FALCONCOP: Input on your MEZ3\'s requested!!

[OB_valklex]

FC: I'm considering several brands of tires to replace the stock ones when the time comes. The stock ones provide enough grip for my riding style, and any Z-rated tire will be okay for my top speed. Since a Z-rating will pretty much provide my needs, I'm concentrating on tread life.
I would really appreciate if you can comment on your experience with the MEZ3s, and your opinions when compared with the stock. Also, people comment that the pilots are 8mm narrower than stock (which I don't like); What about the MEZ3s? Any info on MEZ4s?
Thanks FC, and have a nice weekend!

 

[OB_Dirty Pete]

Valk I've been though a set of MEZ3s, and provided several reviews on them. In brief:

-Best street and track grip of any tire I've had (stock, MEZ3s and Michelin tx200). Too much rear grip for my sliding style so I went to a Michelin tx200 rear but kept the MEZ3 front.

-Steeper walls front and rear maintain larger contact patches in hard cornering.

-Major turn-in rate/effort improvement over stock.

-30% better mileage than stock despite the fact the compound feels much softer to the touch.

-Metzelers are generally regarded as the best rain and wet street tire. I sure noticed the difference and so does SoreHead, who rides the rains of Ireland every day.

-MEZ3 rear is a true 190, so it's 8 mm narrower than stock. The stock rear is designated a 190, but is a true 198. If you can tell the width difference visually, good on you...I can't.

-The MEZ4s are harder compound and last longer that the 3s at a cost to traction.

[This message has been edited by Dirty Pete (edited 19 March 2000).]

 

[OB_valklex]

DP, two more questions if you are kind enough to respond:
1. Do you know if MEZ4s would be comparable in grip to stock, better or worse?
2. Are you running the 200 TX? How is their mileage compared to the MEZ3, or better yet, what's your overall review? And do you think the 200 is a better replacement than the 190, or is it purely customer preference?

[This message has been edited by valklex (edited 19 March 2000).]

 

[OB_FalconCOP161]

Having only about 200-250 miles on them,,I haven't really scrubbed them in yet. But from what I feel they Grip very well,,Lots better than the OEM Slipstones.
My main concern is Grip on any Tire I get,,wet grip is not an issue, I'm an avid Weather channel watcher,,if I even Smell a lil rain I'm in my Cage.

BTW: Pirelli Dragons & MEZ3's are the same exact Tire,,just Cut Differently.

161 ®

 

[OB_valklex]

DP, the reason I'm asking all these questions is that sometimes logic does not apply. Case in point, Dunlop 207s: almost all reviews rated them poor in grip, and they are dead last in tread wear (seems like an oxymoron). As FC, I never ride in rain either, I don't do 190 or corner to the extreme. I tried my cornering limit on cold asphalt, and although I was doing it little by little out of fear of sliding, tires never slipped. I obviously don't want any less, but I prefer longer life than more useless grip. DP, are the macadam 90s replacing your TX200s? I'll wait to see how many miles I get out of the stock, and go from there. MEZ3s sound pretty good, as long as they last more than stocks. One concern: Do wheels get scratched during tire swaps or is it fair to demand an impeccable wheel after the procedure?
Thanks a lot for the input. I really appreciate it.

 

[OB_Dirty Pete]

No touching rims on tire change. On a good change/balance machine like Snap-on you don't. It just presses the beads off.

Valk it doesn't matter if you don't do track or heavy cornering. You should still spend the extra money, in terms of accelerated wear and purchase price, on GRIP. It will save your children's father's life during emergency maneuvers.

 

[OB_DangerMouse]

Had MEZ3s on my R1 - what can I say, the worst "sports" tyre I ever used, no grip or longevity the rear span up everywhere and only lasted 800-1400 miles, Even standard Azaros offered much more grip, they were great in the wet but boiled up and blistered at the slightest provocation especially on the track where just 40ish laps would ruin them.

I run Pilot Sports on the Busa and Pilot Races on the R1 - fantastic.

 

[OB_Dirty Pete]

Dangermouse, I've run 60 fast laps at Mosport on MEZ3s on the same day with only the usual wear. They hook in nice for street tires.

 

[Guest]

I put MEZ 3's on my Busa at mile 1. They seem to grip great both on launch and cornering. I don't power slide corners or run 190 so they're fine for me. Seem to be wearing well on cold roads. We'll see this summer.

 

[OB_crazy bill]

dp , well , just a hard roll on the throttle smokes the tire fairly easily but for a good hard launch without slippage i can easily heat it alittle and let er rip .
if i want to seriously hook it i just drop it 10 or 12 pounds then its on !
but compared to the stock ax , its not slipperyer that ive noticed.

 

[OB_Dirty Pete]

Valk, the MEZ4 is more of a touring tire. It's harder so as to last longer. But as always, there will be a price to pay in the grip department.

