Which Tires are Best ?.....and Worst?

[BigPolack1]

I know, I know. Everybody has their own opinion. I'm looking to replace mine soon and I wanted to get some insight.

I have a '02 R1150 R.

A longtime rider and MSF instructor suggested the Bridgestone Battlax 020 made for the BMW. He said there is a marked improvement in handling with those.

Anyone else want to weigh in?

[rgvilla]

The Bridgestone is the tire I use on my 99 R1100R, I have no complaints about it but can't compare to anything else as it is all I've ever used.

[henzilla]

Had Metzeler Z6's on one 1150R, not getting the miles or good feeling I get on the Michelin Pilot Roads on gf's 1100 & other 1150.
Had a set of the Brigestones for awhile, were OK, but the Michelins feel better in the wet and twisties...Just a nudder opinion!

Just dropped set of wheels to have a set of Michelins replace those Metz's for the Branson Run

[flash412]

You need to define "best" and you need to define "worst."
Cheapest.
Stickiest.
Longest lasting.
Easiest to mount.
Eastest to find available for purchase.
Best handing in terms of rider feedback.
Best handing on smooth asphalt.
Best handing on dodgy surfaces.
Smoothest ride on the highway.
Quietest.
et cetera
ad nauseum

What is GREAT to you might really suck to someone else, and vice versa.

[charleshickman]

You need to define "best" and you need to define "worst."
Cheapest.
Stickiest.
Longest lasting.
Easiest to mount.
Eastest to find available for purchase.
Best handing in terms of rider feedback.
Best handing on smooth asphalt.
Best handing on dodgy surfaces.
Smoothest ride on the highway.
Quietest.
et cetera
ad nauseum

What is GREAT to you might really suck to someone else, and vice versa.


I'd have to assume that, needing all that info, you have an opinion as to each. I'd be interested.

[rinty]

Big Polack:

I worshipped at the altar of Metzeler for 15 years; then I got a new oiler RS equipped with.....Michelin Macadams. The problem was, that I really liked them, and they lasted a long time. My RS is now shod with new Pilot Sports, and I've really frustrated my BMW specialist, who is a real Metzeler Man.

But the client is always right, right?

To answer your question, you have to determine whether you are one of those riders who is really sensitive to tire feel. If so, you may want to get the Battleaxes, or some Z 6's.

Rinty

[Greg_K]

The new Avon Storms are getting rave reviews from a few guys who have replaced their tires with them.

[Mar]

I didn't like Z6s because you can't tell when the rear tire is worn out until you see the cords. I've had a set of ME880s on my R1150R for the last 11,000 miles and I've got a couple (or more) thousand to go. They've cupped some but that's okay. I can't really tell except when I roll the bike on the smooth concrete in the garage.

See this thread about Z6s: http://www.bmwmoa.org/forum/showthread.php?t=16299.

[guitardad]

I ran Z6's on my R1100RS at first. Decent mileage, pretty sticky - much better compromise for me than sportier tires, like the Metz M1's that came on Lionlady's Rockster. I've switched to the Bridgestone BT020's now. I like the handling better than the Z6's - they turn in MUCH quicker. Mileage is about the same - I get 8k or so on a rear tire, and go 2 fronts for 3 rears.

[flash412]

I'd have to assume that, needing all that info, you have an opinion as to each. I'd be interested.Everyone has their own value set. To a person who loves the beach, a home in the desert is miserable, and vice versa. To a person who wants tires to last forever, tires that last one thousand miles and stick like glue are the wrong answer. My point is, without a definition of "best" you might as well ask a total stranger for advice about what movie you'll like to see. One man's meat is another man's poison.

If you don't have any ides what it is that you want... then good luck.

Anakees are the best tires. I have an F650 and a Gran Canyon.
There you have it.

[rinty]

...you can't tell when the rear tire is worn out......Mar

Mar:

I got one of those little Metzeler tread depth guages, and when the centre tread gets down to 3mm, I replace it, unless the season is about over and I'm only riding locally. They're pretty easy to use.

Rinty

[wildwilly]

The Bridgestone is the tire I use on my 99 R1100R, I have no complaints about it but can't compare to anything else as it is all I've ever used.

