Buying Tires soon - what to get?

Is anyone aware of some recent reviews on tires?  I'm thinking about going with either the Pirelli Diablo Corsa III or Michelin Pilot Road 2's, but don't really know what's what.  Maybe I should just get the same tires that the bike came with.... Any info is appreciated.  Holla atcha boy!

Why the Pilot Road's and not the Pilot Power 2ct's?
 
Big difference between the two you listed.

I was thinking of getting the Pilot Power 2CT's.  I use Pirelli Diablo Corsa III's on my VFR and love them, just not sure it's the right tire for my CBR.

How many miles do you have on your bike? I remember you bought it new last Fall. I personally like the Dunlop Qualifiers.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Papi Chingon

Is anyone aware of some recent reviews on tires?  I'm thinking about going with either the Pirelli Diablo Corsa III or Michelin Pilot Road 2's, but don't really know what's what.  Maybe I should just get the same tires that the bike came with.... Any info is appreciated.  Holla atcha boy!

I went with the dunlop qualifiers havent got them on yet but hoping they should run nice.  Lots of good reviews.

i too run the dunlop qualifiers on my 07 600, and i love em!! just my 2 cents

the bike has about 2600 miles and the dealership said the tires need to be changed asap.  as far as the two tires i mentioned being very different, that's why i'm asking you guys - i know nothing about tires other than making sure to NOT buy them through the dealership, since they're more expensive there.  i went onto ebay and was looking for front and rear sets and those are the ones i found, so that's why i mentioned them in my post.  i was looking around for recent articles comparing tires, but didn't come across anything.

Look into the Michelin Pilot Powers or Michelin Pilot Power CT2. You won't be disappointed
 
When comparing tires, look at these things based on your riding style
 

Tire Profile

Compound (Hard, Med, Soft..etc)

Warm up times

Wet Traction

Durability

For straight road use, the straight Pilot Powers are the way to go.  The 2CT's are more for track days and such...and the Road Pilots are for touring type bikes...nothing is better than the Michelin Pilot Powers.
 
I got mine here:
http://stores.sportbiketrackgear.com/Detail.bok?no=678

Continental Sport Attacks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! FTW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have 3,200mi on my original '07 tires. You must ride more aggressive than me. Because mine still look new.

quote:

ORIGINAL: skical

I have 3,200mi on my original '07 tires. You must ride more aggressive than me. Because mine still look new.

 
^^^  I'm with you skical.....I have roughly 5k on my '07 tires and they have been through hell. Drag Strip, Twisties everyday, and an accident. Front Tire still looks new and the Back Tire looks to be 2/3 done.
 
Must ride VERY aggressive or had some nice smokey burnouts...lol Also might want to look into your suspension settings, wrong settings will wear your tires faster.

What are the difference in price on these tires you guys talking bout?

2,600 miles is not very good for mileage.
 
Take a pic of the tire at the center with a dime in the tread. This will give us an idea of how much tread you have left. I am guessing you probably have done a few burnouts like the others have said.
 
I can get between 4,000-4,500 miles on my pilots in the rear. And anywhere between 6-7k miles on the front, this is a depending on how I get after it though.
 
The opinion of what tire to go with is just like the "oil" debate. Everyone has their preferences.
 
I have ran the following tires and I am listing them in the order at which I like.
 
1. Pilot Powers
2. Bridgestone Battleaxe 014
3. Metzler M-3's (i think that was the number)
 
All are a very good tire IMO.
I prefer the pilot powers because they seem to have the best traction in the wet stuff. It might rain from time to time here in Seattle so I worry about wet traction.
 
I want to try the Dunlop Qualifiers and the Diablo Corsa III's.
 
I hope this helps you make a choice and does not confuse you anymore. 
 

I went with the Pilot Powers and kinda have to stick with em now cause I put michelin man decals on my front fender...not really a problem though cause I love the way these things feel and respond.

Go with the Pilot Power Race Mediums... Those are what I have... Very good ride-ability, they warm up fast, and stick all day long
They are however pretty agressive... much more for lean and are not as stable upright, but thats just a preference and a riding stye.

Stay AWAY from dunlop, they are great if its 85 degrees out or hotter, but they dont like to grip if they are not super hot.

You can find the Michelins at www.motorcycletoystore.com for like 269 for the pair, which is a good price, and you will have em in like three days.

when i got my new tyres a few weeks ago, i went with some battle axes b(bt021). mostly because getting only 3200 miles from a set of tyres really pissed me off.  i use my bike as a daily and a toy...so i needed something taht would last a little longer (since a few hundred per tire isn't exactly cheap). they'er wonderful tyres...the tech at the shop reccomended them because they are hard enough in the center to allow good mileage, but the sides are fairly sticky. sticky enough to have some fun in the canyons . also serves as a nice remidner that you should keep the crazy knee dragging to the tracks (and get dedicated track rubber). 

quote:

ORIGINAL: jfunkRR

For straight road use, the straight Pilot Powers are the way to go.  The 2CT's are more for track days and such...and the Road Pilots are for touring type bikes...nothing is better than the Michelin Pilot Powers.

I got mine here:
http://stores.sportbiketrackgear.com/Detail.bok?no=678

 
I'd have to disagree with you completely on this. Although, I believe most people are putting on the wrong tires on their bikes.
 
