Wear Bars Metzler Roadtec Z8

[MichiganBob]

Does anyone know if the Metzler Roadtec Z8 has a wear bar? I'm not seeing it but that's not unusual. My wife says my observational skills are subpar.

 

Thanks,

 

Bob

[lkraus]

They are usually near the elephants on the edge of the tread. Might be staggered  in the valleys.  I don't think there is a central bar on the Z8,  part of the reason I don't use it.  There is little warning before the belts appear.

[lkraus]

Found a picture. Tread wear indicators in the yellow circles, and I think, in the orange one.

 

Pretty sure TWI are required for all DOT tires.

[MichiganBob]

Many thanks lkraus

[dirtrider]

15 hours ago, MichiganBob said:

Does anyone know if the Metzler Roadtec Z8 has a wear bar? I'm not seeing it but that's not unusual. My wife says my observational skills are subpar.

 

Thanks,

 

Bob

Morning Bob

 

On the Z-8 you might not have dedicated wear BAR indicators. I am currently running a set of Z-8 that have no center wear bars  (the rear does have some bars that are way off-center but those typically don't tell you much as they are not on tire center line). 

 

Unlike the older Z-6 that had no cross-center rain groves  (a tire that I personally really liked but very difficult to tell tire wear on) at least the Z-8 tires have rain groves that end near the center so those can be used to judge tire center wear. 

 

The pictures that lkraus posted do seem to show some sort of wear bar so I'm not sure if the Z-8 has changed or if here is difference in OEM vs replacement Z-8 tires, or if the new Z-8's are different. 

 

So if your Z-8 tires have them then they do, but if your tries don't have them then you aren't blind. 

 

 

 

 

[MichiganBob]

Morning DR, I'll check for them. Some are saying that wear bars are now a requirement. I don't know the source for that, if there are exemptions, and if true, can you sell prequirement tires?

[dirtrider]

16 minutes ago, MichiganBob said:

Morning DR, I'll check for them. Some are saying that wear bars are now a requirement. I don't know the source for that, if there are exemptions, and if true, can you sell prequirement tires?

Morning Bob

 

I'm not sure wear bars are required on motorcycle tires but some sort of wear indicator might be required. I have DOT rated knobby tires that don't have actual wear bars but some do have tread steps or other indicators.  

[lkraus]

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/subtitle-B/chapter-V/part-571/subpart-B/section-571.119#p-571.119(S6.)(S6.4)

 

I've not tried to find out when TWI were first required but have found mention of a refusal to change the wear limit to 3/32" from 2/32".  That was in 1996.  I think the feds also turned down a request from Pennsylvania to use a 3/32" limit.

 

I don't recommend using tires that old.

[MichiganBob]

Yup. On a motorcycle, a four inch patch of rubber separates us from the pavement.

 

I looked and I'm not seeing anything that resembles wear bars. And the tire is hard to measure as the treads change in width and tire position from out to center. The old center groove was a lot easier to gauge. A few tires back, I thought I was fine and then dscovered that I was down to cords in the center. It freaked me out as i'm usually pretty careful. I can't remember what brand tire that was.

[9Mary7]

Along the very edge of the tread you will find "TWI" at several locations around the tire. Towards the center of the tread from TWI you will find the tread wear indicator bump in a groove.

[MichiganBob]

I see it. There's a bunch. Many thanks.