Tires: mileage vs performance.....

[V4]

What's everyone's tire of choice....?

Mine's the BT010 front/BT020 rear combo during the drier seasons and BT010s during wetter seasons....

I love the steering, stability, grip, and braking characteristics of the BT010s but of course I sacrifice mileage...

I use the BT020s on the rear which offers better mileage but less performance, although its not that much of a sacrifice although Im more confident riding in the rain with the BT010s more....

So far, Ive used the MEZ4s(okay but wouldn't buy again), BT010s(very good but wears too fast), BT020s(less grip and slower steering than the BT010s but still good all-around), Diablos( I just couldn't get use to the profile and feeling of the tread in the corners), and for the next set, Im planning to use the Dunlop 208ZRs just to see how they work on my VFR...

Please give some feedback of choice of tires that are used on the road....

thanks...

[RydTher]

well, on the Bandit, I have gone through 2 sets of the 010/020 and will run them again. Get about 5-6000 miles per set.
I have a 010 rear on the bike now, but for me it was not a good tire. It wore out too quickly, and I had it slip on me a few times. :eek
Its done for at about 3000 miles as well. Another oddity concerning the 010/010 as opposed to the previous 010/020 combo I was running, is that the 020 combo felt like it turned "easier" or "quicker". Just felt like the bike was easier to turn than the 010/010 combo.

The FJR has MeZ4's, and I cant wait til I wear them out, which at the rate I am going is going to be soon. 4000+ miles on them, and have never quite gotten comfortable with them. Nothing I can point to directly, just dont like them. Front tire is wearing faster than I would have expected, and is more wedge shaped (sides wearing faster than middle)
The next tires for the FJR will be Avon ST45/46's. I have been hearing lots of good reports on them.

[donoman]

I've run Dunlop 205's which I somehow thrashed in 2000 miles, I think they overheat easily.

I've had BT010/010's, those were good but squared off really quickly.

I'm running BT020/020's now and although they have always stuck and never let me down, I'm going to go with the 010/020 combo next time.

The 020 takes a LONG time to square off, It's been almost 6000 miles for me and just recently noticing the squaredness.

[NoGall]

Had MEZ4. Have been on 010/020 combo forever. I'll let V4 test out the tires. When he gives the thumb-up on some tire, I follow:loser I get between the 5k to 6k range. At about 5k, things start to get a bit funky in the steering department. The 010 front also begins to scallop at that range.

Put about 200 miles of twisty on 010/020 como this weekend. They grip just fine in pouring rain:toothless

John, please hurry up and test the D208's as I have been wanting to try those next:teeth

[pashnit]

I have 010's on the Hayabusa right now. Front one is bald already (that was fast!) so am also curious what you guys think as I'm about to order another tire within next couple days. Picked up all the manufacture brochures on tires at the show.

Have always bought sport-touring tires in the past (on ZX-11) - the big bikes eat tires for breakfast.

[Raghu]

1st set - Pilot sports: 9k miles before I changed them. I was getting used to the bike & was riding conservatively most of the time. Ppl. complain that they take a long time to warm up - I didn't notice :p. I take it easy the first 10 minutes of the ride anyway (before I settle in to a rhythm).

2nd set D207: hated them. I had no feeling from the front end. Replaced @ 5k even though the front was pretty good & could've lasted another 5k.

3rd Sportec M1s: Hated the feel - was glad when the rear tire was cut (almost diagonally) and replaced them @ 1.5k miles. Won't try them again. I think I put on BT010s, but I don't remember - bloody bike got stolen with a new tire :(

6 months later, got another F4i with Rennsports. These rocked. Great feel & excellent grip. Took them off after @ 6k miles on them for winter & put on Pirelli Dragon Evos (MTR21/22). Too bad Metzeler decided not to sell the Rennsports streets in US.

Stay with me here guys, because it gets a bit crazy with all the swaping in the past 4 months :)

Pirelli Dragon Evos: Amazing tires! 6k miles, 3 track days and still going good! They don't grip as well as Pilots in rain but warm up quickly. Dry grip is excellent. This is one tire I will recommend to anyone. I bought for a bargain from Wekstatt last winter for $160 OTD.

