There's so many makes and performance levels for "sport bike" tires trying to really understand the market is confusing. I've had 4 sets of tires, M5s, Q3s, M7RRs, and S20R Evos.

I'm a good rider with moderate performance riding skills. When I read professional tire comparisons/reviews there's a lot of good information. But I know my performance riding skills most likely I wouldn't be able to tell much of a difference between the 1st place tire and 4th place tire in a 10 tire comparison. The main things I can notice are steering lightness and feedback. Other than towards the end of life of tires have I had traction issues. The tires warn me when they are done. For example my Q3s told me they were done at full lean at 60+ on a freeway on ramp rear end started slithering like a snake. That message was loud and clear. Since that event, I am a little more careful when tires are nearing their end although I still get surprised once in a while. I tend to wear the tread out evenly edge to edge, when the center tread is done side and edge tread are done.

I liked the Q3s the most. The M7RRs were overall very close to the Q3s. The M5s, to be fair I didn't any ability to utilize them meaningfully the first 1/2 of their life and the 2nd 1/2 was growing in ability. S20 Evos were OK but overall I didn't really like them.

M5s
PROs - difficult to really judge due to my experience at the time, mileage 3800 miles until wear bars and eeked another 600 out of them with cords showing... but I didn't ride then like I do now)
CONS - semi-truck heavy steering
STABILITY - tires felt stable until the day they were removed with cords showing!
Notes: were fairly easy to dismount from rims

Q3s
PROS - great performance attributes, light steering, all the things the reviews say
CONS - low mileage (2500)
STABILITY - tires felt stable in turns until around 2000 mile mark
Notes: were easy to mount/dismount from rims

M7RRs
PROS - great performance attributes, light steering, all the things the reviews say, good mileage (3500)
CONS - as the reviews say, Q3s are ultimately a a tad better
STABILITY - tires felt stable until around 2500 mile mark
Notes: were difficult to mount/dismount from rims

S20R Evos
PROs strong performance, decent mileage (3100)
CONS muddy/dead feel
STABILITY tires started to feel unstable around 1500 mile mark
Notes: were moderate to mount (have not dismounted)

Stability is based on performance oriented cornering and the bikes tendency to not feel as if it could just drop over without extremely careful modulation, never experienced straight line or general riding stability issues with any of them

There's people here with a lot more experience and have tried other tires. I want to continue to try different tires but don't want to "chance" getting something like the S20 Evos or M5s. I like lighter steering, road feel and agility of the Q3s and M7RRs. About the only tires I won't consider for street riding are Super Corsas, I know an amazing tire but for price and longevity I'd rather just run Q3s.

Can anyone make any recommendations for tires to try given what I've said I've liked and disliked? Should I just go with M7RRs which I liked a helluva lot? I hate to think by going with M7RRs that I'm missing out on some other awesome tire that's just generally not as popular or professionally rated as Q3s or M7RRs, etc. Should I even risk something like PR4s or T30s? Thanks in advance!

I've run PR4s on lightweight (Versys 650) and heavyweight (Griso 1200) bikes, and I liked them better than the Q3s I used to run. No, the turn-in was not quite as quick as the Dunlops, but the Michelins are plenty sporty, very stable and last a good long time (7k miles on the Griso).

It's been years since I used Bridgestone BT-016 but those were the tires that really seemed to hit me as having much better cornering grip on the street than the stock tires. They were the tires I had the smallest chicken strips on and they just felt SO dependable in a lean. ...and they were cheap compared to the street/track tires I've used since. Kruz doesn't post all over the forum anymore but if you've seen his threads, you know he rides pretty hard on the street. he uses Bt-016s exclusively on all his bikes. I think I will get a set of those for the 14 and have a second try at them. I also liked the Bridgestone BT-003 which is more track oriented but I don't think I ever cornered quite as hard on the street with it as I did the BT-016.

Thanks for hte input BigBloke and Rook. I was looking for people who might have similar likes/dislikes in their tires and maybe have tried different tires than the ones I liked. One set I might give a try are PP3s, apparently they have a very quick turn in (maybe more so than Q3s) although I was warned against rear tire wear.

I was hoping someone might have tried Continentals sport attacks and whether or not they fit more or less. Also maybe Avons.

I'm not sure where I'd slot PR4s, but indications are they'd be a little more like S20s or M5s than Q3s and M7s. I still haven't ruled them out though. As far as BT-016s, what I'm reading is my feelings on S20s seem to run across the line up of Bridgestones. It's not they lack traction or are bad tires, but vague road feel and slower turn in seem to be common comments about various Bridgestones in the sport tire area. I felt the S20s offered the most vague feeling of what was going on, although I wouldn't say other than end of life there were any traction issues.

