Staff Blog: Hyperstrada Tyre Testing

I’m working my way through as many new-for-2013 tyres as I can for this year, so I can see what the tyre companies have been up to.

With each new generation of tyre, we get more bang for our buck. The new breed keep getting gripper, better in the wet and more durable.

I ran the standard Pirelli Scorpion dual purpose tyres on my Hyperstrada for a while. I had no problems with them, but I never go off road, so I’m better off with dedicated road rubber.

I’ve been running Michelin’s new Pilot Power 3s. I’ve done around 1500-miles so far and they’re showing no signs of wear. They’ve handled an Anglesey trackday, trudged up wet motorways and attacked dry country roads all with complete confidence. They’re all-round sports tyres, fitting between sports touring and trackday rubber.

But today I’m changing them for the new Pirelli Angel GT. They’re sports touring tyres, so they should be perfect for my trip to Portugal on holiday at the end of the month. For a ride like this, mileage is important, so we’ll see how well they last. But having tested them at their launch they’re pretty decent on-track and in the wet.

Tyres don’t take that long to scrub in. You should always be careful on cold tyres, but all it takes is a couple of wheel revolutions and you get rid of the shiny stuff and you’re good to go. Just be careful on the first few corners or roundabouts, then you’ve got nothing to worry about. When I’m racing, it literally takes one or two corners to scrub my tyres in.

 

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