Metzeler vs Pirelli vs Michelin

[The Stranger:Me]

(b) straight-line wheelspin in top gear in the rain on a major highway,

I've had the GSXR just spin up whilst not even adding throttle in a similar situation with M3s on it.
I blame what passes for a major highway in NZ for that.

[jrandom]

I've had the GSXR just spin up whilst not even adding throttle in a similar situation with M3s on it.
I blame what passes for a major highway in NZ for that.

Fairy muff.

020s are still shit to ride on, mind you.

[puddytat]

I had the PR2's on my R6 & got 11000 k's out of the rear....& I didnt notice them going off at all & would put them on again if I was still on the road...
But I be a racin' in clubmans on her now & I switched to Pirelli Rosso's & are luvin' them. Dont know about the longevity of them but the grip & feedback of the Rosso,s seems alot better...

[Kickaha]

Pirelli & Metzeler are the same tyre with a differnt tread pattern on. Which one you choose will depend on which pattern you like. They always have tyres aimed a the same people.

They may both be part of the same company but that doesn't neccesarily mean they are the same tyre, some of them might be but I'd doubt the whole product range is

Haha ! you crack me up ! And I agree with you too, Dual compound is kind of the new "thing to have", but if you choose sensibly It's not the biggest thing in the world..

Dual compound isn't even a new thing, Bridgestone have done it since the late eighties with the BT45 (which I love on my old shitters)

[NZsarge]

Haven't had the VTR for long it came ex the shop with a mismatched pair - whatever was cheapest to give it the warrant & get rid of the bike eh? I'll be looking for suggestions when they need replacement...

Standard answer mate, PP 2ct front and PR2 on the rear.

[banditrider]

Standard answer mate, PP 2ct front and PR2 on the rear.

Just so long as they last longer on my bike than yours...

[NZsarge]

Just so long as they last longer on my bike than yours...

The front is'nt too bad on my bike, it's the rear tyres that i'm chewing through, that's why I think i'll have to come off PP's on the rear and go to PR2's.
That blue ZX14 on the toy run yesterday was running a PR2 on the back and it seemed to be holding up ok.

[MSTRS:Me]

Haha ! you crack me up ! And I agree with you too, Dual compound is kind of the new "thing to have", but if you choose sensibly It's not the biggest thing in the world.

Best advice for Tyre choice ? Pick one that suits what you actually want it to do. ...

He has described that he wants a tyre that will commute without quickly squaring off AND will keep him happy (and on the road) when pushing in the tighter stuff. Why would he not go for dual compound ST tyre (hard/er in the middle, soft/er on the sides).
NB I have been told be a bike shop that the Conty Road Attack is dual compound...IT IS NOT. (the Sport Attack is). Have a read of my thread comparing RA and PR2.

Dual compound isn't even a new thing, Bridgestone have done it since the late eighties with the BT45 (which I love on my old shitters)

Brilliant tyres on the smaller/midweight bikes. Probably get torn to shreds on anything with more than about 60hp tho....

[vifferman]

What sort of riding do you do? What sort of km's do you get out of them?

Most of my riding is communtering, with the odd weekend ride thrown in. I'm not the most aggressive rider, but the back one is worn to about 5mm from the edge.
They've been very good so far - better'n any other tyre I've had on any of the bikes I've owned. That said, I can't compare them to Pirellis or some of the other tyres mentioned.
In the time I've had them on the bike, I've had only one 'moment' - the back trye spun up momentarily in the wet when I accelerated over a lane marking that had been painted over with tar or black paint. By the time I noticed, it had stopped. ANY tyre would've done the same.
Mileage? Who knows. I never measure it: if I get a year or 18 months out of a tyre, I'm happy. These have been on the bike since October last year, and still have HEAPS of life left in them, and they've worn VERY evenly: no squaring off, and (most importantly) the front one still has the same profile and no "scalloping" of the tread blocks.
I gave them a fair thrashing on Sunday, and was surprised that they showed little evidence of it.
I expect they'll "go off" before they wear out. Were it not for my curiosity about some other tyres I've heard good things about, I'd just get another set when they wear out.

