Well said Helvet, and I respect your opinion and agree with the comments about inferior tyres. But... I have found the Shinkos Ultra sticky(003) front and Raven(009) rear to be very good tyres for the Bird. They stick better in the wet than Powers and are stable. They are very cheap here because of a dealer selling them almost at cost. I think the price is a major factor in peoples opinion against them. I have heard some whispers and rumors (unsubstituted) that the 005s had some some structural problems at one stage.
However I changed to Pilot Road 2s because of the handling of the Shinkos. They steering is very slow (but also very stable) and I prefer a quicker steering bike. I am very happy with the PR2s and will stay with them but it is not a grip or safety decision.
I have tried:
Bridgestone BT57s (Disliked, but way better than Dunlop 205s)
Bridgestone 014s (Reasonable)
Dunlop 220s (Disliked)
Pilot powers (Loved but concerned that they were a little light for the Bird)
Shinkos (as commented on above)
Pilot Road 2s (Loved)
Never tried Metzlers on my bike. I also have never worn a tyre to the indicators. I don't believe that is worth the money savings. I have test ridden lots of friends bikes with various tyres also but with different suspension and ride heights etc, its difficult to get an accurate impression on other tyres.