Pirelli STR Tyres
Well, the last time I used Pirellis on an adventure bike was back in the 90’s on my beloved 750 Super Tenere. I remember being astounded by the difference they made to the bike, both on bitumen and dirt.
Today we went out to the northwest of Brisbane on some really familiar roads and I got stuck into these STR’s to see how good they are and I am pleased to say, things haven’t changed in the last 25 years with Pirelli.
I had some confidence issues with the new V-Strom due to the poorly chosen tyres it came out of the factory with and can happily say those issues are gone. These tyres are amazing and have transformed the V-Strom into what I hoped it would be.
My confidence came screaming back within no time this morning, to the point that I had to keep reminding myself that my wife on her P’s was back there following me…..back there somewhere!
On bitumen:
Unbelievable grip for a chunky tyre, obviously due to a reasonably soft compound. Clearly, I will suffer for this in longevity as there’s no way these tyres are going to do big kilometres.
That’s ok with me, if I’m getting this level of performance, it’s the price you pay and they are THAT GOOD.
On the Gravel:
So generally when we pour 100hp on to a dirt road via our right wrist, we don’t expect to be rewarded with an abundance of forward momentum. Well! For what is apparently an “intermediate” adventure tyre, the STR’s do a great job of getting you moving. I had to look at the dash a couple of times to make sure the traction control was off. On plenty of occasions, when I expected spin, I instead got air under the front wheel.
Braking grip was just as impressive.
To sum it up, these Pirellis have transformed my bike.
If you can find a set (they are like hens teeth at the moment), get them on your bike!
UPDATE: I now have 3,500 kms on these tyres, the tyres still look nearly new and still have the same grip as the day I put them on. I have covered a variety of conditions over those kilometres and still find them as confidence inspiring as the day I got them.
