shredder Posted October 20, 2007 Share Posted October 20, 2007 I recently had my first experience riding the Metzler Z6's in the rain the other day. Approx 30 miles in a good steady rain with occasional down pours on a rual 2-lane truck route with road construction. I know, ideal motorcycling road. Tires performed great! I had a good deal of confidence in them and they never alerted to a potential slip / hydor while moving. I applied a good amount of break while rolling to a stop sign and no sign of breaking loose was detected. Speeds ranged from stop and go 30 mph to 60 mph with equally good performance duing all points of the ride. A side note is how well they perform in the dry as well. This is my first set of Metzler's and I will probably buy the Z6's again! Highly recommended!! Link to comment
ShovelStrokeEd Posted October 21, 2007 Share Posted October 21, 2007 I don't think you'll be so happy with them when they are past half their life. My normally unflappable 1100S got really squirrly coming over the Bear Tooth pass on the way back to Cody. Granted, it was pretty cold and there may even have been a bit of ice on the road but, I couldn't wait to get shed of those tires. Then there was the one on the back of my Blackbird that looked OK at 6000 miles and went to the cords at 6200. Had to ride 80 miles of freeway to get to a dealer for another tire. Pilot Roads for me from now on, the Power 2CT doesn't even howl. Link to comment
Stan Walker Posted October 21, 2007 Share Posted October 21, 2007 Well, I like them (Z6's) just fine too. But they do bear some watching as they near end of life. With no direct center wear bars the cords can sneak up on you. I've decided that when the innermost wear bars on the rear tire just start touching the pavement it's time for a new set. I haven't hit the cords yet. But I have cut through the rubber to see how much was remaining, and it wasn't very much at that point. YMMV, depending on loading, bike, riding style, etc. I'd be willing to bet that the lack of a centered wear bar has cost Metzler a fortune in lost customers. Someone tell Ed that riding on ice is a no-no.......... Stan Link to comment
tallman Posted October 21, 2007 Share Posted October 21, 2007 On my 6th set. I don't ride as well, or as fast as Ed does , but I've ridden in 40+mph winds and driving rain, monsoon rain, water over the footpegs, 2 up in all of above, and in heavy rain numerous times. They work for me. One set snuck up on me and I got to cord. I'll stick w/them as I've gotten good mileage and performance overall. YMMV. Link to comment
GoGo Gadget Posted October 21, 2007 Share Posted October 21, 2007 I will be spooning on my 2nd set this week. 9k miles on the rear, 15k on the front. Front is down to almost no tread, rear is fine. I'll replace them as a set and keep the rear as a spare in case I pick up another puncture. Link to comment
malcolmblalock Posted October 22, 2007 Share Posted October 22, 2007 Stupid question--How do you know it's worn out prior to the cords showing? I have one with 12K miles and it still looks good. But I know it has to be getting near the end... Link to comment
ShovelStrokeEd Posted October 22, 2007 Share Posted October 22, 2007 What I failed to mention is that it was raining, a pretty heavy rain at that and the temps were right down there, I doubt below freezing but surely below 40. The road was very rutted with two distinct tire grooves in it. The feeling I got was like riding a dirt bike in deep sand with not enough speed to get on top. Quite disconcerting to say the least. I have ridden with other tires in similar conditions, most recently with the Pilot Power/Pilot Road combination on my Blackbird while going over the Eisenhower pass in Colorado. Nothing like what those Z6's did t me. Eisenhower pass may not be right, the Eisenhower tunnel is at the top though, I 70 heading west out of Denver. Freezing rain and truck worn pavement. No problems. Good thing there are all sorts of tires available so each of us can have the ones we like. Link to comment
swilson Posted October 22, 2007 Share Posted October 22, 2007 Stupid question--How do you know it's worn out prior to the cords showing? I have one with 12K miles and it still looks good. But I know it has to be getting near the end... The rain grooves are a uniform depth when new, except the last few milimeters as the rain groove comes to a point. Compare your rain grooves near the center of the tire with the rain grooves at the edges of the tire... then remember that the center will be even thinner since you have done most of your riding on it. At 12k you've got to be close. Add my name to the list of happy Z6 users. Link to comment
Art.. Posted October 22, 2007 Share Posted October 22, 2007 Loveland Pass. Carry on Wassup Ed Link to comment