With 5k miles on the Evos, I replaced them with the Rennsports I took off last winter & ran up another 1k miles in 15 days. The wear indicators on the rear were showing so I replaced them with new Michelin pilots (I bought them cheap from another guy on cbrlist).

This time, I got 5k miles out of the rear - I could've easily got another 2k miles, but didn't want to (I had tires to spare :)). The front is still looking good so I stored it for later use.

For the 10/31 track school @ Streets of Willow, I put on the Evos (I took off in july) again. Still has Excellent grip. It drizzled a bit and the temperature never went over 50 but I never had a problem leaned way over. Back on street, I was riding Friday when it poured, Saturday & Yesterday in rain - no problems. This is one tire I love (next to the Rennsports).

I will update this with reports on the D207ZR soon :).

[Raghu]

Originally posted by B12Bill
The FJR has MeZ4's, and I cant wait til I wear them out, which at the rate I am going is going to be soon. 4000+ miles on them, and have never quite gotten comfortable with them. Nothing I can point to directly, just dont like them. Front tire is wearing faster than I would have expected, and is more wedge shaped (sides wearing faster than middle)


Bill,
the Metzeler guy @ the motorcycle show was actually praising the new Z6. He said that Metzeler realised that while customers loved the mileage of the Z4, they complained of the lack of feel from the tires. Looks like Metzeler has addressed these issues. Wet grip is the same as the Z4 but dry grip is increased and so is the fall in & feel.

The next tires for the FJR will be Avon ST45/46's. I have been hearing lots of good reports on them.

I heard from the guy on cbrlist who rabidly advocates the Avons that the 45/46 combo doesn't stick as well as the previous iteration of the ST tires did in rain (I don't recall their #s - 35/36?)...

[lefty]

I have a set of Michelin Macadams on my Gixxer 750!!!
They have about 6k miles of commuting on them, and still have lots of tread left.
On the ZX9-R, I have the stock D207's. I do not push my bikes very hard, but I like this tire so far. I only have about 3,000 miles on my bike so far. I'll need to find something good to replace these in a few months.
I spoke with sime VFR riders and they swear by the 010/020 combo.

[Bronto]

On the second set of BT020. Getting 10 k miles on rear, front had 1/16" before the wear bars.
BT020 feathered a bit. Fair amount on the front, less on the rear.
Michelin Pilot Road looks good. The Hard version of Pilot Sport also.
Rags mileage of 9 k on Pilot Sport that's damn good.
Kept with the BT020 cause they had good preformance and wear. Should try the others tho.

[lefty]

Bronto-
You've just sold me on my next set of tires!!! (020's).

[Raghu]

Originally posted by Bronto
Rags mileage of 9 k on Pilot Sport that's damn good.


yeah! I kinda messed the latest rear by doing too much freeway miles with twistie pressure of 35 :(. 42 on the rear for freeway droning reduces the rear tire from developing a center flat spot dramatically.

[wakked1]

Yeah, I ran 42psi for my SF - Seattle roundtrip. The rear wore out on my way back (208ZR's).. cords were just starting to show when I pulled into the garage, but it never really squared off.

I might try a set of 010's next time around... I've heard that for bikes like the 12R the 020's tend to wear just as fast if not faster than the 010's coz they slip more (harder compound).

[GAMBLER]

020's have been good to me. 7300 on the front , about 500 miles left on it. rear is still plenty good. and I'm very conservative on tires, I tend to replace them earlier instead of later. I picked up a new front at CG SJ but haven't installed it yet. I run 36 psi front and rear.

[rdcyclist]

Here's the rundown on the tires I've run on the VFR:

1. Dunlop 205: Came stock. Kept the rims off the tarmac. Good for learning how to ride the bike. Not so good for riding hard. They got killed at about 9k miles when I hit a concrete block on Larry Expwy and bent both rims. I figgered that if both rims got bent the tires probably aren't to be trusted.

2. Bridgestone BT010: Great tires. Good stick in the dry and the wet. I get about 7k outta a set. Two sets in a row.

3. BStone BT56ss: I had these on my spare set of rims (the bent ones got straightened) for the track. I used 'em at a coupla track schools (CLASS @ Sears Point and Laguna) and then when the second set of 010s were worn out, I slapped them on for another 6k. Worked great in the dry. Very challenging in the wet. On 17 the water can run across the road in a mini river making the contact with the asphalt somewhat tenuous.

