Bike Tweakers - My Tire Reviews

The following are basic reviews for everyday people that I put together based on personal experience with each set I try out. These are all on a 2001 R6, I weigh ~150lbs and I ride in the "B" class which means I'm not the fastest guy on the track but I can keep a moderate pace and usually pass more than get passed.

Dunlop 207ZR

120/60/17 front @ 34-35 psi on street, 32-33 psi in canyons and 31-32 psi at the track

180/55/17 rear @ 35-36 psi on street, 32-34 psi in canyons and 30-32 psi at the track

Street: These tires come stock on most bikes including mine. They are more designed for traction versus longevity and are not optimum if you want to just commute on them. The center will wear out relatively fast. They didn't give me any problems as long as I had tread left.

Canyon: Excellent tires for canyon riding. I pushed them as I hard as I could (without endangering the lives of others) in the twisties and never had any slip. It seems that Dunlops tire profile is more of a "up" or "down" design meaning youre either straight up or your leaned over for the turn.

Track: You can use these tires on the track if you're riding "C" or beginner class. I used them for my first track day without any problems at all. They warm up fast and hold the lines well. As the day progressed I could feel where it would be nicer to have a softer racier tire though. As I braked harder and later into turns they started feeling a little unstable but for the most part I would recommend these for anyone doing their first track day and not wanting to spend a lot of money for the tires.

Overall: B+. These are excellent tires and most wont have any problems with them. They are moderately priced and I went through two sets before trying something else. If you're a more experienced rider or push the bike a lot I would recommend you try the 207RRs. They are a happy medium between the 207ZRs and 208GPs and can be ridden on street, canyon or track without paying all the dough for race tires. I haven't personally rode the 207RRs but some friends of mine do and they haul ass on the track.

Bridgestone BT010

120/60/17 front @ 34-35 psi on street and 32-33 psi in canyons

180/55/17 rear @ 35-36 psi on street and 32-34 psi in canyons

Street: These tires come stock on some bikes as well. They are an excellent hybrid of race and street technology. They have a reinforced center meaning you will get a lot more street miles out of these than the Dunlops or others.

Canyon: These tires held up great for me in the twisties. I like the profile and turn-in a lot better than the 207s and they stick just as well. They hold up well under heavy braking, they hold the lines well, they exit turns without slip and are stable on high speed straights. I will continue to use these tires for canyon riding until I find another tire that's just as cheap and lasts as long.

Track: I never used these tires on the track so I really can't give a solid opinion but my instinct tells me they would hold up just fine for any novice rider that was just learning the track. Anyone pushing their bike or riding at moderate pace on the track should really consider using a little softer tire more designed for that kind of abuse.

Overall: A-. I really like these tires and they are very practical for most everyday riders who don't visit the track every week but get out for the occassional blast through the canyons. I went through one set of these already and plan to get some more. You just can't beat the price.

Metzeler Rennsport RS1

120/70/17 front @ 31 psi

180/55/17 rear @ 29 psi

Street: Don't even bother unless you want to spend $300 every few weeks to get new ones.

Canyon: To be honest I wouldn't bother with these in the canyons either. It's just not practical. On the other hand, if you ran with an RS2 in the rear I think you could make it work well as long as you always have ample time to warm-up the tires and don't mind spending the dough to replace them often.

Track: What can I say...these tires rocked on the track. I can't say I pushed them to every limit possible but I always felt that I could if I was so inclined. These are very stable, grippy and predictable tires and they warm up relatively fast for race tires. I spent two days on the track with these and loved every minute of it. Just make sure you're running the correct tire pressures as I listed above...this is very crucial for the track and these super soft tires.

Overall: A+. These tires are great for track use. The profile is great and the turn-in is smooth. They hold up well under hard braking and turning and exit turns smoothly. Any slip is predictable and easy to fix and they are very stable on high-speed straights. I used them for two days at Buttonwillow in 90 degree weather and still have plenty left for another track day or two. For a smaller cc bike like the R6 or F4 or whatever you can run the RS1 front and rear with no problems. Some might not like the super soft rear on a bigger bike with more torque. I want to try running a RS2 rear and see how that works.

Metzeler Sportec M1

120/70/17 front @ 32 psi

180/55/17 rear @ 31 psi

Street: These are great street tires. I'm still working on my first set of these and will continue to use them for street until I find something better. Granted, these won't last as long as the BT010 but they do have better grip and stability. These are relatively inexpensive compared to other brands of multi-purpose tires.

Canyon: I think this is what M1's were really designed for. If you need anything more for riding canyon, then you're either a) a pro racer who is sponsored anyways and can acquire new tires all the time or b) someone who rides too fast for street conditions anyways and needs to take it to the track :) I have maximum confidence in these tires up in the hills.

Track: I, personally, haven't used these on the track yet but I see a lot of other riders using them and they like them just fine. I have also seen professional liter bike shootouts in magazines, etc. where they are all use M1's. The difference in track times was a few seconds less on these as compared to a soft race tire. If you can't afford race rubber for your track days then these are a pretty good choice.

Overall: A+. Sweet tires. I think you'll find that I'm not the only one who concurs with that. A set will cost somewhere around $200.

Dunlop 208GP

120/70/17 front @ 31 psi

180/55/17 rear @ 29 psi

Street: I never actually rode with these on the street...I have them on my track-only wheels. I really don't think it's practical to ride street with these though...too soft.

Canyon: Again, no solid opinion...but I would think these would be awesome for carving it up if you warmed them up properly and didn't mind dishing out the cash to replace them often.

Track: These tires were designed for track use. A lot of racers use them with confidence. I rode a few track days on them and was in heaven. It took a few sessions to get comfortable with the profile but once I got the feel it was on! It had a quicker turn-in then the Rennsports I used before...you're either straight up or all the way over...no in-between it seems. Some like it some don't.

Overall: A++. Bitchin' tire, dude. They cost NLT $400 for the average consumer. It would help to be sponsored or at least a race org member unless you have a hook-up on tires (in which case I would ask you to contact me and let me in on that!).