What are the best tyres for V11 ?

[al_roethlisberger]

... just as an interesting aside, I've been reading on a lot of forums that a lot of owners of Japanese big HP bikes also have shied away from the "fashion" of huge rear tires, and gone down a size to liven up the handling.

 

al

[BrianG]

I put a 190 on the rear of my 900RR replacing the stock 180, and it felt like a cruiser! Dumbest thing I ever did to the poor thing!

 

And that after spending $1000.00 on forks and another similar amount on the Shock! Dumb Dumb Dumb!!

[Guest golden goose]

Stunned to see so many votes for the Metzeler M1 Sportecs. I put M1s on after the stock BT020s burned off at 4k miles. Didn't know it until a few weeks later, but a friend also put a set of M1s on his Kawasaki 600 at the same time. We had identical experiences with these tires. I got incredible mileage out of the M1s. 1600 miles! They were wonderfuly slippery, felt exactly like I was riding on butter! I always felt like I was going to slide right off the Angeles Crest in every curve. Glad they were gone in just 1600 miles (3 weeks)! The last ride on these tires was with my K600 friend. He was flabbergasted by just how poor these tires were. In 30 years of hard riding, I have never put such a poor tire on a vehicle. Yet I swear by the Z4s. Will try the Z6s next. Interesting to not see these tires on the list.

[Guest davidb]

Thats what I have been running on my beemer, metzeler z6. I just put them on my guzzi a few weeks ago too.

[Guest ratchethack]

Stunned to see so many votes for the Metzeler M1 Sportecs.  I got incredible mileage out of the M1s.  1600 miles!  They were wonderfuly slippery, felt exactly like I was riding on butter!  I always felt like I was going to slide right off the Angeles Crest in every curve.  Glad they were gone in just 1600 miles (3 weeks)!  The last ride on these tires was with my K600 friend.  He was flabbergasted by just how poor these tires were.  In 30 years of hard riding, I have never put such a poor tire on a vehicle. 

39550[/snapback]

 

Interesting. I got 5K miles out of my last Metz M1 Sportec rear, including (among other mountain favorites) my last and best pass ever on the Angeles Crest Trail (West to East). When properly warmed up and at 37 lbs., I get great adhesion, wonderful control, and plenty of warning approaching the limit. I find they allow exceptionally quick and stable throttle-on recovery sliding through damp spots and those occasional hidden and unexpected patches of sand and "marbles".

 

When fitting a new one, I scuff mine in very carefully with a belt sander (I use #60 grit and get it rolling on the shop stand to achieve uniform abrasion) before they ever touch the tarmac. I find the greasy mold release on 'em when new takes awhile to burn off, even for a few miles of riding on the sidewalls after I do this. Then they're ready for anything.

 

In 35 years of riding and a dozen motorcycles, I have never had a tire I like better in the mountains. Steel radials ain't no "downstream" tires . The "downsized and correct" 160/60 handles and feels much better than the 170/60's that came stock on the 4.5" rims. I just put a new M-1 rear on last week. Per the last couple repeat "sporting" passes over Highland Valley Road (mixed tight switchbacks to long 60 mph sweepers) with my riding Pal on his LeMans, same experience as I got with the last tire.

 

Yet, as always, YMMV!

 

Ratchethack

[dlaing]

I got 3000 miles out of my rear Metzeler, while every tire before it got 6000+ miles.

It was a nimble tire, but it did not inspire me with confidence in the traction department.

Probably sanding the chickenstrip area would have helped, because it was fine in the rain and when breaking where the tire was well scrubbed in.

Perhaps they do like higher tire pressures. I was running mine around 34PSI, but I was doing that for the other tires, too.

[Guest Brian Robson]

Quote from ratchethack:"I find the greasy mold release on 'em when new takes awhile to burn off, even for a few miles of riding on the sidewalls after I do this. Then they're ready for anything"

 

 

Riding on the sidewalls? You must be using clutchless changes!

Do you do the footpegs and the sidestand with the belt sander as well?

[Guest ratchethack]

Quote from ratchethack:"I find the greasy mold release on 'em when new takes awhile to burn off, even for a few miles of riding on the sidewalls after I do this.  Then they're ready for anything"

Riding on the sidewalls?    You must be using clutchless changes!

 

Errrr.... no.  Okay, not the sidewalls, the sides of the tread up to the edge next to the sidewalls.  You know what I mean.  The fingers on my left hand work fine, and so does my trans.  

 

Do you do the footpegs and the sidestand with the belt sander as well?

39571[/snapback]

 

Errrr.... no again. But I did take Dave's advice and cut the side-stand rubber stop down to allow the side-stand to tuck up farther. The stand was beginning to show some serious gounding. It worked. AFAIK, the side-stand hasn't touched down since then, at least I haven't heard it.

