Metzeler vs. Avon

I would like to reopen a topic that I am sure has been talked to death, but wanted the forum's opinion on some specifics. I have an '07 Classic and the original tires are due for replacement, the bike has about 9500 miles. I have been doing some shopping around and have come up with two most likely possibilities (it is a pain in the butt to not live anywhere near a Triumph dealer, by the way).

First scenario is to replace the originals with new Metzelers. These would be bought from the shop that installs them (a Honda, Yamaha, Ducati, Kawasaki, Suzuki, Aprilia dealer) and would cost about $575 total. The second scenario is to order a set of Avon Cobras off the internet and take them to a Yamaha dealer and have them installed, total cost about $635.

The dealer installing the Metzelers poo-poos the Avon, but there is a giant sign in his store that says "Metzeler Preferred Dealer" so I'm not completely confident in his objectivity One Triumph dealer in PA says the Avons are better than Metzelers but says the Metzelers are usually a little cheaper (although www.TiresUnlimited.com has Avons for less than I have been able to find Metzelers anywhere).

From reading on this forum, it seems like generally speaking, most people would prefer the Avon to the Metzeler. Getting the Avons installed would be a little more expensive but the dealer is more convenient. On the other hand I like the idea of buying the tires from the people that are installing them. Decisions, decisions. But I have a couple of months to get it done.

Please weigh in. Thanks again for the help and advice.

I've found the Metz to be a really good tire for the R3T. Comfortable and dependable. I've read about uneven wear/cupping, but my major gripe is the limited # of miles one gets out of the set (7,500-10,000). Other riders get far less (5,000) but not many get more than 12,000.

By contrast, the Avon routinely gets more miles on the same bike (and the Dunlop Elite 3s will give a rider 15,000 minimum, with 20,000 miles on a set of E3s not uncommon).

I think other threads have addressed this matter (beaten it to death is the term) if you do a quick search.

Let us know!

Well, you must be doing something wrong to get so much mileage from your Metzeler, HD2Rocket3! After all it is generally considered by some here and over on the .com site to be "a piece of garbage" and a "known safety hazard", even though it was specifically designed and purpose-built for Triumph and their Rocket III.
[Most of the the above is said tongue-in-cheek]

I recently returned to the Metzeler after a not completely unsatisfactory experiment with a car tire on the rear of my 07' Standard. I chose to go with the OEM tire for two reasons; firstly, it is the OEM tire and secondly, and more importantly; others had indicated that while the Avon was good for some additional mileage vs the Metz, it was not as good in the rain and on wet surfaces as the Metzeler has proven to be. Of course, no MT will outperform any CT on the straight and level in the rain. Me... hell, I avoid riding in the rain at all costs.

Although I am a pretty aggressive rider, burnouts and wheelies are not in my repertoire. I do what I can to extend the lifespan of my tires by frequently checking for and insuring their proper inflation. I fully expect to get 8-10K miles on my new rear tire, which is about par for the course for a big bruiser cruiser such as ours.

The differences between the Marathon and the Cobra are incremental, I'd suspect, when you get right down to it. Not much diff in cost factor and somewhat a tradeoff between their performance and handling characteristics from what I've heard and seen. Hope that's helpful...

dandiego said:

I've found the Metz to be a really good tire for the R3T. Comfortable and dependable. I've read about uneven wear/cupping, but my major gripe is the limited # of miles one gets out of the set (7,500-10,000). Other riders get far less (5,000) but not many get more than 12,000.

By contrast, the Avon routinely gets more miles on the same bike (and the Dunlop Elite 3s will give a rider 15,000 minimum, with 20,000 miles on a set of E3s not uncommon).

I think other threads have addressed this matter (beaten it to death is the term) if you do a quick search.

Let us know!

Click to expand...

I have been searching for Dunlop Elite 3's but I'm not sure they make them in my size - - 240/50-16

TriumPhil said:

Well, you must be doing something wrong to get so much mileage from your Metzeler, HD2Rocket3! After all it is generally considered by some here and over on the .com site to be "a piece of garbage" and a "known safety hazard", even though it was specifically designed and purpose-built for Triumph and their Rocket III.
[Most of the the above is said tongue-in-cheek]

I recently returned to the Metzeler after a not completely unsatisfactory experiment with a car tire on the rear of my 07' Standard. I chose to go with the OEM tire for two reasons; firstly, it is the OEM tire and secondly, and more importantly; others had indicated that while the Avon was good for some additional mileage vs the Metz, it was not as good in the rain and on wet surfaces as the Metzeler has proven to be. Of course, no MT will outperform any CT on the straight and level in the rain. Me... hell, I avoid riding in the rain at all costs.

Although I am a pretty aggressive rider, burnouts and wheelies are not in my repertoire. I do what I can to extend the lifespan of my tires by frequently checking for and insuring their proper inflation. I fully expect to get 8-10K miles on my new rear tire, which is about par for the course for a big bruiser cruiser such as ours.

The differences between the Marathon and the Cobra are incremental, I'd suspect, when you get right down to it. Not much diff in cost factor and somewhat a tradeoff between their performance and handling characteristics from what I've heard and seen. Hope that's helpful...

Click to expand...

Thanks, I appreciate the insight. I bought the bike last July with 3500 miles on it and I am ASSUMING it's the original set, but from what I have read on here about Metz longevity, I'm not absolutely sure

Believe me, you can be reasonably sure. I read some of the same ca ca on this and the other owner's site about how the Metzeler was only good for 3, 4 or maybe 5K miles and that the tire was prone to losing traction due to an inordinately powerful rear brake and the gobs of torque our motors' offer. Unless you are careless regarding tire maintainance or you are doing burnouts from bar to bar or any other such abnormal/irregular riding behavior, I don't believe that you will get any such sort of underperformance from your rear tire as said abusers have reported.

That misinformation, cost me money (pulling a perfectly good Metz off and replacing it with a car tire), put me at risk (the car tire will ride well up onto its unreinforced sidewall when pushed hard in the twisties and that, IMO, is very dangerous) and noticeably compromised the handling and performance characteristics of my R3 also creating additional liability exposure from time to time (for instance, when crisp and immediate responsiveness to steering input is required, like, say, in an emergency evasive maneuver).

Just my $.02 for whatever it's worth...

....... O m g ........ W t f .......... G a l ........

Somebody say something?

I had 5000 miles on mine, it had plenty of life left (at least 2 or 3000, I'd guess), but it picked up a nail and I wasn't comfortable doing 100 mph on a plugged tire. I'm a newbie, but I felt it a good, predictable tire, I replaced it with another Metzeler, despite what I've heard.

HD2Rocket3 said:

I have been searching for Dunlop Elite 3's but I'm not sure they make them in my size - - 240/50-16

Click to expand...

Dandiego has a touring model, so no, what he shoes his bike with won't fit yours. I have heard tell that Bridgestone makes a lesser speed tire, not the z rating that the Metz and Cobra have. My Metz is cupped badly at 7500, makes weird noises as I lean, and in I'll be riding the Avon this spring.