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NEWS REVIEWS AND
CUSTOMER COMMENTS |
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IF YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS ON THE TYRES YOU ON YOUR BIKE
LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS GOOD OR BAD. SEND US AN EMAIL
alan@sidcupmotorcycletyres.co.uk |
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The all new Michelin pilot
POWER ONE ROAD & TRACK TYRE |
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Michelin Power One
Alan
Having just replaced my Power One's with a
new set fitted by you today in readiness for my trip to Germany, I'm
providing you with my opinion on the tyres as requested. The ones I have
been using on my Gixer 750 are the Road/Track version and these are the most
suitable for my type of riding, mainly fast road and some track days.
First thing to say is that these are
the best tyres I have used in almost 12 years of Sportsbike riding,
providing me with levels of grip and confidence way beyond anything
previously experienced. I want to be totally objective though, and would
have to say that if tyre-life is very important then people need to look
elsewhere, but this is a trade-off I willingly make to enjoy the benefits
provided by the Power Ones. I have done about 1700 miles of fairly hard
riding and the rear is about done, the front, which you are keeping for me
until after my trip, will probably give me about another 1600 miles. One
very important thing is to get the pressures right for your weight. When I
first used them I stuck to the hand book pressures, 36 front, 42 rear, but I
found that when really cranked over the back did step out a bit. This was
disconcerting so on the advice of a guy who set up my suspension I lowered
the pressures bit by bit until I found the right ones, which for me was 33
front, 37 rear. No movement, and totally stable, bliss! I weigh 11 stone
btw. My mate experienced exacty the same when he first used them, and being
heavier than me adjusted to suit his own weight, again spot on.
When I first saw the tread pattern (or lack
of it lol) I had definate misgivings about handling in the wet, but having
used them in France, luggaged up, in rainy conditions, I no longer have any
concerns, not that I am foolish/brave enough to try getting my knee down in
the wet. Quite how Michelin have managed this, I don't know, but for anyone
wanting to use them and worrying about handling in the wet, stop worrying. A
friend of mine with a Gixer Thou rode his bike on a wet track day at Spa and
told me there was standing water in places and the tyres were brilliant
albeit at an obviously slower pace.
Riding home today, I honestly can't wait to
get them scrubbed in, but thanks for doing your usual careful fitting and
for the banter (0;
I'm happy if anyone wants to contact me to
ask more about the tyres, email me their number and I'll ring them.
Kind regards,
John
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First report on the Pilot Road 2
I have completed the running in this morning and so far I
am finding superior and more positive feedback than the Roadtecs! Also,
I felt the Hornet was accelerating significantly faster, so feel the
tyres are lighter in construction.
Cold weather warm up is amazingly impressive. Nice to see
steam rising off the tyres down at the Oakdene! And that's from riding
sensibly!
It seems that from my point of view there is little that
Michelin can do to improve the tyres further, but I will make
my observations over time and keep you informed.
Many thanks for a very good job of fitting the tyres
yesterday. Now I'm not sure I want the Roadtec rear back!
If I have to go begging for a pair outside the Michelin
factory, I will!
Regards,
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Second report on Pilot Road 2
So far
my earlier comments on the tyres’ performance remains the same. I don’t feel
there is much more to say! The only incident of note has been finding a half
inch Phillips screw in the rear tyre! Fortunately use of my tubeless tyre
repair kit got me to Sidcup Motorcycle Tyre Centre, where they put in a
permanent repair plug, as the puncture was just off the centre of the tyre.
It has in all honestly been a year since I last had a puncture!
I have
not noticed any discernable changes in tyre performance as this remains
consistent. In the recent cold weather of December, tyre warm up was
excellent and one can ride with confidence in cold conditions even if the
first few yards of road before hitting the main road was slippery! In my
case, I negotiate a private 300 yards rough track from my garage, which at
times can be very slippery and muddy after it had rained and was at one
point covered in a dense layer of leaves for a while! The tyres coped well
with off-roading, even though they are not really designed for that!
If
there is one comment I can make, it’s that the tyres have significantly
improved both the Hornet’s handling and performance. With the Roadtec
front tyre, every time I hit a ridge across a slight right hander on the
local main road at 30 mph, the bars flap in reaction. With the Pilot Road 2
front tyre, being of a lighter construction, this has been totally
eliminated. No wonder I simply don’t want the Roadtec back! It now means
that I have much more confidence in the Hornet’s handling quality that I am
exploiting it to the full, getting much more fun out of hustling it down
twisty roads! On the performance side, the Hornet now accelerates faster
than I’ve known it to and I regard this as a big plus from having lighter
tyres.
