Metzler 880 - wow!

[Mellow]

Finally, a rear tire for the ST1300 that you can put some miles on and still have performance. I'm no speed demon in the twisties but I will sometimes push beyond a moderate pace and the rear 880 did a great job sticking to the road.

After 5,200 miles the tire looks like it might have 50% life left which is very acceptable to me given all the other tires I've had showed considerable wear at the 5, 6 and 7k marks and had to be replaced shortly thereafter.

I saw dond's 880 and I believe he said it had 8k on it, still looked good.

Here's a link to his recent Metzler experiences:
https://www.st-owners.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=1790

 

[Mellow]

My Rear Metzler 880 is doing good. I have around 6k on it. The wear bars are getting close but, unlike the other tires I've had, the wear bars aren't approaching fast with each ride. The Avons I had would appear to have 1k left but after a 200 mile ride looked as though they had 2 miles left.

I always check the entire tire and guage it's tread-life performance on the first wear bar that shows.

I feel I've got 1 to 2k left on this tire. I had expected longer life but I also traversed a wide range of temps and road conditions and they may or may not have been a factor. At 7k miles I feel it's still a better tire than anything else I've tried and I already have another one in the garage to go on next.

 

[mageerc]

Now that's just what I wanted to hear as I've been considering an 880 myself! I would expect similar mileage as you since we are both from the deep south and ride similar road surfaces. The best I've gotten so far is 6500 miles out of a Bridgestone and it was way into the wear bars...

 

[Littlejohn64]

I ran 880's on my Suzuki Intruder. I really loved them. I did notice however that (like you it seems) they seemed to wear faster in their second half of life than initially. Not a bad thing, but something to be aware of.

 

[alan]

During the summer I had to replace my rear Dunlop D220 while 2,500 miles from home because the steel belts were showing. This was the second D220 I have worn out. You keep writing about wear bars in the tires, but I have never noticed anything different about these tires except the tread is getting real shallow. So, what am I missing, what is a wear bar?

By the way, I have already decided to go with the 880's for next summer.

 

[dond]

My 1ST 880 carried me a wopping 17k miles. 8k of which was a moSTly slab trip here 'n' there through a dozen STates.
That one you saw Mellow, was getting a little thin before our DV trip so I changed it as a precautionary measure @ 10K. That puts my (4)880 avg. at over 13K ea.
The front Z6 is remarkable itself and at 7.5K is looking very good.
I do change tires much earlier than moST..The pic that JD poSTed of his OEM was "scary" looking to me

 

[Mellow]

I've never seen a tire that doesn't have a wear bar... if you look at your tires. In side the grooves, every now and then there is a raised area... where the groove isn't as deep and it only looks like a little bump...

The theory is, once you wear your tires to that bump, the groove goes away and blends into the rest of the tire which makes it look like a bar across your tire.

That is the manufacturer's suggested time to replace tires.

I'll try to find a pic on the net somewhere is that description is vauge.

Also, when checking... check the whole tire, there are several places where the bar might show up and a tire does not wear evenly all the way around.

Before and after each ride I check my tires... If a bar is getting close I order a new tire as I might only have 1000 miles left in that tire, but the rubber seems to be softer and wears faster the more your use the tire, maybe it's heat?

Hope that helps

 

[dond]

Carefully examine a Z6 (f or r)
I cannot see wear bars (twi's) anywhere around the tire. I've heard they're supposed to be lined up with the elephants but I can't find them.

 

[Mellow]

Carefully examine a Z6 (f or r)
I cannot see wear bars (twi's) anywhere around the tire. I've heard they're supposed to be lined up with the elephants but I can't find them.

Hmmm.. I'll check when I get home.. I'll shoot some pics too if I find them...

Then again, if you're seeing elephants, maybe you've got a different issue...

 

[dond]

--------- :beer3:----------

 

[Purm1300]

Joe,

Tire wear is one of those never ending, never defining topics (like engine oil).
I believe that a number of factors determine how well your tires wear.
Rider habits, tire pressure, road conditions and temperatures are all factors on how much tire life you get.
I hear that roads out west (Montana, etc.) use a more pebbled surface asphalt that road in the east, therefore, westerners should get less tire life.
In southen Ontario,(Canada) asphalt roads are a fairly smooth surface.
Combined with cool summer temperatures, tire pressure of 42 psi (front & rear) and Ride-On tire sealant(it's supposed to increase tire life by keeping the tire temp. down),
I have 17,000 km (9,200 mi.) on my OEM Bridgestones. The rear has maybe 4-5,000 more Km on them, the front has more.
Next spring, I will be touring out to the west coast and back (3-4 weeks).
I'll be putting new tires on and expect to get much less tire life because of the different road and weather conditions I will be encountering.
Those with poor tire mileage, try Ride-On tire sealant (no affiliation what so ever).
It may lower your tire temps (ride-On claim) and increase your tire mileage.
I believe it was a contributing factor in my good tire mileage.

Andy

 

[STArnie13]

I might try the 880 on the ST1300. I have a set on the LT and they seem to do fine. Some people claim they slip and slide too much and won't use them.
Some with 880's on their LT' claim over 20,000 front and rear. I hope that mine work out that well as I don't ride too fast as a rule.

 

[dond]

Slip and slide can be fun. These tubby tourers will 'back' into corners with practice....er so I've heard.
(whistling and walking away)

------- 8) --------

 

[ST_Jim]

Speaking of backing into corners...

One of my riding buddies, let's call him "Mario" to protect the innocent, "backed" his '86 FJ1200 into a 90 degree right angle turn out on Stockton Road in Moorpark CA. - since affectionately referred to as the "Corner-Of-Death!"

Seems Mario's oil cooler line took an inopportune moment to dump all his oil onto his rear tire. Bike swapped ends almost instantaneously, stopped at the guardrail, and he went flying off backwards landing on his back. :22yikes:

When our other buddie parked and ran back to check on him, Mario looks up and says "Did I look COOL?"

Fortunately both Mario and the bike sustained only minor injuries.

 

[Mellow]

Carefully examine a Z6 (f or r)
I cannot see wear bars (twi's) anywhere around the tire. I've heard they're supposed to be lined up with the elephants but I can't find them.

I took a couple pics of the Rear 880, Rear Z6 and Front Z6 in the garage. I highlighted the wear bars, they aren't easy to find on the Z6s.

 

[dond]

Thanks Mellow, the 880 is easy to see but the 6 is very subtle. I juST went out and looked again and his time used a knife blade to feel the twi bump..Yup, there it is!
BTW, had a nice 200 miler today at 80F!
Socali has it's problems but riding weather tain't one of them 8)

 

[Bill Ishmael]

Metzler 880's

I ran these on my last bike and really liked them. To the best of my memory, on the right side in small lettering will be either "wi" or "wbi" on the side wall and an arrow pointing to the tread area where the bar is located.

Mellow, what do you run on the front?
Bill