Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR

I am on my 2nd rear. The front looks like it will go another 6k miles. The rear was pretty bare at 7k miles on a 1200LC. Still, IMO the best if not the only good 60/40 out there. Maybe even 50/50. Works great on everything. Maybe TKC80 would have a slight edge on the really gnarly stuff, but on everything else this works just as good and lasts longer.

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Thanks gents that’s very helpful. I had read the long thread on ADV rider but wanted more local assessments. Those Merkins think a big yank tank handles well so couldn’t completely trust all the opinions. That said I was sold on their off road ability being much more than enough for me just wanted to be sure I didn’t miss good road handling.

I will have to see if I can get a pair.........
 
Thanks gents that’s very helpful. I had read the long thread on ADV rider but wanted more local assessments. Those Merkins think a big yank tank handles well so couldn’t completeely trust all the opinions. That said I was sold on their off road ability being much more than enough for me just wanted to be sure I didn’t miss good road handling.

I will have to see if I can get a pair.........
 
Thanks gents that’s very helpful. I had read the long thread on ADV rider but wanted more local assessments. Those Merkins think a big yank tank handles well so couldn’t completeely trust all the opinions. That said I was sold on their off road ability being much more than enough for me just wanted to be sure I didn’t miss good road handling.

I will have to see if I can get a pair.........
Put it this way. They might be 10% worse on road than Anakee 3's but they are 90% more offroad capable. That is a good trade. And they they don't howl as much too.

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I liked the Conti TKC-70 on tarmac and loose gravel. On mud they were rubbish but that’s what the TKC-80 or Heidenau Scouts are for.

On tarmac they give a very light steering feel the downside being some vagueness at meat speeds.

On gravel where the previous tyres (Tourance) got truly scary, these felt unstickable.

They have two speed rating options so check before buying.
 
Recently fitted Rally STR to my 2017 1200GS. On gravel/unsealed surfaces the front tyre feels good. Tracks straight with little or no float. Cornering much more secure than previous 'adventure' tyres.
However, on sealed roads, the front is freaking me out. When the lean angle gets towards the edge where there are 2 circumferential tread grooves, the edge tread blocks flex & squirm and the feeling thru the bars is as if the tyre is slipping and even as if it is going to let go. I don't like it at all and i find the front running wide.

With time i may adjust, previous adventure tyres used such as Pirelli Scorpion Trail II steer into & thru a corner with authority, consistency and no hint of slip or flex. As the edge blocks wear and the height of the blocks reduce, i surmise the flex & squirm will get less also.

The Scorpion Trail II's performed rather well on unsealed surfaces, even when near bald, and atm, i wish i had stayed with the Trail II as the dis-benefit of the Rally STR on sealed surfaces outweighs the benefit on unsealed surfaces.
 
When the lean angle gets towards the edge where there are 2 circumferential tread grooves, the edge tread blocks flex & squirm and the feeling thru the bars is as if the tyre is slipping and even as if it is going to let go. I don't like it at all and i find the front running wide.

What pressure are you running the front at? I've just come back from a long weekend road trip away, seeking out curvy routes, and I was 'pushing hard' in the corners leant right over with no issue at all. It was dry all weekend. Those who were following me on road tyres said my tyres didn't seem to exhibit any compromises on 'sealed surfaces' at all. That's at 2.4 front and 2.9 rear for road riding for me.

I will admit that I was nervous when I first got them, but now that I know how they run, I dont even think about them anymore. I was running A3's before those for comparison's sake.
 
Hi Tatty

First ride, first corner at slow speed (with 36psi from the installer) i thought the front end was going to low side me.
Though maybe it was just the mold release on the virgin tyre.
However the squirm & slip continued for the first ride of over 200km.
During the ride the TPS showed front pressure at 37 and later 38 so i let some air out and the TPS showed 34.
The squirm & slip seemed less but was still there.
Next ride with TPS showing 35 it felt about the same as 34 and no way was it confidence inspiring.
The entire surface of the rear tyre is being used but there is 10-15mm chicken strip on the front tyre. This is surprising as the PR blurb says these tyres profiles complimentarily match each other.

When leaned over the 2 edge tread gaps that run longitudinally around the tyre are about the center of the contact patch. What i am feeling i believe is the individual tread blocks flexing & distorting, compounded by the offset to each other by the 2 tread gaps. Now this works on unsealed surfaces as the multiple and varying offset edges of the side tread blocks provide some sideways bite.

After only 400kms of mixed surface riding the side edges of the edge tread blocks are rounding off and showing signs of aggressive wear due to side slippage of the tyre, which is normal, but road tyres and road based adventure tyres do not have this type of tread pattern and the signs of slip wear are not so apparent.

I will experiment with pressures some more. Higher pressures should reduce carcass distortion but put more load on the individual edge blocks. Less pressure (34?) will allow the tyre carcass to flatten somewhat and put more rubber on the road and the 2 edge tread gaps and the tread blocks will become more 'one with each other' and should squirm less. This may raise tyre temp and wear but it may also provide more traction and better feel and in fact reduce slip and tyre wear.

