Funky Pilot-Road-3 wear.. front tire..

[deilenberger]

On PR-2's, I used to get bands at the transition between the soft rubber and the harder rubber (center of the tread).. on the PR-3's, I just swapped out my front because of an even odder wear pattern. FWIW - another local club member with a K1200R noticed the same pattern of wear - but even worse since he runs his tires below where I would.

The pattern is - the center wears fairly nicely, mine was just getting close to the wear bars. Where the bands/ridges used to form on the PR-2, there was still a ridge, but with a lot of cupping on the tire sipes. Heading outward from center - the left (port) side tread was worn almost flat, at about a 40-45 degree angle. The right (starboard side) was less worn, and almost round from the center.

On my friends tire - it was very evident since he had no tread left on the port side off-center... and it was very flat looking.

Road crown? Perhaps the R12R owners in countries where they ride on the left (wrong) side of the road can comment on their wear pattern.

Whatever, at least the replacement isn't horribly expensive - about $130 from MotorcycleSuperstore (free shipping) and it was very nice having the bike simply turn into corners without having to push it up over the ridge on the front end (and listen to the HUMMMM when I did it.)

This tire had about 6,000 miles on it. On the PR-2's, I pretty regularly got 11,000 miles from a set. It looks as if the rear tire will go to around 10,000 or so miles. Still roundish (slight flattening, but not bad) and no ridges forming yet.

[Bob Ain't Stoppin']

Don, I think the excessive left side wear is pretty normal on all front tires. But are you saying that a pr3 front lasts 6k miles while the pr2 lasts 11k?

I have avons on my bike now. Have always really liked the performance of the avon and these seem to be wearing well. Too early to say what the overall life will be. But I don't get front cupping with avon. Metzlers cup badly for me.

[Bob Ain't Stoppin']

Don, I think the excessive left side wear is pretty normal on all front tires. But are you saying that a pr3 front lasts 6k miles while the pr2 lasts 11k?

I have avons on my bike now. Have always really liked the performance of the avon and these seem to be wearing well. Too early to say what the overall life will be. But I don't get front cupping with avon. Metzlers cup badly for me.

[deilenberger]

I never wear tires all the way out.. I generally change them when the handling becomes noticeably effected. On the PR2 that was around 10-11k miles. On the PR3 - about 6K. On Avons - about 6K, but they were close to being worn out also (that was on my R1150RS.) Ditto on Continentals (on the R12R.)

[dbrick]

My bike has a PR3 on the front with 8K, and the wear is smooth and consistent all the way around on both sides. Even 12K doesn't seem out of reach, but, like Don, I change tires early and don't expect to actually get there.

[hjsbmw]

The pattern is - the center wears fairly nicely, mine was just getting close to the wear bars. Where the bands/ridges used to form on the PR-2, there was still a ridge, but with a lot of cupping on the tire sipes. Heading outward from center - the left (port) side tread was worn almost flat, at about a 40-45 degree angle. The right (starboard side) was less worn, and almost round from the center.

This doesn't sound like a recommendation for the PR3. Cupping always seems to happen around the profile cuts, and the PR3 has so many of those.
A picture would be great, if you have one.

[Jed]

Don,

What pressures are you running fore and aft ?

[Woland]

My bike has a PR3 on the front with 8K, and the wear is smooth and consistent all the way around on both sides. Even 12K doesn't seem out of reach, but, like Don, I change tires early and don't expect to actually get there.

+1.

Got about 7k miles on my PR3s. Nothing funky about them so far. Starting to get a little flat in the center but not really affecting handling yet.

Seems like I'll be able to get at-least 10k out of them.

Good tire, but I'm not sure if I'll go for the same next time, but I liked the "feel" of the PR2s more. Thinking I'll try the Metzeler Z8's next time.

[hjsbmw]

[Good tire, but I'm not sure if I'll go for the same next time, but I liked the "feel" of the PR2s more. Thinking I'll try the Metzeler Z8's next time.

May I ask why you are steering away from the PR2 despite of having liked them? I will need to make a choice within 2k miles myself and right now I have the PR2, PR3, and Z8 on the short list. The current Conti RA2 feels good but I'd like to get more mileage.

[Woland]

[Good tire, but I'm not sure if I'll go for the same next time, but I liked the "feel" of the PR2s more. Thinking I'll try the Metzeler Z8's next time.

May I ask why you are steering away from the PR2 despite of having liked them? I will need to make a choice within 2k miles myself and right now I have the PR2, PR3, and Z8 on the short list. The current Conti RA2 feels good but I'd like to get more mileage.

I'm basically hoping the Z8's, if I decide to go for them, will be better than the PR2's. I'm also a firm believer in tire development and the PR2's are getting a bit old, not that I'd mind putting them on if I got a good deal, and I've heard good things about the Z8's.