+1. I've used Bridgestone Battlax BT-020 tires on my '97 R1100R since '97. Most of my travel is 80% high speed slab. I've average 12000 miles consistently rear, 16000 miles front. Bridgestones are economical and handle well, wet or dry surfaces. I've got 60,000 miles on my bike and am on my fifth rear BT-020 with 7000 miles on it. It's still got a ways to go. :usa

[gec343]

Has anyone had experience with the Conti RoadAttack?:usa

[Mr. Frank]

Mar:

I got one of those little Metzeler tread depth guages, and when the centre tread gets down to 3mm, I replace it, unless the season is about over and I'm only riding locally. They're pretty easy to use.

Rinty

Unfortunately, the Z6 rear tire does not have a center tread which is why people joke about the cords being a tread wear indicator.

[Professor]

I don't have a BMW - yet - but I run Dunlop 491 Elite II on my Moto Guzzi Jackal and I got about 17,000 miles off of the last set which took the tread down to just under 3mm. I'm guessing they are not the stickiest, but after about a 100 mile run-in, they seem to handle the curves quite well. I'm not the most agressive rider, but I don't coast around the curves either and they are sticky enough for me.

I did like the "feel" of the Metzelers that were on the bike when I bought it, but you could almost see the tread decreasing on every ride. I don't recall what model they were.

[Greenwald]

Asking a large pool of BMW owners for a 'best tire' recommendation is like asking 100 persons to name the best pizza in the world - you are going to get a plethora of opinions, each valid in the eyes of the beholder.

Tire performance is often related to how you ride, not just what you ride on. A riding buddy of mine goes through tires every 5 - 6,000 miles, due to rapid accelerations, hard braking and impressive lean angles.

On the other hand, I got over 11,000 miles on my R1200RT Michelin Pilot Roads, with perhaps a couple of thousand left, despite a 2,000 mile run to the Smoky's last fall that included 'The Dragon.'

Knowing that 90% of tire failures from road debris/punctures occur in the last 10% of a tires tread life, I have prudently purchased another set of Pilot Roads for mounting later this week at my dealer. With the kind of mileage I'm getting, it's sort of the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" approach with Michelins.

Good luck with all the advice you are about to receive and ride safe.

[Mika]

Best - The round ones
Worst - The flat earth model of any brand

[dlearl476]

The "best" tires are the ones you paid way too much for and the "worst" are the ones your buddy got for half what you paid for yours.


Big Polack:

My RS is now shod with new Pilot Sports, and I've really frustrated my BMW specialist, who is a real Metzeler Man.

Rinty

Do you like them? I saw a recent tire test in BIKE (iirc) that had three guys of different backgrounds and levels of experience do riding tests. Iirc, all three rated "Sports" lowest. Wait, no, that's the "glass half empty" version. They rated the Pilot Road as highly as the Pilot Race.

If you like them, that's all that matters. I find Michelin's the most confidence inspiring tire I've used. I have them on every bike I've bought tires for, and will have them on every bike I own soon.

[BigPolack1]

Yes, I understood that when I posted this I was going to get alot of different opinions. I'm not looking for a "Holy Grail" of tires, I just wanted to know what people have had good and bad experiences with and why.

Maybe, I shouldn't have labeled it "Best and Worst". Maybe I should have called it opinions on tires.

Anyway, I DO apprieciate all the opinions! Keep them coming! Thanks to eveyone. :thumb

[Mr. Frank]

The Michelin Pilot Road and Metzeler Z6 seem to be the most popular for sport touring right now. The new Bridgestone BT21 and the new Avon Storm may be as good. This summer will tell.

[YELLOW_S]

Michelin Pilot Powers are really good if you like to do the twisty’s hard. They stick very well and a good life span.

Metzelers are good touring/sport tire. Use these if your more into touring and not the twisty’s.

Avon’s are straight touring tires, wouldn't trust them in the twisty’s at all

Bridgestone, they are good if you’re not an aggressive driver.

I would say any Michelin tire you can't go wrong with, but don't get there tires for cars... thats another story.

[BigPolack1]

It seems that there is a general consensus for Michelins as an all around tire with Bridgestones and Metzelers coming second.

The only detraction I saw was that the Metzelers didn't have a good wear indicator.

Anyone got any opinions on which tires to stay away from?

[deilenberger]

Michelin Pilot Powers are really good if you like to do the twisty’s hard. They stick very well and a good life span.