Conti Road Attack and Avon Storm were well liked about 7 years ago for their long life. I don't seem to hear as much about either of them anymore. Not surprisingly, those tires weren't noted for their side grip but they were great for high speed straight line performance and they lasted for ever. The Sport Attack must be an updated tire with better cornering grip, I would imagine.

"I tend to wear the tread out evenly edge to edge, when the center tread is done side and edge tread are done"...I wish I could do this.I try.I really do.By hauling the mail through curves and such at....illegal speeds of course.It still seems to not make much difference.I've tried various compounds.Soft.Hard.Mixed.Slowing to 65 or so on straights...hammering it in the curves.My tires NEVER wear on the sides like they do down the center...though some have been a bit more 'even'...but certainly not like you've described Vic.

It seems like once the center begins to wear...it accelerates much more quickly than the sides...no matter how fast or hard I corner or how easy I take it in the straights.I really would like to get an even wear across the profile.I mean..I'm able to get the sides to wear...but once that center gets down a bit...they never start to equal out.No matter what I do.

I've had the PR4's now on both the H2 and the 14.They really are a great handling tire.Firmer construction.Higher mileage than ANY of the 'high mileage' tires I've previously used.I like em.No worry at all about cornering grip.They hold VERY nicely.I'd try em if I were you Vic.They're VERY stable.Road feel,steering...very predictable.If you cruise at legal speeds...these will last a fairly good amount of miles.Longest lasting tire I've had on my bikes so far.And you know I don't cruise around all the time at 65.

Tire pressures are another critical component with these tires.It has to be at or close to the MFG's recommendations.

I'll just add this.Of all the tires I've used..the DUNLOPS(dual compound for mileage..which wasn't so great)(they got hard,and I had to replace em) were the most even wearing tires I've had.UNFORTUNATELY they have(at least with mine)a tendency to start getting hard.Which isn't good for cornering.But they still weren't as good as the PR4's I have.

At around 4K miles on these PR4's they look virtually 'new' wearwise.And you know I get on it most of my rides.If I slowed up some...they'd definitely outlast anything else I've used.And they are.

* Last updated by: Grn14 on 11/8/2015 @ 11:30 AM *

Mine came out with bridgestones 020 and I only got 4000kms. Put Angel GT on and the first tyre (50 profile) got me just over 8000km. This is done in fairly mixed riding conditions with twisties and fast runs. No dragging or burn outs.

I found by adjusting shocks and tyre pressure it took longer to get that flat area in the middle, but once it was there it got worse very quickly. Found that even before the tread was finished the Angel started handling bad and also became a bit unpredictable in the corners.

I have now put the 55 profile Angel GT on. Done 1000kms. Can't say I notice a difference in the corners between the profiles. I do notice that I can push them harder than the Bridgestones and also don't get nearly as much rubber rolling off.

Thanks for the tire tips!

"Found that even before the tread was finished the Angel started handling bad and also became a bit unpredictable in the corners"...yep...mine too.That's when I switched to the PR4's...just to try out..had been using the Angels for several changes previously.The Dunlops I used felt this same way towards the end of the tire life...along with the hardening of the tread material.I didn't trust em.

I can tell you one thing. I just put an Angel GT on the front, and while it seems to have a nice, neutral turn in, it is a HARSH ride. I get every bump and ripple transmitted to the bars. When it wears out I think I'll go back to what I was running before. PR 2 or 3 or 4.

Mad

I'll most likely give PR4s a try at some point. The longer mileage is appealing, I figure I might genuinely get 4500-5000 miles out of them. But that also scares me a little, because if I don't end up liking them I won't enjoy riding as much.

I can tell you one thing. I just put an Angel GT on the front, and while it seems to have a nice, neutral turn in, it is a HARSH ride. I get every bump and ripple transmitted to the bars. When it wears out I think I'll go back to what I was running before. PR 2 or 3 or 4.

My $.02...
Been running this combo for a long time now...Pilot Power 3 front, Pilot Road 4 GT rear...my thinking is that I cannot have the front slip whereas the rear can squirm a bit. That said, the PR4 is really good, you have to be pretty ham-fisted to get it to slip, ie literally doing it on purpose. Normal, even very fast riding and both ends are solid and planted.

Tim how many miles you get out of your tires? Pretty even F/R wear with that combo?

Any reason you're shying away from Pirelli?

I've had tremendous success with the Diablo Rosso Corsa. I've run it on the street and the track. It gets decent mileage (2500-3500 miles) for a sport tire on a ZX14R, and has more grip and stability than the Q3s and M5s that I've also run. The softer carcass of the Pirelli gives it a firmly planted feel, and really gives me confidence when I'm driving off apexes.

