Pete in PA Posted April 14, 2004 Author Share Posted April 14, 2004 Everything I've got is the same shade of red and yes it breaks the bead. It is the auto tire changer (bottom) and the motorcycle attachment on top. Still waiting to use it. Maybe another 500 miles and the rear Avon will be down to the cords. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete in PA Posted May 2, 2004 Author Share Posted May 2, 2004 Mounted the Z6's (MYSELF :!: :grin: :cycle: ) Harbor Freight setup worked great. Went easier than I thought it would. When I pulled the wheels I checked their balance (with old tires) and it was off but no vibes while riding. I also found the heaviest spot on the bare rim and marked it. Neither the front or rear was at the valve stem so this will save some added weights. The front only needed 1/4 ounce the rear none! NOTHING LIKE THE SATISFACTION OF DOING IT YOURSELF! NO MORE DEALERS EVER!!! (except PA state inspection) Now on to the Z6's! Put 100 miles on them, almost all cornering. Great stick, no stripes on rear. Elephants already starting to wear off. :grin: Front just starting to wear elephants head off. These elephants are going to sell these tires. Does anyone else think these tires are tall? With all that leaning I never touched down the feelers. When putting on centerstand it goes up way easier then it used to. Very stable at 130, great at absorbing bumps etc. In short I love them. As good as or better then Avons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big-T Posted May 3, 2004 Share Posted May 3, 2004 I've put about 5-600 miles on my new Z6's and love them! Very confidence inspiring in the rain too. I've decided to put the same tires on my old Suz VX800 when it comes together after rebuild. T. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redbird Posted May 3, 2004 Share Posted May 3, 2004 Very confidence inspiring in the rain too They're not bad on the side of the tire (and I didn't push that much, I ain't that guy), but I felt accelerating in a straight line had it spinning more in the wet than I'm accustomed to with other tires. Nothing horrible, but I had the rear spin up a bit on a couple staight up and down highway passing situations. Just my $.02 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackhawkxx Posted May 3, 2004 Share Posted May 3, 2004 NO MORE DEALERS EVER!!! (except PA state inspection) Don't waste your money. I never get any of mine inspected. They won't nail you unless you get pulled over for something else. It is a joke anyway with the XX. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lynx60 Posted May 3, 2004 Share Posted May 3, 2004 Keep the reports coming on those Z6s. My M-1s are getting used up really fast. Any performance comparisons between the Z6s & M-1s would be greatly appreciated. Thanks. Lynx60 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJP XX Posted May 3, 2004 Share Posted May 3, 2004 Just ordered a set of Z6's for $212 delivered. The Avon 45/46 combo has given me 17,100 miles on the front... with plenty of tread left. The rear tire has 13,000 miles and is almost to the wear bars. For the record, I weigh about 170 and run 40 pounds of air front and rear. Also, my riding style is more on the conservative side. Great Day! :grin: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete in PA Posted May 4, 2004 Author Share Posted May 4, 2004 Jeez, with mileage like that why change from the Avons? You must ride conservatively! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG BOY Posted May 4, 2004 Share Posted May 4, 2004 Quit rubbing it in John, ya fuck!!!!!! I wish i could get mileage like that out of tires!!! I just seen MAW or someone has 100X's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MileHi Posted May 5, 2004 Share Posted May 5, 2004 I just put about 150 miles in the Z6... Me likes! I did that and the 6mm spacer on the shock! Totally transformed the bike... Of course that was coming from bald/squared off/scalloped/old D205's...I do believe that the XX is a keeper! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lynx60 Posted May 17, 2004 Share Posted May 17, 2004 My Metz M-1 Sportec tires are history. Got only 2,500 km out of the rear. So, I too made the switch to Metz Z6s, front & rear, and also did the 6mm spacer on the rear shock. So far, I've put about 500 km on the Z6s, mainly on tight, twisting mountain roads. The Z6s, together with the 6mm spacer, definitely improve the bike's handling. The first thing I noticed was that the bike seemed lighter & easier to flick back & forth in the corners. The Z6s are supposed to provide better grip on wet roads than the M-1s, but in all honesty I won't be able to make a realistic comparison here because I never got a good opportunity to check the M-1s in rainy conditions. I did like the M-1's grip on dry roads; however it's pretty hard to live with a tire that gets only 2,500 km from the rear. If the Z6s can give me about 85% of the grip performance of the M-1s, and also produce significantly higher mileage, then they'll be "keepers" IMHO. I pushed them really hard yesterday on one of my favorite mountain roads, even scrubbing off one half of the little elephants, and they seemed to perform very well. The only slightest difference that I noticed, and this may be totally subjective, is that the Z6s didn't feel as "planted" on the road as the M-1s. But this may have more to do with the tire's profile than with the grip effectiveness of the rubber compound. I need a few more "good" runs up & down my favorite roads before I can make a definitive judgment on which tires provides better grip on dry roads. Thanks guys for the tip about the 6mm spacer. Will keep you posted on the Z6s. Lynx60 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete in PA Posted May 17, 2004 Author Share Posted May 17, 2004 I've got 1000 miles on the Z6's still like them. lost 1/32nd of tread on the rear so far, not too bad. I've got no elephants left on the rear, and 1/2 elephants on the front. :bike: Been in the rain, had no problems but then I don't experiment with cornering,accelerating and braking in the rain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hurricane Posted May 18, 2004 Share Posted May 18, 2004 Put the MeZ6's on March 19 and just figured out the mileage to be 1,978 today. The elephants on the rear tires have been worn off and half on the front. 98% of the rides are enjoyed on curvy back roads, up, down and through mountainsides while careening along roadways that race along side snow melt rivers and streams. The front center has way more tread than the sides; however, there is a decent amount of tread left on those sides. Very pleased with how these things wear and stick to the back roads of N. Cali. Impressive for sure. They wear very nicely, evenly and are no comparison to their ponderous cousin the MeZ4. Where the MeZ4 felt vague and cautious the MeZ6 feels spry and sure footed. The MeZ6 provides decent feed back while they dance with traction on their edge limits. I like to try different brands of tires to feel what they're like; staying within the sport-touring tire range. There's allot to like about these tires. I'll be buying the MeZ6's again real soon. :smokin: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete in PA Posted July 11, 2004 Author Share Posted July 11, 2004 Rear Z6 is showing second rubber type (at cords) at 4k miles. :roll: "B" version still not available, going to order a 020 for the rear. Noticed swmototires.com has a 020 for the FJ 1300 designated "N" wonder if this would be better then standard 020 for our CBR's. Both same price. I NEED MILEAGE :!: :!: Front Z6 doing ok, has gone from 6/32nds to 4/32nds in the same 4k miles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redbird Posted July 11, 2004 Share Posted July 11, 2004 Pete, this is mine after a hair over 5K. How close to done do you think I might be in the center? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EVLXX Posted July 11, 2004 Share Posted July 11, 2004 Hmmm... looks like your really close to me, just from the picture. Wipe it down with a wet rag and then look at it again. Maybe it's just the picture but I almost see a stripe.... :???: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redbird Posted July 11, 2004 Share Posted July 11, 2004 No, not there yet, but I have a feeling I'm getting close. I'm thinking maybe 6K total (sorry, Pete), which is fine by me for the grip these things have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete in PA Posted July 11, 2004 Author Share Posted July 11, 2004 I'd say pretty close, the tread closest to the center on mine on the left, is just about flush and I've got the secondary rubber showing at one spot in the middle. Going to run it more today and see how deep this rubber is till I see cord. When your rear is close to worn out always pop it up on the centerstand when you stop, and check all the way around. Mine is just at one small spot. Why is my rear wearing more on the left than the right. I've had this on fronts but not rears. any input on using the FJ1300 version of the B'stone 020 on the rear of my CBR??????? I think since it's for a heavier bike it might last longer on mine. Anyone?????? Need to order tomorrow or