Regards, Robin |
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Third report on the pilot Road 2
Sunday 3rd December provided ideal test conditions for the Pilot
Road 2s, being blustery with strong winds and pouring down heavily to start
with. I went on the Kent Advanced Motorcyclists Group’s club run to Birling
Gap on the south coast in Sussex. About 24 of us, including three lady
bikers turned up!
Riding down a lot of A and B roads that were covered with mud, leaves,
sticks, standing water and paddles, I did not encounter one problem at all.
The tyres remained consistently steadfast in grip and steering response and
my lean angles were impressive, yet it can be done in total confidence,
bearing in mind the need to read the road ahead to look out for any slippery
surfaces. Acceleration in a straight line for overtakes, once the white
centre lines were cleared was excellent.
Only once did I notice the rear tyre slip and that was when negotiating the
M20/M25/A20 interchange roundabout and that was when my line took me across
the white centre line of the A20 when leant over to the left. Just a slight
twitch of the rear tyre corrected by backing off the throttle slightly
indicates a high degree of responsive feedback from the tyres under such
conditions.
The
ride home from Birling Gap was in drying conditions, though much of the
roads I traversed were either damp or wet or a mixture of damp and dry. This
provided me with ideal conditions to test lean angles and steering
responsiveness, which is what I seek for my Hornet 900, as it has responsive
and quick steering for a 900cc machine.
I
was able to test rapid line changes and hard braking for bends and also for
roundabouts where safety permits and I was more than impressed with the
steering response and ability to change line rapidly and feel these tyres
suit the Hornet 900 extremely well. The performance was consistent and
smooth throughout and I have not noticed anything that indicates otherwise.
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MICHELIN PILOT ROAD 2 AGAINST THE AVON STORM 2 |
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Tale of two tires.
Blast! Yet another puncture in
the rear tyre of which I seem to be plagued by at least two punctures a
year, as Alan Cooper will attest to, ever since I was directed to his lock
up! Hope it’s not an ancient curse or summat?! To whoever in KAMG sent me
his way, ‘Thanks a lot mate, you owe pints of beers!’
As I have been using Michelin’s Pilot Road 2 ever since I had a free pair
fitted to my Honda CB900F Hornet in return for my report on them, of I which
I have since covered over 30,000 miles to date, I felt it was time for a
change and I was considering either the Pirelli Angel or Avon Storm ST 2
Ultra. To be fair, today’s bikers have it easy with tyre choices, as gone
are the days of picking up a new Jap bike with dodgy wet weather gripping
tires! Has anyone noticed where Yokohama tires have gone lately? I don’t
suppose anyone misses them! Neither do I! In any case the front PR2 has
covered 18,000 miles and still had 2mm of tread left, which is remarkable
considering the Honda CBF1000 is no light weight!
After much meeny, miny moing, I finally decided on the Avons for my Honda
and it was a wet Saturday when I rode over to SMT’s lock up having pumped up
the rear tyre after finding it flat despite the use of the temporary repair
kit a couple of days before! Boy, I found it hard work pumping up the tyre,
sharing the work between both legs! Ten years ago and more it was pretty
easy pumping up the tyre. Old age catches up with all of us!
Once the tires were fitted, Alan Cooper advised me to scrub them in
first. First impression once back on the road was very favourable. Slow
speed balance and straight lining was excellent and wet weather grip was
feeling very good. So I looked forward to my Sunday ride to Rye, to get the
scrubbing in over and done with.
Sunday came and I was up early, eager to test the Storms and scrub them
in. I checked the pressures first. Once done, I rode for breakfast at the
Oakdene Café and was impressed by the lean angles I was getting on wet
surfaces and the feel when braking a bit more than moderately. They
certainly felt very sure footed in the wet.
After a breakfast of scrambled eggs and mug of tea, I set off for Rye and
with just 50 miles covered from day 1 was cranking the bike pretty well
over, on wet surfaces and I do mean wet! I was supposed to be scrubbing them
in such was my confidence in the Storms!
I was certainly amazed at the ease with which I can tip the bike into
corners and it felt a lot quicker and more responsive than with the PR2s but
this article is not a critique of the PR2s, far from it as I am still a fan
of the PR2s. I was riding on broken, cracked surfaces at that, dodging
potholes, something we must all do a lot of this year! Keep them eyeties
very well peeled and don’t ride up too close to admire yourself in the
driver’s mirror, lest the car uncovers a pothole big enough to swallow you
and your pride!