I don't think there is a grip issue as such with these tyres, it is about the feel for me, and i have forever been over sensitive to front tyre feel and my paranoia of loosing the front end mid corner (i ride with high corner speed). I think these are the wrong tyres (the front anyway) for my riding/cornering style on sealed roads. Not that i can afford it financially, but atm, the sooner the front tyre wears out the better and i can try a Metzeler Karoo Street or go back to Scorpion Trail II.

If my experience with these tyres change, i will report back.
Any suggested solution (other than toughen up) will be appreciated :)

cheers
 
(I'm on a Hexhead)

Just put my second rear on after 4500kms......I know what you mean about the chicken strips on the front tyre.

I found after some mileage, and the sharp edges on the blocks "rounding off" from wear, the front became more planted and the feeling of "understeer" went away.

All my riding is fast road and in the first couple of weeks I thought I'd made a huge mistake but you soon adapt to the new feeling and can push these tyres as hard as any road tyre.

I'm considering the new Karoo street for when these are coming off the bike but I'd imagine they are pretty much the same tyre.

Stick with them for another few hundred miles/kms.

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Rode the first time on them today, they don't white line like the TKC70 which I like, no grip issues on the road, seem a little buzzy at high speeds, but up to motorway speeds and a bit more they are fine, I will probably try the Karoo street on my wires and Road5s on my alloys.
 
Hi younger06

Thanks for your comments. Appreciated.
I agree, with more use and the sharp side edges of the blocks wearing, the cornering grip will settle down some.
I was maybe expecting too much when i kept reading from users that these tyres perform as good on-road as road oriented adventure tyres, with no one voicing the concern i am experiencing.

The Rally STR tread pattern imo is a more off-road oriented tyre than the Karoo Street. Both tyres have a clever tread design for their specific use and atm i think the Karoo Street would be more suited for the majority of the riding i do and my riding style.

With you putting a new rear tyre on at 4,500kms, it casts some doubt on me getting 10,000kms. :blast
What sort of kms do you expect to get from the front Rally STR?

cheers
 
Hi younger06

Thanks for your comments. Appreciated.
I agree, with more use and the sharp side edges of the blocks wearing, the cornering grip will settle down some.
I was maybe expecting too much when i kept reading from users that these tyres perform as good on-road as road oriented adventure tyres, with no one voicing the concern i am experiencing.

The Rally STR tread pattern imo is a more off-road oriented tyre than the Karoo Street. Both tyres have a clever tread design for their specific use and atm i think the Karoo Street would be more suited for the majority of the riding i do and my riding style.

With you putting a new rear tyre on at 4,500kms, it casts some doubt on me getting 10,000kms. :blast
What sort of kms do you expect to get from the front Rally STR?

cheers
I ended up taking the STR's off the bike when I got back from a Spanish trip. The front was on its second rear and had done about 8000kms, although there was loads of thread depth left the blocks had worn in such a way that it was affecting handling, comfort and even breaking. Each block had worn low at the front and high on the back of the block.

I now am trying Dunlop Trailsmart MAX and am about 1000 kms, I'm liking them so far the are giving good grip, comfort and predictable handling.
I will however be going back to Avon Trailrider which are the best tyre I have yet fitted to this model of bike.

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Mine have done about 3000miles and I have ordered another rear as I think it will only last about another 1000. The front hasn’t worn any differently to any other semi off road tyre I’ve had but not sure if I will put another set on or not as I’m not getting the mileage I expected. On the road I’ve found they grip really well, wet or dry, and for what little off road use I do they are more than capable. Pushing it through the alps earlier this month not once did they give me any concerns.
I like the look of the Karoo street but they are 25% more beer tokens, but if they last 50% longer........
 
But there is always the K60, but talking to heidenau at Garmische they use they same rubber compound on all the K60s regardless of what size, hence why they are only rated to 108mph.
 
Like I said earlier, I find the on road grip as good, or better than the A3’s I had on previously. I use the STR’s for off-roading where they perform very well (compared to Karoo 3’s) which are brilliant off road but I don’t feel as though I give up anything by using STR's on the road compared to a 90/10 type tyre

I don’t have any issues with side grip. In fact, here is a blurred pic of the tyres gripping well enough on tarmac to get sparks from my crash bars and pegs so I am really surprised by some negative comments on STR handling on this and another thread. Clearly other bike setup's may account for the apparent change in behaviour.


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However, one concern that I do have with these tyres is in hard off-road situations, these tyres seem prone to punctures. The group I ride with have had 3 different set's of STR puncture at the rear in the last couple of weeks. So I'm keeping an eye on that to decide if I look elsewhere for that 'unicorn' tyre when I come to replace these.
 
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I hate the Michelin Panicky 3.
I swapped them out with the STR 4 months ago.
Now reaching 8000km on the STR.
I love this tyre!
On the road it outperforms Panicky 3 in all aspects
Off the road it performs way better than Panicky 3.

The only gripe is the vibe and noise.
So far I already got used to it, so not a big issue for me.
Looks like I’ll continue using this tyre in the future.
 
I’m gonna keep them on my spoke wheels for sure, I reckon I will only get 4000miles out of a rear before I will want to change it, very impressive levels of grip on the road. It’s a 2 rears to 1 front kinda tyre.
 


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