Which tyres are most resistant to getting punctured?

[Fazerider]

I switched to Michelin PR3s for my latest rubber having usually stuck with Bridgestone. After only 250 miles or so the rear was holed by a small nail. While browsing the web looking for info on tyre repair longevity I blundered across an article on Visordown rating the PR3s which suggested anecdotal evidence that they were more prone to punctures.
That has certainly been my experience… albeit on a statistically irrelevant sample of one.


In total I’ve had 23 rear tyres on the Fazer:
One Michelin, holed almost immediately as mentioned.
Two Metzelers, the first of which was punctured by a coach bolt about halfway through its life.
The other twenty have been Bridgestones: BT57/BR020/BT021/BT023 representing about 174,000 miles… zero punctures.


So, how far do you ride between punctures and on which rubber? Are Bridgestones tougher tyres? 

[unfazed]

Stay off the dirty parts of the roadway  and you won't have to worry about them 


 

[FILZ6]

Dont know if any are more puncture resistant than any other really, not something I have looked into.
In 40 years of motorcycling only ever had two punctures.
First one a rear on Honda CB750, tubed tyres then, so recovered to home. Second one on Fazer 1000, front with Bridgestone 020 that had 70 miles on it. Tyre fitter wouldn't  repair it so had to buy another one. It was a small wood screw dead centre of tyre.I wasn't happy .lol.

[Fazerider]

Dont know if any are more puncture resistant than any other really, not something I have looked into.
In 40 years of motorcycling only ever had two punctures.
First one a rear on Honda CB750, tubed tyres then, so recovered to home. Second one on Fazer 1000, front with Bridgestone 020 that had 70 miles on it. Tyre fitter wouldn't  repair it so had to buy another one. It was a small wood screw dead centre of tyre.I wasn't happy .lol.

Blimey. I thought I was doing well with so few!


It’s frustrating when a tyre gets ruined so soon after fitting.
I wrecked the Fazer’s front tyre on the A316 once… the car ahead straddled what I thought was a paper bag. I was following a bit too close and by the time I realised it was actually a 5” cube of rubble it was too late to avoid it. The bike went airborne and it’s more due to its stability than any talent on my part that it stayed upright after landing.
The month-old front was left with a big bulge in the sidewall. 

[NorthWestern]

Funny You say that.  I have had to repair two of my rears, both pr3's... the last one was just after fitting and riding to Aintree.  Fixed and lasted till replaced 10k or so later.

[lew600fazer]

This was last Sunday. I spotted it well in the tyre soas I was 20 minutes from home and the tyre was holding the pressure I left it until I got home. That is me extracting it. As soon as I pulled it down it went. I put plug & go mushroom in it and inflated  it again all okay held pressure overnight. As I am heading off for a trip back to the UKon the 20th I decided to get a professional repair done. All sorted now. This is a PR4  and only has about 500kms on it.
Only ever had 2 punctures in the 10years since I got back into biking, both been Michelins PR2 & PR4

[His Dudeness]

Can't comment on the PR3s but I've probably picked up screws in every rear I've had no matter what brand it was I carry a plug kit and I just plug it and forget about it. As Unfazed said it's from filtering on the dirty parts of the road where cars don't go. It's just the price you pay for filtering.

[fazersharp]

Interesting thought.

But I have learnt my lesson going over some chevrons flittering past some non moving cars I felt a bumb -bump -bump and put it down to the chevrons because as i came off they stopped but still wasn't right, so past the traffic and on the the motorway for a short 2 mile home and it wasn't until I inspected the tyre that I saw a 4 inch nail in the tire and then out of the side  and the fading bump bump was the bit left sticking out being bent over the tyre was still up but a bit soft the next day when I rode it to the fitter.

So after that I appreciate why they cost so much and I keep out of the chevrons where all the crap gets washed to it was a bridgstone       

[dazza]

Well, someone had to do it. 

[fazersharp]

You see I was tempted but get a bit fed up of being the forum clown so I thought someone would step up.
I had this ready

[tommyardin]

Well, someone had to do it. 

Is that a front or rear

[fazerscotty]

They're fitted to Harley's aren't they? 

[Fazerider]

Without details of mileages done on all tyres in addition to that done on the ones that are punctured a scientific conclusion won’t be possible. It’s such a rare event and most riders cover a small mileage so I guess the theory will remain anecdotal.


That tyres constructed from a polymer carcass might be easier for a nail to penetrate does seem plausible though. The one that got me was a puny thing that would probably have been deflected by the tougher steel construction of a BT023.

[Oldgit]

Train Tyres.

[lew600fazer]

How do you train a tyre??

[Frosties]

Run PR3's and 4's for as long as they've been out and I use ALL the road available into and around London. About 12k miles per set and not one puncture - luck of the draw I'm afraid.

[fazersharp]

Run PR3's and 4's for as long as they've been out and I use ALL the road available into and around London. About 12k miles per set and not one puncture - luck of the draw I'm afraid.

I think there that there is not one peice of road that is not always used so there is not (so much ) the areas that dont get used and tend to get all the crap washed up in to

[celticdog]

Pity Continental don't make Gatorskins  for Motorbikes . . .

[darrsi]

Run PR3's and 4's for as long as they've been out and I use ALL the road available into and around London. About 12k miles per set and not one puncture - luck of the draw I'm afraid.

I think there that there is not one peice of road that is not always used so there is not (so much ) the areas that dont get used and tend to get all the crap washed up in to

On my way home from work i do tend to go past the masses of static traffic to get to the front of the traffic lights and can't help but notice that at one particular set of lights the "dirty area" between lanes that normally has all the dangerous crap that messes tyres up is mostly clean, which means someone has used the initiative to clear it with a road sweeper on a regular basis.