[ST] More Tire Questions for Z-4's

[Rich Hartwick <hartwick@xxxxxxx>]

> Tad, Dave and others,

I have to agree on the Z-4 vs 205 comparison.  For my old Troophy, I ran 2 sets of
Z-4's through, and felt they were great tires, but their rounded profile made the
slow turning Trophy even slower.  Changing to 205's on that bike re-vitalized the
handling.

The reverse is true for the Sprint, I think.  Going from the stock Bridgestones to
205's made the handling, I think, a little too touchy.  The 205's have been excellent
for traction and backroad handling for the Sprint - I last them over about 350 miles
of the Blue Ridge, and about 1,000 miles of New Hampshire back roads, and was happy
with their traction and cornering stability.

The biggest complaint I have on the 205's is their straight-line (in)stability.  When
doing Interstate riding on them, I find them unsettling when passing trucks and such
at 80+ mph.  They just give me a vague sense of not being very stable.  I find myself
tensing up at the bars, and treating each truck pass like a major expedition.  I
couldn't recall ever feeling that way on the stock Bridgestones.  Overall, my
conclusions are that the 205's - while excellent tires - just don't suit the Sprint
as well for straight line stability.

My question is, how do the Z-4's handle under such Interstate type riding with
turbulence?  I was going to switch back to the Bridgestones (now the 020's), or try
the Pirelli Dragons or Z-4's.  I definitely want a rounder profile, slower tire, or
at least I think so, as that is what I am attributing the Interstate problem to.

What is the feedback?  Are the Z-4's rock stable under those conditions, and how
about the Pirelli's, which I know are another favorite on this list?

Rick Hartwick
00 Sprint ST





> Yes, MEZ4s front and rear.
>
> ... Agree 100%.  My main reasons for liking the Metzlers are:
>
> 1. Progressive and linear profile.  Some tires (like the older D205s and
> the BT57s) tend to fall in really quickly.  I like the more progressive
> feel of the Metzlers.
> - ------------------------------------------------------------
> Tad Gralewski   tad@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> 01 Triumph Sprint ST - Allison
> Date: Wed, 2 Jan 2002 15:06:36 -0500
> From: Gaske David G DLVA <GaskeDG@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: RE: [ST] Tire question
>
> >(Is anyone running Metzlers?)
>
> Yeap, MEZ3 on the front and the Z4 for the rear.  Purely a trade
> David "Lost Dawg" Gaske
> '00 Sprint RS (yellow)
> Fredericksburg, Va.  USA
>
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