I replaced my worn out Pilot Roads with the Continental Trail Attacks last night at 23,300 miles on the odometer. The Tiger also received a new chain and sprockets, the bike feels like a new machine again.
After doing a lot of research, and analyzing my riding style (90/10), this seemed like the tire for me. I'm a daily rider, commuting to and from work 10 miles each way. The Tiger's my weekend run-around machine too, so it see's some distance riding as well. There are a few fire roads I plan to investigate now that I have a "dual-sport" capable of enduring them.
Initial impressions after the first 100 miles are mixed, but still favorable. I have to admit, the front end feels a bit heavier in turns, but not in a bad way, just different than what I'm used to. They lean into the corner well and stay there once established, I'm confident in the tires ability to stick. On the highway, they track straight and don't grab the tar snakes or siping in the roads, so I think they'll be a good touring tire too.
The tires look good on the machine, meaning they don't look out of place. The tread pattern is definately different than most conventional tires, but it's not overwhelming.
The tread pattern is deep, I measured 9mm depth on the rear just after it was mounted. I'm hoping for at least 7-8k out of it. The front's a bit thinner measuring in at 5mm, but not so much that it doesn't offer a good impression of longevity.
The ride quality is good, the road noise is minimal and they feel sure footed on both rough and smooth pavement. They're not as scrubbed in as I'd like because it's been a bit wet here, but it'll dry out the next couple of days and I'll put them through their paces on some of my favorite roads, to include a few trails in the area. I'll also post how they do when the bike's fully loaded and two-up once I get to that point.
I'll update this with more impressions as the miles roll on and give a wear report so others considering this tire can have the information to ponder.
As soon as I get home from work, I'll post a few pics.
More to come.
Edit: Pics added showing rear mounted, front mounted, and tread depth measurements for both.
Edit Edit: I put down 450 miles on the tires on Christmas day, part interstate, part two lane, wet, dry, down pours, grated bridges, hot and cool weather. No off-roading yet, so no report for that type of riding.
Further impressions: These tires definately feel solid on the road at any speed regardless of the road conditions. I hit 120mph on an open stretch with no traffic and a straight shot and these tires did very well. I traveled at speed through construction areas where the road surfaces changed from concrete, to asphalt, to concrete again and these tires didn't care, they stayed planted and tracked true. You can run over road imperfections and they'll stay on track without wandering or a wiggle.
In the wet weather they performed well regardless of the amount of water on the roadways; no floating feeling, nothing unsure or suprising, and confidence inspiring even in the corners. The tread pattern evacuates water very well and the compound sticks to the surface. The only problem encountered was starting off from a red light and the rear spun on the white painted line. Admittedly, I was on the throttle pretty hard and getting ready to row through the gears to get on the interstate. It wasn't a bad spin, but I did lose a bit of traction and it wasn't planned.
The biggest drawback so far is the front's heavy feeling. It takes more effort to get the front into a corner, but once it's there, it stay's planted and is easy to lean into. Coming out of a corner the tires want to stand up and track straight again, which can require some more effort if you're running the twisties.
Final short term thought: The heavy front end is something I can live with and I'm guessing I'll grow accustomed to it. They're definately not a high performance street tire, but seem to be good all-arounders and touring skins. These are good tires overall and can be purchased at a good price, I like them. The real clincher for me will be the longevity, which I'll report on as the miles pile on.
Topic: Tigger Tyre Guide (Read 129726 times)