PC, I put on the Pilot Roads on my '05 600RR when my OEM Pilot Sports wore out. This was at about 6,500 miles. I ONLY do road riding. After ALL my research, which was about two weeks' worth, this was the best tire for me. I was never planning on taking my bike to the track, so these worked out great. I had about 8,00 miles on them when I totaled the bike and they were about halfway worn. No chicken strips on the rear tire and never had a traction control issue that wasn't expected. It was a FANTASTIC tire for my semi-aggressive road riding style. What I mean by semi-aggressive is leaning almost to a knee down on turns and riding the throttle fairly hard. I hit 165 mph on the Pilot Roads and was completely confident. I'm sure there's more aggressive riders out there, but they wouldn't be much more aggressive than how I rode with my '05. (That kind of riding and my lack of experience is what I believe led to my crash.)
 
ANY and ALL research I found from the manufacturers on their tires will show most of the tires that almost everybody purchases are actually built for the track as opposed to the road. So, if you're doing 100% road use, go with the Pilot Roads or Road 2's. The 2CT technology from Michelin has nothing to do with weather you're on the track or not. The Pilot Road is not a tire AT ALL that you'd want to use on the track. It is however a high-mileage, superb wet-weather tire that provides GREAT grip for road riding and is designed to last a long time. It has a HARDER tread compound when compared to ANY other tire ANYBODY has listed here.
 
You would want a real SOFT compound if you're racing or road driving extremely aggressive.
SOFT rubber = better grip. HOWEVER, it also means less mileage due to the soft compound being chewed up by the road more easily.
HARD rubber = not as good grip as soft. HOWEVER, it also means more mileage since the harder compound holds up better against the asphalt.
 
Buy the right tire for your type of riding. I was about to buy the Pilot Power 2CT's, but couldn't find ANY reason why I'd buy those tires. EVERYBODY said that's the greatest tire. I'm sure it's great, but do you realize how much wasted money I'd have spent on buying a race-track tire when I never go to the track? And how much FASTER I'd have to replace that super-soft tread compound tire? 
 
Everybody should be asking him/herself this same question.
 
Good luck.

thanks for all the replies.  like i said, i know nothing about tires at all (or working on bikes for that matter), so i turn to you guys for advice. 

http://www.motorcycletoystore.com/sport/shop.php/tires/michelin-pilot-power-race-tire-set-special-120/70-17-180/55-17-medium-compound-/p_1043.html

I have set of 2CT's on my R1. Those tires are fantastic.
 
Hate the Bridgestones on my CBR, love the 2CT's... can't wait to get a set for the CBR.

TirColour,
"2CT's" doesn't tell us which model of Michelin's you have? I'm assuming Pilot Power 2CT? Pilot Road2 uses the 2CT feature as well as the Pilot Race tires.

Papi, go to the website link I supplied and see the ratings and/or write-ups on each type of tire, there are ratings and reviews and such.  I ride only the streets, and I got the Pilot Powers, semi-aggresive style rider.  I put new Pilot Powers on my F4i last year and got 5,000+ miles out of them and they still had plenty tread when I sold the bike this winter. 
 
All Michelin Pilot tires will stick, because they all use the Moto GP technology for their slow wearing, soft compound tire.  The different tires they have are geared towards different riders...if it's a commuter get a harder compound tire and if your just riding to ride get the Pilot Powers.  I was deciding b/t the original Pilot Powers and the Road Pilot Powers for my new bike, and went with the originals because they suited my ride style and I didn't like the extra tread on the roads and I don't ever ride in the rain, so I wanted more contact with the road surface and went with the Pilot Powers.  Plus they will get shipped to your door for $239 for the pair. 
 
Here is the Pilot Power tire ratings:
Michelin Performance Ratings
All Michelin ratings are on a scale of 1-5: 5 - Excellent, 4 - Very Good, 3 - Good, 2 - Medium, 1 - Not recommended Usage

Track: 2

Highway: 4

Sport: 5

Commuting: 3

Performance

Dry grip: 5

Wet grip: 5

Durability: 4

Handling: 5

Comfort: 4

As you can see, this tire is made for sport street riding, and the performance ratings are excellent.
 
The 2CT is made with 2 different compounds, harder in the center for acceleration and high speed and softer on the edges for great lean angles.  The Michelin write up I read on this tire made it sound like it was made for 1000's. If your not an aggressive street rider, don't spend the extra $ on these.
 
Michelin Pilot POWER 2CT - Sport/Racing Tires 120/70/17 Front & 180/55/17 Rear Combos
Still not convinced that Pilot Power is for you? Well, now there's a dual-compound version, a direct descendant of our MotoGP technology. With a softer rubber mix on the shoulders, the new Pilot Power 2CT will satisfy even the most demanding sport riders. Want to carve corners at extreme lean angles? Do you feel like you've found the limit with your current tires? Does your new literbike have more power than your tires can use? If so, then it's time to switch to the new Pilot Power 2CT.

2-Compound Technology divides the tread into different sections, each occupied by a different rubber compound intended to perform a specific function.

On Michelin Pilot Power 2CT tires, the center of the tread is capable of withstanding high speeds, sudden acceleration and braking, and other demanding riding conditions. The outer edges of the tread come into use at maximum lean angles. Their rubber compound is 20% softer than the center tread, to provide optimal grip at lower speeds and thus delivering outstanding traction when cornering.

And the road...if I lived in Seattle or rode often in the rain, I would buy these.  But where I live, and for my ride style, I decided against them.  You can see the extra tread lines. 
 
All Michelin Pilots are great tires...so whatever you choose will be good, just choose wisely to try to get the most milage out of your tires depending on your riding style.
 







[font='"times new roman", times, serif']Michelin Pilot Road Street Tires 120/70/17 front & 180/55/17 rear combo



[link=http://stores.sportbiketrackgear.com/ca

jfunk,
GREAT write up!!! That'll help clarify some points.

i had 6,500 miles on my dunlop Q before i replaced them, but when i did it was with the 2ct's and they kick the crap out of the performance of the dunlops.  these tires stick were the qual's slid