The Kawasaki ZZR1400 is a powerful supertourer, with plenty of power ready to be laid down on the tarmac through the back wheel.
To deal with all this power, Kawasaki fit sport tyres as standard, but these can sometimes be a little stiff, giving a ride that’s a little too hard for some if they intend to pack in big miles on a long European tour for example.
In the 2nd September edition of Motorcycle News, our very own Bryn Phillips helped a reader who wanted to know if he could us a Pilot Road 4 GT for his two-up trips on his big Kawasaki, assuming that the GT version had a two-ply sidewall to carry more weight.
Firstly, there are a number of sport touring tyres approved for use on the ZZR1400, including from Michelin. However the French manufacturer actually recommend the use of the standard Pilot Road 4, not the GT version.
The standard Pilot Road 4 rear tyre uses two polyester plies in the sidewall. The GT version actually only has a single polyester sidewall ply – the added stiffness actually comes from Michelin’s 2AT Technology, which uses a combination of radial and bias-ply construction in the tread area, which also improves stability on heavy tourers.
Asked about adjusting pressures, Bryn says that they should be kept at 42psi front and rear on the ZZR1400.
With the most experienced motorcycle and scooter tyre sales team in the industry, trade customers across the UK make Cambrian Tyres their first port of call when they need technical and fitment advice!
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