Metzler Z8 feedback

Joined
Apr 5, 2007
Messages
355
Location
Moorestown, NJ
Bike
2004 ST1300 ABS
After about 5,000 miles I ran over something sharp near the sidewall and my rear Z8 is history. It was starting to square off a bit and probably would only have lasted another 1,000 or 2,000 miles. I started a trip around Lake Huron with about 3,000 miles on the rear tire and the tire was in great shape. 2,000 miles of highway riding later it had squared off. I started the trip at 42 psi, but did not check air pressure during the 5 day trip. I need to check air pressure more frequently on trips.

*** The Z8 rear tire lives. I checked the tire for leaks before putting in slime and determined that the "sliced" tread was not the cause of the leak. Spraying the tire with windex showed no leaks, except for the valve. I tightened the valve stem and the tire is holding air.

Took a short ride yesterday and I am heading out for a few hundred miles today. Will be checking the air pressure every time I take the bike out and hope to get a few thousand more miles from the rear. The PR3's are in the garage waiting to be mounted.
 
Last edited:
Joined
Jun 20, 2012
Messages
9
Location
Kansas
Bike
06 ST1300
I bought an ST130 two months ago that has a Z8 on the rear. I have put abouth 2200 miles on it since purchasing it. The tire was in pretty good condition when I got it; probably only 20% of the tread used up. Now it is very worn in the middle. Now I live in Kansas and spend a lot of the time going to and from Wichita, which is 60 miles away, so there is a lot of riding on the Interstate, but I expected a little better life out of it than I got.

My last bike was a 1250 Bandit that I ran the Shinko 009 Raven for the last three sets of tires and I averaged 8,000-9,000 miles out of the rear tires. To say the least, I am dissappointed in the life of the Z8.

Now the front tire is a Z6, which looks like the previous owner ran with too low of tire pressure, that has that strange wear pattern just off center that indicated too low of pressure. There is still plenty of tread left.

For my next set of tires, I am really considering a set of PR3's.
 
Joined
May 28, 2013
Messages
28
Location
Brisbane, Australia
Bike
ST 1300 Honda
I have put the Z8 on the rear of my ST and now have this weird vibration?. comes and goes in top gear at around 80kph?. not sure whether this is a safety issue, but I don't like the vibrations coming from it?. I've only done a couple of hundred clicks so far...

Should I be concerned??
 
Joined
Jun 18, 2008
Messages
31
Location
Huntington Beach,Ca.
Bike
06' st 1300
STOC #
8001
Just got back from Laguna Seca, cleaning my bike after my trip, I was looking at my tires Z-8's, the rear is toast after almost 5,000 miles I had better luck with 880.
The vibration is something I heard from other riders and have felt myself with the Z-8's tires on my bike, I will not be getting Z-8 again, very disappointed !
 
Joined
Feb 17, 2007
Messages
3,106
Location
Millgrove, ON, Canada
Bike
2016 Versys 1000
STOC #
6627
Well I finished up my first and last Z8 last night. I don't have a picture of it but it really squared off in the middle very early and did not feel good on the pavement for the last 2000 kms or so. The sides were near the wear bars in some places and I could really feel the changes in pavement on the road which felt like riding on tar snakes at times. I had the Z8 inflated to the Honda recommended 36 lbs and I only got 8000 kms out of it. Every other tire I had has lasted at least 12,000 kms - 15,000 kms. I went back to my favourite tire so far (Michelin PR2) and the bike feels brand new again. Others may feel differently but I would never use this model again, however I did have good results with a Z6 rear tire one time.
Just my opinion, but 36 psi is ridiculously low for this weight of bike. Z6's and Z8's aren't quite as hard a compound as say PR2's, therefore grip better, but they'll last a lot longer with pressures up 42/44 vs 36. I did that with PR2's also, except a bit lower when the temperatures get down into the 40's and ride a little less aggressive.
 
Joined
Aug 20, 2006
Messages
86
Location
Superior Wisconsin
Some dual compound tires get that way towards the end of their live (square). You can feel a little transition coming off of center when you lean. No big deal to me; I love these tires and will be on my 3rd or 4th set in a couple of weeks.
 
Joined
Jul 14, 2013
Messages
1
Location
Montreal, QC
Bike
2008 ST 1300
I got a set of MZ8's (front-rear) installed this spring and have experienced the rithmic vibrations from the back tire at top gear at 80 KM/hr. I have approx 3000Km on the now. They also have a tendency to vibrate at other speeds and gear selections with a constant vibration that will put my hands asleep after a while (4th gear, 80-100 km/hr). I have had the front wheel re-balanced without any real change. The problem was somewhat less evident at 38 psi front, 40 psi back. I'm running them now at the Honda recommended 42 psi front-back.

The road handling is good and they have good grip on both wet and dry pavement but the vibrations are really not acceptable for a tire supposedly of this high quality/performance. In comparison, I would switch back to the OEM Bridgestone's in a hearbeat!

I have now seen the problem with vibrations mentioned about the MZ8 on many other ST forums and also on the Yamaha FJ forum. Definitely do not recommend these tires. Wish I had done a little more research before buying them but I had been very satisfied with the MZ4's on my ST1100 that I did not even consider that Metzeler could have a problem design. The back tire is already stating to square off after 3000Km so I don't expect to keep them for more that this season. Next year, back to a set of BT 023's
 

VFR

"Uncle Larry"
Joined
Jun 23, 2006
Messages
1,072
Location
Idaho for good, no mo Cal
I have been a Metzler guy for some time but the Z-series hasn't done it for me. They do grip well but the life is a little short & you don't want to start a lengthy trip with a used tire.

Currently on Dunlops ( Q2 & RS II) but may try the Metzler M-series. I have had great luck with those. At least they have visible wear bars--unlike the Zs where the wear bar is the cords showing.
 
Top Bottom