4. Dunlop 208gp: I ran a set of track day take offs for 3k or so. Great in the dry; WAAYYY scary in the wet. Won't do that again...

5. Metzler M1-Sportec: My local dealer was outta 010s and all they had was the M1's. They're OK. Lasted 5k and woulda been good for another k or so but I was planning on doing an endurance ride a coupla weeks ago and so I changed 'em. I got a killer deal on another set of them so I'm still runnin' 'em. I'll probably go back to the 010's when these wear out. I'm getting more slip than I'm comfortable with and they are way taller than the Bridgestones thus fouling up the Computrack geometry.

The trouble with comparing tires the way we're talking about here is that the baseline is taken from a set of totally shagged tires. I think we'd be talking about how good the yellow tires that were at the show when they're compared to a set of 010s that have 8k on 'em.

[V4]

Originally posted by wakked1
.....I might try a set of 010's next time around... I've heard that for bikes like the 12R the 020's tend to wear just as fast if not faster than the 010's coz they slip more (harder compound).

This is true on my VFR.....

I sometimes have the rear BT020s rear wear out the same time as the front BT010s and other times I'll go through 2 fronts per 1/2 the life of the rear tire ....

BT010s are awesome tires but wear too quickly....

Im really looking forward to switching over to the 208ZRs after the set I have now....

[AndyM]

Bike came stock with mich. Hi-sports, rear lasted ~5k, front a little longer.
Changed to 010 front 020 rear, didn't really like that combo, it just never felt right.
Rear 020 below tread bars after ~6k, changed to 010. Front 010 still going strong.
So far I like 010's front and back the best, feels very stable in the wet and dry. If I'm lucky they will last till Spring. Haven't decided on what to try next yet.

[donoman]

Like i was saying earlier, I think that the 020's / sport touring compounds just overheat too fast if you ride too hard on them, and that shortens the lifetime significantly. But if you are pretty gentle with the bike (ie. ride straight) the 020's last so long you get sick of them. :teeth

[GAMBLER]

ah I lean over once in awhile, and they still last. But I refrain from spinning the rear out of the corners anymore.:x

[MrCrash]

Whatever non-Michelin race takeoffs people give me.

I've probably been getting a good 6000 miles to a set of D207GP takeoffs on the Couch-a-saki. That's running higher pressures when I know I'm going to be on the freeway, and generally babying it coming off the line or out of corners. I tend to hold speed through corners rather than getting the bike turned and throttling out.

John, I think you'll be disappointed in the tire life of the D208ZR. They come to temp pretty quickly, but also tend to go away quickly. I'll be really surprised if you get the mileage you get out of them equals what you get out of the 010s.

[wakked1]

I like the 208ZR's well enough of my 12R. Ppl complain about the 208ZR's sliding a bit, but I don't mind that actually.. I like a large envelope of marginal traction vs the all-or-nothing traction of some setups. They probably won't last as long as the 010's as they're not a dual (multi?) compound tire, and you do need to run high pressure if you're highwaying it to keep them from squaring off.

[Nelson]

I am using MEtzelers , the Touring Z4 in the rear and the M1 Sportecs in the front. I have about 4-5K miles on the rear and still looking good. I am never going back to super-street tires in the rear ever again. At least for touring and commuting.

[V4]

Originally posted by MrCrash907

John, I think you'll be disappointed in the tire life of the D208ZR. They come to temp pretty quickly, but also tend to go away quickly. I'll be really surprised if you get the mileage you get out of them equals what you get out of the 010s.

:cry

I guess I gotta stay with the BT010/BT020 combo for a bit longer till something else comes around.....

Thanks Mikey for the info....:cool

[morthrane]

I've been wondering the same bit...

Mostly I think I've been trying to find a combination that's not so brutal on the rear tire without giving up the warm fuzzy security that is spending too much on a front tire :laughing

My favorite tire so far, and the one that appeared to have decent wear factor, was the now-scrapped Metzler Rennsport (street compound). The only tire I've found since then that came close to how I liked the Rennsport is Pirelli's Diablo/Diablo corsa... but like on another thread there seems to be some scary coincidences in uneven tire wear. (To recap: two easy days at thill, 2500 street miles, maybe 400-500 of it freeway. Rear tire is wearing off-center to the left really badly compared to offcenter right.)

