New Metzlers ME 880's are on

[tkd]

Had them put on this morning. Rode about 25 miles home.

Overall the ride is less harsh than the stock Bridestones. Couple of observations:

1. The bike is much easier to steer and turn. With the 'Stones, It took a lot of effort to "push or pull" the bars. Doesn't seem to be that way with the Metz, but then again, might be just the new factor.

2. They are definitely quieter at road speed. I know HEAR every little expansion joint that I didn't before and I'm running V&H baggers. It's weird. The tire is quiet, but yet I can hear the the tires making contact on the bumps.

3. They do corner better than the worn out 'Stones, but I haven't pushed them by any means.

4. No growl in the corners, or at least if there is , it is so little that the pipes drown it out, couldn't say that with the 'Stones

The bad:

1. With the stock 'Stones, I would get a little vibration in the bars when holding them very lightly while decelerating around 25. Chalked it up to balance and didnt' worry as it only started about 10 days ago and knew the new tires were in the works. Got the new tires and the vibration is gone, but it has been replaced by a wobble. By holding lightly I mean 2 fingers. I didnt' notice it when I held the grips normally at that speed. I'm going to watch this very closely as it is not a factor when riding at any speed but decelerating around 25. It may have been the road I was on for all I know.



PS. When I go over bumps, I hear a strange metallic "clunk" from the front end. Don't really know how to explain it. Everything it tight and had the dealershipi look....they found nothing (and they are a good dealership). Best way I can descrip it is if you had something that was spring loaded and was snapping out to the end of the extention and hearing a metal on metal clunk. Kind of like a reverse bottoming out effect. I know that's a poor description, but thought I"d try.
I heard it a few times before with the old tires, so they are not the cuplrit.

[racinchef]

That fairly well sums up my assessment of ME880's that I just got on yesterday. The handling is much lighter and easier. The bike has a slight tendency to oversteer, but you detect it and compensate for it just as quickly. I don't know how many miles my Bridgestones had on them, but the Metzlers are a marked improvement over how my bike handled almost 4,500miles ago and a quantum leap over what they were when replaced. The growl is gone when arcing in sweepers as well. Now that I have a benchmark of these tires new, I will see how they continue to perform when the mileage piles up.

[trip]

One thing to keep in mind about the Metz's over the Stones.

When you go into a turn and lean the bike down....with the Stones, the bike keeps wanting to come back up out of the lean. With the Metzler's, the bike is going to stay exactly where you lean....and stay there until you take the bike out of the lean. In other words, the Metzler's are going to do what you tell them to do.

The growl on the Metz's will come later.....trust me.

My experience with the Metz ME880 is pretty much the same as Trips, but with the 1500 and my combo of 160 rear and 150 front, the bike actually wants to steer into the corner until the front tire flattens out a bit in the center. You can compensate for that by reducing front tire pressure to maybe 36 psi, but the front tire will start to cup (and growl) sooner. I suggest just keeping the front up to 40 psi and just dealing with the steering. If you run the 150 rear, this effect will probably not manifest.

With about 10,000 miles on my front tire it is growling noticibly.

[schoeney]

Thanks TKD. I have my dealer putting a 24 hour hold on some whitewall Metz (loved the look of Racinchefs white walls). But maybe I will try the Avons White walls so we get a good comparison.
Either way thanks for sharing....almost anything has got to be better than the Stones!

[ponch]

I find if I need to straighten up, I give it a little more throttle.

My buddy Lou always says: "When in doubt gas it!"

"1. With the stock 'Stones, I would get a little vibration in the bars when holding them very lightly while decelerating around 25. Chalked it up to balance and didnt' worry as it only started about 10 days ago and knew the new tires were in the works. Got the new tires and the vibration is gone, but it has been replaced by a wobble. By holding lightly I mean 2 fingers. I didnt' notice it when I held the grips normally at that speed. I'm going to watch this very closely as it is not a factor when riding at any speed but decelerating around 25. It may have been the road I was on for all I know."



That little wobble should clear up in the first hundred miles. I experienced the same thing and it was temporary.

[tkd]

Thanks Nico. That makes me feel a lot better

Another tire I was told is really good on the Nomad is the Avalon....not Avon, but Avalon. They were more expensive, but I had not read or heard anything on them.

[beezer]

break those new tires in for 100 miles so they scuff up before you try anything too fancy with them

[tkd]

DEFINITELY

I put them on and love them. I run 36/40. I was told that noice you hear in the front end, and I have had since I bought the bike, is wiring in the headlight. Evidently there is alot of wiring in the round headlight and you have to open it up and tape it to the side.