Which tire is better for my needs?

My rear tire is showing a band in the middle, so I'm replacing it. My front tire still has great treadlife.

I am a new rider still. I got my bike in May of 08. I have put on about 9k miles since I got it. I do a lot of highway riding, but I do want to have more fun on the city roads as I get better. Safely of course. I buy from here since they are in my neighborhood: tires unlimited: http://www.tiresunlimited.com/closeouts_mc_tires.htm

My choices are:


Battlax BT-021 Sport Touring Replacement Radials $117.95

* New Sport Touring Radial designed for touring oriented riders wanting serious performance and high mileage.
* “Luxury Feel” combines advantages of both sport tire and touring tire to provide luxury and good feedback during aggressive riding.
* New front and rear pattern designed to provide good shock absorption with less vibration and noise to minimize fatigue on longer rides.
* Rear tire is Dual Tread Compound with Cap Base Construction providing mileage from center compound and grip from shoulder compound, while enhancing tread stiffness for better grip, shock absorption, and all-weather performance.
* Compares to the Dunlop D220, Michelin Pilot Road, Pirelli Diablo Strada, Metzeler Z6 Roadtec

OR


ContiSportAttack $118.95

*Supersports street tyre, also at home on the race track.
• 0° steel-belted construction, front and rear, guarantees excellent stability at high speeds
• Excellent grip in the dry, and also in the wet.
• Very short warm-up phase thanks to the “Black Chilli“ compound
• Good control when braking for corners
• Well defined and wide breakaway characteristics at maximum lean angle
• Cutting-edge design for the tread pattern, perfect for modern sports bikes
• Continuous Compound-Technologie: Makes it possible to use an homogeneous grip grading with a single compound thanks to a temperature controlled curing of the tyre during the production process
· Shoulder area, flexible → Grip
· Zenith area, wear resistant → Mileage
· Continuous transition

OR


Dunlop D205 Sport Touring Rear $74.88

■Combines sporting capability with extended mileage
■Tire tread pattern has large blocks in center to improve dry grip and wear resistance; shoulder area has high rubber-to-void area for excellent wet grip while cornering
■Jointless Belt Construction (JLB) gives smooth handling and precise footprint
■Blackwall design
■W-rated for speeds up to 168 mph

OR


Metzeler Racetec Trackday K2 $160.77

■This is the K2 Soft Compound; Also available in K1 Supersoft Compound
■The ultimate in trackday performance
■Maximized cornering grip, performance and durability make the Racetec the logical choice for track days
■Low thermoplasticity provides fast and even warmup for excellent confidence from the first corner
■Patented 0° steel belt construction front and rear provides excellent stability for braking, outstanding precision handling and reduced tendency to "stand up" during front braking while cornering
■MIRS technology offers ultimate uniformity and profile for better tire feedback and faster direction changes
■W-rated for speeds up to 168 mph

I am seriously considering the Dunlop, since its the cheapest, and with my experience, I doubt I will notice the difference. But I want to know what you think.

 

You could also add Michelin Pilot Road 2s to your list, I like them, like them a lot.

 

Whats the front? Good idea to stay with what you have in a match. Just my two cents worth, oh make that 3 cents

 

Dunlop road smarts. Good grip.Great wear and stick like glue.

 

I have Dunlop Qualifiers Sportmax currently.

 

since you ride on the street (presumably on a VFR) and do a lot of highway, would suggest something with a less sporty compound.

Pirelli Diablo Stradas would be a good choice, Michelin Pilot Roads, Bridgestone BT14

 

yep, agree with RV.....you need to take the front tyre into consideration.
a mismatched front to rear tyre combo can do wierd things to a bikes handling.

you may potentially have both wear differance and profile differance if you dont have a matching set. get the front checked also...it may look alright but actually be in need of replacement.

so either stick with not only the same brand, but same type within the brand, or buy a matched pair.

i guess it depends on how you feel about your current front tyres performance....is it adequate for the task?

after that wear and useage come into play...

personally i feel far more confident riding on matched tyres than i do with a set of mis matches...which is why i recently changed both of my 6th gen tyres from bridgestone front/ dunlop rear to matching conti road attacks.

good luck with the tyre search...

 

I bought the Dunlop. I bought it through work, and they dropped the price down to $55 plus $20 for mount and balance. I couldn't pass it up. If its a sucky tire, I'll replace it, and only be out $77 dollars and a life lesson will be taught

Otherwise, I appreciate the input.

 

+1 on the Michelin Pilot Road 2's. I'm a Michelin man after having the Roads on my other bike and replacing the crap tires with Road 2's on VFR. Next set of tires I buy will be Road 2's for the Hawk. Rail the corners and don't look back in the straights...

http://www.derbycycles.com/

Some of the best prices I have found and super quick shipping.

 

If your going with conti's go with rd attacks not sport attacks. you wont get very much wear out of the sport. If your a new rider you will never use the extra traction anyways.
my last two set were rd attacks have no complaints on traction, even did a track day on them. only down side rear was completely worn out at about 5000 miles. but many have gotten almost double that it just depends how much you use your happy handle.

 

There ya go, unless you have the money, as I yes I agree with the Pirellis, you might as well get another Dunlop, that way when you wear out the rear again then you can swap out to a whole tire package. I'm a firm believer in NOT! mix matching brands in any way shape or form, nada, not a good idea. no way, Nope, won't catch me doing that..

 

I put a set of 205's on 8 years ago and was satisfied with their performance. Did get 9000+ miles out of the set but I also don't ride like a MotoGP racer!

I did install a set of Dunlop D220's and they have been good so far...

 

Lots 'of good' info,'o god'(a tire thread)"luvin'every minute of it".Been riding mich pilot powers after the stock Dunlop crap 208.They gave me the feel of what is capable...beyond my skill!My next rubber accessories will be mich. dual compound$ or pilot roads.I'm eh michelin man.I'll take their 'u'shape over eh dunlop 'v' anyday.Oh yeah but hey,match your tyres to their performance level...f+r.Heh,gotta' write a check...CA ,$404.Exceeding 65mph,CHP gave me a break.B careful

 

Dunlop Roadsmarts...............Awesome!!

 

Stick with the Road Smarts at least until you're ready to replace both your tires as a set. The Dunlop RS is dual compound, designed to give better mileage when upright and better stick when leaned over. That means a longer wearing , harder compound in the center and a softer, stickier compound on the sides. Bridgestone has been doing this for years. Michelin and Dunlop and Pirelli finally decided to get off thier asses and join the party. When the time comes I would try a set of BT021's, they're great.

 

I've seen the effects on cars that have a mismatched tire of the same size create tire pulls and other weirdness- I would never run a mismatched set on my VFR I know that.

 

thanks everyone. I might end up buying a whole new set. This rear tire looks more like a moto tire than a street. I'm not normally this shallow, but It really doesn't seem to flow with the bike. Plus Even though the front tire is almost new, I am getting nervous about rocking the Sportsmax in the front and the touring in the rear.