snod Posted October 22, 2007 Share Posted October 22, 2007 The Eisenhower tunnel is on I70 just East of Vail Pass. Loveland Pass is on US Hwy 6. They are not the same road/pass. I70 is interstate, four and in places 6 lane, in that area. Loveland Pass is two lane most of the way, many switchbacks, a great ride! I70 though that area is not bad for an interstate either. They both get you from Denver to Dillon. I switched from Z6's to Pilot Roads about 30k (three sets) ago. The PR's give me 9-10k, the Z6's 6-7K. I like the Z6's better in the rain, or if I am pushing the limit on Loveland Pass. I suspect they are a bit softer/stickier. I may end up back on the Z6 if the new Pilot Road 2 does't wear as well for me as the old version. Link to comment
velomoto Posted October 23, 2007 Share Posted October 23, 2007 Snod, do let us know how the Pilot Road2's work out. Are they quieter then the original PR's? I switched from Dunlop's to the Z6's to get a quieter ride. Reading the forums it seems many prefer the Conti Road Attack's over the Z6's because they are quieter. As for wet weather performance, I couldn't honestly say I could give a rating as I simply don't push the bike once there's any sign of water on the road - finding, and then exceeding a tire's limit simply is not my idea of fun. Mileage reports for tires are all over the map - I think pavement and riding style has a major effect on tire life. Colorado backroads with "chip-n-seal" really seems to eat up tires! Link to comment
Art.. Posted October 23, 2007 Share Posted October 23, 2007 The Eisenhower tunnel is on I70 just East of Vail Pass. Loveland Pass is on US Hwy 6. They are not the same road/pass. Oh good grief. Gimme a break. The tunnel was punched through to prevent traffic from going over Rt6, so of course a tunnel is not going to be a pass.......but my original post was just to jog Ed's memory. He was riding up to Loveland Pass. Right past Loveland Basin......where Rt 6 begins, right? Maybe he didn't crest the actual pass, whatever. It's still LOVELAND. The tunnel is nowhere near Vail. Vail is 30 miles west of there. Criminy. PS: Z6's are good in the rain. Unless they don't have tread. Then they suck. Or on ice, they suck there too. Same with z4's, and Pilots. I have about 60 thousand miles on these three tires. No problems in the rain. I'm sure Ed has about a bizillion miles by now, so listen to him. Or don't. Whatever. Link to comment
snod Posted October 23, 2007 Share Posted October 23, 2007 Snod, do let us know how the Pilot Road2's work out. Are they quieter then the original PR's? They are my next set, not yet mounted. I probably won't have to put them on til after Thanksgiving. My mileage this time of year is pretty much just back and forth to work. About 40 miles a day. Hopefully somebody else will have feed back before I do. Link to comment
tallman Posted October 23, 2007 Share Posted October 23, 2007 Just for info sake, the shop I part-time at took a set of Z-6's off an RT today. Original owner, original tires. Over 22,000 miles. Yes, the rear had started to go, no cord, but close, it was past where I'd ride them. Front still had a bit of life in it. Link to comment
Paul Mihalka Posted October 23, 2007 Share Posted October 23, 2007 Just for info sake, the shop I part-time at took a set of Z-6's off an RT today. Original owner, original tires. Over 22,000 miles. Yes, the rear had started to go, no cord, but close, it was past where I'd ride them. Front still had a bit of life in it. And what does the owner of that bike drive for a car? A 198x Plymouth Reliant K car? Link to comment
George Brown Posted October 23, 2007 Share Posted October 23, 2007 Then there was the one on the back of my Blackbird that looked OK at 6000 miles and went to the cords at 6200.I just had a similar experience at about the same mileage. Rear tire looked ok before a 176 mile two up ride, the last 50 miles or so interstate. After ride cords showing. Replaced with another Z6 because I real like the confidence that tire gives me. Link to comment
tallman Posted October 24, 2007 Share Posted October 24, 2007 Just for info sake, the shop I part-time at took a set of Z-6's off an RT today. Original owner, original tires. Over 22,000 miles. Yes, the rear had started to go, no cord, but close, it was past where I'd ride them. Front still had a bit of life in it. And what does the owner of that bike drive for a car? A 198x Plymouth Reliant K car? Paul, I really don't know. We sold him the bike and did all services on it. I would have trouble believing it if I had not seen it. He just returned from the Smokies and leaf peeping so I know the bike has been around at least a couple of curves. Link to comment
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