kz2zx
Pro
Nobody in Particular
Posts: 1166
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posted September 11, 2004 10:23 AM
 Edited By: kz2zx on 11 Sep 2004 11:28
New Tire Report - Pilot Power
Me being cheap, I can't afford premium rubber for TWO bikes, so I got the best I can afford to budget for both...
I put a Pilot Power front on the bike yesterday after work - I had about 400 miles remaining on the rear D208ZR (now down to 200...).
Now, I liked the Dunlops OK - I liked the front tire profile, and I like the evenness of the wearing of the rear, and it had OK grip for me. I don't like the wear rate - the two fronts and four rears - the fronts toast in 1800 miles, the rears in 900.
The Pilot Power front is lighter than the 208 front. It went on really easily, like grease. The direction arrow is subtle, and there are two dots on the tire - white and blue. Me being used to a single yellow dot, I had to guess which was light and which was heavy... I guessed Blue was light. I think I was right... the wheel only needed 20gms to balance. I put 34 lbs air in.
I took it to the twisties first this morning, my favorite canyon. It took about four turns each side for the tire to scrub in - it really felt weird for those first turns, but then settled right down.
The profile is rounder in the center than the 208s, more like the 218s, but steeper on the sides, letting the bike carve, and if you break the back loose, the front tracks very tight radii - you can powerslide around a corner with this front tracking, where the Dunlops I had before the front would drift a little to the outside if I broke the back loose like that (probably contributing to the poor wear rate of the front).
I went through some sections noticeably faster today - noticeable to me and to the guys behind me (and I left them all far behind me after 8 miles or twisties). The tire gives me much more confidence, and doesn't complain at all when I load the front up and turn on the front entering a corner. I think I can brake deeply leaned over - not that I tried - on this tire.
Setting the front tire down after little power-wheelies is completely undramatic, and I think with this tire, my need for a steering damper is reduced (and my wallet thanks me).
After a few laps on the twisties, we took a road leading to a rural Arizona mine - a road that normally is devoid of speed enforcement, and today was no exception. This road runs along the sides of mountains, very fast sweepers, dramatic elevation changes, slight banking of the turns, nice pavement.
We went 20 miles down this road at triple-digit speeds, and the front was rock-solid and tracked wonderfully. On the way back, the guy in front had passed some cars and a trailer, and proceeded on at about 110 MPH. I lost 35 seconds or so on him as traffic was coming the other way, and I was not sparing the back tire catching up at about 135 MPH, and not slowing for the corners. Leaned way over, hanging off, knee a few inches above the tarmac (I try not to drag knee on the street) turning hard at Big Speed, the tire was great, soaking up bumps in the road with the sidewall, never losing grip, never chattering or reacting to road imperfections or tar snakes. I caught up after about five miles, and backed off the throttle (he has the radar detector, not me...).
The tire does not behave strangely on the yellow line paint (not that I would pass cars on double yellows in the canyons. Never. Well, hardly ever). It does not doo badly with tar snakes. It did not react to long scars in the pavement from stupid boaters dragging their hitch and gouging the pavement (you people who live where it snows have the same effect in the pavement from snowplows).
I like the front. My rear is on back-order, but the combination of 208 rear and Pilot Power front works OK for me until it comes.
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ASMA 47
WERA 147
www.dhowellbooks.com
  
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Ground Zero
Parking Attendant
Posts: 24
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posted September 11, 2004 01:01 PM
Thanks for the report. I ordered a set last week and should be in on the 13th (thats what they told me at least). I was down at Ron Ayers here in NC and they had plenty of fronts, but the rears are on BO. They had one rear that was on 'layaway'  .
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Hells Dark Lord
Needs a life
living life, and loving it.
Posts: 7981
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posted September 11, 2004 02:33 PM
what size rears are you all planning on running? 190/50's? are the 180/55's on BO as well?
thats a great write up, i have never liked the Pilot Series of tires, but I think I am gonna give these a shot as street tires when it comes time.
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When in doubt, lean farther and go faster....
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kz2zx
Pro
Nobody in Particular
Posts: 1166
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posted September 11, 2004 02:36 PM
I'm running 180/55 when it comes off backorder.
____________
ASMA 47
WERA 147
www.dhowellbooks.com
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Hells Dark Lord
Needs a life
living life, and loving it.
Posts: 7981
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posted September 11, 2004 06:31 PM
are the 190's on back order as well?
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When in doubt, lean farther and go faster....
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Ground Zero
Parking Attendant
Posts: 24
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posted September 11, 2004 08:12 PM
Yeah the 190's are on back order as well. The compound appears to be sticky as hell. I am thinking of picking up a second rear as I plan on seriously putting this tire to the pavement.
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zx1kr
Pro
Posts: 1301
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posted September 11, 2004 08:41 PM
Amen!
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TurboBlew
Moderator
BUSY DOING THE SCHIAVO
Posts: 4590
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posted September 11, 2004 10:00 PM
Hey, before you ride the bike with the Pilot powers... do you have to bang your fists together and proclaim "PILOT POWERS" before leaving?? 
Good report... but Ill have to ride someone else's bike with those tires on it.
Never had good luck with anything but Pirelli and Metzlers.
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Official Charter Member of the RIDERS OF KAWASAKI MEMBERSHIP REVOCATION CLUB
Also a BadAss Internet Forum Moderator 4 Hire!! Come at me brah!
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wwwrxxx
Novice Class
Posts: 80
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posted September 11, 2004 10:01 PM
these seem to work well at around 38 psi front and 40 psi rear cold.
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Yannick
Parking Attendant
Posts: 10
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posted September 12, 2004 10:11 AM
kz2zx, thanks for the info. I ordered a set at Ron Ayers as well (BO until mid September as you all know).
I was curious, did you need to adjust the suspensions at all to accomodate a possible geometry change? What suspension settings are you running (as well as your weight)?
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kz2zx
Pro
Nobody in Particular
Posts: 1166
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posted September 12, 2004 11:16 AM
Heh, I'm 250 lbs, 5'11".
The bike is set with 2 mm tubes over the triples (factory setting), rear sag at whatever preload leveled the ride height - didn't measure, just measured sag. I have the fork preload at two lines, compression damping at 7 clicks, rebound at 5. I have the rear compression at about 4.5 turns, and the rebound is pretty loose, at just under 2. This is where I stopped messing with it after starting with Sport Rider's suggestions.
I have it pretty firm, but I like it...
____________
ASMA 47
WERA 147
www.dhowellbooks.com
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