New Pneus (tires) for the RT...

[jakfrost]

Just ordered, (only a week to wait, but whats the rush, look outside ), a new set of Avon Storm ST's for the 12RT. Can't wait to get rid of the Z6's and the associated 'wiggle'. Man those tires, ( second set, just to confirm...) are the worst ever on the slab, and when the front finally begins to show signs of wear the bike shows signs of having its own opinion of which 'line' to follow in a turn. Especially if the road is 'crowned' from wear.

 

So I am really looking forward to a new 'experience' on the Avons .

 

Just a little aside...if you are in the Montreal area and want to consider new pneus, (see above), I paid $159.00 for the front and $215.99 for the rear, ( 120/70 and 180/55 of course). Total $375.00, (or $320.00 U.S.). Installation I do myself...seemed like a good price

[marcopolo]

Jim, did you get them at Moto Int'l? Why Avons?

[keithb]

Jak

I was experiencing the exact same thing with the Z6's on my 05 RT. I could not wait to get those TIRES OFF MY BIKE and thank goodness they were removed last weekend after about 6K miles. I replaced them with Avon Vipers that I got on a tire promotion this past summer. Another poster said the same thing and since reading your opinion I know I am not crazy now about my experience with Z6's. They just did not work on my bike.

[jakfrost]

Mark, lucky you!!(retired April 06...) I have 6 years to go to 65, then look our world!!

Yes I bought them at Moto Int'l. The best thing about them are their tire prices. Plus they have Rukka gear too. I mean they have a selection AND sizes.

I chose them because of a VERY long thread ( like 12+ pages )I read a few days ago, (tried to find it for you but haven't mastered the 'search' function yet), and they sounded like a reasonable tire for my riding style. At least the ones the Storms are replacing, the Azero's sounded pretty good...

And I figure anything has to be better that my experience with the Z6's.

 

Jim

[jakfrost]

Keith, I know how you felt...I even went to the dealer to ask if they had any input to the unnerving handling issues I was having. Nope. The real problem was there were just way to many possible culprits for an intermittent handling problem.

 

It was obviously a brand new bike for me and although I have been riding all types for over 40 years ( 1965, BSA 650, junior year high school, oh yeah, I was bad!! Or so I thought... ), and every bike has its pecularities. But this really bugged me.

 

Between the different road types, different configurations of suspension adjustment, different combinations of luggage fitment, different traffic types and wind conditions...it was a lot to sort thru.

 

PLUS, as I kept riding it seemed to become less of an issue, like I was becoming accustomed to it and/or it was actually getting 'broken in' and going away...

 

PLUS the dealer had every other RT going out the door with a different brand of tire on it so there was no useful feedback there.

 

I was on a longer than expected road trip to the Maritime Povinces this summer when I realized the rear tire was toast. The only replacement available was another Z6 and without giving it much thought, (I was happy to find any tire that would fit...), had it installed ($$$$$) and off I went. Well when I hit the highway and wicked it up, WHAT THE H-LL, the wonder wobble was back with a vengance. Suddenly a little light went on in my helmet. Tires.

 

So now I can't wait for the second half of the experiment...but you say your experience was positive?

 

I may have to trailer to below the snow belt one of these days and give the new rubber a try .

 

Jim

[marcopolo]

Mark, lucky you!!(retired April 06...) I have 6 years to go to 65, then look our world!!

Yes I bought them at Moto Int'l. The best thing about them are their tire prices. Plus they have Rukka gear too. I mean they have a selection AND sizes.

I chose them because of a VERY long thread ( like 12+ pages )I read a few days ago, (tried to find it for you but haven't mastered the 'search' function yet), and they sounded like a reasonable tire for my riding style. At least the ones the Storms are replacing, the Azero's sounded pretty good...

And I figure anything has to be better that my experience with the Z6's.

 

Jim

 

Yup, I ws lucky enough to retire at 55, after 38 years (I started young!). I had actually finished contributing to the pension plan after 35 years, but had to wait until 55 unless I wanted to take a penalty, which I did not. Beats working, or as I tell people, this is my job now.

[keithb]

I have only had the Avon Vipers on the bike for 70 miles and it was on the freeway. So far they feel good and the new Wilber's suspension is an improvement as well. But hey what you tell in 70 miles in a straight line? I am looking forward to getting the bike in the twisties to see how it reacts to the new suspension and tires. Never again will Z6's be on my RT. Good luck with the second half of your experiment.

[ChrisA]

I have only had the Avon Vipers on the bike for 70 miles and it was on the freeway. So far they feel good and the new Wilber's suspension is an improvement as well. But hey what you tell in 70 miles in a straight line? I am looking forward to getting the bike in the twisties to see how it reacts to the new suspension and tires. Never again will Z6's be on my RT. Good luck with the second half of your experiment.

