New rear tire needed! Opinions pls...

[AdrianR]

Okay, 5-almost 6k on my rear Michelin and it's getting pretty toasty...  Looks to be time for a new rear tire.  I have read some posts on here about the Metzler Roadtec...getting more mileage then the Michelin?  Do any of you guys know anything about this?  How do you think it would work with the a Michelin up front?  I have another 3-4k to get on the front before I replace it.

Also, removing the rear wheel looks to be brain dead.  Have any of you done this?  I want to remove the wheel and bring it to a shop to have the new tire put on...thus saving me labor costs of removing the rear wheel.

[idcrewdawg]

Okay, 5-almost 6k on my rear Michelin and it's getting pretty toasty...  Looks to be time for a new rear tire.  I have read some posts on here about the Metzler Roadtec...getting more mileage then the Michelin?  Do any of you guys know anything about this?  How do you think it would work with the a Michelin up front?  I have another 3-4k to get on the front before I replace it.

Also, removing the rear wheel looks to be brain dead.  Have any of you done this?  I want to remove the wheel and bring it to a shop to have the new tire put on...thus saving me labor costs of removing the rear wheel.

6K on your tire and you have to remove it? WOW!!

[hubcapsc]

Okay, 5-almost 6k on my rear Michelin and it's getting pretty toasty...  Looks to be time for a new rear tire.  I have read some posts on here about the Metzler Roadtec...getting more mileage then the Michelin?  Do any of you guys know anything about this?  How do you think it would work with the a Michelin up front?  I have another 3-4k to get on the front before I replace it.

Also, removing the rear wheel looks to be brain dead.  Have any of you done this?  I want to remove the wheel and bring it to a shop to have the new tire put on...thus saving me labor costs of removing the rear wheel.

6K on your tire and you have to remove it? WOW!!

I toasted an Avon and also a Dunlap in less than 2,000 miles. I got around 4,500 on a
Pirelli Angel GT and almost 5,000 on a Michelin PR4... I got another PR4.

The wheel comes off easy. Safely jacking up the bike is a different story,
unless you don't care that you're jacking it up on your headers and/or plastic
shrouds...

-Mike

[AdrianR]

Okay, 5-almost 6k on my rear Michelin and it's getting pretty toasty...  Looks to be time for a new rear tire.  I have read some posts on here about the Metzler Roadtec...getting more mileage then the Michelin?  Do any of you guys know anything about this?  How do you think it would work with the a Michelin up front?  I have another 3-4k to get on the front before I replace it.

Also, removing the rear wheel looks to be brain dead.  Have any of you done this?  I want to remove the wheel and bring it to a shop to have the new tire put on...thus saving me labor costs of removing the rear wheel.

6K on your tire and you have to remove it? WOW!!

Owww!!

[Robert]

I hear them calling you Adrian   

If you look at my post on just tires and see all the comments it might help.

http://www.valkyrieforum.com/bbs/index.php/topic,94834.msg942791.html#msg942791

[ledany]

I have a Metzeler Roadtec 01 on the rear since august 2016 and 12 400 mls (Pirelli Scorpion Trail II on the front). The Roadtec is still OK (less than 5000 km to go though) and is fine on wet roads but I hate the way on dry roads it slips on small bumps and, like yesterday, starting reaaally slowly on a zebra crossing the Roadtec went bezerk (that's the way we motorycle rebels in Paris drive : at the red light, always stand ahead of the cars, on the zebra crossings if necessary  ).

[idcrewdawg]

I toasted an Avon and also a Dunlap in less than 2,000 miles. I got around 4,500 on a
Pirelli Angel GT and almost 5,000 on a Michelin PR4... I got another PR4.

The wheel comes off easy. Safely jacking up the bike is a different story,
unless you don't care that you're jacking it up on your headers and/or plastic
shrouds...

-Mike

I got just under 10,000 on my OEM tire. What are you doing to eat through tires?

[hubcapsc]

I got just under 10,000 on my OEM tire. What are you doing to eat through tires?

The Dunlop and Avon were not bike-appropriate.

7k or so is all I ever got on my 1500 Valkyrie on the roads around here.

Just before I got the 1800 Valkyrie, I started using a network of chip-seal farm roads
to get to work. A real pleasant ride, but now the 1500 only gets around 5k on a rear and
the 1800 gets around 5k too, if I use a decent tire. A round trip to work is only about 35
miles, but since it is fun and easy, I ride the bikes a lot.



