Wear bars on Z6 tires

[johnlt]

Just put some new Mez Z6s on today and was noticing that I don't see any wear bars. In fact there is no tread in the middle 1 1/2" of the rear tire and was wondering how to best tell when it is getting worn. Anybody else noticed this?

[steve404]

When that center bar turns silver, you're a feww hundred miles too late. Actually there are some bumps between treads above the little TWI marks on the side walls that you can try to use.

[Joel]

Steve's right, on both counts. Somebody posted about this a while back. Those little wear bars are nearly worthless, so keep an eye on your odometer.

 

I'm on my 3rd Z6 rear and haven't been fortunate enough to wear one out yet -- punctures claimed the other 2. Maybe someday I'll get to see the silver stripe.

[Stan Walker]

Maybe someday I'll get to see the silver stripe.

 

Hopefully not 500 miles from home....

 

My one and only set came off just before Torrey this year. I was just under 10,000 miles and almost down to the innermost TWI's. No cord showing. Cutting into the center rubber after removal led me to believe that I made a good decision.

 

Currently I'm running Pilot Roads. I haven't decided if I'll stay with them or switch back to the MZ6's

 

Stan

[Flipper]

The wear bars are a bit tough to see. I'm at just about 6K and they are looking a bit ragged. I might have another 1K in them but it doesn't matter: I picked up what looks like the tip of a knife blade about a week ago. Kudos to the Stop & Go tire plugger for getting me home.

 

I have a set of Avons due to be delivered this Monday. I wasn't entirely impressed with the longevity of the Z6's.

[BobFV1]

The TWI's are nearly useless on the Z-6, but they are a superb tire! I got 8K out of the rear on my first set before it started squaring. The front had quite a bit of meat left but I changed the pair - second set are wearing great.

 

The Z-6 does wear much faster in the second half of it's tread life.

[blackyam]

Hi. I'm on my first set of Z6. I have just over 8k on them, and the wear bars on the rear are just beginning to show, and the rear is just beginning to square.

 

Now, I have a 2400 mi round trip to Albuquerque, NM, next week. I'm pretty sure that I can get to Alb my current tires OK, but I'm not sure that I can make the whole trip on them. Do y'all think I should replace my tires before I leave, or wait to see how they look when I get to Alb? I would get another set of Z6 either way. TIA.

[johnlt]

My opinion is to do it now. Why take a chance. When they wear, they are thinner and more likely to puncture. Also, in the summer desert heat, I'd want the best tires I could get betwen me and the road.

[roadshadowww]

It is just not worth the mental stress thinking about tires on a trip. Do it now and keep the old set.

 

You always hear of people getting a nail or something, nice to have a back-up to finish out.

[blackyam]

Thanks, johnlt and roadshadowww. My wife concurs. I am often penny wise and pound foolish, but I shall change the tires before leaving.

[roadshadowww]

Have fun and enjoy your bike trip. Let us know how it went.

[blackyam]

It was a terrific trip and I'm glad that I had fresh tires on ... not because of the heat across the desert, but because of the thunderstorms I had to ride through. (In fact, it was pretty cool on a lot of the trip.)

 

My trip brought me first to Ely, NV, along US-50, then on to Blanding, UT, via Arches NP, and finally to Albuquerque, NM, via Four Corners. Home was directly along I-40. Going toward Ely I had to ride through some thunderstorms, my first experience riding with lightning streaking down about me. Scary! More rain and lightning, but lighter, on the rest of my way to Abq.

 

I also ran into Steves1150 on my way home, and had an opportunity to share a few meals and a few hundred miles with him on his "new," bright yellow VFR. (Thanks, Steve!)

 

I had never ridden out of state this far, and am completely awed by how beautiful is this part of the U.S. It's amazing to me how much the landscape varies from state to state. And I love some of the small towns, like Blanding. In fact, I was musing to Steve that it may be fun to live and work and go to church, &c., in a town like Blanding for a year, to become part of the community and to experience what life there is really like, and then to repeat that experience in another small town.

 

The only thing that I had planned on doing and was looking forward to on this trip, but did not do, was to ride Historic Rte 66 from Seligman to Kingman. In all, however, it was a very enjoyable and memorable trip. And the chance meeting of Steves1150 was tops.

 

(I took some photos, but I'm not good at organizing such things in a timely fashion. Sorry. If I ever get some put together for display, I'll post links here.)

[blackyam]

Hi. I put some pics on my travels Web page. More pics will be added over the next fortnight.