 

Boy I hate tire threads. I was just about to order a set of Z6's based on a friend's recommendation of his experience on his 1150RT, now I have to rethink the whole thing. My bike came with B020 and I've been pretty happpy with them, but after 12,000 miles, I'm into the wear bar on the rear, so it's shopping time. I had Avon's on my Harley and loved them, I also Metzelars on a different Harely and loved them, so now I'm lost again as to what to buy.

[Boffin]

I have only had the Avon Vipers on the bike for 70 miles and it was on the freeway. So far they feel good and the new Wilber's suspension is an improvement as well. But hey what you tell in 70 miles in a straight line? I am looking forward to getting the bike in the twisties to see how it reacts to the new suspension and tires. Never again will Z6's be on my RT. Good luck with the second half of your experiment.

 

Boy I hate tire threads. I was just about to order a set of Z6's based on a friend's recommendation of his experience on his 1150RT, now I have to rethink the whole thing. My bike came with B020 and I've been pretty happpy with them, but after 12,000 miles, I'm into the wear bar on the rear, so it's shopping time. I had Avon's on my Harley and loved them, I also Metzelars on a different Harely and loved them, so now I'm lost again as to what to buy.

 

Conti Road Attack?

 

I love the feel, grip and handling the Conti's give, with tha added bonus in the UK that they are cheap. You need the 'C' construction for the front.

 

Andy

[jakfrost]

Ya pays yer money and ya takes yer chances...the Z6's won't kill you. They might bite you in the wallet if you find like a lot of us that they just don't work on the 12RT under CERTAIN CONDITIONS.

 

I have previously described my particular concerns with this tire on my 05 12RT so no need to go there again, enough to say I would NEVER put those tires on my bike again.

 

I am sure if all 05 RT's had been delivered with the Z6's on them there would have been a mass recall. Too bad for those of us who had to suffer the originals, and dummies like me who actually BOUGHT another one before I clued in to the fact it really was the tires causing the problem.

 

The main problem with this whole tire issue is the fact the early RT's were delivered with anyone of 3 different possible tires brands...complicated the diagnosis of which tires were working and which weren't .

 

Jim

[motorbob]

I had D 220s on my 06RT and hated them. Good traction but noisy and harsh ride.

I replaced them with Z6... based on experience on my Honda ST1300 and they actually improved comfort and high speed stability.

Only rode back from dealer late fall and cannot really tell how they hahdle but your comments are not reassuring at all.

We shall see in a few months.

BT020 seems to be the only tire not subject to this love/hate experience. Some people hate Dunlopps others Avons or Metzelers. Makes you wonder.

[Pictou]

I had Z6's on my 1150RT and they worked great on that bike. If I hadn't seen the feedback here about some not liking them on R12RT I probably would have replaced the Continentals with a set of Z6s.

 

I was really happy with the performance of the Continentals that came with the bike and so after hearing some negative feedback on the Z6s I opted to go with another set.

 

That said the Continentals, like every other tire I have tried, feel great for the first 5 or 6,000kms and then the handling goes off. Its not terrible but its no where near as sharp as a new tire. I always remark on how just putting on new tires makes it feel like a new bike all over again. If I had the money I would never run my tires past about 50% of their tread life just for this reason.

[keithb]

Chris

First, I would like you to tell me how you get 12K miles on a set of BT 020's? The first set of 020's I had on the bike were good for 7K miles and my second set I got 5.5K miles out of them. IMHO the 020's worked very well on my RT. I just put Avon Vipers on them and rode about 175 miles yesterday on frozen roads above Los Angeles and they handle so much better than the Z6's did. With the new suspension (Wilbers) and new tires I feel like I am on a new bike. I now have neutral steering again. My guess regarding the tires is that the Z6's is more vertically shaped and the Avons have a more rounded shape. Bottom line is that the bike handles like it did before the Z6's were mounted on the bike.

[Jim VonBaden]

Keep in mind that tire wear is dependent on several factors. Loading of the bike, type of bike, riding style and road surface.

 

The last one seems to be the biggest determiner of tire life.

 

Southern CA and the Southwest in general, have sandpaper like roads made from crushed rock, Great for grip, but hard on the tires.

 

The Northeast like in the Northern VA area has very smooth rock in its roads, and tire wear is generally less.

 

So, in this case, YMMV is accurate.

 

Jim

 

PS I usually get 10-12K miles from my tires, and I load heavy, ride hard, and often two up, but on smooth NE roads.