Pilot Sport tires are terrible... and I never want to encounter one again.

I'll second a vote against using D208GP's in the rain. Never been more scared of losing traction than on those tires in the rain with heavy gusts of crosswinds and the like. But I have to admit, part of the problem involved me not checking tire pressures... did a lot of freeway riding on a 29psi rear tire that just tore it to pieces... that's my #1 bane, minor freeway riding just kills my rear tire right down the middle. I used to run about 35-36psi, but lately have been trying higher pressures around 38-41psi to save my rear tires from the "freeway burn".

M1's aren't bad, but they didn't quite exude the confidence of a Rennsport street... and when they wore and squared off, made handling feel really awkward. Seems possible to heat them up until they turn greasy like a McDonald's freebie big mac, as I found coming back through Death Valley and the rest of the desert out there(early May), my M1 had been practically shot-- rubber balling up and looking for all the life like a track tire :wow

I guess 120mph "cruising" and knifing through the twisties for hundreds of miles hurts tires bad :laughing Needless to say, when the tire started to scare me in a straight line and I saw how shredded the heat turned it... I went home, very slowly.


D207ZR's definitely felt like they acheived this level of "greasy"ness very quickly and easily, just on a hot day.

[ttretas]

My bike came with Mich Pilot sport. I liked them and never had major issues both in the wet/dry. The rear woobles a bit coming out of corners and the front doesn't seem to transmit much info on the rider. rear lasted 9K miles.

Then I fitted a BT012SS in the rear (front still good). Man what a great tire. In the dry I could give it WOT coming out of corners and never, never had a wooble. In the wet they were great also, very inspiring. Rear lasted 6.2K miles.

Now I have a BT012, the normal version, and rode few miles with it, so no details yet. The front is still the same (bugger) with 15k miles, but I have a front 012SS waiting in the garage.

FJR1300: A friend of mine has got one and it came with 020's. He loves them and he had a drive in a FJR with the MZ4, wich i didn't liked much. His 020 have now 9k miles and the back is square. Good tire in the rain and wet, to keep.

[Waterboy]

The first set of tires I had on my VFR were Dunlop 207's. I hated them. Couldn't wait till I wore them down. The next set was BT 010/010. I fell in love. They gripped and felt wonderful on the road and at the track. I got about 6,000 miles out of them, but the last 1,000 miles they were feeling pretty squirrely. I just put another set on. Originally, I was going to put on 010/020 combo, but the dealer didn't have the 020, so I just put on 010's front and rear. I love them.:teeth

[NoGall]

V4 or Waterboy, what PSI are you setting for the front and rear? My freaking BT010 front is starting to feather in less than 3k...

[Waterboy]

Originally posted by NoGall
V4 or Waterboy, what PSI are you setting for the front and rear? My freaking BT010 front is starting to feather in less than 3k...

I usually run a little on the soft side. Normal is 36/42, but I like 33-34/38-40. Like I said, the last 1,000 miles were squirrely, and there certainly was cupping on the front.

[nexus]

anyone here running the bt010s on an F3? I'm curious what tire pressures are happy for you.

[V4]

Originally posted by NoGall
V4 or Waterboy, what PSI are you setting for the front and rear? My freaking BT010 front is starting to feather in less than 3k...

The BT010 front is notorious for feathering quickly which many others has expressed on different forums as well.....

I get about 2.5k from the front which the center is fine but the sides wear at an extreme rate and it also seems to square off which feels very unstable in the corners.....

Ive ran 34-36 front and it still did the same.....

I love the feel of the BT010s but can't take it anymore of the fast wear....

I recently put on the Pirelli Diablos (again) because of a good price and I like the even wear better from the set I had before.....

stay tuned for the review after Thanksgiving ....

[NoGall]

Originally posted by V4

I get about 2.5k from the front which the center is fine but the sides wear at an extreme rate and it also seems to square off which feels very unstable in the corners.....

Ive ran 34-36 front and it still did the same.....

I love the feel of the BT010s but can't take it anymore of the fast wear....

I recently put on the Pirelli Diablos (again) because of a good price and I like the even wear better from the set I had before.....

stay tuned for the review after Thanksgiving ....