[discotex]

(That said, I have heard good things of the new 016s.)

Love mine.

Way more grip under lean powering out of corners than the OEM 015's I had before yet the middle seems to be holding up to commuting really well.

Triple compound on the rear seems to do the job as advertised.

Can't compare to the others but I keep hearing nothing but praise.

EDIT: YR64L review of PP2ct vs 016 - http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/sh...60#post1843560

[The Stranger:Me]

Love mine.

Way more grip under lean powering out of corners than the OEM 015's I had before yet the middle seems to be holding up to commuting really well.

Triple compound on the rear seems to do the job as advertised.

Can't compare to the others but I keep hearing nothing but praise.

EDIT: YR64L review of PP2ct vs 016 - http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/sh...60#post1843560

Well hey, if The Hoff (Raj) reccommends them it's good enough for me. I'm off to get some now.

[Max Preload]

My whale chewed up & spat out the Conti Road Attack, they don't like getting hot.

I'll run only Pirelli. Diablo front, Strada rear.

My whale has just chewed up & spat out a Rosso rear in 2-1/2 months. But it was a fun 2-1/2 months...

Standard answer mate, PP 2ct front and PR2 on the rear.

I've had that combo on my whale. They wore at a similar rate. Had I been able to get a PR2 rear whan I needed it I think I would have gone the same again.

I am thinking of the Pilot road 2's - only thing is that I heard they seem to change their behaviour after about 50% wear...

I would agree with that. They do get very squirmy towards the end of their useful life and beyond, but it's a preditable squirmy and I quite enjoy that.

That doesn't fit with my experience. 020s just don't stick to the road. You have to tiptoe around everywhere lest you die.

My bike had 020s that were new when I bought it. They were bloody horrible. I was glad to see the back of them.

[Zapf]

The rear is coming up for replacement and I am considering a few:

Metzeler M3

Metseler Z6

Pirelli Diablo Rosso

Michelin Pilot Power Road 2

Continental Attack

Considerations:
I commute 90% of the time, rain or shine
I go for spirited weekend blasts in the twisties

Went into a bike shop the other day that also fits Michelin. Mechanic actually recommended against them! Also confirmed the story that I have been heard of them changing characteristics after about 50% of wear. He reckons Michelin is over rated...

He recommended the (slightly cheaper) Metzelers: Z6 or M3.
After I said I’d be happy with 8 to 10K km’s he said go for the M3, more stickier, although he reckons the Z6 is excellent in the wet and has sold truckloads…

I get the idea that Metzeler is an under rated (and slightly cheaper than Michelin) tire..
Also reading and hearing rave reviews about the Pirelli Diablo Rosso - Pirelli and Metzeler being the same company...got me very interested in trying Metzeler.

Any suggestions?

Metzeler are very good tires, I have used their range.

your discription of commuting and sprited riding are very different so it will be a compromise.

you will get around 6~7k's on the M3's

Z6's about 10~12k's.

I suggest you get the pirellie Strada's. Metzeler technology, like the Z6 but with a more rounded profile.

If you get the M3's it will fit your requirment for sprited riding, where as the Z6/Strada will be the middle ground.

I have used both on my 900 Hornet.

[pritch]

At best they're disturbingly sub-optimal. Yet they've been OEMs on my last three bikes. Go figure.

"Sub-optimal" indeed. They came as OEM on the VFR but I threw them away. Lethal in the wet.

[Bladeslapper109]

Standard answer mate, PP 2ct front and PR2 on the rear.

Agree. i had Pilot Power single compound front and rear on my 05 blade and handle mean. Got decent kms out of them for amount of shit i gave them. need PP2 now. Some shops selling the rear at $450 thou