Best sports-touring tyre for a Triumph Speed Triple

Q. Can you tell me what the best sports-touring tyre for a 2011 Triumph Speed Triple is? The last tyres were Metzeler Racetec Interacts that I got 3500 miles out of.

I’d like some rubber that will get me 7-8000 miles from a rear tyre as I am a very careful rider.
Iangrm99, MCN forums

A. Triumph fitted the Racetecs as original equipment to give the bike a hard, go-for-it image, and as a fast road/occasional track tyre it’s superb. But the Sportec M5 is a more all round road tyre and that seems to be a favourite second fit.

If you want to get that mileage then you need to shift two tyre performance groups over to sport/touring tyres, but you are a bit limited with the 190/55 x 17 rear size.

Saying that, the Michelin Pilot Road 3s and cheaper Road 2s are good, as is the Bridgestone BT-023.