6 years, 54,000 miles, and a few observations

[Sleuth]

I bought my 2017 Trophy SE new in late 2017 and, having recently completed a 4,400 mile trip to the Midwest, still love the bike.  I have a few observations that may be useful for other owners.

• The original TPMS sensors are still working fine and don't even display a low battery warning.  I'm impressed.
• When riding at 60 MPH with the windscreen down, I get 50 MPG.  When riding at 80 MPH with the windscreen all the way up, I get 40 MPG.  It's worth keeping in mind when you're concerned about reaching the next gas station.
• I've switched from Michelin Road 5 GT to Dunlop Roadmaster 3 tires.  In my experience, the Dunlops last longer and are much less expensive.  Some riders say the Michelins have better grip but, given my riding style, I'll never know.

Best,
Arthur

[trophied]

Road Smart 3's?  I've seen some reports over on a forum for one of the big German touring bikes about the Road Smart IV's that were positive too.  I'm running Road 6 GT's and like them, but yes they are expensive.

[Sleuth]

Originally Posted by trophied

Road Smart 3's?  I've seen some reports over on a forum for one of the big German touring bikes about the Road Smart IV's that were positive too.  I'm running Road 6 GT's and like them, but yes they are expensive.

You are correct, I meant Roadsmart 3.  AFAIK there is no Roadmaster 3.

Dunlop Roadsmart 4s are, as you might have guessed, a newer and more expensive model.  A set of Roadsmart 3s in Trophy size currently runs about $265.  A set of Roadsmart 4s is about $475.  A set of Michelin Road 6 GTs is about $530.  You can find a comparison of the RS 3 vs RS 4 here:  https://ridermagazine.com/2021/02/13/dunlop-roadsmart-iv-tires-10000-mile-test.

I'm currently running Roadsmart 3s on my Trophy, a BMW S1000R (exact same size as the Trophy tires!) and a Yamaha FJR 1300 (slightly different rear tire size).

[STJIM]

I just put a new set of Shinko Verge 2 tires on my bike about 3,000 miles ago.  No cupping of the front tire yet after my IBA Great Lakes 100 ride ( 2,721 miles ) and I really don't care if I get a little less mileage out of these tires since they are significantly less expensive.

The bike seems to "turn-in" much better with these tires, but maybe that's because the front tire isn't cupped like the tire that was replaced and the rear tire doesn't have a flat stop in the center.

[Sleuth]

The Shinko Verge 2X costs about the same as the Dunlop Roadsmart 3.  It would be interesting to hear how many miles you get.

The pair of RS 3s that I just replaced on my FJR lasted 10,000 miles.  About half of that was high-speed highway riding in summer heat, including a trip from Boston to La Crosse, around Lake Superior, and return to Boston (4,400 miles).  The tires weren't in great shape by the time I got home but they were still rideable.

[STJIM]

You are correct.  I was thinking about the Shinko Raven's that I put on my Kawasaki C-14.   They cost much less than the Verge 2's.  The Raven rear tire isn't available in 190/55/17  but is available in 190/50/17 which the Kawasaki uses - go figure.

I did get a good deal on the Verge 2's that I bought last year at the end of the season when there are close-out sales on and then store them until there are needed.

I've been running Shinko's for some time now and have been pretty satisfied with them.  I was happy with the set of  Raven's I had on my C-14 Concours.

Most of my riding is on the slab, BTW.