All-round rubber: The best sports-touring tyres for your motorbike

[weeksy]

Timely topic i thought...

https://www.motorcyclenews.com/bike-kit ... ing-tyres/

The best sports-touring tyres have evolved to have almost magical abilities. They have reserves of dry grip you’ll never use on the road, warm up in a flash, and load you with confidence in the rain.

Related: Best motorcycle tyres
They last longer than any other type of tyre and are so versatile they can be used on naked bikes, tourers, adventure bikes, sportsbikes and everything in between. Unless you ride off-road, do lots of trackdays, or are a dedicated Sunday morning headbanger, using any anything else is just burning rubber (and cash) for nothing more than pub bragging rights.

But what are the best sports-touring tyres? To find out, we’ve assembled the latest generation from each of the major brands for a back-to-back test on a typical sports-tourer, represented here by the wildly popular Suzuki GSX-S1000GT.

Best at a glance
Best in test: Metzeler Roadtec SE 01
Best for feedback: Pirelli Angel GT2
Best for neutrality: Michelin Road 6

What’s always interesting in a blind, back-to-back tyre comparison test like this isn’t how grip varies between manufacturers, because there’s little in it, but it’s how the tyres ‘talk’ to you.

We’ve seen how these new generation of the best sports-touring tyres all have superb wet weather grip, warm-up fast and will be a huge improvement over just about any ‘Original Equipment’ tyre that your bike comes with from a dealer. So, if you’re a fan of a particular brand, fit any of these and you’ll probably be very happy with your choice.

The feel and confidence each tyre brings to the rider under braking, acceleration and cornering changes depending how you ride.
But the performance of one set of tyres stood out as being head-and-shoulders better than the rest for both of us. Metzler’s Roadtec 01 SE filled us with confidence in all conditions and delivered a ride as close as it’s possible to get to turning wet roads dry beneath your wheels.

It’s the best sports touring tyre money can buy, which basically means it’s the best tyre you can buy.

How we tested these tyres
This was a blind test. At no point did Michael or Matt know which tyres they were on. Both rode our set route; Matt taking the first stint, with an emphasis on warm-up time and stability, while Michael focused on ride quality and grip.

Each gave marks for steering, confidence, stability, ride quality and feel. We also measured operating temperature and usable tread depth. The hardness of the centre section of each was measured on the HA scale where 100 represents a fully solid object. Conditions were wet and 12-14°C. We used the recommended cold pressures.

The route
A 28-mile test route taking in fast, flowing A-roads, bumpy B-roads, a motorway stint, plus urban riding over a variety of coarse and polished surfaces.

The bike
We chose a Suzuki GSX-S1000 GT, Britain’s best-selling sports-tourer because its OE Dunlop RoadSport 2 tyres are merely OK and therefore there is much room for improvement. The bike was set on Mode B at all times, with minimal traction control intervention.

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

I'm surprised by Angel GT2s being best for feedback, IMO the Metzeler feels better and is grippier

[Rockburner]

I'm surprised by Angel GT2s being best for feedback, IMO the Metzeler feels better and is grippier

Aren't they basically the same thing apart from tread patterns? (or has that situation with Metzeler and Pirelli changed now? )

[Whysub]

Not all tyres suit all bikes, so the test is only relevant if you ride that model bike.

As an example, we had Metzler M7RR's on the works BMW K1300S's, great tyres, very grippy in the dry but they were always pridictable in the wet. There will always a compromise between dry and wet performance.

Put a pair on my Guzzi V1200 Sport (similar weight, less bhp) and they were horrible. In the dry the Guzzi would spin up the rear wheel coming out of corners under acceleration, and in the wet gave zero confidence, I alway felt the front would breakaway under any braking effort.

Not a good idea to fit them a couple of days before a 5,000 mile round trip down as far as Greece. Hateful on the Guzzi.

[MingtheMerciless]

Pilot Road 5's and then 6's on the ZH2. I like them. Great in the wet and dry and got a reasonable mileage out of the 5's before they squared off.

[Dodgy69]

[mangocrazy]

The Duke 690 came with M7RR as standard when new - great tyres, very impresed with feel, handling and grip in the dry. No idea what they were like in the wet as I never found out.

[Mr. Dazzle]

I find rubber which is all round definitely helps. Square tyres are awful.

[Whysub]

I find rubber which is all round definitely helps. Square tyres are awful.

Have you never experienced the delights of a rear Avon Speedmaster?

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

I'm surprised by Angel GT2s being best for feedback, IMO the Metzeler feels better and is grippier

Aren't they basically the same thing apart from tread patterns? (or has that situation with Metzeler and Pirelli changed now? )

Pirelli own Metzeler but they are different tyres (apparently) but this could be pure marketing

[KungFooBob]

Must be 10 years since I bought a pair of tyres (Anakee's on my Varadero). I find it's easier just to change the bike for a different one with new tyres.

[Skub]

It's difficult to buy a bad tyre now,it would appear. The worst that can happen is buying a set which don't suit the bike,or maybe you dislike the feel.

I've only used the Road 6 out of those tyres and it just does the job from new to done. One thing I did notice,there is no dramatic 'new tyre feel',they mostly feel the same to me for the whole of their life.

[Taipan]

I fitted Metzeler Roadtec SE 01s to my Ducati and loved the feel of the profile, but then new tyres always feel lovely I suppose. I think i'm the only person on the planet that hates Michelin Pilots.

Currently at an impasse on whether to go for Anakees or TrailAttacks on the AT...

[Flux]

I've got pilot roads and find them very confidence inspiring and especially good in the wet

[Supermofo]

Had PR3, PR4 and now Road 5. I've liked all of them. The 4s wore funny on the front on my 690 but other than that I liked them a lot. The 5s seem to suit the GSXS well. I was going to get the Roadtec SE01s but they were about another 60 quid and I figured that probably wasn't money well spent if I liked the 5s already.

[Whysub]

Had Roadtec SE01's on my Deauville, and they were superb.
Need some tyres on my Street Triple (currently Bridgestone BT016 Pro) and NC750 soon, so might try them on both bikes if I can get them cheap enough here.

Paid €200 fitted for the BT016 Pro's in January, ride in/ride out service, which I thought a good deal.

[Ditchfinder]

I don't think I'm a good enough rider to ever 'warm up' a pair of tyres unless I leave the bike outside for a few hours on a sunny day!

[Skub]

I think i'm the only person on the planet that hates Michelin Pilots.

What doncha like?

[KungFooBob]

I think i'm the only person on the planet that hates Michelin Pilots.

What doncha like?

He can't stand Mr Bibendum.

[Taipan]

I think i'm the only person on the planet that hates Michelin Pilots.

What doncha like?

Always make the slow steering feel heavy and ponderous. Every time i've had the various pilots I keep checking my front tyre pressure? I changed the front pilot on a NC750X to a Bridgestone something or other and it made the bike so much nicer around own.