BMW R1200RT/R1250RT Forum

My 2012 RT used to get between 9k and 11k out of a pair of PR4s.


Fitted my first pair of PR4s to my 2015 RT at the same time as the 12k service (had Continentals on before that - didn't get on with them at all). This set of PR4s are down to the legal limit at both front and rear after only 4k!


I'm almost OCD keeping bang on the recommended pressures.


Anyone else experiencing this?


At this rate i'm going to have to take out a 2nd mortgage just to keep me in tyres!!

SwartGevaar wrote: My 2012 RT used to get between 9k and 11k out of a pair of PR4s.
Fitted my first pair of PR4s to my 2015 RT at the same time as the 12k service (had Continentals on before that - didn't get on with them at all). This set of PR4s are down to the legal limit at both front and rear after only 4k!

4K on PR4's, something is wrong there, what pressures are you on. I could understand it if you were permanently using a race track or off roading. Are they genuine PR4's and not `seconds'.  What is the Bikes setup.  RTman10 or DaygloDavid may have some ideas as to possible cause.....

Definitely something wrong.  As you got 12K out of your first set you are obviously not hard on rubber.  Did you fit the correct rated type.  I once fitted an M rated Z8 instead of C.  It did its best to kill me after only 800 miles but that was on a heavier K. Might be worth talking to the supplier just in case there is any record of a bad batch.  It has happened in the past.

SwartGevaar wrote:Fitted my first pair of PR4s to my 2015 RT.

Were the PR4's fitted of the "Standard" or "GT" versions.

Thanks for the thoughts above.


I'm definitely going to have a chat with the garage that i bought them from.

DaygloDavid wrote: Were the PR4's fitted of the "Standard" or "GT" versions.

Sorry, should have mentioned that they are GTs - as were the PR4s on my older RT

SwartGevaar wrote:I'm almost OCD keeping bang on the recommended pressures.

The 2012 RT has two sets of tyre pressures, 32/36psi & 36/42 psi, depending on the loading on the Bike.

The 2015 RT has one set of tyre pressures, 36/42psi, irrespective of the loading on the Bike.

What tyre pressures were/are you running on the two respective Models.

Your first question was are wetheads heavier on tyres and although nobody here has said they are with the extra weight and power they should be.  Maybe the uprated suspension helps. 

The 2015 RT is 4% heavier than a 2012 RT & the 2015 RT has 14% more power (KW) than a 2012 RT.
(The weight is there all the time, the power, how much & how it is delivered is variable.)

The reduction in tyre wear is between 55% & 64% based on the quoted mileages.

For all the increase in weight & power of the 2015 RT, the increase in tyre wear seems disproportionate to me.

Poor or incorrect suspension settings can affect how tyres wear.

The interesting thing to me is that both mileages seem odd.


I have been riding more years than I care to admit to and i have NEVER had a set of tyres come anywhere close to 10,000 mile life.  Equally, I don't think I've managed to kill a decent one, regardless of brand or model, in much less than 5,000 unless it's been baked on a track or had a nail though it.


On balance, I can get the short life side of the thread - sometimes e're all a bit heavy waisted - but how on earth can you get 11,000 miles out of a rear tyre on anything other than  Honda Cub??


It's a great trick if you can do it and I'd love to know how.


Are you sure the problem isn't the mileometer on your bike, rather than the tyres??

I can ony speak of PR3 'GT' (or whatever the correct suffix was for a PR3 touring tyre) .v. PR4 'GT' experience on a K13GT. The PR3 rear tyre was good for approx. 8500 miles (whereupon it was pretty much shot!) whereas the PR4 only lasted for approx 5500 miles. Style and type of riding on both variants the same, ie commuting & some euro touring one-up. The PR4 tyre is certainly a lot softer compound, but very grippy, unsurprisingly!

SwartGevaar wrote:My 2012 RT used to get between 9k and 11k out of a pair of PR4s.
Fitted my first pair of PR4s to my 2015 RT. This set of PR4s are down to the legal limit at both front and rear after only 4k!

Was there any change in riding style, loading on the bike or where you rode with the PR4's on the 2015 RT.

I once got caught out in Scotland, some of the road surfaces up there are certainly more abrasive than other areas of the UK.
Set off on a 1,000 miles trip to JoG & back expecting the rear Metzeler Z6 to last the distance.
Not the case, the tyre was down to the cords in less than 500 miles.

This is an example of how you could easily half the mileage covered on two identical tyres.

I am part way through second set of PR4 GT's on my 2014 RT, and expect to get 7K miles. Similar would have been achieved on first set had it not been for a badly placed slow which caused me to change slightly earlier. I generally look to change @ 7k and have done so fairly consistently on various bikes (200Kgs to 300kgs) using PR3 and/or PR4/PR4GT.


I find the "three -penny - bit" front and squaring off rear at this point mean the bike is not performing/cornering as well as I would like - so I change. I have to say that I could probably have got more out of the front each time I changed but always look to replace the pair at the same time. 11,000 miles is not something I have ever got anywhere near.


My point therefore is that a decent set of tyres should be good for 7k - on most bikes 200 - 300kgs range - so weight should not really come into it.

It will be interesting to see how the new Metzeler Roadtec 01, released this month, wears. It looks to have a very similar tread pattern as the PR4's and are dual compound.
I too had Conti's on from new and didn't like them so changed them for PR4's and after  4500 miles they both have 3mm remaining.