We ran them down to the cord
Mileage is the bane of motorcycle tire existence. Compared to their cousins in the automotive world, motorcycle rubber is quick wearing and expensive, making mileage a major concern for consumers. High mileage riders like me may have to replace serviceable rubber before a long trip knowing a tire can’t make the distance or risk having to make an expensive tire purchase during a tour.
However, tire mileage is relative. Tires on different bikes of varying weights, riding styles, terrain and especially inflation pressures can give widely varying mileage numbers making true mileage comparison a battle of hearsay. Search rider’s forums and see what I mean.
The only way to scientifically compare the mileage of one tire versus another and finally put the mileage question to rest forever is to completely control for every single variable: bike, rider, terrain, weight, speed, inflation pressure, etc..which is impossible for an average rider.
Unless you work for Road Dirt Motorcycle Media. Because we do those things.
We used Honda’s sport touring classic, the VFR800 as testing mules because they are slightly quick, can handle the mileage, carry the luggage and, well, we both had one in the garage.
My riding partner Dave Wensveen and I have a matched set of Honda’s classic 5th generation VFR800 sport tourers. Dave spooned on a set of my all time favorite sport-touring tires, Pirelli’s Angel GT on his bike while Dunlop provided a set of Roadsmart IVs for mine. Dave and I drew up a long term plan and dedicated the entire riding season to following each other nose-to-tail across the west, testing Pirelli’s Angel GT against Dunlop’s new Roadsmart IV in every environment possible.
A special thanks to Ron Jarvis of Rocket Ron Moto for providing a RC30 lookalike cover for my VFR800 to pretty up the rear wheel for pictures. Made of bulletproof stuff, it cleaned up the ugly center hole and lug nuts and never wiggled once. After almost 10k miles of testing, it is now the cleanest part of the bike.
I had two fears going into this year long test. First, I had relied on Pirelli’s Angel GT for many years and tens of thousands of touring miles and I was reluctant to spoon anything else on my bike. I was afraid my bias could affect the test. Second, I was afraid that there would be very little difference between these two brands of heavily refined tires and Dave and I would be digging deep to find subtle differences that would not help a reader seeking to make an informed choice. As you will read, both of those fears were put to rest.
Oregon’s Rowena Curves, our handling proving grounds. Curvy, wet, fast, with stone guardrails. Bring your courage.
Both the Angel GT and the Roadsmart IV follow standard practice in sport touring tire technology by pairing a harder compound in the center for mileage with a softer compound on the sidewall for grip. Pirelli’s Angel GT has a visibly flatter profile on the rear tire in order to keep rubber temperatures down and increase mileage while the Dunlop has a more rounded profile similar to a dedicated sport tire.
This difference is what we believe contributed to the winner of the initial handling test. It was Dunlop by a landslide. Using Oregon’s famous Rowena Curves for our test bed, it took only four corners for Dave to realize that my Dunlops out-handled his Pirellis. Dave commented that the Dunlops handled like a dedicated sport bike tire and made the VFR800 feel like it constantly wanted to turn.
Copious notes, much discussion, many states, two countries, thousands of miles and a ton of coffee. I love my job.
“The Dunlop always wants to tip in,” Dave said. “It’s almost like you have to work just a tad bit to keep the RSIV on center and if you adjust the bike a little, it tips in. If you came from a cruiser to this bike and the Dunlops, you would be fooled into thinking that it was unstable.”
Next, we rode them though a northwest deluge where both tires had wet capability far exceeding our courage. Both tires parted running streams of water away like Moses at the Red Sea, allowing a pace that a beginner rider would consider aggressive. For us, we pushed both tires as hard as common sense allowed while saving our bikes for the rest of the test. Neither tire blinked. Both were winners here.
Both tires have deep channels for pushing water aside and high silica content for wet grip.
The long term handling comparison in the California hills north of Santa Cruz at 3,500 miles showed that the Dunlops still turned in like a sport bike tire while the Pirelli’s visibly flattened rear now required even more effort at turn-in than before. At the famous Alice’s Restaurant in Woodside outside of San Francisco, as Dave and I compared testing notes, he gave the golden quote of the test:
“I would rather have a 3,500 mile Dunlop Roadsmart IV on my bike than a brand new Pirelli Angel GT.” My worries about finding differences between the two tires were unfounded. The difference was clear, the Dunlops out-handled the Pirellis.
Increased mileage also increased the handling differences between the two bikes. The Dunlops stayed nimble while the Pirellis got lazier.
But how long would they last? Mileage being a relative thing, we answered that question the only way high mileage riders like us know how: we ran them both down to cord.
Before you read our mileage numbers, remember that we controlled for every variable all year over the full life of the tires. Again, Dunlops and Pirellis of the same size were mounted on identical 5th generation VFR800s. We both kept tire pressures at 36 psi front and 42 psi rear the entire time, both bikes were equally loaded with travel gear of about the same weight in about the same positions, we met for tours at a central location between our houses, followed each other nose-to-tail for thousands of miles across the west all riding season, stopping for gas at the same time and as far as riding styles go, we are cousins. Literally. At some point during the summer, I even convinced Dave to order the same coffee as me. The only difference between these twin setups was the tires. Here is what happened.
