Stock Tires on '07 VFR's?

I was expecting to see some version of Duncrap tires on my new ride, since that's what I read on this forum and from my past experience with Hondas.

Instead, I have Metzeler ME Z4's on my new ride, to my very pleasant suprise. When did Honda start putting decent tires on their new bikes?

Regards,
H.C.D.

 

HCD,

Have a look at this recent thread: http://vfrworld.com/forums/general-vfr-discussions/21159-tire-opinions-plz.html

As I mentioned in the above mentioned thread, I had a bad experience with the Metzeler ME4's, and I got rid of them after 800+ miles.

YMMV.

 

Make no mistake, no matter which brand, the stock tires on the VFR suck large.

With so many options available to remedy the situation, it doesn't make any sense to NOT put decent tires on your bike.

Continental Road Attacks can be had for about $237

Michelin 2CT's are $315

Dunlop Road Smart are $297

Metzeler M3's are $287

There is no better $300 upgrade you can possibly make to your bike.

KC-10 FE out...
lane: :usa2:

 

maybe it's because I'm a noob, and the VFR is so much better than my Suzuki GS500, but I don't have any problems at all with the Bridgestones that came stock on my bike. they have really good grip in all weather I have ridden in so far (maybe they get greasy in the hot summer?) I don't know they just seem pretty good to me so far, what am I missing>

 

Ok, you have my attention! I had been wondering about the ride characteristics of my 2007 (which has the stock Metzlers). I have checked my pressures alot thinking they must be too soft or too hard because the ride just didn't seem that great. I notice the bike is REALLY prone to following seams or cracks (but don't most motorcycle tires do that?), the ride seemed a bit rough (but I cannot compare since I haven't experienced any other tires yet on the VFR), and it seems to become unsettled after crossing a 45 degree seam and generally seems unhappy/slightly unstable over bumpy roads. I assumed my suspension was never really set up properly. But, I did read that other thread that was mentioned above and this quote is from there (RedRover):

"My '07 VFR 800A came with OEM Metzeler ME4's, which I really disliked. This is my first VFR, and the more I rode the bike the more disappointed I became with the way it seemed to handle and perform. It wallowed, it wandered, it rode rough, and it seemed to have a mind of its own. At first I suspected that the VFR's suspension was the problem."

So, pipe up you other stock metzler riders...what do you think? I had thought that the stock Dunlops were widely criticized but that perhaps the Metzlers were decent tires. (I have about 3400 miles on them so far.) Are these tires really sucky or just ok?

 

Mine came with the me4 too, and while they were good all weather tires, they didn't do much for me in the corners. In fact, they were stiff, slippery, and definately followed road seams. I also, all tough I didn't know it at the time, was working very hard to get the bike to lean on a line and stay there.

If you're an easy rider than the me4's might be ok.

I swithched to Metzler m3's after the break in period and am glad I did so. They don't last as long etc., but they're a great tire. I can now drop into a corner with no effort, the shape of the tire begs for it. I can accelerate as hard as I as like coming out of a corner. No slipping during a downshift etc etc. They seem to be adequate in the rain, all though I don't spend much time in bad weather, and when I do, I take it easy.

I think that most of the tires that KC-10 suggested are a giant leap, in terms of handling, over thier touring/sport touring cousins. You can't believe how much they will transform your bikes performance, let alone your confidence when really digging into a corner.

Money very well spent IMO.

 

Mine came stock with Metzlers. Get rid of them! The more you ride and more you get confident, the more you will dislike them. They are slippery corners and seem to get stiffer as they wear. When you examine them, it may look like you have plenty of mileage left but your handling will get worse. I ended up low siding on what was an average low speed left hand turn. on my way to work not sporting around. The rear just went out.

I went straight to the dealer and put power pilot 2CTs on it and BANG! different bike. My confidence grew and I think as long as you have premium rubber on your bike, you will be a happy man.

There are plenty of ST tires and Sport tires available for your bike ranging for $230s - just over 300. So take advantage you'll be happy.

Bstone BT021
Bstone BT016s
Conti Road Attack
COnti Sport Attack
Mich PowerPilot 2cts
Mich PowerRoad 2cts
Pirelli Coso IIIs

There are more offerings but this is a good list. :thumbsup:

 

what another stock tire thread LOL KC is dead on if your running OEM me4 get ride of them!!before they cost you a lot more. it will be the best 300bucks you can spend. yes those tires are squirrelly on eneven pavement when other tires are not. they are dangerous if you take corners even remotely aggressive. emergency stops very easy to lock up tires much more so than other tires i was so disappointed in those tires i will never buy Metzler tires again.rubber compound is hard as hell the only way i could ride with those tires is to reduce air pressure so they ran a little warmer. on the bright side i think i improved my riding on those tires i learned to be a little smoother and not to panic when tires slipped happened so often i was getting used to it.

 

My 07 came with the Metzlers but they are the Roadtec z6. Are these worth upgrading? I havent heard anything about those yet.

 

Are the Bridgestones crap? one guy just put them on his list of desirable tires...it's all very confusing

 

I've had Bridgestone BT020's on my VFR since new.

They're a good all round tyre and offer a good balance of wet and dry road handling. The rear does have a tendency to slip a little in the wet, but then that's probably me being too heavy with the right hand.

