Looking for rear Avon tire

Thanks for the heads up.........

In my previous post, I had found a Metz Marathon 888 rear tire to replace the Avon. I was concerned the 888 was discontinued.
I went onto the Metzeler site and asked if the 888 had been discontinued.
This is the response I got back.......
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Thank you for reaching out to Pirelli/Metzeler of North America.

The Metzeler Marathon 888 Ultra is not discontinued; it could be on Backorder with your Dealer of Choice.

Thank You.
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Hmm....surprised by this since I didn't see that line on their site.
 
I can tell the difference between the Cruise Tec and the Cobra, but it is darn close. The 888 is not even close, like be really careful if you like to ride “sporty.” Mine is sealed in a black garbage bag now to use as a spare in case I can’t find another Cruise Tec or the elusive Cobra. THAT’S how not even close it is. Now if someone just wants to putter around in a “reasonable” manner it will work just fine and the longevity of the tire would probably be very good. The 888 is the harder compound, cruiser tire. The Cruise Tec should’ve been named the Super Sport or something along those lines. Just my two cents on the subject.
 
Yeah, you guys a probably right about the 888. I do ride faster than most on this thing. Too late I'm afraid, as it's coming in a couple days.
Shy'ed away from the CruiseTec after several posted complaints about the weird wear patterns and being 'garbage'. My local bike
shop guy said they were on the lower end of the Metzler line when looking at the price compared to other makes. He showed me they were
$100 cheaper than comparable makes, IF that's an indicator of quality. Might regret this purchase.
Everybody has an opinion.......
 
My understanding is the 888 is for long distance and less about sportiness. I think Fortnine once said about them, heavy as **** and wear like iron.
I received the 888 yesterday and had installed today. The comment about "heavy as **** and wear like iron" was interesting and curious if this was true.
I weighed the 888 Marathon and it came in at 22.6lbs. When the Avon was removed, it weighed in at 18lbs. So the Marathon does weigh ~5lbs more. When
comparing the Marathon with the Avon, I noticed right away the Avon had way less sidewall stiffness. Maybe the 888 will be a harsher ride.
I have not had a chance to ride yet, so don't know.
This is all moot since neither tire is available any longer. By the way, the date code on the 888 was 1023, so it was sitting in the warehouse for awhile. The Avon
I removed was 1223.
 
Just got back from a hour ride taking my favorite route and I'm smiling. I was able to ride at MY limits with chicken stripe within an inch of the limit with occasional top speed of 120mph. Even with the old Avon on the front, it felt rock solid in the corners and at speed. I'm happy I'll get more mileage with no sacrifice in performance. Small downside is, it is heavier, but the 888 deserves a two thumbs up.......
Oh yeah, forgot to mention that when the tire installer was doing his thing, he pointed out (had never seen it before) the abrasive inner coating
on the wheel bead. Of course, this is to prevent the tire slipping on the wheel under torque. He was impressed.
 
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The rocket is the only one I have ever seen that non smooth rim bead but then again I have not had a bike with that much torque.