Why change the OEM tire ??

[Joe]

'Would appreciate your feedback on this question.....

My bike has 13,000 kms on its' OEM tires, so at SOME point I will have to get a new set....but which ??

Have you guys gone back to the OEMs or not ??
What have you put on the bike instead ??  Why ??

Thanks in advance for sharing your experience.....it will help me decide when that time comes.

NOTE- I used Dunlop E3 & E4 on my Yamaha 1300 V-Star, and found them very good & long lasting.....could these be used on my RS ??

Joe

[c10]

What was avaible for your V star is not for the RS . Sport vs cruiser , speed rating and compound changes . OEM is made to a price point for the OEM and same model X vs off the shelf model X is different . Tire and oil threads are pointless as everyone has an opinion.
Todays rubber and tires are pretty good . Figure out if you are sport riding you want a sticky tire , if touring a tire that last . There are many in-between options that do both jobs well but never as great as a dedicated purpose tire .

[Grumpy Goat]

My bike has 13,000 kms on its' OEM tires, so at SOME point I will have to get a new set....but which ??

Have you guys gone back to the OEMs or not ??
What have you put on the bike instead ??  Why ??

Thanks in advance for sharing your experience.....it will help me decide when that time comes.

NOTE- I used Dunlop E3 & E4 on my Yamaha 1300 V-Star, and found them very good & long lasting.....could these be used on my RS ??

Any tire that would fit on your RS's wheels can be used on the RS. The issue is how you would be using the bike, how you ride it, and the road surfaces you ride it on. 

You said "good & long lasting" suggesting that you equate good with long lasting, where long lasting suggests a harder compound. If that is how you ride (i.e. less aggressively and looking to get the most miles out of your tires) then that is fine too, and you should go with the experience you know.

I am not sure what the OEM tires are on your RS (and you did not mention) but 13k kms (8.1k miles) is better than a lot of folks get. My 2016 came with Michelin Pilot Road 4's and I replaced them with the same and also the Road 5 as well. They worked well and gave me good mileage, like 8k miles on the rear and a bit more on the front. Performance in the dry and wet was also superb. If it works then why change it, right?

Well then I tried Dunlop Roadsmart III and found that they were cheaper than the Michelins, performed just as well in the wet and dry, and wore better (less cupping in front) and lasted longer. That, and its replacement Roadsmart IV) was / is my go-to tire now and I have no need to change or to look further at other options. Going down that rabbit hole is a waste of time and life is too short.  

I have gotten over 8k miles on the rear and over 11k miles on a front tire with pretty even wear so I am happy. I also look for good value from my tires and if they perform beyond my abilities and warm up quickly then all my needs are met. Oh, and my bike is my transportation and not just a weekend toy.

[colirv]

I'll need to renew my tyres before long. From past experience and various informed opinion I'll be choosing between the Metzeler Roadtec 01 SE, the Dunlop RoadSmart IV, the Michelin Road 6 GT and the Bridgestone T31. It'll largely come down to price and what's available.

[Lee]

My bike has 13,000 kms on its' OEM tires, so at SOME point I will have to get a new set....but which ??

What is BMW using on the RS now? They usually use 2 different brands.
Welcome to the site.

[Lee]

Tire and oil threads are pointless as everyone has an opinion.

I agree and you can add windscreens to that statement

It's hard to go wrong with any of the sport touring tires available now.

[Liteitup]

Tire and oil threads are pointless as everyone has an opinion.

I agree and you can add windscreens to that statement

It's hard to go wrong with any of the sport touring tires available now.

And seats.

Agree on tires, pretty positive I can't out ride any of them. That said, I tend to the RS IV or road whatever for mileage.

[Becksy]

Check out the tyre survey where folks have been voting on their preference.

https://rswasserboxer.com/R1200RSforum/thread-1028.html

[Ray]

What is BMW using on the RS now? They usually use 2 different brands.
Welcome to the site.

Looks like  Spanish Michelin and a Chinese Metzeler Roadtec 01....,. (Metzler still markets the 01 as made in Ger.any for the retail market.)

[Ray]

Looks like the RR runs 3 different brands
Bridgestone, Metzler, and Michelin
Will include a rare shot for our dealership of one in every color.

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[Ray]

RS tire (tyre) ohotos

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[Grumpy Goat]

With the three different tires on the S1000RR bikes in one place it seems like BMW is confirming Bruce's approach ... "black and round" / "round-rubber-rebate" tires are best.

