Michelin Pilot Active bias $298 Bridgestone BT45 bias $330 Dunlop Streetsmart bias $386 Edit: here's a late contender Pirelli Scorpion Trail II $367 These are the three sets i'm considering because they are available in Australia in the correct sizes front and rear. I avoid riding in the rain, and I don't really fang around. Usually not riding in traffic just very genteel cruising, although a little bit of twisty stuff, sometimes encounter some dampish patches in the shade and some bumpy roads and very occasionally some graded dirt road but not much of that. I notice that all three are bias ply which is surprising to me. I've only just obtained a s/h Street Twin, coming from a GS500. At this stage I want to stick to the recommended 100/90 and 150/70 Currently has the Pirelli Sports Comp they came with but they are 5 years old. I find that I'm having to push the Street Twin around corners, not sure if this is the tyres doing this or it's how they handle. Any thoughts appreciated.
I just replaced the rear tyre of '18 T100 from the stock Pirelli Sports Comp to Pirelli Scorpion Trail II. I am happy after 200 KM. The stock's sidewall was detached from the steel rim alongside the tyre's sidewall in 10K KM. I chose it because the tyre shop had no stock of Michelin Pilot Sport 4 but I am still happy with this. Better holding than the Sports Comp as it needed to warm up enough to have a good roadholding even in the ever-hot Bangkok weather.
Had scorpion II's on a r1200gs and they were fabulous lasted ages and gripped vv well in wet, dry and sluge. Used them all year round and never had a moment in 14 months and 7000 miles.
From your description of your riding habits I think you would be delighted with Pilot Activs. I had them on an 865 T100 and they were sticky, durable and exceeded the limitations of the chassis. By all means pay more in pursuit of ‘the ultimate’ ......
Good recomendation mate, will look into them. The standard rossos on me bike are good though and work fine been using them on me other bike for a few years and like em but most of the time it comes to which are a good price like the rest of us. By that token brigestone BT16's are a good cheap tyre too.
Bugger, I just realised I put 'Speed Twin' and not Street Twin' in the thread title. @Stramasher, it would be similar to Juan Manuel Fangio if he rode a bike. @Callumity, I am leaning (no pun etc) heavily towards the Michelins. I have to say that I am very slightly alarmed at how much I have to wrestle the Street Twin around corners, it has the same rake as my GS500 and only a little more trail, and that flipped around pretty easily and didn't require counter steering to hold it's line in a tight corner. I am hoping that new tyres have some effect on this.
Another plus for the Michelin. Nicely triangulated front profile that tracks really well and steers lightly.
Done I will go for the Michelins, as a bonus it appears that I can get a bias on the front and a radial on the back, as per Triumph OEM tyres. I have to say that I was a little concerned about that central continuous longitudinal groove on the front tyre, so nice to know it's not a problem. Thanks to everyone who replied. @Helmut Visor excellent, title changed!
I am no expert, but understand that the retro larger front wheel is the reason for it not turning in as quickly.
I’ll be interested to see if you think the handling better with the new tires. Replaced my Pirelli oem with Conti Road Attack 3s and it handles like a different bike. I realized then the Pirellis were garbage.
After all that I discover that because the Michelins are imported from Spain there is currently none on the next delivery ship. So I have gone for the Pirelli Sport Demons, which are radial apparently rather than the bias of the Michelin, so maybe a softer ride? Will report back in a couple of weeks.
Tyres fitted by Triumph and other motorcycle manufacturers are bought in bulk and in many cases specifically manufactured for that purpose, which means they are generally rubbish, less tread depth, different compounds to the tyre manufacturers “normal” version of that tyre, one thing to bear in mind with tyres for bikes with sporting pretensions such as the Speed twin and Thruxton is the profile, my Thruxton was slow to turn/drop in with the standard Michelins, I swapped the front for a Pirelli Diablo and everything is much improved, turn in, drop in, tram lining, the lot, steering feels lighter and more precise as well, comparing the profile of the two tyres showed the Pirelli has a much tighter profile, more “V” shaped you could say, no loss in straight line stability by the way, should be dry roads this weekend, can’t wait !
I agree. The stock Pirelli Phantom rear tire on my Street Cup had a nasty sharp transition from the main tread down to the sidewalk, making the tyre almost square. Got my miles out of those, and the biggest change I feel with the new Contis is a nice even lean and turn in, with the profile being a nice round shape all the way past the side of the tyre
UPDATE: once again, my bike guys could not get hold of the Pirelli Phantoms, so I went for the Scorpion Trail II. Just got it done this morning. I wasn't expecting an improvement on the continuous counter steering needed through corners because I saw an online review that complained about that. As soon as I got on the bike I could feel it was different, kinda strange, felt like it was on stilts. Felt good after a while and I've now had a chance to take her through some tight bumpy off camber twisties that are always a bit hair raising, and also some fast sweepers and more smoother twisties. What. A. Difference. Night and day, glides through the corners completely neutral, no counter steering pressure needed at all. Able to go around 10km/h faster but it felt like I was going around slower! I am super happy with these Scorpions, can highly recommend, complements the bike perfectly. I'll update in another 6,000kms, see how they hold up. The Sports comps that were on the bike only had 5,000kms on when I got the bike, but already they were a pig through the corners, granted maybe OEM phantoms are different to current phantoms, I'm guessing, if it's handling you're after the you won't regret the Scorpions.
Yeah, that what I felt about the Scorpions too, not only more precise and neutral through the corners but strangely were more stable in a straight line too, felt like the wheelbase was longer!