Thanks for the info., John. My front is at 3k as of now, and it doesn't look good at all -- flaring badly, and wear bars showing on the sides:wtf I am getting lots of "busy" feedback from the front. The 020 rear still looks good, and sticks well.

Looking forward to your review of Diablos... I would be interested in how they work in the rain...

[V4]

Originally posted by NoGall
Looking forward to your review of Diablos... I would be interested in how they work in the rain...

well, the Pirelli Diablos are an awesome tire and if they last a good amount of mileage, they may be my new favorite tires......

I haven't ridden them in the rain but I can say they offer excellent traction after hitting a dog.....

I'll give a full review how they ride in the rain this weekend.....:cool

[deaconblues]

Wow, no one in here mentioned the Dunlop D220ST's...

probably good thing too - their road feel ain't too good -- also noticed that they lock up easier than the prev set. Not the suggested tire for anything over 7/10th's riding (although they did pretty good in that downpour in the Sierras last summer).

Definitely going with different rubber next time around -- problem is, I'm a commuter so I have to go for ones that wear down slow, or don't cost an arm and a leg.

Suggestions?

[V4]

Ive always wanted to try the D220s but heard that for a "sport-touring/commuter" tire, they don't last long and some stated the same problems about braking , especially over technical ( bumpy, gravel filled, wet) surfaces.....

I love the BT010s for all around use but they don't last too long....

I heard that both Bridgestones and Pirelli is coming out with a new sport touring tire for 04 though.....

[NoGall]

Diablos (non-Corsa)... only $20 or so more than BT010/020... hmmmmm............

John, hitting a dog? I thought dogs only chased motorcycles, not yaks?:twofinger

[Boba]

Originally posted by deaconblues
Wow, no one in here mentioned the Dunlop D220ST's...

probably good thing too - their road feel ain't too good -- also noticed that they lock up easier than the prev set. Not the suggested tire for anything over 7/10th's riding (although they did pretty good in that downpour in the Sierras last summer).



I have been pretty impressed with the D220's. I have 3000 miles on them of which about 25% is just "commuting" to and from SJ and Livermore. From there the rest of the miles have been racked up riding a strong "B" pace on the Sunday Mines road loop.

The rear tire is wearing evenly and still looks almost new. The front tire however, is beginning to feather on the sides.

I have had a couple lock-ups but those were rider induced and easy to do on my bike (apparently Honda decided to put almost ALL of the weight of the bike in the front half).

I haven't experienced the negative road feel you describe. In fact, I have had the opposite experience. When pushed too hard these tires are great at letting you know when they've had enough - they start crying "uncle" early enough to let you back off - rather than simply "going away." (i hear the Pilots are notorious for doing this).

Food for thought/my two cents/<insert additional cliche here>

Bob

[Oneway]

I run 020s, last about 7k......... not too bad. Preasure at 36/42psi.

Did anybody try the Pilot Road???

[soniq]

I've got the Pilot Road on the rear of my Busa. Had to replace the front rim and it came with an OEM tire and had some tread left, so I've left it on for now...I will get the Pilot Road front in a month or so.

I'm amazed that it hasn't shown much wear after a thousand or so miles. The 010s would start squaring off by now. No handling or traction problems. I do ride a lot, the Busa has almost 40K miles, so I think I'll stick to these for now.

I really wanted to try the Avon AV45/46 combo but couldn't find anyone local who carried them. I found out later on that casporttouring has em.

[V4]

Ive heard good reviews about the Avon AV45/46s...

never tried them cuz I can't find anyone who stock em either....

[SilverBird]

I've run BT 010s and Avons 45/46 (several sets of both).

010s have a very good grip overall but don't last nearly long enough with bigger/heavier bikes. The rear would last roughly 2.5 to 3k miles and the front would last 1k more (while handling like shit on the last 500 miles). That is with relatively conservative riding. On the wet though, they do have outstanding traction.

The Avons last longer (5-7 k for the rear and 10-14k for the front). Turn-in is quicker than the 010s and traction is much more limited on the wet. They do still provide good feedback (when the rear breaks lose you get plenty of warning). On dry pavement, traction is pretty much a non-issue. Not the best for winter/wet time but maybe one of the few tires that will handle longer trips without leaving you stranded in the middle and still handle well for 'Italian test rides'.

