Nathan Margolis Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 Just got back from Big Bend National Park with '13 RT. Did 2,200 miles in four days. Bike had 5K when I left. Back tire was replaced in Big Bend (there actually is an excellent BMW guy in Terlinga who has 20 plus years at Perry's BMW in Ft. Worth)because it was iffy on the second day of riding. Front tire was toast when I got back to Houston. Granted road service in Big Bend especially Hiway 170 is pretty tough on tires. Oh, had a rock puncture in Marathon, Texas. Yes, not a piece of metal but a sharp rock. Able to plug. Friend of mind on a '13 K1600 tire had cord showing on rear with 4.5K and was replaced in Terlinga. Thank goodness Ralph in Terlinga just happened to have some tires in stock or it would have been trailered to San Antonio. Other BMW on trip had Road Pilot 3s and they performed excellent. Bottom line- Metzlers are horrible tires in my opinion. Link to comment
Guest Kakugo Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 They are not horrible: they just suffer from the common issue of "old generation" touring tyres, namely they last nowhere near as long as they are supposed to. When I bought my first VFR, it came with Metzeler's. Those were indeed horrible tyres, but that was the case with all touring tyres of the era, regardless of brand. They had as much grip as blocks of wood and don't try anything remotely funny in the rain. It was also the first time I was exposed to how little these supposedly long lasting tyres lasted. My set was gone in 4000 miles. I then switched to a set of sporty high grip Michelin: they lasted 3500 miles. 500 extra miles was not worth how bad the tyres were. Touring tyres of the last few generations are another planet compared to those in the grip department, but all brands I've tried bar Michelin gave me about 4000 miles: the worst were the Bridgestone BT021 which at 4000 miles had absolutely no thread left on the front. Michelin found the winning formula with the PR2: excellent grip for a touring tyre and much longer lasting than competitors. The PR2 was the first tyre I managed 10000km (a tad over 6000 miles) on. The PR3 improved the formula even further (I get 20% more mileage over the PR2, going to 30% with the BMW specific B rear) and I suppose the new PR4GT takes things even further. When I had the C14, a couple riders on the forum installed Pirelli Angel ST. Good tyre all around, but both lasted a good 30% less than PR2. And mind here in Europe Pirelli are usually the most expensive tyres of the lot. Link to comment
walton66 Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 The Z8s on my 2013 have 9100 on them and while the front is ready to go, the rear looks ready to go some more. Granted, FL is not noted for lots of twisties. I've got a new set of PR 4 in the garage that'll get mounted for a big trip to northern GA and NC in several weeks. Link to comment
kgerry Posted March 19, 2014 Share Posted March 19, 2014 the Z8's that came on my '13 RT have 7273 kms (4500 miles) and they look brand new... front shows no wear at all and the back is just starting to square off in the centre.... what is the expected life span of these tires? i have a trip planned for this summer of about 3000 kms (1900 miles) and am wondering if i should be chamging tires before or not.... Link to comment
walton66 Posted March 19, 2014 Share Posted March 19, 2014 Others might have better info than I based on where you are riding. Mine has been up and down the center of Florida and out to the end of the panhandle numerous times, totaling over 9000 miles at this time. The rear looks like it could last through another front. The front is usuable but I think it would be scary if there was much standing water on the road. I've got a 4000 mile trip scheduled for the end of April so I will be changing both just to be on the conservative side. Link to comment
kgerry Posted March 19, 2014 Share Posted March 19, 2014 still, at 9100 miles or 15000 kms on a set of tires thats not bad at all IMO... Link to comment
walton66 Posted March 20, 2014 Share Posted March 20, 2014 Agreed, happy with them. I'm replacing them with PR4s. Hope they do as well. Link to comment
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