I'm thinking of changing the rubber on my Rockster and was wondering if anyone had any suggestions ? I ran Bridgestone Battlax 020's on my Speed Triple, which I thought were pretty good to be honest... I don't want anything ultra sticky, I'd rather opt for something more of an all-rounder with a big more longevity
When I bought the Rockster it had Pirelli Dragons which unfortunately have a really pronounced flat spot and are a little worn too...
Any thoughts would be greatly welcomed.
Was also checkin' out the pre-load adjuster which was set down toward "High" I've dialled out a little toward "Std". Just wondered what everyone else's preferences were ?
Well...hmmm....for me....when off the track and riding 1-up...I unscrew that all the way out and then turn it two clicks in. That actually ends up being lower than the "Low" setting, and is what is recommended in the manual for 1-up..annnnnd....I kinda like it.
It's really a personal preference. The trick is to set it...ride it....see how ya like it! For 2-up or on the track it's defo cranked all the way down. I really hate turning that bugger though! lol
For the tires....well...I had a set of Dunlops on it and they cupped real bad on the front tire, but these were the street/race compounds. I ended up needing new tires for track school and got a set of Michelin Pilot Powers and those wore excellent! I just took them off with plenty of tread left along with even wear as I needed new tires for my latest track day. I got a good deal on the new Dunlop Qualifiers (another street/race compound) but have not ran them long enough to judge. I WILL however be putting those pilots back on as soon as I wear out the Dunlops. So...basically...I like the Pilot Powers! lol They wear well...last long ....and stick too!
Yeh, I was gonna do a bit of suck-it-and-see today...
When I picked up my Rock it was set quite high which, to be honest, felt fine. The suspension on my Speed Triple was quite harsh anyway, so I'm used to a firm set-up.
I did notice, last weekend that there's wasn't a great deal of 'give' over bumps so a little tweaking *might* make a difference.
My Rock came with Dunlop D207s. Not having much experience with other tires (or bikes for that matter) the tires seemed adequate I guess, but there was a couple stretches of road I ride that always imparted a very strange feeling through the bike.
At 6000 miles I put new Metzeler Z6s on (seemed a consensus recommendation) and the difference was immediate and huge.
Out on the 'bad' stretches of road, the weird feeling is gone, and they are much more confidence-inspiring than the Dunlops.
Count me as a fan of the Z6's
For the tires, my stock tires were Metzler M1 Sportecs. I love those tires. Very sticky and predictable. Last for around close to 5,000-miles. I changed them out to Metzler Z6 Roadtec for more mileage. Worked as advertised and not too bad with the stickiness either. I can feel the rear slide a bit if I push extremely hard in a tight corner with some throttle input like powering through a hairpin with the peg scraping.
As far as suspension setup, I put the preload to high, I crank the compressions on both the front and rear shocks to high as well. But I must admit that I ride the Rockster aggressively in the canyons.
Cogito Ergo Vroom - I think therefore I ride.
03 Rockster, 07 Aprilia Tuono R, 07 KTM 990 Adventure
Spoke to someone recently who said the Conti Road-Attack were a really good tyre ? Very stable, great handling in dry/wet and reasonable lifespan. Anyone else heard anything good...
For 2-up or on the track it's defo cranked all the way down. I really hate turning that bugger though! lol
