Miles By Motorcycle
established 11 years ago
Metzeler sportec M3 new tire opinions and size changeSubscribe to this blog RSS Feed
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    1 of 3
    Tattoomike
    6 years ago
    so I just purchased a 160 60 17 ZR sportec M3 Metzeler tire for a very good price and I was wondering how people view these tires I like to get down in the corners but I don't really push things too far and I've just kind of wondering what people think about the grip wet and dry life longevity and all that

     also I finally decided instead of going with a 150 70 17 I went to a 160 60 17 but Metzeler indicated that if you buy a pair of tires instead of a 110 70 17 D 2000 + Bandit takes a 120 size instead but Metzeler indicates that if you purchase the two together that they are mirrored for each other for most superb handling with both tires being the same type and a specific geometry since I don't really need a front tire I've still got my 110 on the front but thought about going to a 120

     I have a 96 Bandit and it calls for a 110 70 and a 160 70 front rear now I understand that small amount of geometry change can affect handling for better or worse but since the wheel size is pretty much identical between the year models if the 2000 takes a 120 in a 160 then it would be safe to assume that the bike would handle as designed with that tire combo

     as is I have a continental 110 on the front that is done very well and in very good shape however whoever had the bike before me it's went from a 150 70 to a 140 70 and they used a Kenda which I've chewed off side wall and I have no chicken strips and I felt them start to wander a little bit in a corner if I even decelerate with my gears just a hair too hard it wants to drag the rear tire so obviously the grip sucks but I would love to have some opinions on this on the quality of Metzeler all the guys I ride with drive more of a cruiser-style bike and I'm the only sportbike in the group however all the Harley guys say Metzeler is absolutely 100% best tire you can possibly get for the money personally I wanted it Pirelli Angel but couldn't get one for what I have in my PayPal account

     so if anybody has a 120 70 or 60 17 in Metzeler M3 please let me know as long as it's in really good shape but I really would love to hear what people got to say about the Metzeler Tires M3 sportec in particular but Metzeler and general I hear is very good but I got it for $88 shipped brand new and it was two day shipping for free...
     I took a specification off line of what the tire with rim size and overall tire height would be for the 150 70 in the 160 60 and overall the dimensions should be pretty much exactly the same except for 20 mm wider on the rear end but the height should be the same and rim size is within a half an inch of most rims carrying the 160 so I'm kind of basing my opinion of it being okay off of the fact that our off-road vehicles we change tires and sometimes we go up an inch sometimes it go down and then sometimes we go wider or narrower by a little bit because it doesn't really seem to matter like going from a 33 1050 to a 34 1150 but that's our off-road Jeep so I know geometry is extremely awesome Lee important


     so if I went to a 160 on the rear should I go to a 120 on the front since that seems to be the 2,000 plus Bandit requirements I just don't see how much different than 99 versus a 2,000 could be considering they're pretty much identical

     anybody with extremely similar experience I would love to hear from but like I said I could be wrong and at worst the tire doesn't perform as well as I wish at the price that I bought it I'll eBay it as a 50-mile take off and get pretty much my money back out of it I just thought it was odd that a 150 70 was more expensive than a 160 60 I guess because of popularity but if the M3 sport Tech is a really good Tire and it feels right I might go ahead and switch as long as I have the size and clearance and my front forks to do so but I would love to opinions on how to go about deciding tire sizes if I change the rear should I change the front or will the geometry not matter that much and if it does what will the effects be?

     anyway chain sprocket pinion and my new M3 sportec Metzeler rear 160 and about to take the tank off and make sure the clean out the air box but my fuel lines are Steph and bread also I'm afraid if I take them off it won't go back on so I need to get some first and I think I need to shut off because it seems like the original fuel petcock is slowly leaking because if I wait 2 or 3 Days To starting a bike it runs really really rich until I can get it cleared out so it seems like fuel is leaking in at a very low rate so if I don't start it everyday is real Rich until I can get the excess fuel burned out that's another problem I just wonder if a K&N Standard air box replacement filter would be as good as pods or if it would change tune what do I need to look for
    2 of 3
    Ben Mendis
    6 years ago
    I read some reviews and considered the Metzeler tires, because they stopped making the Michelin PilotRoad 3 tires for the '96 Bandit. Michelin's Pilot Road/Road line is widely reviews as having industry-leading wet-weather traction, which fits with my experience with them.

    I don't tend to ride so hard in the corners very often, but I've never had either wheel slip on me while riding in the rain (which I've done plenty of). I've lost traction on loose gravel and deep mud, but never on wet pavement.

    I'd be interested to hear how the Metzeler tires work out for you, though. I might explore other options in the future. 
    3 of 3
    Yermo
    6 years ago
    The M3 is an old tire, isn't it? What's the manufacture date?

    Running mismatched tires is something I try to avoid. I do tend to charge into corners a bit aggressively so I like to have all the traction I can get.

    The M series Metzelers are excellent tires and their cornering characteristics are fantastic but they have what I would call is more of a "race" profile. It has a more aggressive drop in feel as I remember it where as the Michelin Pilot Roads have a more gradual profile that, in street riding, inspires more confidence at least in me. I've met many people who swear by the Metzelers. I may end up having to go back to them as the Pilot Road series is no longer made in my bikes size.