Tuesday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete in PA Posted July 11, 2004 Author Share Posted July 11, 2004 Well I can now attest to the fact that the Z6 rear is a steel belted radial. Good it's suposed to rain all week, she's now parked till I get a rear tire and my cush drive rubbers. :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redbird Posted July 12, 2004 Share Posted July 12, 2004 Why is my rear wearing more on the left than the right. I've had this on fronts but not rears. I've also got a weird, but seperate, left/right issue with the rear Z6. Left side is scrubbed to the very edge, elephants long gone- but there is a tiny sliver of chicken strip on the right side that just won't go away, even after grounding the right peg on a few occasions. They feel fine, great, really, but that little point has been bugging me, especially seeing how I'm more comfortable going right, anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hurricane Posted July 12, 2004 Share Posted July 12, 2004 Ya know… I thought I might have had the rear tire miss-aligned compared to the front. But, the rear tire on my MeZ6 also was significantly more worn on the left than the right. I also noticed the front was more worn on the right than the left. As if the tires were working against each other. I've never noticed this on any other tire set before. My tires are always replaced as a set regardless of wear. Now I don't feel so bad knowing that I'm not the only one with this weird wear pattern. They worked great and handled really well... but this wear??? The rear was bald and the front sides shot after 3300 miles. :shock: Thought they'd last a little longer than that. Michelin Pilot Roads are now the MeZ6’s replacement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hurricane Posted July 12, 2004 Share Posted July 12, 2004 any input on using the FJ1300 version of the B'stone 020 on the rear of my CBR???????I think since it's for a heavier bike it might last longer on mine. Anyone?????? Need to order tomorrow or Tuesday. Pete, That's something I too, have considered... about using 020's for the FJR on our machines. I've not yet seen the release of 020's that they buy over in Europe (those that are specific to the XX) here in the good ‘ol USA. The only thing that turns me off about the 020's is their tendency to cup in the front. So if a guy was to buy the rear for the heavier FJR it might just be feasible to buy the "N" version for the front too. Perhaps that'd stop the dreaded front cupping. I’ve wondered if their carcass would be much more stiff, being designed for a bike that’s 150lbs heavier. If so, that’d make for a taut ride. After going back and forth with that idea; I finally went with the Roads from Michelin. I miss the sportier ride from the MeZ6’s, 020’s and the like, but, I’ll get the mileage from them. After the experience from the MeZ6’s; I wanna see how those Continental “Road Attack” tires work out for people. They may be the next choice. Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete in PA Posted July 12, 2004 Author Share Posted July 12, 2004 I might wind up using a Z6 on the front and a 020 on the rear as my permanent setup. 020 is a good rear, lousy front. Z6 is a good front (so far) but lousy rear. (no mileage) I got more mileage out of a Dunlop 205 on the rear and that tire sucked. With your front worn more on the right and the rear worn more on the left I would suspect something IS wrong. That has never happened to me. (yet) Did you change the way you allign the rear wheel or is it still the same as with previous tires? You would think I've seen it all on my bikes with tire wear, but then something new comes along. Maybe everything is OK. :???: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG BOY Posted July 12, 2004 Share Posted July 12, 2004 I loved my 205's!!! I think i went through 2-3 sets on my XX. I got like 5883 miles out of the rear. I ran the front for the same mileage, but badly cupped. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
koolaidkidxx Posted July 26, 2004 Share Posted July 26, 2004 Z6 or M1 or 020... good grip, lasts long --- but, but... man, throw away the cigarettes and drink one less beer a day and then you can afford a tire that will make your XX a whole new bike. Guess??? Yes, it's the Diablo Corsa. Z6's parent company's premiere tire. So much grip and ripping down the road you'll think be reminded of the day you test road that R1. Enough said, just try it. It's worth it for the mega bliss factor alone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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