The Storms were stable at all speeds and tracked dead straight and were
smooth on all surfaces, from smooth to rough and on my Leicester jaunt to
the recent Deaf Biker UK club’s AGM, were in my opinion giving that bit
smoother a ride at 70 mph on the M25 and M11 than the PR2s. I suppose due to
the PR2 design, the carcass flexes in a way that moulds the rubber into the
surface which increases contact patch for better grip. Nothing wrong, with
the idea as we are using Moto GP tyre technology on sport/touring bikes!
Rossi and co are very well paid to be our guinea pigs, even if that is on
Bridgestones! This is not to say the Storms don’t flex as much as the PR2s
because according to the Avon website they do flex to increase grip like the
PR2s but they appear to do it in a smoother manner in comparison.
The fact the Storms enable me to lean my CBF1000 quicker into bends, is a
bonus over the PR2s as I prefer my tires to have this characteristic. I have
felt that the PR2s do feel a tad slow in tipping over into bends and it was
noticeable. Maybe the weight of the CBF1000 has some effect on the tyre
performance? The PR2s worked very well on the CB900F Hornet in contrast
which is a lighter bike and uses a wider rear tyre.
The Storms remained stable and grips very well under all conditions and I
can lean right over to the edge whereas I could never lean the PR2s to the
very edge of the tyre. There was always that near one eighth of an inch of
untouched virgin rubber, no matter how hard I chuck my CBF1000 round bends
and yet doing so on either tyre feels so natural that I don’t even feel and
think I am leaning that far over. Until I shock myself looking at the tyre
that is! ‘Mum, look at how far I can lean over!’ ‘Boys will be boys!’
My Leicester jaunt gave me an opportunity to test the Storms on all types
of roads and the widish A47 to Leicester from Peterborough was perfect as
there were sweeping bends and some roundabouts thrown in and plenty of over
taking opportunities so I was able to see how the Storms react to sudden
bursts of acceleration for overtakes and heavy braking from speed for the
three roundabouts dotted down the road and they certainly took the
punishment in their strides with no adverse reactions or drama.
The next day saw me ride across to friends in Stow Bridge, Norfolk and
after that via Ely and Newmarket for Saffron Walden down B roads and home
and as the roads were dry, I was chucking the CBF 1000 round every bend
going and the ease of tipping into bends was amazing with such smooth
control and the ease of changing line halfway round some bends was done
without fuss.
If there is one area that can
make or break one’s confidence in a tyre, it is how the front tyre copes
under emergency braking and I can say the Storms are more than capable of
pinning the front end down sharp under heavy braking as do the PR2s. The
instant gripping action can be felt very clearly through the bars and this
is even on a wet surface, so in an emergency, one can have every confidence
in the Storms keeping one safe and sure with their capabilities. The
feedback is such that one can feel the front brake
locking and the tyre skidding if
on a non ABS bike. I did this on my CB900F Hornet on the PR2s, with no
problem, even when the bar flapped full lock right-left-right on a wet
surface before I released the front brake! A must do again event?! Mind you,
I have yet to test the front Storm with the ABS working and this I will do
when I get an opportunity.
One thing I had to do was to adjust the rear shock as the setting I used
for the PR2s did not suit the Storms. The ride felt a bit harsh at times and
I have softened the damping and rebound as this shows how much the PR2
flexes and any flexing of the tyre does affect suspension performance and
having adjusted the settings for the Storms, it was interesting to note how
much better the rear shock felt for it. I am fortunate in having Ohlins
suspension on my CBF1000 as I am able to adjust the rear shock when needed,
something one cannot do with the standard Honda shock as it only has
pre-load adjustment which is totally inadequate for a sport/tourer!
What is my opinion of the Avon Storm ST? I am now a convert to the Storms
even though I have always liked the Pilot Road 2s ever since I tested them.
It is very much down to a matter of personal preference over what you really
want from your tires, what bike you are riding and there is a big choice of
excellent tires to choose from out there, so be wise and get the best
possible tyre to suit your bike and your riding style.
