Down, Boys, I'm talkin' tires here. Now this can become a bitchy can of worms, discussing tires and handling. I don't want to start that. But, I've had my bike a long time and always look forward to a new set of tires. This w/e I took off that old ME 880 with it's unseemly cords showing through and put on a new Bridgestone G702. I've been rippin' around like a kid with a new set of Keds. The bike takes corners better, and absolutely refuses to spin out on a fast start. Is it the tire model? Is the Bridgestone grippier than the Metzler? (This is the can of worms part). Well, I don't think so. I think as many times as I've changed out my tires, a handful of stock Dunlops, a pile of Metzlers, and now this Bridgestone, it's nearly impossible to tell if the new model handles better than the old. All new tires would handle better than old worn ones. You see, the old one was slick, flat, and weak. The new one is fresh, round, and firm. And that's how I like 'em.

 

Any new tyre will be better than that one you had on...in NZ you have to change them as soon as they hit the wear indicator bars.....anyone who leaves them longer than that has no respect for their own life or the others they might hurt in a totally avoidable accident. Your tyre has been lethal for well over a thousand miles!

Sorry if that sounds harsh but its the reality of what you are doing....it ain't clever bud :-(

 

Man that tire was DONE miles ago..........would NEVER ride on it.

 

Missing the point, boys. But thanks for sharing.

 

We just don't wanna see you get killed from being cheapass with your tyres....

 

I was admiring my hire car a few years ago in Colorado, and wondered what was catching the sun. Proved to be the steel cord on both rear tyres! They had apparently been swapped front to back and were lethal. Seems our US cousins have a different view of such matters to us other colonials!

THIS is a new rear tyre!

 

Heard a lot of good about Bridgestone Tires and Had them on several trucks of mine but havn't tried them yet on 2 wheels ..

 

I visited their stand at our annual bike show just Monday, but didn't find any that inspired me. I used them for many years on my BMW and was very pleased with them, but they were lower profile than the sizes our Harleys use. The tyres they recommend for Harleys don't have suitable load ratings IMHO, especially for the touring bikes, so I won't be using them.

 

Yeah, I remember how much I liked them on my Hondas back in the day. I change out my rear tire every 6 months or so, so it won't take long to form an opinion. It's mounted on the Springer softail not my Ultra. Should be adequate.
Right now, it feels great. A round new tire make turning in to the corners effortless. I love the extra grip.

 

Your new tires are probably a softer compound than the Metzlers. plus being rounder will of course handle corners much smother. When I bought my used '93 FXLR, the rear tire was squared off from highway miles, so I got a new Avon and the ride was way improved over the old Metzler. Most of the roads here are curvey canyons, so the tires will wear more evenly.
I used to keep old tires on until they had cord showing or cracked too. When you're a broke kid, it's almost a badge of honor among other poor kids to be reckless and tempt fate. Now I know better.