-Mike "eats 'em up right down the middle..."

[st2sam]

I hear them calling you Adrian   
http://www.valkyrieforum.com/bbs/index.php/topic,94834.msg942791.html#msg942791

You can thank us later.

[Robert]

You can thank us later.

Max out of any rear tire for either bike 1500, 1800, 8k.

[idcrewdawg]

I'm just shy of 11k on my bike, and the only reason I changed out the rear tire before 10 was due to a puncture. The front still has plenty of tread, and I don't ride in wet weather nearly as much as I used to so it being a crap tire for wet weather doesn't bother me. I guess the roads you ride on are ghastly compared to what I've experienced, and I ride some crap roads. It's interesting to me the difference in mileage on the same bike.

[bscrive]

Has anyone ever tried the Metzeler Roadtec Z6? 

[ledany]

I used to have the Metzeler Z6 on my former BMW K1200 GT. The tire is OK on wet roads but far behind more recent tires. I remember slipping a little bit in a straight line on a wet road but the tire is still reliable in curves though.
I keep the rear tire for 12,500 mls easily but the Z6 may be strange in the end : you think you can ride it  for about 2,000 mls more but all of a sudden the tire is destroyed and you see the steel thread 

IMHO it's not worth to buy it, even at a low price, when you compare it to the Michelin PR4, or the Pirelli Scorpion Trail II or even the Metzeler Roadtec 01 

[bscrive]

Thanks for your reply Ledany.   

I have been eying the Roadtec 01 and saw the other one.  Good to have knowledgeable people around. 

[TIGERJERRY]

I HAVE USED CAR TIRES ON MY BIKE FOR 10 YEARS. LAST A LONG TIME.  30,000 TO 60,000 MILES.  THE SIZE I HAVE IS A 205/60/R16.  BIG ADVANTAGE TO RUNNING A CAR TIRE IS BETTER STOPPING, BETTER TRACTION ON RAIN, GRAVEL, AND ANY ADVERSE CONDITION.  THEY STILL CORNER GREAT AND YOU HAVE MORE TREAD ON THE ROAD.  JUST NEED 8 1/2 INCHES WIDE TO USE ONE.  MOUNTS ON YOUR CURRENT RIM.  AND BACK WHEEL IS NOT HARD TO PULL OFF.  SHOULD BE PULLING IT OFF YEARLY AND LUBING BEARING.  JERRY

[goldstar903]

I HAVE USED CAR TIRES ON MY BIKE FOR 10 YEARS. LAST A LONG TIME.  30,000 TO 60,000 MILES.  THE SIZE I HAVE IS A 205/60/R16.  BIG ADVANTAGE TO RUNNING A CAR TIRE IS BETTER STOPPING, BETTER TRACTION ON RAIN, GRAVEL, AND ANY ADVERSE CONDITION.  THEY STILL CORNER GREAT AND YOU HAVE MORE TREAD ON THE ROAD.  JUST NEED 8 1/2 INCHES WIDE TO USE ONE.  MOUNTS ON YOUR CURRENT RIM.  AND BACK WHEEL IS NOT HARD TO PULL OFF.  SHOULD BE PULLING IT OFF YEARLY AND LUBING BEARING.  JERRY

That tire will not fit the 2014/2015 Valkyrie. We have 17" rims and would more than likely have to use a 185mm (width) tire. Not my cup of tea.

[GA VALK]

I carved up the factory front tire at 3,000 miles and the back was fine.  I replaced with Michelin Commander II 120/70/ZR 19 on the front and Michelin Pilot Road 4 GT 180/55/ZR 17 on the back.  The tires feel great wet or dry and I ride it like I stole it

[dans2014]

Michelin, the only way to fly!

[ledany]

Not exactly I'm afraid. The german bike magazine Motorrad has published in april 2017 the annual tire test and it goes like this.

On dry roads :




on wet roads :




and the winner is :



What I consider more specifically is the test on wet roads and the "Bremsweg" (= braking distance for a complete stop riding at 100 km/h). As you can see, you have a 3 meter difference between the best one (Pirelli Angel GT) and the worst (Dunlop Roadsmart III). I also watch carefully the "Rundenzeiten" (ride on  a track) because you can see then that the difference between the best one on wet roads (Metzeler Roadtec 01) and the worst (Bridgestone T 30) is 2". It means for me that when you ride on wet roads with the Metzeler, you are relax - and it is true - but you will not be relax with the Bridgestone. For my own part, I don't intend to ride in stress !