FJRiders.com

Blue ridge, I lost faith in Michelin tires a few years back. When we were in Helena and Jason bought a PR5, it felt super soft. I figured it would stick well, but not last. Regarding my comment above, I have decided I would be pissed if my tire ran through that fast. I have ridden to EOM and back more than once and always had plenty of tire left for the trip. I'm not light and I'm not slow. Maybe, maybe I'm smoother, but I don't know if being slightly less smooth would burn through a tire like that.

I have RaceTech 1k springs and Gold Valves up front and a Wilbers shock on the back. The bike is amazing. It performs very well. What pressures are you running? My first incidence of wallowing was fixed by going to 41psi front and 43psi rear. That made a huge difference.

I really liked how the RoadSmart 3 performed on the Red Lodge trip. I also really like my BT30GTs that have been updated to the BT31s. The Pirelli Angels I had were great also. Seriously, try something other than Michelin. I honestly think if Dunlop, Avon or Bridgestone were putting out tires like Michelin's last few offerings, people would do nothing but complain.

Are you 100% sure you are running Pilot ROAD tires and not Pilot Power tires? The PPs are sportbike tires and will melt off a bike as heavy as an FJR. You would not be the first guy to inadvertently put the wrong series of tire on.

If a tire swap does not fix it, maybe you have something weird going on. No idea.

Braking into turns will eat up a front faster than a big girl at a buffet. But really thrashing in the hills eats them up regardless. Running multiple, multiple sets of the same tires (PR2’s, pr3’s, pr4, pr4gt, R5GT), I’ve amazed myself at how fast I can smoke a set of tires if I’m hooning in the promised land, and at how long a set can last if I’m doing straight distance stuff. Same rider, same bike, same tires, drastically different wear.

To be quite fair, any tire will wear faster when ridden in close proximity to jwilly or Wheaton. I’ve seen this proven time and time again.

bill lumberg wrote: ↑Mon Oct 05, 2020 5:22 pm... jwilly or Wheaton.

Two opposite ends of the spectrum. Mr. Lumberg, I think I'm crawling out of this funk. So, if weather permits, Sunday rides will be in my repertoire soon.

And by the way, I agree with your assessment. However, Mr BRR has a different experience than his GW or BMW vehicles. Ive only owned FJRs since 2003, so I can't help.

Today, I rode my FJR1300 to vote. Rode it to drop off my completed absentee ballot, in triplicate, at the registrar’s office after I left my office.



And wheaton- I’ll ride with you any day. Any day.

I do not know why.

Since I go 40 psi front, I have no problems with scalloping the tire all the way to the wear bars on any of the Michelin pilot road tires, nor the Dunlop road smart 3.

If you are looking for value (cost per mile), the road smart 3 is the way to go.
If you are looking for best wet traction, the PR4GT is the way to go.

One day, I’ll try the Angel GT2. I’m interested in knowing the mileage that tire yields.

Braking going into turns means bike will stand up. Try slowing down a tad, going in slower and falling in, then accelerate out.
Upgrading the fork springs is the best bang for the buck ever. Aftermarket shock next.

HotRodZilla wrote: ↑Mon Oct 05, 2020 5:09 pm Are you 100% sure you are running Pilot ROAD tires and not Pilot Power tires? The PPs are sportbike tires and will melt off a bike as heavy as an FJR. You would not be the first guy to inadvertently put the wrong series of tire on.

Sportbike riders would be happier than a pig in shit to get 7K miles from a tire.

I'm at 8200 miles and not down to the wear bars yet on my PR4GT's. I don't go slow, but I do go straight so not a lot of hard acceleration/braking. Front is 6/32 tread new, I'm still at 3/32, although not the roundest of tire anymore. Rear was 9/32 new, and now at 3.5/32.

Any guesses how long one safely can go when you hit the wear bars at this kind of wussy riding? I usually have a trip coming and change them out before wear bars so I don't worry about it suddenly evaporating like in some of the pictures posted here.

gixxerjasen wrote: ↑Tue Oct 06, 2020 8:45 am

HotRodZilla wrote: ↑Mon Oct 05, 2020 5:09 pm Are you 100% sure you are running Pilot ROAD tires and not Pilot Power tires? The PPs are sportbike tires and will melt off a bike as heavy as an FJR. You would not be the first guy to inadvertently put the wrong series of tire on.

Sportbike riders would be happier than a pig in shit to get 7K miles from a tire.

I never was able to get much more than 4k out of a set on my Supermoto.

Bugnatr wrote: ↑Tue Oct 06, 2020 10:40 am

gixxerjasen wrote: ↑Tue Oct 06, 2020 8:45 am

HotRodZilla wrote: ↑Mon Oct 05, 2020 5:09 pm Are you 100% sure you are running Pilot ROAD tires and not Pilot Power tires? The PPs are sportbike tires and will melt off a bike as heavy as an FJR. You would not be the first guy to inadvertently put the wrong series of tire on.

Sportbike riders would be happier than a pig in shit to get 7K miles from a tire.

I never was able to get much more than 4k out of a set on my Supermoto.

That's because you ride like someone is chasing you. Some have called you old. Those clowns have obviously never tried to follow you through the twisty shit. Haha!!

Up north I would get 7k out of a rear tire, more out of the front. Down here I have typically gotten 3.5 to 4.5k out of a rear tire, with the lowest being 1.8k out of an Angel.

Granted, I haven’t ridden shit in the last year and a half, but I’m hoping to change that.

Deagle10 wrote: ↑Tue Oct 06, 2020 9:58 am I'm at 8200 miles and not down to the wear bars yet on my PR4GT's. I don't go slow, but I do go straight so not a lot of hard acceleration/braking. Front is 6/32 tread new, I'm still at 3/32, although not the roundest of tire anymore. Rear was 9/32 new, and now at 3.5/32.