I've never run them, so I don't know how much of a traction sacrifice you make...and I have no interest in finding out! LOL

As for the tx200 rear I run, there's not much point in my reviewing it for you because apparently it's not available anymore. When I heard last Fall that it was going out of production I bought three of them. I'm on my last one now.

I'll probably go back to the MEZ3 when this tx200 dies, and push myself a little harder so that I can use the amazing corner traction of that tire.

 

[OB_Dirty Pete]

Crazy Bill Member Malcolm was dumped on his butt by a race tire. If you're spinning just rolling on on clean pavement, if you have to heat up to hook, and if you drop that much pressure to get good grip, then race tires may not be right for you.

What am I saying? I'm being polite because I promised Bigdog I would on his site.

BILL!!! Yer crazy, Crazy Bill, to be running race compounds on the street!

 

[OB_valklex]

Good suggestion DP, and I appreciate your concern. What I've heard, and I'm trying to find out is that recent technological advances permit to have an especially hard compound (yet still grippy enough) on the center strip to maximize tread life (where the majority of miles are ridden), while the sides have softer compound to maximize grip during cornering. This is the combination I want, if possible. I'm definitely not going to put touring tires on my bike, and I rather pay more for tires that last longer and avoid the hassle that involves changing tires, as long as I'm not compromising my safety, of course. The avon azaros are rated very good, but I've never heard about them. If the 200 is a closer fit to the stock tire, I rather put one of those, and I shouldn't have to select from more than two.
Is the ZX12 fitted with a 200? what brand?

 

[OB_crazy bill]

im on my second mez3 , im not sure what compound tire your talking about but i run the race compound on the rear of my bike , i do hard burns , some slides wheelies and 190 mph passes on open roads occasionally .
i liked this tire enought to buy a second one . it didnt last as long as i had hoped (about 1200 miles ) but it proved to be an awsome tire . not to mention i get them for the below cost price of 149.00 :O)

 

[OB_Dirty Pete]

Crazy Bill we are talking about regular compound MEZ3s. Don't you have a slipperiness problem with race tires on the street? All the "experts" say you cannot possibly warm a race compound tire up to operating temp on the street and that until a race gets to operating temp, it's substantially slipperier than a cold street tire.

 

[OB_DangerMouse]

On the road (R1) I run 35/35 on my pilot races and 31/31 on the track, the MEZ3s I found 34/34 worked best on the track but I still hated them, I've Heard Metzeler have been doing a lot to the MEZ3s compound wihout saying anything to the public as they know MEZ3s had a grip problem.

DP maybe your riding style suits the tyres, but I'd expect mine to as well, I tend to carry a lot of corner speed rather than brake/accelerate hard squaring off the turns GP style!

Also maybe the MEZ3s suit the heavier Busa, a tyre man told me the problem with the MEZ3/R1 mix is you cannot get enough heat into the tyre and it slips continously causing lots of wear - consequently the softer MEZ1s last much longer as there is less tyre slip!

This seems to be the case as I get seriously amazing mileage out of the Pilot Races (3000 Miles for a rear.) on the R1. (5.5K for Azaros!)

 

[Guest]

There appear to be two flavors of MEZ3's, race and sport. I can't speak for the race tires. I would expect any race tire to last the duration of a race or two. I have the Sport MEZ3's and their fine so far. They have lot's of grip and wear appears acceptable, so far.

 

[OB_DangerMouse]

Hi Lyle, I haven't tried the "race" MEZ3 - just the sport compound.

 

[OB_Dirty Pete]

Thanks for your observations DM. You're right about different-bike tire assessments. The owner of bike model A has to be wary of the performance that the owner of bike model B gets. It may not translate well from chassis to chassis.

Riding style, suspension geometry & setup, weight, weight distribition & CG, rwhp, even asphalt qualities and weather conditions...all different from bike to bike and place to place.

When you find tires that work for you, stay on 'em. More grip or less grip than you're used to can trip you up big time. Tires change a bike as much as any other single mod. The more you change tire combos on your bike, the harder it is to feel at home on your bike. It's like constantly de-stabilizing your riding instincts.

This last point is the reason I don't like owning and riding more than one bike at the same time.

 

[OB_crazy bill]

dp , well , a big reason for tire smoking roll ons is also that my bike is lowered 3 inches front and back . as far as trying to be polite about an opinion...well i appreciate it but also accept your opinion since my experience is exactly what you've read . didnt know anything about anybody dumping thier bike because of the same tire ive been pretty low on, pretty fast . been 190 on it , drag raced on it etc etc ....
maybe ive simply discovered a way to ride on this tire or somthing .
it might not be the right tire for you or someone else but ive adapted to it nicley.
i might try another tire and like it more...thats yet to be seen though .
if i thought the sport was going to be ok to have keeping me up when i spray 100 extra horsepower into my bike on the dragstrip then i might have bought somthing else but thats the direction im going with my bike .
my new extra wheel is out being made all pretty and i havent decided what skin will go on it yet .
i gave my honest opinion as did you .
but maybe ill take your opinion into consideration when that time comes .
then again...maybe not