Thank you, Pirelli Angel GTs. Definitely the best touring tyre I’ve ever used. Big statement but true. The GS has been a sheer joy to ride since getting its new boots.

Soon after leaving Bright we rode through one of the twistiest sections of well surfaced road I’ve ever ridden. With McKinnon in the lead and Roff somewhere on my tail I was riding hard when a Dodge Ram came around the corner taking up most of the road. Reactions took over, the GS got shoved down as far as it’d go and, phew, we scorched through the gap without a drama. A small puddle maybe, but no drama…

Thank you, Pirelli Angel GTs. Definitely the best touring tyre I’ve ever used. Big statement but true. The GS has been a sheer joy to ride since getting its new boots. Yep, over 21,000km of hot motorways, leafy mountain roads and even some dirt, mostly (over 70 per cent) two up and loaded and these tyres have kept us safe in style. They’ve also let the boy racer loose more than once if you know what I mean…

Did you know that 95 per cent of the bikes in the ASBK Championship run Pirellis? Neither did I until halfway through the Morgan Park round in 2023. It made an impression because after listening to Nigel Patterson rave about the new sports touring Angel GTs on a BMW K1300 he rode on the track, I figured I’d have a go.

So when our GS1200 needed new rubber at 51,320km, I chose Angel GT’s. Now, with 72,640km on the clock, both front and back have definitely seen better days. That’s 21,320km (nearly all on tour) and there’s enough visible tread left to get away without replacing them yet. I will though, because the worn shape of the front is making it drop into corners and because the bike has felt so good for so long I need to do this all over again!

Okay, so the front’s exaggerated wear pattern suggests it might have been caused by under-inflation. My fault, I’d fitted these tyres using an old soap brush that shed hairs on the rim. Both tyres developed slow leaks, with the front definitely the worst. While I’m real good at checking pressures pre-ride, on the road they only get an occasional kick. More than once we’ve been halfway home when the front’s obviously needed more air.

Which means that you might even do better than the 21,000-plus kays I got from these Angels – but frankly, I don’t care. I’m so impressed I’m planning on replacing them with the latest Pirelli evolution in sports touring rubber: the new Angel GT IIs. That’s the third incarnation of Pirelli’s sports touring rubber that kicked off with the Angel STs.

I don’t know how they could be any better but hey, when you’re on a good thing – it sticks to the road!

John Rooth

Pirelli Angel GT, RRP $349.95 Inc GST, Pirelli tyres distributed by Link International, 07 3382 5000 or linkint.com.au