So I bought a AV91 Cobra Chrome Trike tire over a year ago at a great price but had been holding up having it mounted because I still had tread on my Pilot Activ. Well I am now hanging out for the week in Vonore, TN camping and decided it was finally time to get it done. I rode the Cherohala and the Dragon prior to the change and the Pilot Activ still did okay but was down to the wear bars on the center as well as having the flat profile. So luckily I had brought my quick lift jack and the Avon with. I pulled the front wheel and took it to an independent shop just down the road in Maryville and he changed it right away. I already had a steel valve stem and Centramatic balancers so no need for balancing. Today I got a chance to run it through some backroads, through Great Smoky Mountains National Park and down the Foothills Parkway. I had been running the Pilot Activ at around 36-38psi as it helped smooth out the bumps. When the shop installed the Avon, they aired it up to 41psi so I decided to give it a try. Wow! What a difference. Very smooth feel. It seems to soak the bumps up nicely and it also seems to handle twisties a lot easier with less pushing. I'm not sure if it's just the placebo effect of a new tire that is no longer has the flat profile or if it was going from a bias ply to a radial, or a combination of both.
So the question is, am I just imagining the dramatic improvement or is it real? I'm curious to hear experiences of other owners to see how they feel. Thanks!