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Hey Nat, how's things?

A Pirelli fan here too if I am honest and particularly so on the Monster.

Only eighteen years of ownership to go on though so here goes:

When I got my Monster from my mate that bought it new it was still on the original Dunlops- horrible, horrible things!! Never ever got on with them on the road or on my race bike (but I know others must like them or else they'd be out of business).

But junked them soon after getting the bike and after loving Pirelli Dragons on a couple of sports bikes previously, I put on a pair of Dragon Evo's which were their successor. Along with playing around with the geometry a bit raising the back end (the forks were already through a bit at this point) to get it to turn and hold a line like I knew it was capable of.

Loved them and got through a few sets as I was using the bike a lot at the time, roughly getting 5k out a rear and 7k from a front.

Then they went obsolete and were replaced by the Diablo which again seemed to work really well and were very confidence inspiring in all weather.

Fast forward a bit to 2015 and after a few years of not doing many miles (my daughter was born in 2012 so bike time was limited), I was again able to get out on the Monster more often so it was a refresh and new tyre time.

At that time I asked very similar questions to you and based on what people were using and recommended along with various reviews in the motorcycle press and on the net I went for a pair of Michelin Pilot Road 3's.

However, this is probably party my fault but during the refresh I had the forks reworked by Maxton, my rear Nitron shock fully serviced (after almost ten years without one) along with a few other bits and pieces. The bike needed an MoT and I was due to be going on a mini tour through France, Belgium and the Netherlands so had little choice but to fit the Michelins before I went.

I blame the tyres as changing the geometry again has resolved the issues but of course with so much done at once it is a little more complicated than that and plenty of people swear by them so they can't all be wrong- can they?

But for me at least (tyres are very personal aren't they?) they turned my once sweet handling, quick steering Monster into a lumbering beast feeling like it had been on a weight gain 3000 diet- especially in slow turns and when flicking from a right to a left (or vice-versa in Europe) such as negotiating round-a-bouts.

I couldn't fault the grip though- but suspect I couldn't on any of the current crop of tyres to be honest and few are really going to stress the 75/80(?) horse power that a 900 Monster produces unless you make them lose traction on purpose.

More to follow.......