18" rear tire?

[kmac]

I have a '96 RT with the 18" rear wheel. I have BURNED thru the lousy Pirelli ST Angel I put on last year in well under 5K miles.

I have no issue with a soft tire that wears out that quickly but it better be VERY sticky which the ST Angel is NOT. This thing is terrible on paint. If you are on the gas leaned over in a turn and hit a paint stripe the rear end steps out big time. Heaven forebid you run over a big arrow on a freeway onramp while leaned over and on the throttle very hard....you better know how to flat track and countersteer and manage a throttle.

 

Anyway, to my question, what tire are you guys liking these days for the odd ball 18" rear?

 

I feel like a crash test dummy or a beta tester for Pirelli and I failed so I want a better wearing tire this go round.

 

I like a good gripping tire for sure, but right now in my work situation {off for 2 years and fairly broke with workers comp running out but still not healed up for construction} long life and good price is my most important concerns.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

[Guest Kakugo]

Cannot go wrong with Michelin Pilot Road 3: available in 160/60-18 rear. Grip well, lasts long... cannot ask more.

In alternative Bridgestone BT-023: same size available.

 

Wouldn't fit anything different from Bridgestone and Michelin to my bikes.

[Linz]

+1 on the PR3 mentioned above. The best tire by far on my bikes.

 

Linz

[kmac]

Ok,

I just ordered a set from BB of the PR3s.

Man do I hope they are better than these Angel STs.

 

The Angels were better than my old tires when I first installed them, new tires are always an improvement. They were quieter and they rolled left and right from center smoothly where as the old tires the bike came with were badly flat spotted and felt square and notchy on transitions left and right. Almost immediately after a few break in miles I noticed the slip and step out on paint. Nerve racking. Thank goodness for 40 years of motocross and being used to the rearend hanging out loose.

 

I will keep you all posted on the new shoes.

[OoPEZoO]

I went through a bunch of different tires when I had my RT. I always liked the PR2's the best. Good mileage, and good stick. My RT kicked the bucket right as the PR3 was coming out, so I never got to try them. Everything I have heard about them has been good.

[racer7]

My only negative commet about PR2 is that they get very noisy when worn due to large tread blocks resonant frequency. At about the same time they get a bit notchy in turns. For me they were a 6K mile tire on the rear, either the B or regular version

Working now on PR3s which are excellent for my riding and look like they will outlast PR2s.

I prefer the B version by a bit- the stiffer sidewall provides a slightly more linear turn in for a loaded bike but its small enough I suspect a lot of riders would never notice.

Doesn't do anything useful for load capacity otherwise though it does allow a higher max speed at full load (that would be way beyond any US speed limit so pretty much irrelevant unless you regularly ride max speed, 2 up and loaded)

I've run a few sets of the previous RoadSmarts that lasted about the same as the Michelin PR2 for me- but the RS turn characterisitc that comes from the tire shapedoesn't seem as good a match to the RT chassis as the PRs more roundd profile. But the RS were pretty decent in the wet- way better than the oem Bridgestone BT-020 which was by far the worst tire I've had on my RT- its stinks in the cold and wet, tramlines easily, twitches on steel grate bridges and has a raft of other unpleasant characteristics as well as poor mileage (4K for me)

[eddd]

I think you'll be pleased with the PR3. I have a set on my RT and I was so pleased with the way they handled that I put a set on my Ducati before my last track day. Long mileage and great traction in the twisty stuff!

[kmac]

Thanks for the reply folks.

Can't wait for them to get here now. I can not ride at all they are so bad and this is my only transportation since my Stude spun a rod bearing a few months back.

[CoarsegoldKid]

Still I'd stay off the painted parts.

[kmac]

You can not stay off of painted parts in southern Ca.

Not possible.

Virtually every insection has white crosswalk stripes corner to corner and some of the freeway on/off ramps have arrows so big you would possibly be dragging your luggage on the curb to avoid them.

 

My Avon Venoms on my HD and my Metzler Comp Ks on my last few bikes never felt as loose as these Angel STs. Only the stock HD Dunlop K591 seemed this bad.