As the UK’s largest trade-only supplier of motorcycle tyres, our sales team are being asked more and more for ‘GT’ spec sport touring tyres – but does your bike really need them?
In this week’s MCN, our very own Bryn Phillips helps a Hayabusa rider find the right replacement tyre for his bike, and also sets straight a few misconceptions about ‘GT’ marked tyres.
For many years, there were very few sport touring options for the Hayabusa, but nowadays almost all the major manufacturers have an approved tyre for the bike.
The one we have the most experience of is the Bridgestone Battlax T30, which offers excellent high-speed stability and the handling response more often associated with dedicated sports tyres. They’ve also recently produced the Battlax T30 EVO, where they’ve made big improvements to the tyre’s wet grip.
The Michelin Pilot Road 4 is also a very popular sport touring tyre, and like the T30 EVO it’s wet grip and stability are well regarded.
Both of the above tyres are produced in a standard and a ‘GT’ version – but it is the standard tyre that has been recommended for fitment on the Hayabusa.
Many riders seem to believe that they will get more mileage from a ‘GT’ tyre, but this is simply not the case. A ‘GT’ or ‘HWM’ tyre has a modified internal construction and also uses some different materials to the standard tyre to optimise the handling on big heavy bikes such as the Yamaha FJR1300, which is famed for being very punishing on the front hoop.
Fitting a ‘GT’ tyre on a bike where a standard is recommended may also upset it’s road holding performance – and a tyre manufacturer won’t entertain any warranty claim if you’ve chosen to fit the incorrect tyre.
One thing to watch out for however is the new Dunlop RoadSmart III range, which approaches this the other way around – most bikes, including the heavyweights, use the standard tyre – and then they have produced an ‘SP’ marked tyre with a modified construction for lighter nakeds and tourers.
So always check the manufacturer’s fitment guide for a definitive answer, or speak to your local motorcycle dealer.
Not all dealers work with all brands or bike or tyre, so if they don’t know, our dedicated sales team are here to back them up!
