Connie got some new treads today!

[Dave S]

I took the Concours in to replace the Pirelli Angels I had mounted last year.

This is my 4th set of tires in 3 years with 19,700 miles on the bike.

The original set of Battlax tires were carp. The front wore before the rear in 4k miles.

The second set was Pirelli Diablo Strada's that gave me almost 8k miles. They handled great and the handling felt like the bike was 200 lbs lighter. When the time came to replace them I was going to put the same tire on only to find out they were discontinued .

For set #3, I thought I'd stick with the brand and had a set of Pirelli Angles mounted up. I figured if they were the replacement for the Strada's, they couldn't be that much different. WRONG!!!! They handled ok but never gave a good feeling of confidence in corners. Towards the end of their lifespan, the front and rear started to washout in corners. It was after I found a section of rubber that looked like a U shaped razor cut out a section of tire 6" long by a half inch wide and .09" deep in the middle of the tire that I parked it until I could get something new mounted up.

After researching different brands and talking to other riders, I heard a lot of good things about Metzlers. I ordered a set of the Metzler Roadtec Z8s and had them mounted up this morning. In the 75 miles I put on today, I'm thrilled to get that feeling of stability both in the straight line and corners. Although I did take it easy while the chemical for the mold/die release wears off, the bike feels like it's 200 lbs lighter again. It's almost like the tires invite any corners the bike enters.

Anybody else have any experiences similar to this after changing tire model or brand?

After I get more miles on the Z8s, I'll post another review. For the time being, I have the entire summer free so barring any more rain, I should have plenty of time to ride. Although I should try to get out to see what the wet performance is also.

[Dave S]

Well, after 1000 miles on the Z8's my experience has been great with one drawback. That being tar snakes. The fresh or newer tar snakes or those that are at least a couple quarters thick make for a hair raising experience. None of the tires I've had mounted up have reacted this poorly to tar snakes. Regardless of the fact there is no such thing as a good tar snake, these tires really have a tendency to slip out. With the cooler weather we've had there really hasn't been much opportunity for them to get really loose or tacky. A couple here or there aren't bad but a stretch of road such as CR-6 north of Henderson is a nightmare. I almost rather ride on pea rock.

On the good side, these tires are amazing. The ride is smooth, the bike tracks around corners much easier and isn't affected by slight changes in the contour of the road. I still haven't been out in much or wet conditions (no rain gear ) so I can't comment on their performance there.

So far there is no noticeable wear so I expect to see at least 7500 miles out of this set which is on par with some of the other tires Iv'e had mounted up.

[Whoaru99]

Yeah, when I changed from Dunlop something or another to Continental Road Attacks on my Suzuki RF900 it was like getting a whole different bike.

I have Michelin PR2s on it now to try to get some extra tire life (~5K miles before). They seem to grip well and such, but the turn in isn't quite as light as the Continentals and takes a bit more work to hold a tight line. If I don't get a return on my investment in tire life with the PR2s I'll probably just go back to the Continental RAs or maybe the Michelin Pilot Powers if they're going to go away at 5K anyway and save $75 or whatever.

[Dave S]

Figured I'd dig this thread up again. My initial thoughts of reaching 7500 miles on the Metzler Z8's fell a little short with only 5600 miles before I had steel belts showing through.

This time around I had a set of Michelin Pilot Road 3 mounted up. In the 50 miles today, there was none of the issues with the tar snakes like I felt with the Metzlers. One thing they do have in common is how they invite corners with very little input.

Hopefully the mileage is a little better.

[leech~~]

That being tar snakes. The fresh or newer tar snakes or those that are at least a couple quarters thick make for a hair raising experience.

I have really learned to watch out for those, almost the hard way by going down. They are a real un-stable surface when they get hot and soft!

[Whoaru99]

Don't have enough miles on the PR2s from last fall to say how they'll go on the RF. Been driving the Vulcan 2000 mostly. Thought maybe I'd get more life from tires on a cruiser, and it hauls the GF much better, but looks like I'm a 5,000 or less mile per rear tire guy no matter which bike. On the third rear now, put on at around 8500 miles.

Darkside here I come.