Back to Joe's original post ... as Becksy noted above, the tire poll for the RS provides the best answer on what the respondents here prefer, and I'd like to think that is based on their experience and riding style. There are great reasons the Dunlop Roadsmart III / IV are the clear winner, and these may be best summed up in the article in Rider Magazine referenced in the post pinned to the top of this Forum.

[Lee]

Looks like the RR runs 3 different brands


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That's interesting.

[Duckbubbles]

Besides "black and round", I would think cost and availability drives BMW's choice of rubber.

Frank

[Joe]

Thanks for all your feedback....and the tire survey was revealing too !!!

Appreciate it.

FYI.... the OEM tires are "Metzeler Roadtec Z8 Interact"

AND- my Dunlop E4's that I used on my 660 lb Yamaha 1300 Vstar, got me 35,000 kms on the rear tire and 50,000 kms on the front tire riding 2-up 75% of the time  !!!!!!!!!!!!

Joe

[Lee]

Is the Z8 the same tire that's been on the market for 10 years or more?

[Ray]

These are the latest 2024 arrivals. Photo above sure looks like it says 01, and having gone through 4 sets, I recognized the tread pattern. Only difference - mine said made in Germany, which gets back to differences between OEM and retail.
When I asked about the 3 different brands on the RR I was told that there's no predicting which tires a bike will wear out of the factory.

[Paughco]

How's this for a reason: I can't stand the name "Interact" on a motorcycle tire. Sounds like something from one of those mandatory social-training videos for work, with words like "inclusivity" (a good thing), or "micro-agression" (a bad thing). I don't interact on a motorcyce. I act, and try to avoid having to react. Meanwhile...

I run Metzeler M7RRs on my '22 R1250RS. They worked fine on my 2016 S1000XR, and before that on my 2013 K1300S. A set of M5s on my K1200S saved my ass one SGR September afternoon; I rode over Sonora Pass during a hail storm. Oh man, that was scary, riding on a half-inch of ball bearing hail. The M7RRs are working fine on the RS. Maybe they'll last a bit longer on the RS than they usually did on the K-bike. Tire longevity hardly matters anyway, because I typically replace them just before a planned long ride, rather than trying to improve my mileage record. I know those M7RRs work like a champ on dry pavement. Gave them a really good wet pavement test a few days ago on a ride from my secret HQ in the Snoqualmie Valley down to Tacoma, over the Narrows Bridge then up to Bremerton. It rained pretty serious most of the way on that ride. Also while riding up through Poulsbo then back home from Edmonds after the boat ride. Dunno about the "Interacts," but I do trust those M7RRs.



I've got a new set of M7RRs sitting on the shelf at Mt. Vernon Cannon Works, and I'll probably get them replaced a week or so before we all ride to the the BMWMOA National Rally in Redmond, Oregon. Then maybe I'll do a speed run down to Vegas to see my sister, then run back up to John Day for the Chief Joseph Rally. Hmm. Will have to order a new set of M7RRs for after return from that ride. 

Keep the shiny side up and the greasy side down.

Seeya
ATB

[Lee]

 A set of M5s on my K1200S saved my ass one SGR September afternoon; I rode over Sonora Pass during a hail storm. Oh man, that was scary, riding on a half-inch of ball bearing hail.

Seeya
ATB

I remember seeing the pictures that year.
Did Beech drop his K1300S?

[Paughco]

 A set of M5s on my K1200S saved my ass one SGR September afternoon; I rode over Sonora Pass during a hail storm. Oh man, that was scary, riding on a half-inch of ball bearing hail.

Seeya
ATB

I remember seeing the pictures that year.
Did Beech drop his K1300S?

Yeah. That was a bummer. No way could I turn around on that slippery surface. All I could do was leave her in first gear and ease my way down the east side of the Pass. It gradually changed from hail to rain with each few feet decrease in altitude. I waited for about two hours at the bottom, where 108 meets 395. A couple big flatbed tow trucks went up the hill while I was waiting. Finally I heard a K1300S coming down the hill. Sounded like Beecher's bike, with that distinctive Remus exhaust sound. It was Beech. I was hoping that he'd simply pulled over and waited until the storm passed and it warmed up a bit. Nope. He had dumped it, and had busted the shift lever. We rode back to Markleeville with Beecher in fourth gear the whole way. We checked the bike out behind our room at the Toll Station. Hmm. Needed some heliarc welding to get the busted lever together, and a little re-threading on the shift rod with a die should do the trick. I let Beecher ride my K1200S up to Reno to get the heliarc done and to buy the die for the shift rod. He was back in about three hours. He reassembled the bike and tested it out. We had a beer to celebrate. Headed back home the next day. Beech is still riding that bike. He's got over 100,000 miles on it. 



Seeya
 ATB