A few weeks back, we fitted a set of Eurogrip Roadhound tyres from Whites Powersports to Phil James’s BMW R 1250 RT to see how they stack up in the real world. At just $410 a pair (front 120/70ZR17 $167.50, rear 180/55ZR17 $242.50), they looked like exceptional value — the question was, where would they land on the grip versus durability curve?
With around 2000km now logged, Phil reports he’s “pretty impressed” with their performance so far. “They have more than enough grip to keep my 280kg R 1250 RT pointing in the direction I want to go – even on the edge of the tyre,” he says. “They’ve felt nothing but planted in all scenarios.”
Wet weather performance remains to be tested, but initial signs are encouraging. Phil was originally concerned about edge wear given the tread pattern, yet after 2000km he’s seeing only minor feathering and acceptable edge wear. Rear centre wear also appears to be holding up well, even after extended motorway use.
One small caveat is front tyre noise — Phil notes a noticeable hum around 60-70km/h, likely emphasised by the RT’s otherwise quiet running, with rider in a cocoon-like state behind an effective fairing and screen. On noisier bikes it may not be as obvious, and given the overall performance and value, he sees it as a reasonable trade-off.
Phil will clock another 4000km on the ride to and from the MotoGP, and we’ll publish his updated report once the tyres reach the 6000km mark.
