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I see several of you are trying this tire now, so here is a review of the tire at my current 8000 mile mark. (8000 miles was the end of life for my Kuhmo and my best ever mileage BTW)
When I picked this tire out most of the deciding factor was the Low Rolling Resistance feature. To achieve this and increase gas mileage they changed the way a car tire is designed. A normal radial car tire has a stiff tread area and soft sidewalls, so everyone over inflates them to make the sidewall stiff and the tread rounder. Now you have a tire without much give at all, kind of like a runflat ride. Now when you turn the tire has no give and the tire rides up on edge lifting the center of the tread off of the ground. A Low Rolling Resistance tire has a softer more flexible tread area and stiffer sidewalls to make up for it. This moves the center of gravity inwards on the tire which may help a tiny bit but the real cool part is the tread flex. Look at the flex at rest on the side stand, (all photos at 33 psi, my normal pressure)
Click on the photos to make them bigger.
In a turn at speed the sidewall on the outside of the turn extends as far as it can and then it starts to lift the tread like a normal car tire, at the same time the sidewall on the inner side of the turn compresses and gets a slight bulge in it. This allows the tread to flex and follow the sidewall, this in effect makes the inner side of the tire shorter and lets the center of the tread stay on the ground in a turn. When the center of your tire lifts off of the road it is raising the back of the bike up at the same time so you get more ground clearance, but it makes the bike want to stand back up too. At the pressure I am using it never stands back up on its own. It seems more flickable too because the tire is not lifting the bike on turns. (A MC tire has a shorter diameter in a turn also because it is round) See the inside bulge on the side stand and lack of outside edge bulge, it flexes more on the road than it does sitting still in the photo.
This tire looks like it will out last my front tire, and that has never happened before either.
It has a little wiggle or flex to it at times at this pressure but it is always gone in an instant for me and it is very stable at high speeds. I don't even notice the very occasional wiggle anymore and it doesn't bother me at all anymore either. It also has a very soft ride at this pressure but the tire runs very cool even at high speeds and lots of turns. it also barely notices uneven pavement because the tread can flex over the high spot. The bike seems to ride more balanced with the front pressure at 33 psi also and both tires are wearing good.
I don't ride 2 up very often but I up the pressure to 35 psi when I do. In my opinion and based on my even tread wear if you over inflate this tire to make the side walls harder you are taking away the best features of the tire and it will wear out in the middle of the tread. There is almost no wear at the edges of the tire either except on the right side when I spun the tire in a peg draging nearly wide open throttle right hand turn onto the freeway. Even with the rear tire broken loose and spinning the back of the bike didn't kick out or want to change direction at all, only my tach and the flat spot on the tire gave it away. I was not even sure it was spinning until I looked at the tire at home. In all I am very happy with this tire, and amazed at the tread life so far.
Just remember that this tire is built differently than what we are used to and be prepared to experiment a little more to find the pressure sweet spot for you and don't be afraid to go down to 32 psi in your testing, not quite enough air for me but if you are lighter than me or ride different who knows.
Our tire distributor at work have told us that in the next few years all tires will be switching to the Low Rolling Resistance design. That is what the new car manufactures are demanding because of the gas mileage savings, and they buy more tires than anyone else does.
When I picked this tire out most of the deciding factor was the Low Rolling Resistance feature. To achieve this and increase gas mileage they changed the way a car tire is designed. A normal radial car tire has a stiff tread area and soft sidewalls, so everyone over inflates them to make the sidewall stiff and the tread rounder. Now you have a tire without much give at all, kind of like a runflat ride. Now when you turn the tire has no give and the tire rides up on edge lifting the center of the tread off of the ground. A Low Rolling Resistance tire has a softer more flexible tread area and stiffer sidewalls to make up for it. This moves the center of gravity inwards on the tire which may help a tiny bit but the real cool part is the tread flex. Look at the flex at rest on the side stand, (all photos at 33 psi, my normal pressure)


In a turn at speed the sidewall on the outside of the turn extends as far as it can and then it starts to lift the tread like a normal car tire, at the same time the sidewall on the inner side of the turn compresses and gets a slight bulge in it. This allows the tread to flex and follow the sidewall, this in effect makes the inner side of the tire shorter and lets the center of the tread stay on the ground in a turn. When the center of your tire lifts off of the road it is raising the back of the bike up at the same time so you get more ground clearance, but it makes the bike want to stand back up too. At the pressure I am using it never stands back up on its own. It seems more flickable too because the tire is not lifting the bike on turns. (A MC tire has a shorter diameter in a turn also because it is round) See the inside bulge on the side stand and lack of outside edge bulge, it flexes more on the road than it does sitting still in the photo.


This tire looks like it will out last my front tire, and that has never happened before either.

It has a little wiggle or flex to it at times at this pressure but it is always gone in an instant for me and it is very stable at high speeds. I don't even notice the very occasional wiggle anymore and it doesn't bother me at all anymore either. It also has a very soft ride at this pressure but the tire runs very cool even at high speeds and lots of turns. it also barely notices uneven pavement because the tread can flex over the high spot. The bike seems to ride more balanced with the front pressure at 33 psi also and both tires are wearing good.
I don't ride 2 up very often but I up the pressure to 35 psi when I do. In my opinion and based on my even tread wear if you over inflate this tire to make the side walls harder you are taking away the best features of the tire and it will wear out in the middle of the tread. There is almost no wear at the edges of the tire either except on the right side when I spun the tire in a peg draging nearly wide open throttle right hand turn onto the freeway. Even with the rear tire broken loose and spinning the back of the bike didn't kick out or want to change direction at all, only my tach and the flat spot on the tire gave it away. I was not even sure it was spinning until I looked at the tire at home. In all I am very happy with this tire, and amazed at the tread life so far.
Just remember that this tire is built differently than what we are used to and be prepared to experiment a little more to find the pressure sweet spot for you and don't be afraid to go down to 32 psi in your testing, not quite enough air for me but if you are lighter than me or ride different who knows.
Our tire distributor at work have told us that in the next few years all tires will be switching to the Low Rolling Resistance design. That is what the new car manufactures are demanding because of the gas mileage savings, and they buy more tires than anyone else does.