Someone on the Hawklist said: "everything great you've read about the new Metzelers is true!" So, on that and the recommendation of moto-journalist, Mitch Boehm, I tried a set. I was told that the soft sidewall would increase confidence and cornering stability. So, on a whim, I gave them a try. Boy, what a pleasant surprise!
It's relatively well known that everyone will prefer different things in tires; but I've found that the Metzelers fit my riding style extremely well. I ran a set of Pilot Sports, and while they were a great tire, I had a hard time getting them to warm up, particularly on colder days. This isn't much of a problem on most bikes as the tire will eventually warm up, but on the ultra-light Hawk GT, the tires never seemed to get warm enough to stick to anything and I'd find myself sliding the rear end through corners even after 20-minutes of solid riding. Not a reassuring feeling. So, I gave the Sportec M1's a try and found the opposite to be true. By the time I was out of my neighborhood or through the first two corners on the track, the tires were warm, and the longer I rode them the more they stuck. Where the Pilot Sports never made me feel confident, these things felt like they'd stick to the ceiling!
But a tire is about a lot more than stick. How it handles and wears is equally important. The Metzelers do, in fact, seem to have a softer, more pliable sidewall. The tire feels like it contours to the road better, letting the rider feel undulations and imperfections in the surface while absorbing the sharp impact of them at the same time. It also seems to help the suspension do its job making the bike feel much more planted. Very nice compared to tires with very stiff sidewalls that can transfer every bump directly into the suspension. The M1's handle wonderfully and I found myself with more confidence almost immediately, increasing my smoothness as well and my willingness to carry more speed into the corners; making the bike a lot more fun to ride.
Metzeler Roadtec Z6
I've worn out so many MEZ4's that I lost count (they always seemed to last about 6500 miles or so). So, when Metzeler announced the Roadtec Z6, the replacement of the Z4, and claimed the same mileage (target of 8000 miles) better traction, better wet traction and better handling, I skipped right past the Michelin Pilot Roads and ordered two sets of the Z6's for the S3 and Monster. Mike, after hearing me rave about the feel of the new Z6's, ordered a set for his Daytona and has been very happy after running Pilot Sports and D208's. Mileage is very subjective because of the huge number of variables. It's based on road surface, motorcycle toque numbers and riding style, but if I get anywhere near 6000 miles from a sport-touring tire that I like better than that the competitions full-on sport tire, I'll be completely content!
Already, I've pushed the Z6's harder than I've pushed any tire in a long time and have been delighted. The tire has gripped the road heroically and improved both the S3 and the M9's handling markedly. Just like the M1's on the little Hawk, the Z6';s improved my confidence and suspension compliance. Apparently Metzeler/Pirelli uses the most advanced tire technology, using lasers and balancing equipment to ensure that every tire that comes out of the shop meets their very strict standards. I have yet to have a M1 or a Z6 require even a .5 gram of weight to reach balance. They have all spun out perfect with no weight required [disclaimer]
I also find it fascinating that Michelin dropped their 45-degree belt technology on their new Pilot Power to adopt the 0-degree belt that Metzeler/Pirelli has been using for years. Additionally, Metzeler used computer aided modeling to develop the tread pattern based on the very specific roles of both the front and rear tire to form an optimum pattern to help ensure each tire does its specific task more efficiently where Michelin used an artistic interpretation of Samurai Sword cuts to develop their new tread pattern. However, Metzeler warns that you should NEVER run a Z6 rear without a Z6 front because they were designed to work together for water dissipation.
With tire technology developing so fast, today's Sport-Touring tires are gripping better than super-sport tires of even five years ago. Add that to longer life (it gets old real fast changing tires more frequently than engine oil) and you have a great tire. While I haven't tried the Pilot Roads, I did try the Macadam 100's (the Pilot Roads predecessor) and based on the fact that I like the Z4's so much better than the Michelins and the M1's so much better than the Pilot Sports, I tried the Z6 and have been completely thrilled! Add the fact that I've never seen a Metzeler front tire run with proper air pressure cup and I think that Metzeler has hit another home run with what could be, in my opinion; the best tire money can buy!
However, after wearing out a few sets of these, we've discovered that the tread pattern on the rear Roadtec is deceptive. Because there is no pattern across the center of the tire, it makes it extremely difficult to know exactly when the tire is worn down. Because we tend to, sadly, wear out our tires in the center first, we've had two rear Roadtec's going from looking just great to throwing sparks from the metal belts within an alarmingly short amount of time! It should be said, that if you choose to run these tires, when the rear looks to have another 500 to 1000 miles of life left, it should be replaced. So problematic is this trait, that a few of us have opted to other tires where we can easily see how worn the tire actually is.