Darkside Review ride

I have gotten up on the sidewall a couple of times before I uped the tyre pressure
 

Has there been any reports on the Cooper Zeon zpt? I saw this tire in person Monday and it definitely has a round edge on it more than the Raptor....... just wondering.

Cooper Tires - Cooper Zeon ZPT - performance tires
 
mully95 said:
Has there been any reports on the Cooper Zeon zpt? I saw this tire in person Monday and it definitely has a round edge on it more than the Raptor....... just wondering.

Cooper Tires - Cooper Zeon ZPT - performance tires
Click to expand...

I can't seem to find it in a 225/55R16 which makes it a no-go for me. Also the relatively hard tread (380AA) compared to the other tires mentioned would raise some red flags as well.

Nice pattern and looks good. Bottom line is that it's not offered in the right size.
 
When I switched to the Avon Cobra for the front tire the first thing I noticed was that it made cornering much easier and had a quicker response. Now that I have several thousand miles on it (about the time the last two metz died), it shows little sign of wear and has not cupped at all like the Metzlers did. I'm hoping it matches a darkside well when the rear goes again and I take the plunge to a CT.
 
Why I love my Avons

Front after 10,000km. Not a lot compared to some but very even wear and never a scare. Will replace it with another the same.

Rear after 4,000km. I only got 4,800km out of the last Metz. Will consider a Bridgestone 240/55x16 replacement when the time comes although the way this thing is going (and handling) not sure I'll want to change.
 

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So your getting equally good wear and handling out of the Avon on the rear as well as the front? I realize the rear is going to wear faster and all, but considering how thin the Metz comes out of the box, does your Avon rear tire seem like thicker rubber or just longer wearing?

The Metzler is deceiving when it's new, since there isn't any "tread" in the center even new it doesn't really look as thin as it really is. I got on mine hard the other day, just hard enough for the tire to slip a little and when I got home you could see the rubber rolled up pulling away from the carcase. The center wears out so **** fast it doesn't even get the chance to flatten out before it's down to the cord. Now that's a THIN-ass tire!

**** I hate Metzlers.
 
The lack of tread down the centre is my only criticism - makes it quite easy to break traction in the wet. I guess I may have been a little more carefull with my right hand since putting the Avon on the back but still can't believe how well it's holding up and holding on. Shows very little wear at this stage. On a dry track it's unbelievable. Previous Metz was always spinning and cost me around 10cents per km!!

I ride pretty hard in corners and the only time I've lost grip at all is when I've had just a bit too much gas and/or hit a bump at the wrong moment. With the Avon it seems far more inclined to lift the front than spin (except in the wet). By the way, I haven't fiddled with the GI-Pro setting as you've suggested but if I had a pillion on a wet track I'd consider doing that with the Avon on the back. Perhaps that's were DS might excell although a little care does the job too.

Interestingly, I hardly ever scrape the pegs even at full tilt (as it were), which I guess is the way the bike was designed to handle........with an MT.
 
One other thing, which I've said before, is that the Avon seems to sit flatter (and therefore looks wider) than the Metz so has more rubber on the road. Probably not much different but enough to be noticably more sure footed than the Metz from the first moment I rode on it. I've heard others say the opposite but have to wonder how they ride!
 


Its available in 225/50/16.
 
mully95 said:
Its available in 225/50/16.
Click to expand...

Yeah, saw that. The 225/50 is smaller in diameter than the stock Metz which means that you end up turning higher revs at any given speed. Less gas mileage. More wear on the engine. Most Captains that have gone with that size have wished that they would have gone with the 225/55 which is only 1% larger than stock. Slightly lower revs and slight increase in mpg.
 
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