03-09-2021, 09:38 AM
Greetings,
The CB is not my long-distance touring bike (although I have done some 500+ mile days on it), so long tire life is less of a concern for me than for others.
My OEM tires were Bridgestone BT-54. I got 6k miles on them and didn't have a lot of gripes, except for their performance on tar snakes, which resulted in some truly clenched moments, especially in their last thousand miles or so. I have experienced much worse with OEM tires out of the dealership.
My current Metzelers are at 7k miles and won't make it to 8k. I run them at F/36 and R/42. I measured the tread depth and was pleased to see that my front, at 90% worn, was the same from center to edge. I can certainly feel the rear tire getting flattish in the middle but there are no ill effects from it.
If you haven't seen them, Metzeler embosses a little elephant at the very edge of the tread. Try as I might, I have been unable to wear the heads of the elephants off.
My overall word for the Metzelers is "neutral." Once broken in (that didn't take long) they go, stop, and especially turn, in a very neutral way. They feel great with trail braking. Mid-lean performance in fast sweepers is outstanding and changing lines mid-corner is effortless. I think the sidewalls are a bit less stiff than the Bridgestones and that works with the CB's suspension, which can be harsh on sharp bumps.
Anyway, I would highly recommend the Metzeler Z8 Interact unless you are looking for 10k+ tire life. I am getting another set later this month.
Gus
The CB is not my long-distance touring bike (although I have done some 500+ mile days on it), so long tire life is less of a concern for me than for others.
My OEM tires were Bridgestone BT-54. I got 6k miles on them and didn't have a lot of gripes, except for their performance on tar snakes, which resulted in some truly clenched moments, especially in their last thousand miles or so. I have experienced much worse with OEM tires out of the dealership.
My current Metzelers are at 7k miles and won't make it to 8k. I run them at F/36 and R/42. I measured the tread depth and was pleased to see that my front, at 90% worn, was the same from center to edge. I can certainly feel the rear tire getting flattish in the middle but there are no ill effects from it.
If you haven't seen them, Metzeler embosses a little elephant at the very edge of the tread. Try as I might, I have been unable to wear the heads of the elephants off.
My overall word for the Metzelers is "neutral." Once broken in (that didn't take long) they go, stop, and especially turn, in a very neutral way. They feel great with trail braking. Mid-lean performance in fast sweepers is outstanding and changing lines mid-corner is effortless. I think the sidewalls are a bit less stiff than the Bridgestones and that works with the CB's suspension, which can be harsh on sharp bumps.
Anyway, I would highly recommend the Metzeler Z8 Interact unless you are looking for 10k+ tire life. I am getting another set later this month.
Gus