Road Pilot 4 Trail fitted to my CT

[MrKiwi]

fitted a pair of new tires to my CT today.  Am riding 600k  on Friday.  Will let you know my initial reactions next week...

[MrKiwi]

OK, done 700km on the new tires.

My initial reactions are good.  Durability will take time to assess, but in terms of other factors here's what I have to say about these tires:

• Once I scrubbed off the shine the tires began to bed in.  They have plenty of grip and I found I could rely on them in the tight twisty roads with confidence over and above that of the scorpions.  Most tires are good in the warm and dry, but it is how well they preform in the wet and cold that count.  I didn't have cold to contend with, but I did have wet roads for part of the way.  The tires were excellent.
• I haven't tried them in gravel yet
• The tires held on firmly when I leaned the bike over hard and I deliberately tested their cornering characteristics with a range of normal to aggressive corner speeds. At no point did they feel like slipping nor did they behave badly.
• In my view these tires suit the Crosstourer.  They seem well balanced, are smooth and provide good feedback to the rider

More to come as I ride during the year.  I'm heading back to Auckland this weekend to pick up the bike to ride home again (I've had some work done to it by the NZ distributor) and then in March I will ride it on  7 day trip around the South Island.  The roads in the South Island of New Zealand are chip seal and they're known to be hard on tires, causing accelerated wear.  It will be interesting to see how they stand up to 2,500 kms of travel.

Cheers - MrKiwi

[varaquiero]

Mr Kiwi, Thanks for that initial view of these tyres , pretty sure they are going to be my next choice for the Dero, will need them before vcim17 so coming soon  methinks. Hope your tour of the South Island goes well, when i was there the speed cops like to make themselves known as i am sure you are aware.
Look forward to your next installment, stay safe,ride free....

[MrKiwi]

done some more miles now.

On my return trip from Auckland last weekend, it rained quite hard at various stages, and the tyres performed nicely.  The bike was heavy too, I had my panniers full. 

Now to see how many kms I get out of them, done 1500kms and no sign of wear yet.

[varaquiero]

done some more miles now.

On my return trip from Auckland last weekend, it rained quite hard at various stages, and the tyres performed nicely.  The bike was heavy too, I had my panniers full. 

Now to see how many kms I get out of them, done 1500kms and no sign of wear yet.

Thanks for that info,glad to hear you are happy so far. Nice to get good feedback. Keep us all updated. Thanks.

[MrKiwi]

Came across this review today...

http://www.sportrider.com/michelin-pilot-road-4-tire-sr-tested-product-review?src=SOC&dom=fb

[varaquiero]

Came across this review today...

http://www.sportrider.com/michelin-pilot-road-4-tire-sr-tested-product-review?src=SOC&dom=fb

Yet again a big thank you sir for this link.

[MrKiwi]

Off road with my Road Pilot Four trail tires.

These tires are really good on paved roads, but typically are a little lacking on unpaved roads.  Usually I would let some air out of the tires for long distance gravel running, but from past experience the softer sides wear quite fast when doing that.

I just cut my speed back a bit and enjoy the ride, they did OK.

[Jyrays]

PR4 after 9k...

[JosepM]

PR4 after 9k...

Mine (on Vara) lasted 10000 km, including a trip to Yorkshire. Performed very well, but a bit too little.

Yours look very "squared", just like you had been riding too much motorway or twistless roads 

Regards,

Josep

[Jyrays]

Josep,

You ride much lighter than us  Maybe slower too 

They just look squared, but hey are not.

Arrived home yesterday, still on same tires... now it is time I guess 

The beginning if anyone does want to compare 

[JosepM]

Josep,

You ride much lighter than us  Maybe slower too 

Lighter? Probably, as Varadero is lighter than CT and U is taller than C (both pretty fit) 

They just look squared, but hey are not.

Arrived home yesterday, still on same tires... now it is time I guess 

The beginning if anyone does want to compare 

PR4T is very good IMO.
It is just beyond my capabilities  , so Anakee 2 fits equally my requirements for a lesser cost. 

Regards,

Josep

[Jyrays]

I went to scale with my gear on and I could carry a 50 kg pillion who wears only my credit card 

The sides of PR4 are obviously too soft for my style and weight of my bike with U and myself.

Looking for another option as 4 weeks in Balkans will need more tire than PR4 gives...

[Jyrays]

1st week Balkan tour on Anakee 3. Looks solid but not as easy to ride as PR4. Need warm up and makes extra sound. Also small shake on low speeds...

[Jyrays]

I was loud too early