Darkside Review ???

[TriumPhil]

Thanks, hanso, no offense taken at all. I'm about 5' 10", 190 lbs. I tried running higher pressures (my sweet spot was 32 lbs) without success. For me, the bottom line is that once you exceed a certain lean angle, you inevitably get up on the sidewall. I, too, experienced that rear slide when over accelerating with a good lean on. agreed that it seems more controllable or "catchable" with the car tire. Hey, with all that add'l meat on the road, why wouldn't it be more correctable than doing the same on a skinny old MT?

BTW, I keep my Metz in front at 40-41Lbs. Seems that my last front tire was prematurely eaten up (at about 8,500 mis.) by the extra push from my Toyo CT. Also, I loved the extra traction on the wet surfaces with the CT. Plenty of fellows over in GB are on their 3rd or 4th Toyo and are still wearing their sidewalls dangerously. Are they stupid? Ill-informed? risk Junkies? I think not _ think the intrinsic nature due to the design of certain CTs, is that they will get up on their sidewalls when they are sufficiently leaned. Maybe this is different for the XXL or XXXL crowd... I just don't know.

Are you a "plus sized" rider, hanso? I suspect that you are.

 

[HellFire]

Phil what people are trying to tell you is that 32 psi is not enough when you are leaning 1000 lbs up on the edge of the square tire ... something is going to give at those pressures. The sidewall is gonna flop over like a pancake and flatten out onto the ground.
I'm sure you've seen the youtube videos ... their tires stay up on the edge and don't flatten. There is no way, no way the tire in the video could ever scrape the sidewall ... not even if you tipped it over.

A fully inflated car tire has what ?.... a 40 degree angle on the sidewall to the ground? You can't lean a bike over that far, the only way it can touch is if it folds over.... and that is low pressure.

You do bring those little jabs on yourself ... the sidewall scuff thing needs to be retired.
There used to be a guy (you know who) that you could expect a negative comment everytime darkside was mentioned. Sorry, but you've kind of taken his place. Every one knows what you are going to say ... hence the jabs.

Don't get bent, I'm just trying to save you more poking.

 

[HansO]

Are you a "plus sized" rider, hanso? I suspect that you are.[/QUOTE]
I'm actually 6' 1" med/heavy set and 112 kgs (I think thats about 220pound please correct me if wrong) of that I'm about 12kgs over where I used to be untill a few years ago and steriod type medication for my lungs which bloated me. I am 53year old, keep fit and my Doc said it will be very hard to get rid of the extra due to the medication.
I actually have gotten more out of this Metz (7000km's with CT on rear)front than the first (just over 6000)while running the MT, it will be interesting how the Shinko goes as it is a radial the metz and the bridgestone I was going to try are cross ply. you have to unerstand that it is just the right hand side that is worn out due to our badly cambered rds the left side still has 1/2000 km's in it not to mention the centre has also still got a couple tho left, I have seen the Metz marthons due exactly the same thing on KAWA gtr1000's and Bmw R series, The radial might be the anwser for a few people anyway I'll keep you posted . if I have done this right there should be a picture of my front tyre I just took

 

[HellFire]

Are you a "plus sized" rider, hanso? I suspect that you are.

I'm actually 6' 1" med/heavy set and 112 kgs (I think thats about 220pound please correct me if wrong) of that I'm about 12kgs over where I used to be untill a few years ago and steriod type medication for my lungs which bloated me. I am 53year old, keep fit and my Doc said it will be very hard to get rid of the extra due to the medication.
I actually have gotten more out of this Metz (7000km's with CT on rear)front than the first (just over 6000)while running the MT, it will be interesting how the Shinko goes as it is a radial the metz and the bridgestone I was going to try are cross ply. you have to unerstand that it is just the right hand side that is worn out due to our badly cambered rds the left side still has 1/2000 km's in it not to mention the centre has also still got a couple tho left, I have seen the Metz marthons due exactly the same thing on KAWA gtr1000's and Bmw R series, The radial might be the anwser for a few people anyway I'll keep you posted . if I have done this right there should be a picture of my front tyre I just took

When my first front Metzler was done, it looked like your worn side but on both ... with plenty of cupped tread in the middle. It started cupping around 5000 miles and I had it balanced. It got worse until it was time to replace it with an Avon Cobra. The Cobra now has 5000 miles on it and still looks new. I wouldn't buy another Nutzler if they were the last tires on earth!