Hugo

[Trackho]

They last bout 800mi on the XX, is that good????

[SilverBird]

Originally posted by Trackho
They last bout 800mi on the XX, is that good????

LOL.

Stiil having trouble with the throttle getting stuck?


Hugo

[veefereefer]

A few years back I used D205's and would get 3-4k on them.
I tried the newer D220's recently and only got 2k out of those pieces of sheeet.

Somehow I've got slightly over 3k on my tombstone 012's. Most of that is highway miles. I did 2900 miles on them riding up to Idaho and back.........not much left in the middle but the sides still look usable.

[NoGall]

Bridgestone BT010 front and BT020 rear update:

At 3,800 miles (all twisty, non-commute), the front is now officially toast. The center is okay other than scalloping, but the side treads are gone. Once tipped over, it just keeps diving. Spent the last two days cruising up right.

The rear still looks good with maybe another 2,000 left in the center.

Any tips on preserving the life of the front? Better lines?

[V4]

NoGall....

Ive experimented with different air pressures, suspension set up and no matter what Ive done, the BT010s would just fade away fast.....

Although I loved the BT010s, I couldn't stand the short life so I switched to the Pirelli Diablos.....

So far Ive put 1,000 miles on them and both front and rear are fine which the BT010s would start showing some wear....

The characteristics between the 2 brands are different though and I am adjusting to it.....

I do like the BT010s better in the wet but the Diablos does well too but on dry conditions, the Diablos are awesome....

[NoGall]

John, I played with some of the things you mentioned with the same result -- makes no difference in preventing it from scalloping. The difference with this set, after some thinking, is that I have had been a bit too aggressive for the last 4K (trying to get away from the holiday shoppers:-), which could explain the much faster wear one the front.

Ordered D208zr's to try... Some VFR folks think the 208's tread pattern is less prone to scalloping than the 010 and 020. Don't know about how effective the 208 would be in the wet, but I'll find out soon enough:-)

I'll try Diablos next time...

[deaconblues]

Question for y'all -- where oh where can I find 170/60 18's in stock??? Everybody is stocking 17's, not 18's... grrf!

[NoGall]

http://www.swmototires.com/

Found 170/60 18 rear on this page:

http://motorcyclepitstop.com/mivastore/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=004&Product_Code=32WA-54

Order two and you get free shipping. No tax.

[donoman]

Has anyone here tried real touring tires, like the D205? or D220? Do they just ride like shit?

[donoman]

Shit I need a tire that is made out of kevlar down the center and soft rubber down the sides

[deaconblues]

Originally posted by NoGall
http://www.swmototires.com/

Found 170/60 18 rear on this page:

http://motorcyclepitstop.com/mivastore/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=004&Product_Code=32WA-54

Order two and you get free shipping. No tax.

Thanks Nogall, but I'm kinda wonderin where locally... if I order them on line I won't be riding at all until January. And with me riding is like smoking -- I get stressed when I go without for too long.

[NoGall]

deaconblues... They are pretty fast about shipping. Mine always get in under 4 days (sometimes 3) using their free ground shipping.

[soniq]

Give Kim at casporttouring.com a call. He's right there in your town.

http://www.casporttouring.com/store/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=D2201760R18R&Category_Code=D220

[deaconblues]

Originally posted by Nelson
I am using MEtzelers , the Touring Z4 in the rear and the M1 Sportecs in the front. I have about 4-5K miles on the rear and still looking good. I am never going back to super-street tires in the rear ever again. At least for touring and commuting.

I'm set up for a MEZ6 "Sportec" rear tire from Calfornia Sport Touring (http://casporttouring.com) - hopefully it'll be here soon so's I can get some new rubber on before New Years. This tire is the replacement for the ME4 line - 20% more grip, plus longer tread life. We'll see how it fares now that I've worn the D220 ST down to 'racing slick' tread depth...

[jim5150]

Originally posted by rags
Bill,
the Metzeler guy @ the motorcycle show was actually praising the new Z6. He said that Metzeler realised that while customers loved the mileage of the Z4, they complained of the lack of feel from the tires. Looks like Metzeler has addressed these issues. Wet grip is the same as the Z4 but dry grip is increased and so is the fall in & feel.