Metzelers are good touring/sport tire. Use these if your more into touring and not the twisty’s.
And you explain the Z6 series how?

Avon’s are straight touring tires, wouldn't trust them in the twisty’s at all
This is from your experience with? It sure isn't mine with the new Storms..

Bridgestone, they are good if you’re not an aggressive driver.

I would say any Michelin tire you can't go wrong with, but don't get there tires for cars... thats another story.

Seems as if you have some rather broad firm opinions.. ya know what they say about opinions.. :dance

[Screamineagle]

I recently traded my 04RT. It had 50,000 miles on the clock. It came with Dunlops, I put on Michellin Pilots, Metzlers Me880, Metzler Z6. I got about the same milege (between 10K and 11K) from all but the Me880 which I had on the bike when I rode to Alaska. Upon arrival in Alaska those tires had 11,800 miles on them and looked like they could get me back home (5,000 Miles) again.

Since the prudent thing to do would be to fit new tires before heading down the Alaska highway, that is just what I did. The BMW shop in Anchorage only had Z6s on stock so I had to go with them.

Long story short, my OPINION for what its worth, the best milege tire is Metzler Me880, but the tire I liked for riding feel was the Michellin Pilot road.

[kbasa]

Yes, I understood that when I posted this I was going to get alot of different opinions. I'm not looking for a "Holy Grail" of tires, I just wanted to know what people have had good and bad experiences with and why.

Maybe, I shouldn't have labeled it "Best and Worst". Maybe I should have called it opinions on tires.

Anyway, I DO apprieciate all the opinions! Keep them coming! Thanks to eveyone. :thumb

So what are YOU looking for in a tire? There are people here that run a ton of different tires that can probably narrow it down for you.

For example, I had Dunlop 205s on my R11S. They weren't sticky, but they lasted forever. I also had M1 Sportecs on that bike and while they evaporated quickly, they were insanely sticky.

[BigPolack1]

Like I said before, I have an '02 R1150 R.

I live in Louisiana so ice isn't a problem, but we do get a "little" rain.

I'm not an aggresive rider as I have only been riding for about 4 months. I ride daily though, every day to school and back, roughly an 80 mile trip.

I'm looking for a quality long lasting comfortable dependable tire.

Hope this helps with the suggestions!

[tor1150r]

Like I said before, I have an '02 R1150 R.

I live in Louisiana so ice isn't a problem, but we do get a "little" rain.

I'm not an aggresive rider as I have only been riding for about 4 months. I ride daily though, every day to school and back, roughly an 80 mile trip.

I'm looking for a quality long lasting comfortable dependable tire.

Hope this helps with the suggestions!


I've had 3 different tires on my '04 1150R since I bought it. It came with MEZ-4's which I thought were great (24k kms). Second set was Michelin Pilot Roads (15k km). I got more mileage from the Z4's, but the Pilot Roads felt more comfortable in rain and on gravel (yes...the pavement ends sometimes!).

I now have Mez 880 Marathons, and used these for the bulk of my trip last summer - and subsequently through a lot of gravel and mud. These tires seem to last forever. I have nearly 20k km on them (most of which was riding 2-up), and 8 hours/day for almost 2 months. I have another 5k km left I estimate. You really feel the road on these!

I'll use 880's again for extended trips, but for my next tire change I think I'll try the Z6's. They have great reviews on another BMW board.

[Kenny2]

Has anyone had experience with the Conti RoadAttack?:usa

First set gave me 7700 miles, YMMV. They wear real fast after they "get over the hill".

I was thinking of changing the tires soon, after a short 200 mile ride, the front was eaten...down to the carcass.

I just installed my second set. Very nice, sticks to the road. very positive feel.

I have used Metzeler Z-4, and Avon Azaro- which is a nice tire too!

[twins4life]

What about the Tourismo (sp?), they are supposed to be pretty good at running while deflated (damage), at least long enough to get stopped.

Or the Dunlap Police Run Flat tires? The tire guy at the bike shop said that APD runs them because they are sticky and will run flat due to sidewall strength.

Only reason I bring this up is because I knew a guy that totaled his bike and spent too much time at the local hospital when I ran over a piece of metal.