Still, mileage is a concern and I like to get well over 6k miles from a tire so I don't have to change more than once a year, so far the PR3's seems to wear nicely and the only complaint (which really isn't a complaint as such), I have is the always subjective confidence inspiring "feel".

[deilenberger]

@Harald - sorry - no photo since the old tire was left at my mechanics. If I get over there before he takes a run to the tire-recycling-dump, I'll try to grab one. Mine wasn't severe - the friend with the K1200R's was - you could see where mine was headed by looking at his.

@Jeb - stock pressure. 32F/36R at 75F, and they are never underinflated (I have a TPMS system that lets me check pressure as soon as I turn the key on, meaning - before I leave my garage.)

@DavidB - it's not a ringing endorsement of them. I suspect differences in tire wear have much to do with the road surfaces and shapes. I do a LOT of backroads - I try to avoid highways. In NJ the backroads are often a rather rough chip-seal sort of pavement, with fairly high crowns to the road, unlike California. I think the crown is the reason for the port side wear.. and the rough pavement the reason for the overall wear, plus my habit of braking rather hard when coming to a stop, probably explains the cupping.

Meanwhile - did a 300 mile mostly back roads ride yesterday.. still haven't worn all the nubbies off the front tire, but it was a real pleasure to ride on a round profile tire again..

[Bill Stevenson]

So with all this useful information, PR2 or PR3?

Thanks,

Bill

[Woland]

So with all this useful information, PR2 or PR3?

Thanks,

Bill

Maybe one or the other?


According to sources at Michelin they are fundamentally the same tire apart from the thread pattern which supposedly gives the 3's better wet grip. I've had both models and would take either one without hesitation. But there are other tires out there to consider as-well.

[Bill Stevenson]

Over the years I have used and liked a number of different tires, but none have worked as well for me overall as the PR2. Like others, I will need new tires again soon and based on this experience will probably stick with Michelin. What we need is an objective test using a R1200R as the mule of the various tires available. Since we don't have that, forums like this one where we can learn from each other is the next best thing. But none of us are in a position to mount each tire in turn and see how they compare. And as Don pointed out, a new unworn tire is going to improve on an old unevenly worn one, so even our recorded impressions of the tires we buy has only limited value. Perhaps the most important and objective real world information is to learn how many miles/km various tires last. My second set of PR2 tires are going to need replacement at about 12,000 miles, which is essentially how long the first set lasted. For South Florida, where tires wear fast, that is remarkable. They have also never lost their grip in the rain, provide sure and predictable handling, and offer exceptional grip during panic stops. Since the PR3 is newer and since Michelin knows what they are doing, I would expect the PR3 to be an improvement, but from all the discussion here that expectation might not be realized.

One other comment concerns the fellow who showed photos of his PR3 failure. Compound turned to mush, chunked out. That was most likely a defective tire caused by poor mixing or even some ingredient left out during the mixing of the compounds blended together before that tire was molded. Since tires are made in batches Michelin needs to learn of this failure so they can figure out what went wrong and get any other tires so affected out of service. That failure and the possibility of buying a similar defective tire could be a solid reason to favor PR2, in the near term.

[angellr]

Just installed a PR3 on the back and a PR2 on the front (front was back ordered and was at the wear bars). Love it when "gini" gets new shoes!! Here in Utah, it does not rain that frequently, so figured a PR2 was OK on the front. I did get, however, 11K miles on the last pair of PR3's on front/back (installed at the same time). I also learned that Michelin shuts down production periodically and fronts are not possible to get right now.

[Martyn]

Don,
Those pressures seem a tad low IMHO. I'd try 36/42 PSI.
Ran my 1200RT on Michelins at those pressures for several sets, & very pleased.
Mind you, I'm now totally smitten by the Dunlop Roadsmart 2.

[karamazov2]

Don,
Those pressures seem a tad low IMHO. I'd try 36/42 PSI.

This should be interesting...

[deilenberger]

Don,
Those pressures seem a tad low IMHO. I'd try 36/42 PSI.
Ran my 1200RT on Michelins at those pressures for several sets, & very pleased.
Mind you, I'm now totally smitten by the Dunlop Roadsmart 2.

They are the factory suggested tire pressures for the R1200R when ridden solo. I actually believe BMW might know what tire pressure works on the bike, and I'm not willing to give up grip for mileage.

[kirby]

1022

[Martyn]

Don,
Those pressures seem a tad low IMHO. I'd try 36/42 PSI.
Ran my 1200RT on Michelins at those pressures for several sets, & very pleased.
Mind you, I'm now totally smitten by the Dunlop Roadsmart 2.

They are the factory suggested tire pressures for the R1200R when ridden solo. I actually believe BMW might know what tire pressure works on the bike, and I'm not willing to give up grip for mileage.

\

I actually believe the tyre manufacturer might also know a bit about it; after all, they design, test & eventually produce them.
Anyway, it was only a suggestion offered from experience. My PR3's, at 36/42 aren't cupping. Yours at lower pressure are.