Northern December Ride

[Matthew Miller]

Today was a great day. It is December 6,2015 here in Connecticut and the sun was shining with 54 degrees during the mid-day. So far we have not had any snow and I can live with that if it means I can keep riding my 2001 BMW R1100RL. A couple of days ago I got a new rear tire for the bike, a Metzler Z8 Roadtec and was anxious to see if I liked it over the Z6. I only rode about 45 miles today but the rear tire performed very well even though the roads were cold. The roads today were a mixture of twisty and long sweeping turns. I just can't get enough of this bike, it is so fun to ride. I hope we continue to have some nice days this winter for riding but I know the snow is on its way. I guess I will just have to keep cleaning the bike while the snow keeps me from riding next season. Until then I will ride in my dreams. This coming summer I would like to try to ride to Canada from Conn. so I can buy some Molson Canadian and them come back home to the Great U.S.A.

[TEWKS]

Any time you can get a ride in December up here is a good ride! The Molson will taste much better after riding this road.

http://www.paradisefoundbb.com/attractions.html

 

 

Pat

 

[Marty Hill]

Pat, I assume that's the Cabot trail. Beautiful road! I hope to do it again this summer.

[TEWKS]

Morning Marty, yes the Pleasant Bay Area I think. I have a few pics of my own but not from that vantage-point.

 

Pat

[EddyQ]

 

Been a good riding fall here in the NE this year.

I've lacked a good ride lately, but I'm still riding to work daily.

[Brian Fistler]

How was the Z8? The used 1200RT I purchased had a new set of Z6 tires on it, and I'm coming from a super sport (ZX6R-636) with Michelin Pilot Power 3's, and I'm really disliking the Z6 tires. They don't instill confidence at all, the grooves are so wide that they howl in corners and you can feel the grooves through the handles, they feel "squirrely" with any real lean... I had my ZX6 down to 1/4 inch "chicken strips" so it's not like I'm a knee dragging rider, and I'm not a "cruiser geezer" by any stretch either, but even pushing these tires to a 1" to 3/4" "chicken strip", the tires do not feel like they are in good contact with the road surface. I don't know how much of that is due to the overly (IMO) wide tread gaps, how much is due to hard rubber, how much is due to profile (They seem a little "square-ish" in profile, even new.) I've played with pressures etc, and nothing make these tires something I'd ever consider replacing with another of the same brand.

 

I've never had tires that make me feel this uncomfortable except the time I rode a newly purchased bike home on a completely bald rear tire with cord showing for 20 miles.