Robin Hancock
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IS
THIS A MARMITE TYRE YOU DECIDE
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COTINENTAL SPORT ATTACKS
TYRES |
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Alan you
asked me to let you know what I thought about these tyres, which you fitted
to my 2003 Mille R. |
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Well they
are fantastic! Excellent grip from both ends, the front is particularly
sticky and gives excellent feed back, they are as good as the Pirelli super
corsa's which are the OE tyre on this bike but they proved to very good in
the wet unlike Super Corsa's. |
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15 of us
have just returned from a week in the the southern French alps all on
various sports bikes gixer thou's, R1's, Fireblades etc.fitted with Diablo,
Diablo corsa, BT 014, Sportec M1's and all were impressed by my Conti's they
have outlasted both the 014 and M1 which are absolutely shagged on all bikes
which had them. The Diablo, Diablo corsa and Sport Attack have worn about
the same on all bikes but in my opinion the sport attack is grippier in both
wet and dry. |
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In short an
excellent tyre, everybody should try them and then, there's the price |
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Hi, |
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I just had to comment after seeing a review on your
web page regarding the Continental Sport attack tyres. I purchased my
GSXR1000 early this year and it had a brand new set of Conti Attacks already
fitted. I HATE these tyres, yes the wear is good but that is because they
are much too hard for this type of bike. The reviewer of the "road" version
of this tyre seemed to hit the nail on the head when he says they dont want
to turn. I tried all sorts of tyre pressure / suspention settings to get
this tyre to work (Fast road/ the odd track day), and they went from being
extremely "Tippy", to at best, uninspiring (causing a major loss of
confidence in them). I cant wait until next summer, when during it's service
i will be binning these horrible tyres and fitting either Michelin Pilot or
Pirelli Diablo (Prob Michelin as i have used these before and found them to
be excellent!). Cheap and nasty that's my conclusion. |
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CONTIENTAL ROAD ATTACK TYRES |
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Hello |
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I promised that I would let you
know how I am getting on with the Contis on my SV. |
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I have owned my Suzuki SV since
new, and now covered over 41k on it. I have ridden on Bridgestone 020's for
all its life with exception of the stock rubber when new. Upon advice of
certain members of a well known SV site. At a cheaper price than the 020's
I decided to give them a go. Well, they always say, regret something you do
than something you don’t, and regret it I do. I find the contis a very
strange tyre indeed. When new, with the pressures set by SMT (36f42r) the
bike felt like I just wanted to run vertical, not wanting to turn in, not
wanting to steer, lean. The only way I can really describe it, was that it
was like running on car tyres! I adjusted preload on the suspension etc,
but no joy. I dropped the pressures to stock SV (33f36r) and this gave
slightly better results. I have messed around with pressures and settings,
and got something that I can live with until I can afford to get the tyres
changed. |
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When warm, these tyres grip ok,
but I lack confidence in the front tyre as it becomes twitchy. However, in
their defence, compared to the 020 they have better wet weather grip, but as
an overall tyre, I would still rate the 020 as a good al round tyre. Just
for the record, I did ride another SV shod with the contis, just to make
sure it wasn’t my bike, and it to had the same feeling. The debate rages
on, on the SV site, as there are 2-3 people who love them, but this person
isn't. All I would say is that if you have a chance to ride a bike that is
fitted with these, then I would do so. |
I hope this helps in some way.
Regards
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Ian Vine
Operations Manager Xerox
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MICHELIN PILOT POWERS |
Hi Alan,
Just thought I'd drop you a line to tell you how impressed I am with your
new "Pilot Power" tyres. I ride an OS Fireblade fitted with a power
commander that puts out 138.5 hp at the back wheel. Most of my riding is on
the road coupled with about 10 track days a year. I'm no racer but I seem to
fit into the 'fast road' and 'mixing with the fast blokes' on the track.
Like a lot of riders, I was looking for a tyre to offer the best of both
worlds, good mileage and confidence inspiring grip on the road and track,
and with the 'Pilot Power'. I have found both in theses brilliant tyres!
They warm up as quickly as you claimed, give good firm feel and have taken
everything I can throw at them on 'fast' road rides, stability great, and
the grip is superb - they are very impressive. A wet track day saw two of my
mates hit the tarmac behind me using other road/track tyres whilst I
finished the day in one piece - no problem with wet grip then! Two warm, dry
track days later, I am even more amazed at what the tyres get away with -
great braking grip, consistent and quick turn in, brilliant mid corner grip
and front wheel hopping driving out of second gear corners without any
movement from the back - absolutely amazing! I will be changing them soon as
the edges are down to the limit (I love corners) but they've done 1600 fast
road miles and two and a half track days, and I reckon the centres are still
good for another 500 miles or so. All in all, I think Pilot Powers are
brilliant, confidence inspiring tyres. Everyone should use them!!
Thanks Alan Cheers for now and all the best Colin Errington |
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