Any guesses how long one safely can go when you hit the wear bars at this kind of wussy riding? I usually have a trip coming and change them out before wear bars so I don't worry about it suddenly evaporating like in some of the pictures posted here.

I have always run PR4GTs. Yours is the million dollar question. How many miles does this tire have left? Generally if I am going on a long trip and I am close to the wear bars I change tires. Even if I have to throw a little good tread away. I just don't like to having to worry about getting tires while on a trip. My days on long trips per years are generally very limited. So I just got new tires before a long trip if there was any doubt the tires would hold up.
Hate missing a day of riding on a trip to get tires.

This year I was going to a cabin in N GA. Then day rides each day. I was going to get new tires but a couple of hurricane scares kept me from taking the bike in. I left for a 10 day trip with tires close to the wear bars. Plenty of tread on the edges but the middles were worn from FL straight roads. After slabbing up there and a couple day rides I was on the wear bars. So after doing day rides all week I was scared to slab 500 miles home. When tires start to go off in the middle they go fast.

This is them towards the end. Touching wear bars but not past them. Plenty of tread on the sides so they performed will in the twisties. The Georgia trip was a series of day rides once I got there so I was fine. I had kept these tires at 40/42 their entire life and they wore extremely well. Not cupping or scalloping at all.


After a couple more days of 200 mile day rides they were past the wear bars. Got a brand new set on the way home.

For me personally I would just really rather have a set of tires that I know will make the trip.

Luckily, I got about 1500 extra miles out of these tires cause I didn't change them. Also, I got good service and price at Blue Ridge Yamaha so it wasn't too bad to have to take 1/2 a vacation day to get new tires.

So after all that I didn't answer your question.

Personally I got around 1,500 extra miles out of a set of tires that were close to the wear bars before I left on a trip.

For the first time ever front and rear were ready to change at the same time.

From now on if in doubt I will just change tires. That just works for me better.

danh600,
That actually helps a lot. I'm not to the wear bars, just getting there. I have a 1,000 mile trip coming up. 400 miles slab there and 400 miles slab back. Then probably 300 miles of twisty's one day in the middle. The sides of my tires are not worn. Just wearing down the middle. The front I'm not worried about.

I'll probably just end of changing both out for the trip and not worry about it. Time is a bit of a constraint. If they made it through this trip I could change tires over Winter. And I'm jealous of the guys with the balls to wear out a tire to the end.

I find that I wear the center of the rear tire a lot on twisty roads as I down shift and up shift a lot on those days. More center rear tire wear in 300 miles of twisty riding than 500 miles of slab in one or two gears.

Added a new pony to the stable!! A 2012 Honda CBF1000FA. Early days, but I'm much impressed with this little number! Mucho thanks to raYzerman for blazing this trail and tipping me off on what has turned out to be a smoking deal...definitely think I'll see myself transitioning more to this machine as the FJR continues to get heavier and heavier every year. It wasn't sold in the U.S.A. so here's some stock photos.

Pulled the brake pads. All had plenty of use left. Changed the coolant. First time I’ve ever done that myself. Not bad at all.

bill lumberg wrote: ↑Tue Oct 06, 2020 3:49 pm Pulled the brake pads. All had plenty of use left. Changed the coolant. First time I’ve ever done that myself. Not bad at all.

I do the coolant (and spark plugs) at valve check time. Coolant change interval is not especially critical and has to be drained when valve check is done anyway. Antifreeze properties don't change but the fluid eventually becomes contaminated and the additive package (anti-corrosion agents for the most part) gets depleted. Still, no problem to wait until it is time for a regularly scheduled valve check.

Same with plugs; they have to come out at valve check time as well - extends them beyond recommended interval for regular plugs (CR8E) but they have not appeared to be exceptionally worn. Lately, I have been using the iridium CR8EIX for my Gen II - no perceptible wear or degradation over this interval. Don't think there is an iridium option for Gen III or IV.

Deagle10 wrote: ↑Tue Oct 06, 2020 2:07 pm danh600,
That actually helps a lot. I'm not to the wear bars, just getting there. I have a 1,000 mile trip coming up. 400 miles slab there and 400 miles slab back. Then probably 300 miles of twisty's one day in the middle. The sides of my tires are not worn. Just wearing down the middle. The front I'm not worried about.

I'll probably just end of changing both out for the trip and not worry about it. Time is a bit of a constraint. If they made it through this trip I could change tires over Winter. And I'm jealous of the guys with the balls to wear out a tire to the end.

Good choice. I left for EOM with T31 GTs with 3,700 miles on them. Rear was above wear bars and not too squared off. 1,100 miles later, I got home with nothing left on the rear. Chords were close. Rear was gone at 4,821 miles. I sure had fun toasting it, but did not like coming home on a marginal tire. Change them and be happy.

FJRoss wrote: ↑Tue Oct 06, 2020 4:21 pm Lately, I have been using the iridium CR8EIX for my Gen II - no perceptible wear or degradation over this interval. Don't think there is an iridium option for Gen III or IV.

There is an unofficial option.... use the CR8E1X (or 9). The difference is the extended tip which I'm thinking was for Euro emissions.... The cylinder head has not changed since 2003, but the FI has. Currently running a set in the Root Beer '14 (that I no longer own), and they're burning just fine. Long term report won't be available for a while....

@IceStationZebra, lovin' the CBF as much as ever, just returned from a 3500 km. trip. You stole that one you have, what a smokin' deal. As I told you, if you weren't going to buy it, I was. Another friend just got the identical one for his wife, I've studied it a bit more, yeah, I'd like the Gen2, but I really don't have to go there.