What are the best tyres for V11 ?

[Guest ratchethack]

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.

39570[/snapback]

 

Dave, as you pointed out, 34 lb. for this tire seems more than a bit low. Comparisons might be more fair at mfgr. recommended pressures, rather than using one pressure across different mfgrs., designs & technologies. I also run the M-1 rear somewhat low (37 lb.) for my weight, but that's 3 lb higher, and I think you might be heavier than I am (175lb)? According to Metzeler, the M1 should be run at 2.5-2.9 bar (36-42 lb.). Just thinking that you might've achieved better results with mileage and traction running closer to 40 lb.

 

Yeah, I know that in days of yore, when a tire was actually made mostly out of a relatively primitive grade of rubber with cotton and who knows what thrown in , lower pressure = better traction. But with today's high-techno steel radial multi-composites, where the M1 (for example) touts a triple-radius tread profile with it's 0-degree steel belt, and actually uses different carcass materials between a 180 (rayon) and a 190 (nylon) in the same tire :!: Outside the optimum pressure range on the low side, you may not have achieved the optimum contact patch for traction.

 

Who can actually gain a real-world understanding of hi-tech tires from all the marketing propaganda mixed in with the incomprehensible techno jargon these days, anyway?! You pays your entry fee & you takes your chances, but regardless of that, the quality is so good these days that I think it's worth researching - at least as far as something resembling actual comprehension allows .

 

The proof's in the puddin' and all that...

 

Just a coupla ramblin' rainy day thoughts.

[dlaing]

Comments appreciated.

I will try going higher.

I way 210lbs and you know how fast the roads are around here!

I have found if I tried a little higher pressure the brakes seemed to lock sooner and wet conditions seemed to lose traction more readily.

I am sure if I went up to 42PSI I'd get much better mileage!

37PSI may be about right.

My biggest pet peeve is that my two tire gauges read about 4lbs apart!

I estimate that if I had one pound to the $20 gauge or subtract 3lbs from the $5 gauge I am about right.

 

 

FWIW my only problem with the metzeler front is that it steers a little to quickly.

I have not found a better front tire, yet. but the mileage rating on it has yet to be determined.