The info I got about the new Z6's the wet grip was inproved by 30% the dry by 20% with the same or better Mileage



I heard from the guy on cbrlist who rabidly advocates the Avons that the 45/46 combo doesn't stick as well as the previous iteration of the ST tires did in rain (I don't recall their #s - 35/36?)...

[zefflyn]

I'm kinda old-school, but on my handle-bar equipped TL1000s, I still prefer the old Metzeler Z1. Too bad they don't make it anymore! I averaged 7500 miles on the rear, and almost twice that per front.
Also used the D207, which works well, and the BT010, which wore out really fast, ~5000.
I'd like to try the Z6, but they don't come in 190 or 130, apparently.
My current set of 207s are almost bald, though, so I gotta get some new rubber, quick, before I start hydroplaning in all this rain!

[Dar25]

Good info everyone. I've used the M1s - the rear wore out in under 2k (32/32 pressure), i liked the Dunlop-GPs but they suck in the wet/cold envinroment (hard to warm up at winter street pace) and probably overkill for summertime. Pirelli Diablos are great - not as confidence inspiring as GPs but very sticky, last longer and seem to wear evenly.

Now i am running the 208ZRs and they give me plenty of traction in dry and wet on the street (for the winter time).

By the way what is good tire-pressures for the street tires considering i am doing mostly twisties and ocassional commute.

I suspect my 32-32 is a bit on the low side. :D

[never2old]

Bikes CBR 929 and 954... Bridgestone 012 front and 010 on the rear for me. I would rather sacrifice some ware for better traction and I want the front to stick for sure. I usually get about 2,500 miles out of them. The front will go a little farther but I prefer to change both tires at the same time. I did get 6,118 miles out of a set of 010 on a western states tour in 2003, but came limping in on the cords on the rear though.

[Nelson]

Originally posted by deaconblues
I'm set up for a MEZ6 "Sportec" rear tire from Calfornia Sport Touring (http://casporttouring.com) - hopefully it'll be here soon so's I can get some new rubber on before New Years. This tire is the replacement for the ME4 line - 20% more grip, plus longer tread life. We'll see how it fares now that I've worn the D220 ST down to 'racing slick' tread depth...


Funny...courtesy of a nail on the road I am replacing my rear Z4 with a Z6. I put about 6500-7000 miles on the Z4's and I could have squeezed maybe 500-1000 more miles.

I was going to put a fresh Z4, when the tire guy suggested the new Z6 which was 8 $ less. When I asked about feedback, he said I was the second person to buy the tire. It is now on the rim but not yet on the bike. If the thread life is similar I'll be happy. The profile is definately more eliptical closer to a supersport tire than the roundness of the Z4 or any other sport-touring tire.

I would update about my riding impressions, but to tell you the truth, for my kind of riding, I can't tell much difference about grip from tire to tire. I basically go by how long does the tire last. Since it has a racier profile, I'd expect the bike to turn a little quicker but I won't really notice it.

[deaconblues]

OT - nelson, where was that pic taken on the front page of your site?

Looks DAMNED familiar... that cliff line running east-west especially.

[Sportbiker]

I picked up a set of D207RR's from cyclegear sale last month.. Anyone tried these yet ?? Are they the same as D207ZR with different tread pattern ??
I have a few track days coming up & thought I'll put these on..

Any help is appreciated...

[Dar25]

the 207RRs are not particularily sticky (same compound as D207ZR) but should get you through a few trackdays if youre not pushing it in the fast group.

Which trackdays you have lined up Raj - i have 6 lined up for the next 6 months (mostly sears and laguna). hope to see you there!

[xxxmph]

Michelin Pilots and Michelin Macadams last forever, don't know if they still make the macadams though.

[soniq]

The Macadams have been superceded by the Pilot Roads.

[deaconblues]

OK, after polishing the casing release off on the Marin ride last weekend.. I can say that I LIKE the road feel of the MEZ6. Definitely better grip than the D220ST... also the corner/lean feel is very even, there's no point where you feel like the bike is going to 'fall into' the corner.... also no problems with having a different brand on the front than the rear (never had a problem with the Dunlop on the front, but the rear tire gave me grey hairs sometimes).

Now, we get to see how the mileage racks up.