Puncture

[Smeagol]

 

Picked up a screw into rear tyre today, local journey.  The screw must have just pierced the inner of the tyre as very small leak, 1 bubble every few seconds when checked with soapy water.

I had bought Stop N Go repair kit, before heading off to Scotland, so tried to repair with that.  No joy    to be fair to the kit the screw had gone in at a very low angle, and the kit says it's only really suitable for straight in punctures.

4000 miles done on the tryes and I was going to change them when they wore out so will be changing both.

So now the big decision PR3 or Conti Road Attack II    Can't make up my mind.

[Rocker66]

I have the contis on at the moment which quicken up the steering but give the bike a slightly unstable feeling especially in the winds that we have had recently. I'm changing them before I go on holiday and will probably fit the RP3 as I love the the way that they perform on my wife's CBF1000FA

[xrunjoe]

Have to say that I really like the PR3's - steering is a bit heavier but you soon get used to that and the bike certainly feels more stuck to the road.

[Smeagol]

I had the PR3's on the CBF, only for about 300 miles before it got written off, and loved them.  Just can't make up my mind.

Joe how much slower do the PR3's make the steering.  I find the runner turns quicker than the CBF, with the scorpions, so if it only slows the steering a bit I can live with that.

[Shaunomercy]

dunno but recent reviews seem to point to the new metzler z8 interact being a better wet weather tire than the pilot road 3.

im still a huge fan of the conti ra2 tho.

paul

paul

[xrunjoe]

Originally Posted by Smeagol

Joe how much slower do the PR3's make the steering.  I find the runner turns quicker than the CBF, with the scorpions, so if it only slows the steering a bit I can live with that.

Difficult to express that in print Gavin - but as I say - you soon get used to it - initially I noticed that on medium tight bends I was running a bit wide but soon adjusted.  It's really like riding a slightly different bike - you soon change to fit. Now I have done 3000 on the PR3's I have a job to remember what the Scorpions were like. I just remember the lightness which, whilst OK steering wise, also left me with an insecure feeling now and then. Also - absolutely no sign of wear or squaring off so I think they will last high mileage. I can adapt to steering in return for wet performance and durability. Have been told that loads of these have been fitted to a very wide range of bikes from supersports to touring and all find them great option. Friend of mine with a Multistrada swopped Scorpions for PR3's and he absolutely loves them (and he rides hard).

[Rocker66]

My dealer reckons that he sells more PR3s than all the other types of tyre put together.

[Smeagol]

After a quick chat with my local fitter PR3's ordered to be fitted Saturday.

[Smeagol]

New rubber fitted at lunchtime.  Then off to put some miles on them and scrub them in 

Had a quick chat with the fitter about pressures.  He felt the handbook pressures are very low for a bike this heavy, confirmed about how I felt riding on them.  He thought 36/42 a much more sensible pressure.

Initially a quick  run down the M4.  With a strong crosswind blowing the bike felt a lot more stable than on the Scorpions.  Less wobbly than it had before in crosswinds.

Then onto the A4 from Theale to Calne, Wiltshire.  Didn't really feel they took that much more effort to turn into corners but on occasions had to consciously put some effort into straightening the bike up after a corner  .  I think the ride is a bit smoother, the tyres seem to soak up more of the smaller bumps than the Scorpions.  Joe, I think, said about the tyres being noisier and I definitely noticed this.  It took a while to work out the difference in noise to previously, but after a few changes in road surface it clicked 

After Calne I headed to Swindon and then down the B4192 to Hungerford, a lovely little road that I was taken down on my DAS and have liked it ever since    Nice fast (I'm just testing the tyre officer) road with some tight and lots of flowing bends.  Bike felt absolutely planted.

Overall very happy with the new tyres.  I had them fitted on the CBF at the start of the year, replacing PR2's, and in the, brief  , time I had them they really impressed me.  I could fling the little CBF all over the place as the rubber gave me huge confidence.  I don't feel the same on the Runner, not such a huge difference maybe because it is a heavier bike, or a bit more powerful 

I asked the fitter if he had any experience of the Metzeler Z8's.  He said he had only fitted one, on a couriers bike, and the courier didn't want another one    i didn't get any details about why they didn't want to use the Metzeler again.

One other thing.  The fitter thinks that there may be problems in the future with the swivelling joint on the exhaust, that you have to rotate to get the rear wheel off.  He said some BMW's have this and they tend to corrode and are a bugger to rotate once that happens.  He recommended swivelling the exhaust every couple of months to help stop this happening.

[xrunjoe]

Originally Posted by Smeagol

One other thing.  The fitter thinks that there may be problems in the future with the swivelling joint on the exhaust, that you have to rotate to get the rear wheel off.  He said some BMW's have this and they tend to corrode and are a bugger to rotate once that happens.  He recommended swivelling the exhaust every couple of months to help stop this happening.

glad you like them - I was also told about the exhaust when I had service done last week - sounds a worthwhile little jobby now and then.