Pouring on the miles for tire testing. Not as glamorous as you might think.
After 5,327 miles, Dave’s Pirelli’s Angel GT rear tire was worn down to cord. The Pirellis were done. The Dunlop rear tire had plenty of life left and we still had trips to take, so for our next set of tours I kept riding my VFR800 in an attempt to wear down the Roadsmart IVs. After a tour of the west coast and a second tour into Canada, the Dunlops still had tread left.
Running the Dunlops down to cord began to creep into the start of winter weather in the Pacific Northwest, so I did a mix of commuting, freeway flying and high speed hooligan canyon abuse until finally, after 9,434 miles, cord discoloring showed on the rear.
Controlling for every variable over the full life of both tires, Dunlop’s Roadsmart IV got 77% more mileage than Pirelli’s Angel GT. Dave and I were shocked by this result.
Think of this this way: if you bought a set of Angel GTs, you would be about three fourths of the way into your second Pirelli rear tire before you took off the Dunlop. At the time of this writing, a Pirelli Angel GT rear for our bikes costs $181.54 while the Dunlop Roadsmart IV is $209.73. Even though the Dunlop is only $28 more than the Pirelli, the tire lasted 4,107 miles longer making the Dunlop cheaper per mile.
Pirelli’s Angel GT after 5,327 miles. Dunlop’s Roadsmart IV after 9,434 miles.
Dunlop’s Roadsmart IV is the clear winner. Both tires have ample wet weather capacity and enough dry grip to exceed rider sanity, but when it comes to handling and overall tire life, the Angel GT could not keep up with the Roadsmart IV.
Also, after 3,500 miles the Dunlops retained their sport tire nimbleness while the Pirelli’s had gotten flatter, increasing turning effort. Regarding mileage, testing revealed you will be buying almost two sets of Angel GTs before you need to purchase a new set of Roadsmart IVs. And to be perfectly honest, I believe a lighter wrist could easily squeeze 10K out of the Dunlops, as Dave and I typically ride hard.
“I would not want a tire with any more handling,” Dave said after testing. “Dunlop’s Roadsmart IV is twitchy enough as is. It handles the rain and it gets ridiculous mileage. I don’t see another tire out there with this quality. It’s a kick-ass tire.”
Ask any questions about our year-long tire shootout in the comments section below, and I will be happy to answer.
Ted
Loved this series, best tire test I’ve seen.
Thanks Andrew, we hope to do more like this in the coming year(s).
enjoyed the article and comparison. Would be interesting to know how the ‘other’ most popular touring tyre compares (the Michelein Road 6).
Looking to do that comparo in 2023.
Many road trips into this test, Dave and I had the exact same discussion. If we can get Michelin to participate, this is a test we would like to do next summer. I know Dunlop is ready to participate. Are you reading this Michelin?
However, considering the Dunlop is almost a 10,000 mile tire and the Michelin is known for long life, we may have a very long term torture test. Iron Butt anyone?
Good article. I also have the same bike using the Pirelli GT’s.. My mileage, and wear characteristics equaled yours in the test. I know which tires I will be putting on next!
The longer we swapped bikes and compared test notes the more we realized that the Pirelli is still a competent tire, but the Dunlop’s freakishly nimble handling and long life are hard to beat.
wonder how the Dunlop would compare to the Michelin pilot road 5?
Looking to do that comparo in 2023.
currently running the Dunlop now,have about 3k on them with little signs of wear.
Not in the story, I observed that the front wore just as well as the rear. I have yet to see how many miles I get out of the front, but after about 10k miles the front still had a round profile and had enough tread that I predict it could do another 10k to match a second rear tire. The front tire will be pulled off before it expires for next year’s tire test, so I may never know. Let us know what you think of the Dunlops as they age. I am curious about your opinion.
Ted and I are excited and hoping to see how the RS4 and PR6 (might as well go with last model) match up. A just spooned on, 3000 mile and a 6000 mile dry/wet/twisty comparison to see who is the best of the best. I’m thinking a 10,000 mile summer of riding on all different surfaces and temperatures, will be the finale of “who’s the last one to reach cords” test 😀. I hope Michelin will want to run them head to head.
Great review of the tires and a very nice article to read. Specially when u convinced Dave to buy the same coffee as u lol.
I have the ‘04 VFR and ride with the Dunlop Roadsmart IV since end of February and I love them. The handling is so easy with this tyre and it felt like a whole different bike after they got mounted.
Agreed. Not only did the handling of the Dunlop win us over, but it stayed so nimble for so long that neither of us wanted to ride the Pirelli bike.
Great article it is. Looking forward to the next comparison; Dunlop and Michelin definitely.