[bikerfish1100]

take this as just one man's opinion/experience. bike is an R11S. rider is somewhat "spirited" (happy in the CO canyons).
ran Pilot Roads. best economy of any tire i've used. good stick, great life (between 7500 & 11,000 miles). would probably use again if intending some major miles on mostly straight roads.
ran BT020s. was ecstatic when they finally wore down enough to take them off. will never go back to these. handling was total yuck.
Road Attacks and Diablo Stradas are my 2 current favorite tires. get around 7K to 7.5K out of either tire. great stick in either wet or dry, very predictable.

[RichardCCarson]

Recently bought the second set of replacement tires for my R1200 CLC, and every time I do, I wonder if I am getting "representative" mileage from them.
Details: Bike came with Bridgestones on it, and I replaced them when worn out with Metzeler ME 880's. Once I got used to them, I liked the Metzelers better. They seemed to handle more smoothly. I am not an aggressive rider, but I live in eastern WV, and a straight road in this neighborhood would be a half mile in length. I'm careful about inflation pressures, too. I don't carry a passenger very often- perhaps 10% of the time. So... the Metzelers are averaging about 11,000 miles per set.
If anyone else has an R1200 CLC or CL, what kind of mileage are you getting, what kind of geography do you ride in, and what part of your time do you carry a passenger?
Regardless of tire mileage, I am learning one thing: If the handling seems a little uncertain and squirmy, and you still think you can squeeze another thousand or so out of the tires, replace them regardless.
When you have the new set on, you will quickly see that the others were effectively worn out, even if you had some tread life left.

[SIBUD]

Metzler's 880's going on the bike Tuesday.

[YELLOW_S]

And you explain the Z6 series how?This is from your experience with? It sure isn't mine with the new Storms..

Seems as if you have some rather broad firm opinions.. ya know what they say about opinions.. :dance


Z6's are a good tire... but its more of a touring tire, I have a set of them on my
R1100S right now. When I get into the twisty’s I can feel the back end sliding just a bit, when I get aggressive. I like how how long they have lasted (so far 8,000 miles). When I go on my next long distance trip. (BMWMOA Nationa rally) I will probably get another set, but for now I'm going to get a set of Michelin pilot powers. I can get them a lot cheaper then the Z6's, plus they stick better to the road. .

Avon’s... I have a set of Avon Azaro on my SV650. Couple days ago I was waiting to get on the highway, I stopped for the light, and when it turned green, I went. I didn't hit the gas, or take the turn hard. Halfway into the turn, I felt the rear end slipping. The rear end jumped and re-gained traction, somehow… I was putty sure I was going down, but I didn’t… somehow.

[roadcrave]

Ive ran Avons for years, azaros, now Tonight I just orderd the storms, for both my r1100s and my k1200lt, we will see after 1000 miles or so, I like the avon azaros in wet, dry, gravel, sand, straights and lean angles, never cupped a tire up front unless i had 8000 miles or more on them, I have averaged 8000 - 13000 miles on a set of tires depending on how hot its been outside, the only thing I dont like is below 32 degrees, they are slippery in wet, and dry, roads which doesnt suprise me due to the rubber compound is outside its performance temps for max grip, any tire I use I pump nitrogen gas into and daily tire press check is within 2-3 psi at any temperature or alttitude which I think is very - very important for us in the N.W. due to our geography, 100feet to 6000 feet all in a day along with cold morning as low as 28 to 85 in the afternoons make me want correct tire pressure at all time due to my ridding style, hard and fast...matthew

[kreinke]

The Buell guys (and the magazines) seem to really like the Pirelli Scorpions and Diablos. Thinking of trying them on the Roadster because they have a little more of a "street tracker" tread pattern.

Anyone try those?

[bikerfish1100]

haven't tried the Scorpions yet. Very pleased with Diablo Stradas. Major difference between Stradas and regular Diablos is that the Strada will give somewhat better tire life, at the expense of some stick.
The Stradas have all the stick i need on local roads, and i don't ride very slow, nor very vertical.

[Panhead_Jim]

R11RS. So far, I really like it. I ride pretty hard (meaning fast), and give no real quarter to corners, but I'm no racer, nor am I the straight line always guy. good luck in your quest. Opinions vary, obviously...

[BigPolack1]

I just wanted to thank everybody who has weighed in so far. All the opinions are very helpful!:thumb