For the sake of direct comparability, I'll stick to the tires I've had on my ZX14R only. I've run many many others, but those are impressions gleaned from different bikes. Hopefully this helps, and obviously YMMV.

Metzler M5 (190/55)
Pros - They were on the bike when I bought it?
Cons - Terrible wear, low overall grip, very slow-handling

Dunlop Q3
Pros - Precise response to inputs, good grip to the limit, decent rain traction
Cons - Harsh ride, no warning before big slides, rapid wear

Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsa (200/55)
Pros - Predictable, planted feeling, amazing grip, predictable slides, decent wear, better size selection
Cons - Not as razor-sharp feeling as the Q3s, less than epic in heavy rain

I'll be putting on a set of the Pilot Power 3's in a couple of weeks.

My bike came with the M5's on it. They're in good shape and since I've
never ran them before I thought, great I'll get to check them out.

(Of coarse this is just my opinion.)

I can't wait to get them off. I just don't trust them.

The grip is poor and ride is terrible.

Haven't even pushed the bike very hard and have had back tire
moving around on me and it shouldn't be. Even little things
like crossing a painted line can slip the tire easily.

I mean I guess I can keep dropping the pressure and see if I
can heat them up more or something, but rather just get rid of them.

I was thinking about trying something new, like the Angel GT's, but
I just want to get on with it and ride the bike. I trust the PP3's, I have
gone through a few sets on another ST type bike and for me they
always perform, like the profile, great grip and wear is reasonable 4k +/-
Price $280 for a set.

On my zx10 for trackdays I'm running the Diablo Supercorsa SP V2's and really like them, but
don't think I'll be putting them on the 14

Piken I'd say check your air pressures. M5s are well if not top rated ST tires with more focus on performance than touring. They are softer compound and high grip which is why they wear so terrible. I get why Kaw puts them on 14s... they're something that can handle the power cold and helpful in wet.

It's rare to see the "so bad I can't wait to replace them" review. I don't think I've ever seen a bad professional review. If anything the worst thing about them is wear and they have a slower/heavier turning feel to them. I don't blame you for wanting them off, but not wearing them out they're not that bad of a tire.

http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/2015/02/article/metzeler-sportec-m5-interact-comparison/

ok, maybe a little strong. I've read about the M5 and was
excited to give them a try.

I'm going to drop the pressures (34 ~ 36) range and see how they run.

I can wait a couple of weeks to spoon the PP3's on.

Dunlop Q3's are made in the good ole U.S. of A if that matters to anyone.

I enjoyed my Q3s. I still have a set that I'm hoping to use for a track day. If I could get a little more mileage out of them I'd run them. 2500 just isn't enough (and that's considered good wear on them), and considering the M7RR is so close and lasted 1000 more miles.

Hi Steve,

Do you have different tires front and back? "I just put an Angel GT on the front" I have been pushing out tire change till now and at 6500miles the OEM BS S20 rear has a couple of bold spots. No wires yet, though. My front tire still have 50% tread except one area where the wearout bar is shown. I wonder how it is to wear different brands back and front. I know that people are against it (I had another thread about it here). Let me know your experience.

BTW, sorry that I keep missing your PM. I travel a lot and rarely check PM.

Regards,

Smily

Ended up ordering Pirelli Diablo Rosso 2s with a 55 rear. Read reviews they are on the sportier side of things as far as turn in and should have good center tread wear. I considered Diablo Corsas but it seemed they'd be a higher wearing tired even compared to Q3s.

Also ordered a Puig Racing windscreen blue tinted.

Ended up getting a set of Pirelli Angel GT with 190 for rear. I had them installed yesterday and rode about 40 miles. My previous set was BS S20 (OEM). I didn't feel much differences except Angel GT seemed bit taller (I guess S20 was worn). I will see how Angel GT performs...too bad it is raining today.

I didn't feel much differences except Angel GT seemed bit taller (I guess S20 was worn)

This will be my 2nd 55, taking off one. As much as people say going to a 55 makes a huge difference I'm more convinced it's just going from a worn out (and in most cases severely flat spotted) tire to a shiny new one compared to the real difference between 50 and 55. Or to say, I think people it's more so just getting a new tire

I'd like to do some back to back with a 50 to 55 but it'll probably never happen.

Its just the geometry of the /55 tire being .37in taller than the /50. If you also lower the front ~0.5 the difference is easier turn-in. To me the bike seems to fall into the turn very easy compared to the stock tire and geometry. Its not a drastic change just a bit easier - I prefer this setup to stock. The bike is 100% stable with this set up at all speeds.