Sport-Touring.Net - Tires, hoops, rubber, etc.

Ok, it's time to replace the rubber on my '06 Triumph Sprint. There' meat left, but they are also a bit old and I've abused them.

Tires are a mystery to me, and I know most of you prefer to have some background prior to making a recommendation (which is what I'm asking for), so here we go.

Bought the bike after it had been stored about 18 months two seasons ago. Tires had been replaced not too many miles before it was stored - the bike had 6k miles on it - and there was plenty of tread, even if they weren't fresh. Tires are Continental Road attacks.

Tires have been great. Bike always felt planted, it leaned over without any drama, and they stuck like glue on a hot day in Indianapolis at Putnam Raceway (although they were quite shredded) for my first track day.

After some commuting, the tires no longer look like they've been abused at the track and they seem no worse for wear.

About 4.5k miles since buying the bike, I now have a slow leak in the back, plugged what I thought was the hole, and it still leaks. I'm thinking I'll replace the front and back.

I've used pilot road 2's on my old FZ1 and liked them. I had pirelli diablo super corsas on my Tuono, and I think the same on my current sport bike, the Daytona 675 (which are somehow holding up after 5 track days...despite being shredded from side to side, and blue at the edges from too many heat cycles; they still heat up quick, but slip a little if not totally warmed up).

So I'm pretty easy to please, but the Sprint is my commuter and long distance tourer - read: not nearly enough twisties.

What do you guys recommend? I lean the thing over pretty good when I can, but basically ride upright and want that impossible combo of handling and durability.

I'm ok if they don't last forever if they feel better on the road, but don't want tires that will wear out after a few thousand miles - this is an ST bike, after all.

With all of that background, can you guys make a recommendation? As I said above, tires are still a bit of a mystery to me. Want the bike to feel good in the dry, but I do get stuck in the rain on occasion during the commute home. If you were in this boat, and could buy any pair but didn't want to spend unnecessary cash (already willing to buy a tire that may need replacement earlier than some other ST tires...), what would you buy?

Thanks for the help,

- Dan

Topic: Tires, hoops, rubber, etc. (Read 2311 times)