Buell XB & Pirelli Tires

[Rogue]

When I first got my Firebolt in August, they came with Dunlop D208's.

Now those tires weren't bad on that bike.  Plenty of traction even in the most demanding conditions.  Never any confidence issues.  But my gawd!  The bike and the tire conspired to stand up HARD & FAST under any braking.  The harder you brake, the more resistance to turning the bike gave.  Manuevering to avoid obstacles while braking simply was not an option!

I got a nasty flat on the rear D208...probably for the better because I ended up prematurely replacing both F & R with Dunlop's Qualifiers.  I've heard and read great things about Dunlop's replacement for the D208 and they didn't disappoint. Now those tires were a marked improvement over the D208's.  The Qual's nearly eliminated the D208's strong tendency to stand up under braking.  Plus, the Qual's felt even more stable in the corners--if that was anymore possible.  

After 3k miles on the Quals' I replaced them with the Pirelli Diablos.  Not the Corsas, nor the Stradas, just the standard Diablos.  600 miles later of mostly twisties and some highway, I'm even more happier with the Diablos than I was on the Qualifiers.  The tendency to stand up under braking is 99.9% gone.  The bike steers slightly lighter than before.  And so far, tire life seems promising.  Comparing the profile of the Diablos vs the Qualifiers clearly show the Diablos have a more pronounced rounded profile to the Qualifiers slightly more oval shape.  This may be what is causing my Firebolt to respond really well to the Pirellis.  Finally, there is no perceptible loss of traction.  The Diablos feel just as planted as the Qual's.  I believe that I may have found THE tires that my Firebolt really likes.  Icing on the cake is that the Diablos don't cost more than the Qualifiers.  I think there is strong justification for Buell going to Pirellis in their 2007 lineup.

If you are a Firebolt owner or even a Lightning owner and you haven't tried the Diablo's, I highly recommend that you do.  

[Asphalt_Carver]

Ok Rogue, I give up!  You win...you win!

Right after the April Central California Coast Extravaganza, I will be taking my Lightning into my preferred service provider for front and rear Pirelli Diablos.  

In all fairness to my bank account, please do not "discover" a new tire after I shell out for the Diablos.

Yes, the Dunlop Qualifiers do rock in a big way, but now I am very curious about the Diablos.

Oh, BTW, perhaps you should start a post about the performance of the Buell ZTL front brake versus a traditional dual disc setup?  I was dazzled by how quickly both of our Buells "reduced" our velocity from 80mph to the legal 55mph with nary a complaint!

[Rogue]

....I was dazzled by how quickly both of our Buells "reduced" our velocity from 80mph to the legal 55mph with nary a complaint!

I'm glad your reflexes were as fast.  

What went through your mind when you saw the brake lights?  

I'm wondering if you saw the cruiser first or the brakes!

[Asphalt_Carver]

Not bad reflexes for a soon to be grandfather!  

Actually, I saw your brake lights first and than I caught the cruiser in my peripheral vision about 40 milliseconds later.  

What really impressed me was that I didn't use any rear brake at all.  The front just slowed me down with great control.  I expected some headshake but there wasn't any.

[Rogue]

A soon to be grandfather with new eyesight.  

I will try my damnest to have my Passport X50 installed and running on my Firebolt ASAP!

[Kootenanny]

I replaced the stock D207s on my Firebolt with Pirelli Diablos as well, and noted the same improvements in handling (and a significant increase in life over the Dunlops, too).  However, when the Diablos wore out (and they wear rather suddenly at the end--be careful), I decided to try some Continental Road Attacks.  These tires have performed as well as the Diablos for me, and lasted about 2K km longer; I have a second set waiting for installation (bought that used Coats 220 tire changer last month--I'll get to try it out this spring).

I'm interested in the Michelin Pilot Road 2CTs, if and when--supposedly the center is the PR compound, the sides are the sport compound, and the profile is closer to the Pilot Sports than the old PRs (which I've never used, but heard about...).

[CBRXXBLACKBIRD]

I had bad luck with two sets of those how about the Avon Venoms? I had good luck with them on my Eliminator.

[Rogue]

I have never tried the Venoms.  I did try the Azaro 45/46 and hated them on both my VFR and Hayabusa.  

They did not have much stick in the rain--especially light rain.
They generated vibration at around 110 on my Hayabusa.  Even after a good balance job.
The front cupped badly within 2k miles on BOTH bikes.

Ever since then Avons have left a bad taste...

[CBRXXBLACKBIRD]

I will look into these I am thinking on replacing mine before June.

[Mastros2]

Anyone run Metzler ME880's?