The return of the MEZ4? - why?

[Jinx3d]

I was in PT's in palmerstom North the other day, they are advertising "MEZ4 are back"

Why?

I dont remember them being anything fabulous when I had them... I'm running a cheap set of pilot sports at the moment, old tyres suck.

If there is anything that is still getting better on bikes, it the tyres imo.

So..my point being, whats so great about MEZ4?

[merv]

So..my point being, whats so great about MEZ4?

Nothing, they were the worst tyre I ever had on my VFR. They felt far too hard so I thought they'd last for ever, but no they had the shortest life of any tyre I've had on the bike so they were good for nothing and totally inferior to the MEZ2 they replaced.

I rarked Forbes and Davies up about them and got told "oh they have a stiffer carcass and softer rubber than the MEZ2 had" so right they slid and skipped about on small corrugations on the corners of the 'takas but wore out quickly just to make me doubly annoyed with them.

I now am a Michelin man. I can hear Str8 Jacket coming to tell you "yeah he has got fatter" but no silly I mean I have Michelin tyres on my VFR now and have had since about 4 or 5 years ago.

Now if the MEZ2 came back I wouldn't complain they were a great tyre on my bike.

[Teflon]

I've got one on the rear now. I do like the shape of them.. turn-in is more progressive, which suits my riding style.

I'd be happy to get 4k out of them

[merv]

I'd be happy to get 4k out of them

Mate I got 13k out of the MEZ2 not riding slowly whereas the MEZ4 only did 8k - that's what I'm moaning about and they felt like they were too hard in their construction.

Buy yourself Michelins (others will probably tell you other brands too) and you'll soon feel the difference. Tyres like the Pilot Road have a very rounded profile similar to the MEZ4 so feel similar for turn in. I always said when my VFR was on MEZ2 it ran like it was on rails (welded rails) whereas the MEZ4 felt similar but more slippery and skittery like on jointed rails so altogether a backward step when they "upgraded" the tyre.

[White trash]

I seem to remember the Z4 suited some bikes/riders and not others. For example I had a set on my GSXR and didn't enjoy them however my mate Vaughan raved about them on his TLS.

I also tried Pilot Sports on the K2 Thousand and thought they were absolute crap unless it rained.

[pritch]

I'd be happy to get 4k out of them

MEZ4s had not particularly come to my notice until the other night I was re-reading the VFR Handbook and noticed that it was one of the three recommended tyres. (The only one of the three recommendations I had heard of was the BT020).

I assumed the Z6 to be the current iteration. Was there even a Z5?.

As for getting 4k from a back tyre, that'd likely put me onto my fifth rear tyre in a twelve month period.

I'd need a bloody big pay increase. Or a Lotto win, which isn't likely because I don't usually buy a ticket.

[Danger Dave]

I have just completed a 5500km trip around the south island with a mez4 on the rear and it ever gave me any problems no matter how hard i pushed it stuck, in fact it was so good im doing a track day on it on the 20th

[madandy]

I have just completed a 5500km trip around the south island with a mez4 on the rear and it ever gave me any problems no matter how hard i pushed it stuck, in fact it was so good im doing a track day on it on the 20th

Are you a mate of K-ran, more-fasterer?

[Danger Dave]

Are you a mate of K-ran, more-fasterer?

Yeah done the burt munro challenge with k-ran it was good fun can't wait till this years one.

[Jinx3d]

My last pilot sport lasted 3000 kays, I cant understand how a tyre could last 8000, much less 12000.

Pretty funny, the guy that fitted my new tyre for me was was giving me advice on riding, then we went to look at his bike and it had 10mm wide chicken strips on the back tyre!!!

Lol!

[cowboyz]

I've got one on the rear now. I do like the shape of them.. turn-in is more progressive, which suits my riding style.

I'd be happy to get 4k out of them

Ive got a pair on at the moment. I quickly became a big fan of the pilot road 2 but when I went in to PT to get some new tyres I found out I could put a set of MeZ4s on for $400 on the bike. Worth a crack to save $150.
They are ok. They are very very hard and dont give the same confidence as the PR2. I have had 5 slips on them now where the PR2 and the Pirellis I had before that never slipped at all. So the excitment factor goes up a bit riding on them. BTW. I got over 12000 out of the PR2 I had on the rear and over 8000 out of a racetec that I brought second hand so was happy with that. 4000k and I would be buying a car to commute on. Just couldnt afford to be replacing a tyre every 2 months.

My last pilot sport lasted 3000 kays, I cant understand how a tyre could last 8000, much less 12000.

Pretty funny, the guy that fitted my new tyre for me was was giving me advice on riding, then we went to look at his bike and it had 10mm wide chicken strips on the back tyre!!!

Lol!

One of the locals down here eats tyres. 2500 out of the pilot powers and 6000 out of the pilot roads. I just couldnt afford to ride if I was eating tyres like that. Its not like they are cheap.

[Jinx3d]

The TL may rip up rear tyres, but I'm still on the original set of brake pads after 60,000 kays!!!

My theory is that its the engine braking that does the damge, but means the brakes dont need to get used as much.

Having said that, my old Z1000 used to use a back tyre every warrant so its not like its *that* bad

Anyway, who cares about tyres? what else were you going to spend you money on?