Yes I searched and it just made it more confusing. Everything I've read between bias and radials are Radial rears to bias fronts. Well my bike stock apparently came with bias front and rear. After putting a 21" up front I have a 120/70R21 Dunlop elite 3 Radial on the front and the Bias K591 stocker in the rear and it handles great. I tried a Roadsmart Dual compound radial in the rear before, but that tire gave me the death wobble at 60+ mph because the side walls turned into mush when warmed up, so I got rid of it within a year. I went back to the stock K591 and no more wobble. Now I'm due for a new front tire and want to venture off into metz land or even Avons. After all this hype I've read about the metz they offer 3 different 21" front tires and I don't know which one to get. Should I go back to having a bias up front like when it was stock or stick to the radial. I know the radial up front and bias rear work fine, but would having bias front and rear be better?? After my past experience with a radial rear I think I'll be sticking to Bias rears for sure. Whatever route I go the rear will eventually be replaced with the matching brand.

Metz front options

Metzeler ME 880 Marathon XXL Front Tire
120/70V-21 BIAS

Metzeler ME 880 Marathon Touring Front Tire. Not sure if these are radial or what, but I think so. The Metz website is worthless right now. Either way there are two versions of this model and I don't know the difference.
120/70-21
120/70-21 68H

So which one?? I'd hate to waste money again on a tire that is going to screw me over like that Roadsmart.

I live in the NW with rain and I hear the Avons are better for rain and have great handling in dry weather. Any words of wisdom on this?? The threads I found with avons bashed the crap out of metz for drying out before they wear out and cupping. Also crappy in the rain. Plus my dad had a bad experience with the 880s on his FXR, but that was in the 90s. I read more pros about metz in other threads, so now I'm torn between the two brands.

If you are Pro Avon please include model numbers for the tires. Front and rear so I can keep them on my Hog list.

Thanks!!

 

hello sir, I run the Met 120-70 21" 68H (tubeless with a tube) on a stock 21" HD rim and an Avon Venom 150-80 B16 77H (tubeless with a tube) on the rear. I'm a crazy bastard but these tire have not let me slip or fall .
Can't get near the chicken strips on the tires unless I take the footpegs and pipes off.
Rob or John at Eagles in Flight, in Concrete,WA has a good knowledge of tire stuff. We will be close to there during our ...5th annual HDForums Rally... in August. or call him at 360-853-7000. yes I sent ya. tell him it was a great party, my sons outta jail now so hope this helps you a little! LOL jackstrr

 

I run a Metzler ME 880 (radial) on the rear and, a ME 880 (bias) on the front.

I'm a "365" rider and, get more than my fair share of "weather" time! (Incuding heavy rain, wet roads)

My Superglide came with bias front and rear but after the 2nd one for the rear, I was "steered" to a radial after complaining about high speed handling problems.

After going to a radial, all those problems went away! And, as a little bonus... I'm getting 3-5 K mi. more service life from the Metz.

Hope this helps.

Best wishes....Tim(HT)

 

I'm going to need the front before our trip in AUG or I'll be like Pat when I get there and belts showing.

See that kills me. I had horrible problems at high speed with the radial in the rear. Had a tank slapper at 80mph next to a big rig. I went back to the bias rear and all my high speed wobble went away. That's what's killing me. It seems 50/50 each way I just don't want to waste another $200 on a tire to change it out again because it may kill me. I'll have to give jacksters friend a call and see what input he has. I never had a problem with milage on the dunlops. My front is at 12k miles. Probably can go a little longer, but they are cupped a little and getting annoying. My first stock rear I replaced with 11k miles and I probably could have gone another 1000 or 2000, but I was headed out on a long ride and didn't want to chance it.

 

I talked to Rob and that did not help me one bit. I was asking performance questions and he said he's just a tire swapper and I should call the company and ask them the benefit between running bias or radials. Thanks for trying though.

 

Ahh!!! more reading done and apparently I should have died Running what I have now. A radial Front and Bias rear, but what almost killed me was a radial front and radial rear. I think I'm just going to go bias all the way around and stay that way.

 

the problem is with modern tyres they like to be a match set (brands) as coming from jap sport bikes history (me) tyres these days are a black art. personally I try too stick with what came on the bike originally,, as the bike was designed with this brand /pattern tyres,,, going larger width/profile also upsets the handling off the bike ..., BACK in the 70/80s your front tyre lasted two times longer than the rear, Now its different you get a rear lasting longer than the front,,,, AS you run a softer compound on the front, hard on the back, too give more front grip

 

I run the Metz radial in the rear and Metz bias in the front. excellent combo at any speed.
going to try a dual compound next radial rear for longer tire wear,
michelin-pilot-road-3.
I purchased it and just getting some more wear out of the Metz.
it is supposed to be great in wet weather and last alot longer.
Less expensive too.
I use a radial tube which is allot more rugged for the spoke protection.

 

Thanks for the info. I ended up ordering a Avon Cobra from AmericanMotorcycletire.com for $137 shipped. Cheaper then the metz and there wasn't really anything negative about them that I could find. All the reviews I read praised them especially in the rain, which I need up here. They are bias and what Avon recommended on their website. They recommended a Radial rear though (Avon Storm 2 Ultra) which is a dual compound and I read a few reviews of metz guys switching to Avons and liking them better for longevity and traction. It still kills me that every forum and article I can find says mixing the bias and radials makes for a bad combo, but it seems that most people & companies are doing it. When I'm due for a rear I'm nervous about doing another radial because of my last experience. But maybe running a Bias front will make the difference with a radial in the back. We will see when that time comes I guess.

 

JB...I have been running the bias Avon venom on front and Avon storm radial on back for a little over a year now and I am very pleased. The wet grip feels miles ahead of the factory dunlops. Dry grip is very good as well. I am pleased with the set up. I will say that I have not been over 90 MPH so I can not attest to any handling issues above that speed.