open question is if they will wear better than the orignals. I suspect they will, but I won't know for sure until about May, 2015. CIP has had the RP3s longer and Kevin lives in Cali so they may be able to give a wear report sooner. I too look forward to Ferret's review, though.

(My bold)

Now, being the cautious type when mucking about with stuff I know very little about, like frame flex and tyre sidewall flex, I decided that the minimum clearance I would accept would be 12.5mm. In a previous post my reasoning went something like this:

Quote:After fitting the pads and new tyres I was concerned with the clearance between the rear tyre (now 160/60) and the right side foot of the centerstand. With the 140/70 standard tyre the clearance is approximately 12.5mm (.5in). This was now reduced to about 7mm. Probably enough. But not enough to remove images in my overactive imagination of the rear tyre, at high speed, contacting the centerstand and bringing it down. Could be nasty. I thought about bending the right side of the stand out. There is not a lot of length between the foot and centerstand cross brace so a substantial bend would be required over a short distance. I then decided to remove the centerstand and cut the inside of the foot down to achieve at least a 12mm clearance.

Foot after surgery and a squirt of Kill-rust black paint.


Centerstand back in place. The clearance is now about 17mm. Imagination now at rest.

[url=http://s847.photobucket.com/user/tonys_mail/media/tonys_mail/Fitting%20Michelins/IMG_0404_zps88a3019b.jpg.html]

In that previous [URL=https://cb1100forum.net/threads/60330/]thread there was also some discussion regarding rim size and 160 tyre compatibility. And on [url=http://cb1100forum.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=1739&highlight=Michelin]this thread. I think that can be put to bed as there has been some serious mileage (and kilometerage) without an issue arising from wheel and tyre combination.

In short, performance and wear with the RP3s is good. I would recommend them. As far as centre stand clearance is concerned, well I guess maybe I was overcautious, but relaxed.

Cheers.

 

[the Ferret]

OldF7 I have not had a chance to form any opinions of the PR3s on the CB as of yet..approx 50 miles on new rubber in 30 degree weather, but I ran thru 2 sets of PR3's on my ST. Got 11,100 out of the first rear and 11,200 out of the second. At that mileage both tires looked all lumpy like Fred Flintstone tires due to the dual compounds wearing at different rates. My stock Dunlops were headed that direction as well. I think it is a by-product of the different compounds.

On my ST I moved on to Pilot Road 4 GTs but they don't make those in the sizes we need for the CB's. On the first 4 GT on the ST I got 13,243 miles, and it too was all lumpy at the end. Replaced with another PR4 GT. On all these tires the handling suffered the last 1000-1500 miles, with a resistance to lean over and an inability to hold a line thru a corner, plus a slight bar shimmy from the worn front. Nothing scary, you could just feel it. New rubber feels amazing in comparison.

Btw Glen at Sporttour, where I got my tires, said the only reason that rear is available in the PR3 since it's an odd ball size ( like the odd ball rear on our CB's) is that it is a stock size for a certain BMW.

Edit: reading some past threads CA200 mentioned this as well. Late 90's BMW's.

 

[CIP57_imp]

There have been people who question whether these tire fit which i just don't comment to anymore. Yes they fit and are much better than stock tires. The comments preceding the post from P and ES document tire wear. My front Bridgestone was toast at about 3000, I have put 5000 on the Michelin's with no wear except a very small flat spot on the front.

The tire is softer and more comfortable, handle much better over any road surface, wet, dry, tar snakes etc, you never feel like you have to deviate from a line because of road conditions. That was not the cause with stock tires.

As i mentioned in previous posts, the handling is exceptional for this frame and mount.

The CB with these tires handles much better than my ZRX1200 with PP2's, the bike is much more neutral in and out of corners, never the feeling of over or under-steer. I wish I'd changed them out when I first bought the bike.

 

[emptysea]

To be clear, my comment about oversteer was in comparison to the stock tires.

 

[OldF7Guy_imp]

OldF7 I have not had a chance to form any opinions of the PR3s on the CB as of yet..approx 50 miles on new rubber in 30 degree weather, but I ran thru 2 sets of PR3's on my ST. Got 11,100 out of the first rear and 11,200 out of the second. At that mileage both tires looked all lumpy like Fred Flintstone tires due to the dual compounds wearing at different rates. My stock Dunlops were headed that direction as well. I think it is a by-product of the different compounds.

On my ST I moved on to Pilot Road 4 GTs but they don't make those in the sizes we need for the CB's. On the first 4 GT on the ST I got 13,243 miles, and it too was all lumpy at the end. Replaced with another PR4 GT. On all these tires the handling suffered the last 1000-1500 miles, with a resistance to lean over and an inability to hold a line thru a corner, plus a slight bar shimmy from the worn front. Nothing scary, you could just feel it. New rubber feels amazing in comparison.

Btw Glen at Sporttour, where I got my tires, said the only reason that rear is available in the PR3 since it's an odd ball size ( like the odd ball rear on our CB's) is that it is a stock size for a certain BMW.

Edit: reading some past threads CA200 mentioned this as well. Late 90's BMW's.

Appreciate your opinion and these tires seem like a good gamble and I will let you all know how that turns out next spring.

 

[Ole]

mr Ferret how about another review of these tires now that you have some more miles on? I am all ears.

 

[the Ferret]

Ole' I really don't have many miles on them. Less than 500 I would think. I could look it up. Anyhow I like them so far.

 

[Ole]

Ole' I really don't have many miles on them. Less than 500 I would think. I could look it up. Anyhow I like them so far.

Good to know. I ran some Pilot Roads on a Versys and they were good tires. I think I will order a pair.

 

[emptysea]

If it helps,I'm have about 6 or 7k miles on mine and they look great and still feel great. Love them on wet pavement.