 

[HansO]

When my first front Metzler was done, it looked like your worn side but on both ... with plenty of cupped tread in the middle. It started cupping around 5000 miles and I had it balanced. It got worse until it was time to replace it with an Avon Cobra. The Cobra now has 5000 miles on it and still looks new. I wouldn't buy another Nutzler if they were the last tires on earth!

how have you found the Cobra in the wet and under hard cornering stresses a couple of guys here have reported less than favorable exprences

 

[HellFire]

So far, none the worse for traction ... wet or otherwise. Quicker (surprisingly) response and much more even and longer wear.

By any other tire, car especially ... a brand new Metzler is already half worn out when you buy it. The **** thing looks like a drag slick brand new ... but with a hard, slippery compound. It's supposed to have different compounds in different area's of the tire, but they evidently got the combination all wrong. I realize the bike needs alot of rubber on the road, but to have nothing but rubber down the center of the rear tire makes it squirrely in the rain ... who puts that on as factory?

That rain groove crossing the center contact patch on the Avon at the very least, gives me more confidence in the tire.

I like it.
If I don't put that darkside tire on I've been threatening to do, It'll be an Avon Cobra to match the front.

 

[HansO]

So far, none the worse for traction ... wet or otherwise. Quicker (surprisingly) response and much more even and longer wear.

By any other tire, car especially ... a brand new Metzler is already half worn out when you buy it. The **** thing looks like a drag slick brand new ... but with a hard, slippery compound. It's supposed to have different compounds in different area's of the tire, but they evidently got the combination all wrong. I realize the bike needs alot of rubber on the road, but to have nothing but rubber down the center of the rear tire makes it squirrely in the rain ... who puts that on as factory?

That rain groove crossing the center contact patch on the Avon at the very least, gives me more confidence in the tire.

the shinko should be here tomorrow but if I am not happy with it I will try the Cobra next is it a radial or crossply

 

[HellFire]

The Avon is a Radial ... and made by Cooper, a British company by the way.

Metzler is of course German.

Yet another ironic situation don't you think?

I knew Triumph made a select few bad decisions ... but come on ....

Of all the worlds renown motorbikes, Germany has what?... one?
They put alot of Metzler Marathon XXL's on BMW's do they? I see alot of them with Sportec's ... but no Marathon's.

For the life of me, I don't get why Triumph decided on the size and the supplier for rear tires they did. What were they thinking?!?

 

[HansO]

The Avon is a Radial ... and made by Cooper, a British company by the way.

Metzler is of course German.

Yet another ironic situation don't you think?

I knew Triumph made a select few bad decisions ... but come on ....

Of all the worlds renown motorbikes, Germany has what?... one?
They put alot of Metzler Marathon XXL's on BMW's do they? I see alot of them with Sportec's ... but no Marathon's.

For the life of me, I don't get why Triumph decided on the size and the supplier for rear tires they did. What were they thinking?!?

the BMW owner was silly enought to put them on local dealer was pushing Metzlers at the time he and the owner of the Kawka decided to try the marathons because they were supposed to give more wear...........just a load of crap

 

[HellFire]

the BMW owner was silly enought to put them on local dealer was pushing Metzlers at the time he and the owner of the Kawka decided to try the marathons because they were supposed to give more wear...........just a load of crap

I bet that went over like a ton of bricks. Metzlers tire fitment guide doesn't even list them as a replacement tire for BMW.