Metzeler Roadtec Z8 Interact

[Lord Popgun]

1000 miles on a tire with cords exposed. Wear plenty of ATGATT and expect a blowout and be happy if it doesn't happen.

Just put a new tire on it. We really do NOT want to read about any accidents.

Good luck.

PS. You should be able to post pics. No time limit for noobs.

[johnf514_imp]

Crazy to see those cords poking through on MN-Ed's post. How many miles did you put on them for that to happen?

I have 4K miles on my rear Z8, plus a track day, and no issues here

[LongRanger_imp]

MN-Ed, sorry you're going to miss Wilkerson, but the real jewels in that area are Tarryall Road and Hwy 67. Hopefully you can hit them the next time you're out here.

[MN-Ed_imp]

MN-Ed, sorry you're going to miss Wilkerson, but the real jewels in that area are Tarryall Road and Hwy 67. Hopefully you can hit them the next time you're out here.

Thanks. We did come thru Wilkerson on Weds on our way back from Ouray loop but ran into some rain of Biblical proportions. 110 miles worth, and plenty of mud/gravel washed onto road too. Today was to catch some views that we missed on Weds. But raining over there and on 67 today too, it looks.

1000 miles on a tire with cords exposed. Wear plenty of ATGATT and expect a blowout and be happy if it doesn't happen.

Just put a new tire on it. We really do NOT want to read about any accidents.

Good luck.

PS. You should be able to post pics. No time limit for noobs.

UPDATE.... just got back from Apex Sports in CO Springs. New set of BS BT-54s on her now. Front was down to its wear bars too. Not my first choice in tire, but they will be fine and I admit the 1000 mile trip was a crazy idea. Fine dealership, wish I had them in MN. Service Manager Levi and the mechanic crew were a pleasure to deal with. They had my tires (and a set of Metzeler Interact, lol) I n stock and made room for me!

[MN-Ed_imp]

Crazy to see those cords poking through on MN-Ed's post. How many miles did you put on them for that to happen?

I have 4K miles on my rear Z8, plus a track day, and no issues here

My Metzeler Z8 Interacts had about 6,200 miles on them. The cords appeared pretty quickly, like over 400 miles yesterday. Got 11K+ out of my stock Dunlops, although I had a good flat spot going on the rear by the time I changed them too.

6,200 miles seems weak to me, but I spend 90+ % on that center part of the tread. Maybe the BT-54's will be better for my city commuting.

[LongRanger_imp]

I've found the BT-54 fronts to wear quickly -- within 5000 miles. The rears seem to do better, at least for me. Glad you found Apex Sports. Yes, they're well known around these parts and come highly recommended.

[Lord Popgun]

MN-Ed,

I'm glad it worked out and I'm GLAD nothing bad happened!

[Henrik_imp]

There seems to be a fair amount of negative views of the Z8 tyre on here, something that I do find a bit strange. I really like the Z8, and am very happy to have replaced the original Dunlop D205s with the Metzelers. For me, after some 6’000km, I don’t find anything to fault with it. The grip has been good in all conditions, and although it has been mostly dry for my rides I have had a go in some very wet conditions as well. Certainly I have never found it to slip in the dry on any white marks over here, and never any unexpected reaction. I really like the profile as it is round in a way that makes it very smooth to put on an angle. It sort of rolls in to a corner, and is not in any way jerky as I have found some other brands to be. I used to love the Pirelli Rosso on my previous bike, and these had a similar profile. Granted the Pirellis were much sportier, but so was the bike I had.

This image tries to show the difference inprofile between the Z8 and the PR3. The Z8 is a bit rounder and the PR a bit "flatter".




I suppose the very different reactions we find is down to the sort of riding we all do, and then personal preference as to how a bike should react. Even though I do commute with my bike a fair bit, I still avoid as much as possible riding very long distances in a straight line. Judging by the images provided earlier, the Z8 is clearly not suited for straight line riding, and I would say that if this is how you ride then something else would be better. I have not tried any recent versions of the Michelin PR3, but I think it was the PR2 I had on my ST2 in the early 2000’s. I did not like it because of its profile. Grip was fine, but it was somehow too “flat”. I get the feeling that it was designed to stand up better when mostly riding straight due to its shape.

Another thing I find is that us motorcycle riders are usually very peculiar with our tyre choices. Small differences in tyre lead to very different opinions. One brand will typically have a style of tyres and profiles that correspond to your riding, and the way you want it to feel while riding. This then leads to a feeling of insecurity when there is a change, which will end with a very negative opinion of a tyre that others will find great. Due to this, it really becomes hard to recommend a tyre to somebody else, unless you really know how they ride, and perhaps the sort of tyres they are used to riding with.

At the end of the day, there are some that find the Z8 to be a perfect tyre for the CB1100. I am happy that I could find something in the proper size as I really do not want to go with a 160. I did not like the Dunlops it came with, and also I can no longer find those here, so I was left with little choice. The only other alternative was the Bridgestone T30 EVO, but again from past experience I usually do not like Bridgestone profiles. I should also add that I do not seek to get a maximum number of kms out of my tyres. I ride to fully enjoy the ride, and I know this has a cost. If I change tyres after 6’000km then that is really not an issue. That said, the Z8s at 6’000km look to be far from done, so no worries there!

[Stichill_imp]

Thoughtful post, Henrik. Very good observations and conclusions.

[the Ferret]

I've only had one set of Metzlers Z8's on one of my Yamahas. Nothing wrong with the handling. Longevity was the issue for me. They were gone at 6000 miles (10,000k.) if they only lasted 6000 kms (3700 miles) they would be useless to me no matter how well they handled. I ride too many miles to put up with that. That would mean 6+ sets of tires a year for me.

I find no issues with the handling on Michelin PR tires until the very end of their life, at which point they start resisting turn in, but that's usually around the 10,000 mi (16,000 km) point for me. That makes it 2+ sets of tires for me a season.

If I only rode 2500 miles a year, tire choice would be irrelevant. They would rot before they were worn out.