On my Hornet I have had BT020's, BT021's (bridgestone's dual compound successor to the BT020) and a set of Pirelli Diablo Corsa III's (triple compound tyre).
To be honest I could notice little difference between the BT020's and the BT021's, both offering acceptable performance in the wet and dry (I do recall the 21's wore a little more evenly). The Pirelli's on the other hand are an entirely different story. They offered exceptional levels of grip in the warm and dry summer, but as soon as the weather turned nasty they were the scariest things since Jaws. :tongue:

All this said, I would be really interested to know if anyone can give a comparison between the Bridgestones and the Michelin 2CT's as they sound quite tempting.

 

those z6 are not OEM tires should be good. i shouldn't be so hard on Metzler they do make good tires. manufactures sometimes put crap tires on to save money.i guess tire manufactures have to make at least one shittie cheap tire to sell as OEM. If you notice most liter super sport bikes have good OEM tires I guess they need to give those buyers a Chance to get off the dealers lot before they run the risk of crashing with all that extra powerLOL
Bridgestone and Dunlop make some great tires aswell BTO20 are a popular tire for sure
for vfrs seems pr2, corsa and conti RA seem to be the more popular choices

 

I changed to the Bridgestone BT016s from the Michelin PP2CTs ... It has been cold and I have close to 1000 miles. I ran over 5K on the PP2CTs. They were very good tires. I am trying the BT016s because they are a newer GP inspired tire triple compound rear dual up front. I hope as the weather warms and the sand is washed off the road, I will be able to get a full appreciation for the tires.

So far on COLD roads covered in salt and sand they handle pretty darn well.

 

Yeah I guess I was a bit mistaken- my bike came with the BT020's. I've only had it since the beginning of December, and have ridden a lot in the rain and they seem to provide plenty of grip which makes me wonder if they will suck when the tarmac gets hot. I figure they are a pretty decent all-rounder and hopefully I will get a lot of miles out of them. How long does a tire typically last anyway? I know Honda's OEM tires on the cars typically last 30k and really have no idea how much a motorcycle tire will wear, especially since the bulk of their use is 60mph highway cruising on my daily commute...

 

Thanks to everyone for the heads-up about the ME4's! As soon as I can spend the money on new rubber without the Better Half loosing her mind, I'm getting another set. Gotta have good rubber! I am disappointed that Metzeler actually produces a crappy tire. I ran the ME880's on my cruiser and loved them. Sad.

Regards,
H.C.D.

 

Thanks for all of the info, folks! I am now motivated to get some new tires and replace the Meztlers. Several things happen with OEM tire specing. I think it is true that many sport bikes do get great tires as OEM (the Triumph 2009 675 is a perfect example). Some bikes like the VFR get "ok" tires that do same the manufacturer money. The public (at least with cars) is sometimes way off on their perception...I tried to reeducate many people when they complained how "terrible" their OEM volvo and BMW tires were...what they were seeing was that they wore out in 22,000 miles which wasn't a sign of their poor quality...it was the opposite. They were very sticky, good tires. The general public doesn't connect sticky traction with quality. :crazy: They only saw wear life as proof of quality. Tires aren't sexy...unless you ride a bike!g

 

You are probably looking at 5-7K depending on riding conditions. If most of your riding is HWY then you should be looking at a harder compound tire or a dual compoud tire with a harder compound in the middle like the BT021 or the Mich Power Road 2Cts. If you are looking more for commuting and gental rides through the forest on nice spring and summer days you will be fine with the BT020s but when you want to lean a bit more look to the more premium fare.

Conti RA and SA, Michelin PP, PP 2CTs & PR 2cts , Bridgestone BT016 and Dunlop Road Smarts and Qualifier. Some people like Metzler M3 and Avon Storm too.

Only my 2Cents

 

I've got the Avon Storm's, seem to work pretty decent, they don't like cold temps. much though. I 've got no chicken strips left so I've been putting them through their paces, no complaints, decent wear too.

 

I just wanted to encourage anyone that might be interested to do some research on the Metzler M3. In my opinion this tire is perfectly suited for our VFR's. Metzler uses a more rigid material up the center for longevity and softer compounds down the shoulder for handling. While many manufacturers do this, none do it the same way, and Metzlers' recipe just seems to be designed with a viffers' needs and desires.

If some of you are into agressive street sport, the occasional track day, some touring that requires good wet weather handling, but would still like a semblance of longevity, and want to do it all on one tire, this may be it.

In fact I've been reading some conjecture regarding the Michelin PP2 Ct, and it's sounding like they came up with this design inorder to keep pace with Metzler in this paticular catergory of tire.

I know the M3's havn't been around very long, but I am absolutly in love with mine and think that if you did some research on them and tried them out, you would love them too.

 

I'm running the Z6 Roadtecs on my bike and IMHO, they are a very good tire.
They dive into corners quite readily due to their profile and have suprised me with how well they can hold the line, even when scrubbing those little elephants off the edge!
The only caution I'd give is that it seems to take a bit to get them warmed up. Make sure they are well warmed before rolling big throttle off the corners, or you'll be doin' some mighty fancy riding!!!