i got a set of PP's to last 5K miles....but they were down to the wear bars by 4K and i spent the last 1K "Babying Bologna Skins"...now i have a set of Dunlop Quali's and i'm just barely tagging the wear bars on the rear tire at 3K miles...might get another 500-1,000 miles out of'em....my findings and impressions?...
"The Pilot Powers"
Pros:
1. Ultra Light and Quick Steering.
2. Great traction levels....
3. Especially for a tire that stands up to agressive riding miles this well.
4. Light mass weight.
5. Real "Plush Riding".
Cons:
1. Steering is almost "Too Quick"..."(especially when new)...in a "it hasta be babysat to hold a straight line" sorta way.
2. Somewhere's between 3,500 & 4K miles mine seemed to get a bit slippery...started spitting the rear out noticably sooner and "skidding events" seemed to become more frequent.
3. The "Plush Ride" comes from some very "Bump Compliant" yet?...
extremely thin (and sometimes "lively") sidewalls....as in..."scary thin" sidewalls.
"The Dunlop Qualifiers"
Pros:
1. Steering is not quite as quick as the PP's but still extremely light and plenty fast enough with "Zero Fall In" feelings...very confidence inspiring and you feel "Hard Wire Conected" and in total control from and at all angles of lean.
2. Traction levels which are superior to any other sportbike tires i've ridden on in my life.
3. In complete contrast to the PP's?...the quali's don't rely on thin sidewalls to achieve a smooth ride...as the quali's sidewalls are super thick and stout...yet the carcuss structure/compound seem to do a very adequate job of handling bump compliance while the thick stout sidewalls result in....
"Super Stable Cornering"
Cons:
1. They weigh more than PP's
2. You won't "Get Spiked" by bumps in the road but you'll know they were there...for obvious reasons?...not quite as plush riding as the PP's.
3. The traction levels come at a price...about 20% less milage than the PP's get. (but imnsho?...a price well worth paying for the performance and safty aspects recieved)
Summerize?...a non-agressive sport/tour type rider may appreciate the powers more while the corner carvers amidst us will find the great virtues delivered by the quali's more desirable and fitting to their riding styles...both are great products but after riding the quali's i wouldn't be real happy about going back to PP's but then again?...if i needed rubber quick and that's all my dealer had in stock?..i wouldn't be too disappointed taking PP's either...but i gotz some real trust issues going on with the PP's after seeing how thin and weak the sidewalls are...so...maybe not on the PP's...can you say "Bi-Polar"?
L8R, Bill.