We will try. However, Bridgestone is the brand no one is talking about. Not mentioned in the article is their T32 sport touring offering. I took off a set for this test and in short, the Bridgestone did not appear to wear as long or handle as well as the Dunlops. But without back to back testing, it is hard to tell for certain.
Avon Storm 3DXM
Better Wet and Cold weather grip than RoadSmarts.
I ran RoadSmarts on my 06 Speed Triple for 10 years and loved them. RS4s were great. I only tried Avons because the workshop was sold out of RoadSmarts. I was getting between 8 and 9k miles out of the RoadSmarts. Th avons are closer to 7.5k but the extra grip encourages more aggressive throttle use. Both are great. But where the RS4 will fishtail the rear on wet roads accelerating in 2nd gear, the Avon will have the front lifting…
If we had three VFR800s, and a third rider (I know exactly who…) we could do a three way sport touring tire shootout and include the Avon in the Dunlop/Pirelli/Michelin discussion. Thanks for your input.
Great article and test guys,
I was in the in the process of deciding between Perelis and Michelin Road 6s .. now I must consider the Dunlops which is surprising to me.
Like you, I was a Pirelli faithful. No more. After much time on both, the Dunlops win. Now, we are testing the Dunlops against the PR6s. See that test elsewhere on this site.
Hoody. Looking at the Dunlops as my next tire for my 6th gen VFR800. They apparently come in either GT or SP versions in the 180/55/17. Which version did you guys test here?
We tested what apparently is your SP version. Maybe it’s a Down Under thing, but we don’t have such different versions here in the states.
My 2007 Honda ST1300 got 14775 miles with Michelin Pilot Road tires and they were not worn down to the cord. Third set, but not my last.
This year, we will test the Pilot Road 6 against the Dunlop’s Roadsmart 4. Keep checking back here for test results.
why didn’t you compare the RS4 with the Angel GT II ?
Dave had already bought a set and had them mounted when the comparison started. I didn’t want to make him buy another set.
good article.
what I don’t understand though is how did you get such lower mileage from the Agt.
I’ve ran 2 sets on my zx14r that makes 207rwhp. I’ve gotten 9000+ miles from each pair.
getting ready to try a Gt2 this season. maybe because I leave the traction control on?
I cannot explain that wide variation in mileage. Different riders on different bikes, temperatures, asphalt will always produce different mileage, but that difference is profound. I do know this, in our testing that controlled for every possible variable, the Dunlop produced about 77% more mileage than the Pirelli. Also, if I had a ZX14, I would leave the traction control on as well.
I am getting ready to install my 5th set of RS-4’S on my 2016 R1200rs.
Just finished an “out-law” ride 3,700 mile ride in the MTN’s of Idaho, Ut and Co.
My tire milage is 5,600 and I feel that another 2k is possible. I know that this is lower than the article milage, results will vary, but I doubt that you’ll get less than I have unless you hit the track!
Moved to the RS-4, after burning up a set of Michelin Road5’s in 6k.
The RS-4 handle as well as any sport touring tire if not better. Last longer, cost less which equals more ride time, which equals more bang for your dollars.
Just dared a buddy of mine who is riding a R1250RT, coming from the Michelin Road 6gt tire. He switched…… He’s SOLD!
Try them on, you’ll be hard pressed to do anything else again.
Lance
Great testimonial Lance, and thanks for sharing.
Have you considered using the newer Angel GT IIs in an updated comparison? I think it would be a better match up considering the Dunlops that were used are a newer and improved design.
Good question Tim. We used the Pirelli Angel GT as a baseline because I had about 60,000 miles of experience on that version of the tire on our test bikes. That gave us a good reference point for starting our testing. Also, we had a new pair on the shelf, which helped that decision. Reader comments prompted our 2023 introduction of Michelin’s Road 6, so if enough readers request it, we could introduce the Angel GT II for 2024. Let us know what you want to see.
Great review but am wondering how the front tires did.
For some reason I wear out fronts sooner than rear and this has been true of both my Yammy FJR and my BMW R1200RT. On the FJR I would average around 6000F and 9000R on the Pirellis. On my BMW the front Pirelli was shot at around 4000; the RSIII currently on there won’t last that long.
Anyone else have this issue or can explain why I might be getting such lousy mileage out of my front tires?
Hi Tom,
I own a 2004 FJR myself and have run into this problem as well over the past 15 years or so. I actually had Bridgestone give me a rebate because the tire cupped so bad.
Most tire manufacturers run a special spec tire for the heavy sport tour bikes. Make sure you always run the heavy side wall spec tires from the respective tire manufacturer.
I’d also suggest making sure front tire pressure is always at 42psi.
I am excited to see how the Dunlop RS4 tires do on the FJR. They don’t have an a spec tire.
I hope this helps explain the FJR front tire wear.
Dave W
Check your tire pressure Tom, not just once, but before every long ride. However, it also just so happens that one of our long term tire testers, Dave Wensveen is a long term, high mileage FJR rider. I will ask him to respond to your question.