Tyres - Full Report

The tyres in the MCN test were tested in the order reported below. Marc weighs 14st. 7lbs (203lb, 92kg), Keith weighs 15st. (210lb., 95.3kg).

Pirelli Dragon GTS (MTR23/24) Overall rating 94% Pressure (p.s.i.) F34, R39
Marc (fastest lap 2:11.90) [Sprint St 2:13.60] These are ultra-stable at all times and the gfrip is fine for firing out of corners. They suit the bike well and offer plenty of grip, too. They are surprisingly compliant and work with the soft suspension but, as we've come to expect from the rounded profile of most Pirellis, slow to turn. Excellent

Keith (fastest lap 2:11.90) [Sprint ST 2:13.12] They turn easily but slowly and they're exceptionally stable both upright and cranked over. This applies going into and coming out of bends as well as in mid-corner. The front did slip a touch on one bumpy corner, but there's generally plenty of grip for the power of the bike. It's an ideal VFR tyre.

Metzeler MEZ4 (Overall rating 87%) Pressure (p.s.i.) F34, R39
Marc (fastest lap 2:11.40) [Sprint ST 2:11.21] These feel OK putting the power down but I don't know how I stand for grip mid-corner. They move around more than the Pirellis, especially under braking. They're slow to turn in but stable during entry and exit, and in a straight line. The front's feedback is particularly vague.

Keith (fastest lap 2:11.60) [Sprint ST 2:12.05] These have the same basic carcass construction as the Pirellis but they feel very different. They're more grippy, but it's not all that usable - feedback lets them down. They slid into and out of corners, which is bearable but not what you'd want from a sports tourer on the road. I didn't feel 100% confident.

Dunlop D207 (Overall rating 90%) Pressure (p.s.i.) F36, R42
Marc (fastest lap 2:12.10) [Sprint ST 2:12.00] There was slight instability exiting bends but in general things weren't bad. The stability under braking was excellent however - you can pin the front tyre to the ground. These also brought the suspension to life a bit even though the bike remained a touch wallowy.

Keith (fastest lap 2:11.10) [Sprint ST 2:11.24] These worked reasonably well on the VFR. The levels of grip available were fed back well and the suspension definitely livened up. But they aren't the most stable. If it's an exciting ride you'd like - go ahead and buy.


Avon Azaro II (AV35/36) (Overall rating 98%) Pressure (p.s.i.) F36, R42
Marc (fastest lap 2:10.60) [Sprint ST 2:09.30] These suit the bike in every aspect. There's a tiny bit of mvement out of corners, but it's fun, not scary. Npo complaints at all about grip, feedback, stability, turn in time or corner speed. Brilliant.


Keith (fastest lap 2:09.31) [Sprint ST 2:10.54] The tyres' profiles are just flat enough for utter stability and predictability going into bends and sharp enough for speedy steering. They're excellent and show Avon's extensive redesigning of this tyre over the past 12 months has paid off. I can't fault them.

Michelin Macadam (Overall rating 93%) Pressure (p.s.i.) F36, R42
Marc (fastest lap 2:10.50) [Sprint ST 2:10.24] There's a fair amount of grip but they don't offer enough feedback. Definitely more touring than sports, at least they are likely to last a long time. But I wouldn't ride at the ragged edge on them. They are firmly constructed and comfortable and offer excellent straight line stability.

Keith (fastest lap 2:10.30) [Sprint ST 2:11.19] The grip and feedback were reasonably good but there's room for improvement. They didn't offer a completely convincing ride, even though they were ultra stable and comfortable. They score well for coping with bumps while cranked over.

Bridgestone BT020 (Overalll rating 99%) Pressure (p.s.i.) F36, R36
Marc (fastest lap 2:08.40 = best of day) [Sprint ST 2:10.47] The VFR loves these. In fact these are the best tyres in our test for the Honda. I could attack corners hard and got stacks of feedback and grip at all times. And the bike loved overbanding and slammed home what is clearly the fastest lap of all during our massive test.

Keith (fastest lap 2:09.00 = his best of day) [Sprint ST 2:10.67] These are totally neck and neck with the Avon Azaros for top slot. Marvellous.

Continental Contiforce (Overall rating 90%) Pressure (p.s.i.) F36, R42
Marc (fastest lap 2:09.03) [Sprint ST 2:09.97] These performed surprisingly well, lapping very quickly. But they weren't totally stable and squirmed around on overbanding. Bumps never upset them, though, and there was a gratifying amount of grip.

Keith (fastest lap 2:10.45) [Sprint ST 2:11.08] These were the biggesat surprise of the test. I hadn't ridden on Continentals for years and expected them to behave in much the same way as they used to - poorly. But they suited the VFR perfectly and managed a fair lap time too. Grip was good, stability was excellent and feedback reasonable. Not so good on overbanding, though.

So two clear winners in the Avons and the Bridgestones on this test and by the sound of it either would be a good buy for the VFR.

In the UK there is quite a price difference in favour of the Avons (prices for a pair):
Pirelli GBP193.50 (USD300 @ 1.55)
Metzeler GBP208.50 (USD323 @ 1.55)
Dunlop GBP208.55 (USD323 @ 1.55)
Avon GBP162.05 (USD251 @ 1.55)
Michelin GBP192.25 (USD298 @ 1.55)
Bridgestone GBP194.00 (USD301 @ 1.55)
Continental GBP139.60 (USD216 @ 1.55)
The tests took place in the dry.

If I was buying today I think I'd go for the Avons on the basis of the report above, the price variance compared with the Bridgestones and the striking tread pattern.

Interesting that in most cases the VFR fastest lap was quicker than that of the Sprint ST with it's larger engine.

Hope you found it interesting as it took a while to retype it.

Brian Ross-Meering rossm@attglobal.net