 

BTW - thanks for the tip, Dave!

[Steve G.]

60 mph sweepers? MMmmm. That speed is more for hairpins don't you honestly think?

Dropping down to a 160mm is a good move though, on the old V11s with the small rim.

I have no problem with Metzelers, except the stupid prices. Really, the extra money they demand for these things does not relate to an equivalent operational improvement over less expensive [i never say cheaper when talking radials] . I used to swear by them, but saw that there was available the same characteristics with other makes, for literally half the price. On my old D-P bike, the Metz Saharas are of course still very fine, but found the Avon Gripsters just as good. Half price! I actually liked the Avons. Unlike Metzelers, which have a habit of breaking loose, only to hook up again during spirited riding, the Avons would start giving you gentle reminders of approaching limit of adhesion by just getting a little loose, kind of slowly stepping out in an entertaining kind of way.

Ciao, Steve G.

[Guest ratchethack]

60 mph sweepers? MMmmm. That speed is more for hairpins don't you honestly think?

  I have no problem with Metzelers, except the stupid prices.

39580[/snapback]

 

Well now, this gets curiouser and curiouser!

 

60 mph hairpins!? I'll bet everyone who did the Toy Ride from the Guzzi Rally at Dos Picos Park on Dec. 4 would agree that if you took the hairpins on Highland Valley Road (the ones marked 15 mph) at anything approaching 60 mph, you'd instantly find yourself real up close & personal with a big ol' granite boulder the size of your living room. Quite possibly, Todd Eagan might manage 20 mph, but then, he's hardly got any footpegs left on his hot-rod Jackal. And Todd doesn't belt sand his footpegs down either.

 

RE: Metzeler prices, I checked around on my last Metz M1 Sportec 160/60 ZR 17. The lowest I found on the Web was $104 (plus shipping), but $107-$110 was about average. I got a local MC shop to order me one & picked it up next day for $117. Didn't seem too steep to me for a high quality tire that seems to have all the tradeoffs in the right places for my kind of riding. You?

[Kiwi Dave]

Anyone tried the Bridgestone 014's? I'm considering these along with the Diablos, the 014's are a lot cheaper.

[antonio carroccio]

Hello Ratchethack, I start to share your opinion and realize how bad handling are the Metzeler M1 sport. After 1k km is the situation not that good. When is it wet the bike is riding on butter and not responding on me.

I am thinking over to sell this tires on Ebay, and step over to Diablo again.

[Steve G.]

OK Ratchethack, hairpins is a wrong example. Sorry. I'll move this entertaining little conversation over to 24/7-V11.

Ciao, Steve G.

[antonio carroccio]

Look at this...

 

http://cgi.ebay.nl/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewIt...ssPageName=WD2V

[Guest ratchethack]

Hello Ratchethack, I start to share your opinion and realize how bad handling are the Metzeler M1 sport. After 1k km is the situation not that good. When is it wet the bike is riding on butter and not responding on me.

I am thinking over to sell this tires on Ebay, and step over to Diablo again.

39588[/snapback]

 

Antonio, what front tire are you running with the M1 rear? M1 or other steel radial? You may have selected a design and/or technology and/or compound incompatibility. These are primary considerations for how effectively front and rear tires need to work together. Beyond this there are secondary considerations. What rim widths and aspect ratios front and rear? Are they properly matched?

 

Then we come to a host of significant considerations affecting handling, all of which contribute to the way a tire "feels". Do you have your front & rear sag set properly? Fork tubes raised? By how much? What weight & quantity fork oil? What pressures are you running? What do you weigh and how much load do you normally carry? Tank bag, &/or panniers, and if so, how heavily loaded, and in what combination? Solo or dual riding? If both, what trade-offs have you made with your chassis setup? Conversely, have you lightened the bike substantially (replaced heavy rear cans, for example)? Shock mfgr. & condition? Shock spring preload setting? Stock springs? Progressive springs? Length of fork tube spacers? Steering damper setting? How about properly set and matched front/rear compression & rebound? Then there's riding style and the kinds of roads you ride on - but lest we open 2 more cans o' worms... I mercifully cut myself off.

 

Possibly more important than anything above - Are you a "regular" Guy? (Any bran in your diet?)

 

My point is that when you throw all this in a big pot and brew up your own unique subjective perceptions, the combinations and permutations that determine how you might like or dislike the way a tire handles are virtually limitless, are they not?

 

With the relatively recent quantum-leap improvements in tire technology, including the advent and subsequent refinement of steel radials for motorcycles, it's a good thing we have so many superb niche-targeted tires to select from these days, don't you think?