Buying Michelin Tires... Help!

[Evan_0_matic]

Hey guys... So i new tires and after reading around a bit, i've decided to go for a set of Michelin's.

But... I have no idea which is best for me.
The Pilot Power 2CT, or the Pilot Road...

Can any fellow Buellers with these tires tell me which is best for what, and which will last the longest?
This is the first tire change i'll have for my '07 XB9SX (factory tires now)... Need all the help i can get, haha. Mainly highway driving, with a decent amount of street travel. No track... yet, at least.

Thanks. I'm located in North Charleston, SC... If you know a good shop to buy or have them installed let me know!

 

[tjlac]

I am running the Pilot Road 2ct's right now and have about 6,000 miles on them and show a very minimal amount of wear. They are a sport touring tire so they are a little harder in the center. Most of my riding on a daily basis is straight highway with back roads on the weekend.

 

[late rider]

I've used Pilot Road 2s (dual compound) on my Buell, 3 different BMW bikes and a Yamaha R1. They are perfect for touring, town and twisties. Softer edges with terrific grip and hard center to reduce wear and provide a unwavering highway ride. I got 7 to 8 thousand miles on the BMWs and nearly 10 thousand on the lighter R1. The original Pirellis on my Buell lasted less than 4 thousand and I'm already there with Michelins with at least that much tread remaining.

 

[dallasb]

Running Pilot Road 2ct's as well.

 

[84yotaguy]

i also have an 07 xb9sx and just put tires on mine about 3xxx ago. i went with the pilot road 3. pretty sure its the same as the 2 but with better wet weather traction. i love them so far.

 

[dflack001]

I am running pilot road 3's on my xb9sx and love them! They have awesome grip, I have run mine all the way to the edge with no slip or slide. Make sure you get your wheels balanced...aperently unusual, but they need it.

 

[Tacoclaw]

I'm currently running the Pilot Road 2ct's as well. I wanted Pilot Powers, but after accidentally dragging the side of my boot sole through 2 corners I can see they have more capability than I have ability at this point. If they end up lasting longer than Pilot Powers do, then they're a win-win in my book, at least until I get a handle on what this bike can really do.

They do track much nicer than the Dunlops that were on there before, and the bike seems to want to lay over much more readily into a corner. The grip is much better and it feels a lot more sure footed during said cornering.

No complaints here. [cool]

 

[BuellSki]

I've got the 3's also on my 9sl. I absolutely love them. I've had them for about 2k miles and show no wear at all. They are amazing in the rain. I've gotten caught in the rain a few times and I mean raining cats and dogs! It felt like the road wasnt even wet. It wasn't sloppy or loose. I will buy these tires again.

 

[kbfnail]

Pilot Road 3's enough said!

 

[g3stripes]

had the roads they were great tire didnt last as long as i hoped spending extra coin on them tho

 

[Miami78]

I recently finished up my set of pilot road 2's...after almost 17k miles. Have a set of pilot road 3's on now and couldn't be happier. Just got back from an 1800 mile ride through the rocky mountains, lot of heavy rain at 90mph, small hail, winding mountain interstates...the road 3's held up perfectly!

 

[dflack001]

I paid less then $300 for my set of pilot road 3's and the $30 mount/balance. That was the best I could find...local shops wanted like $550 for them! I think I got them from streetbike tack and gear...

 

[Evan_0_matic]

Great info guys! Thank you.

 

[Evan_0_matic]

Oh! And just so i don't screw up and read my tire wrong or something... What size tires do i need for my bike?

And what is the difference between the 'Z' and 'W' makes for the Pilot Road tires?

 

[Phlegm420]

pirelli angels st are my next choice for tires. i tried the pilot road 2's and didn't like the way the rear tire tracked. it felt very squirrelly. plus this deal is pretty sweet http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/pirelli-angel-sport-touring-rear-tire

 

[Thaloc]

Got almost 10k on a set of PR2's. Best tire I ever ran. Running PR3's now and love them. Perfect tire for the Buell IMO, we dont get the massive surge I4's give at their sweet spot and, IMO, we dont need a pure sport tire like Power 1, or a super corsa.

 

[dflack001]

If I remember right the Z an W rating were for fully dressed touring/2 up ridding or not...dont hold me to it though. If you shop around at different web sites that have pull downs for specufic bikes it should describe the difference between the Z and W.

 

[Builtdesign]

Oh! And just so i don't screw up and read my tire wrong or something... What size tires do i need for my bike?

And what is the difference between the 'Z' and 'W' makes for the Pilot Road tires?

Just get which ever one you find cheaper, 'W' is top speed rated at 168mph so unless your planning on being insane you won't need Z rating.

Here is Michelin's Brochure for tire comparison and on page 49 you'll see the speed ratings and load index's explained. And a good vid for their Sport and Touring tires.

Just to pretty much reiterate what everyone already said,
PR3's for superior wet traction and life of tire.
PR2's for good wet traction and superior life of tire
Pilot Power for more spirited riding with 1/3-1/2 the life of aboves
Power Pure for very spirited riding with 1/3-1/2 the life of aboves and lower carcass weight (to go with Buell's already low unsprung weight)

All of them are dual compound.

I don't run the PR3's just because it rains two days of the year in AZ.