[ChrisA]

Chris

First, I would like you to tell me how you get 12K miles on a set of BT 020's? The first set of 020's I had on the bike were good for 7K miles and my second set I got 5.5K miles out of them. IMHO the 020's worked very well on my RT. I just put Avon Vipers on them and rode about 175 miles yesterday on frozen roads above Los Angeles and they handle so much better than the Z6's did. With the new suspension (Wilbers) and new tires I feel like I am on a new bike. I now have neutral steering again. My guess regarding the tires is that the Z6's is more vertically shaped and the Avons have a more rounded shape. Bottom line is that the bike handles like it did before the Z6's were mounted on the bike.

 

I agree, mileage depends alot on user input and road surfaces. I bought the bike new in March '06, so it was babied the first couple thousand miles. I don't think I accelerate or brake unusually hard and I'm not to fast in the twisties. I cruise the interstate at 75-80mph and I ride alone with very little in the saddlebags. Someone said smooth NE roads? The roads in NJ are riddled with potholes, but the interstates and secondary roads are mostly black asphalt, so they are smooth. All this combined gives me good miles on the tires and I've consistently got more miles on my tires than my friends, so to me it comes down to riding style.

[Jim VonBaden]

Chris

First, I would like you to tell me how you get 12K miles on a set of BT 020's? The first set of 020's I had on the bike were good for 7K miles and my second set I got 5.5K miles out of them. IMHO the 020's worked very well on my RT. I just put Avon Vipers on them and rode about 175 miles yesterday on frozen roads above Los Angeles and they handle so much better than the Z6's did. With the new suspension (Wilbers) and new tires I feel like I am on a new bike. I now have neutral steering again. My guess regarding the tires is that the Z6's is more vertically shaped and the Avons have a more rounded shape. Bottom line is that the bike handles like it did before the Z6's were mounted on the bike.

 

I agree, mileage depends alot on user input and road surfaces. I bought the bike new in March '06, so it was babied the first couple thousand miles. I don't think I accelerate or brake unusually hard and I'm not to fast in the twisties. I cruise the interstate at 75-80mph and I ride alone with very little in the saddlebags. Someone said smooth NE roads? The roads in NJ are riddled with potholes, but the interstates and secondary roads are mostly black asphalt, so they are smooth. All this combined gives me good miles on the tires and I've consistently got more miles on my tires than my friends, so to me it comes down to riding style.

 

I was referring to the surface, not the general condition of the roads. Damn MD roads suck for quality, but the agregate used to make the roads is smooth stone.

 

Generally I don't think potholes contributes to short tire life unless you cut a tire on one!

 

Jim

[black99S]

... I even went to the dealer to ask if they had any input to the unnerving handling issues I was having. Nope. ... It was obviously a brand new bike for me and although I have been riding all types for over 40 years ... and every bike has its pecularities. But this really bugged me. ... PLUS, as I kept riding it seemed to become less of an issue, like I was becoming accustomed to it and/or it was actually getting 'broken in' and going away... I realized the rear tire was toast. The only replacement available was another Z6 and ... had it installed and off I went.

 

Well when I hit the highway and wicked it up, WHAT THE H-LL, the wonder wobble was back with a vengance. Suddenly a little light went on in my helmet. Tires.

 

I've the same experience with Michelin Pilot Roads on my 06RT. Now with 10,000km they ride fine but 2nd set will be Conti Road-Attacks.

[Dave Glen]

My bike is a November 05 1200RT and I have done 50,000 klms and am on the fifth set of tyres including original.

Heres a summary 1, Metzler Z6 OE Good grip but early cupping and flattened tread in centre on both front and rear causing unsettling handling on sweepers 12000klms

2, Pirrelli Dragons good grip and handling lousy wear early cupping and flat tread 8000klms 3, Metzler 880 lousy grip, early cupping and flat tread and unsettling handling. 13000klms

4, Michelin Road Pilots good grip, noisy, cupping and flat tread but handling not too unsettling 11000klms

5, Conti Road Attack so far, rear tyre flat tread, front ok, good grip, quiet and good handling. I will be using them again. All my riding is on flat, straight country roads fairly coarse road surface, some two up with a heavily policed 100kmh speed limit. Winter temperatures down to -2C and Summer (now) up to 45C. We have been in a drought for a number of years so I can't say anything about the wet weather handling.

Dave Glen

St Arnaud, Victoria, Australia

[jakfrost]

So it looks like I will be one of the first, (here in snow bound parts of the northern hemisphere anyway...), to report on the 'handling' aspects of the new model from Avon, the Storm ST.

Can't wait!

 

Jim