z6 front tire wear

[FreediverGa]

I've running Metzler Z6 for the past three months and have 3500+ miles on them.

The roads I've been running are twisties usually multiple laps of the some very popular roads of north georgia.  I've noticed The front is wearing alittle fast than usual. I know the side are alittle flat because I'm still trail breaking alittle.  I'm working on  curing myself from it though. it's worse on the right side because I'm not as comfortable in leaning in to sharp downhill righthand  turns.  I'm fine heading hill in the twisites but when I turn around to head back I start hitting all the right handers.  

I just really want to know if this is normal to burn up the front  faster if your just riding the tight  twisities and stayig away from the straights.  I think the Z6's are considered as like soft/medium compound!  I average about 55-60 mph  in my runs.  I know that's slow but it's fast when your about click over 1 year of experience on a bike!   I'm usually an inch from my foot pegs at every curve

what do yo u guys think

[Red01]

No experience with the Z6, but all the tires I've run thru go faster in the back, even when I was running a softer front tire than rear. The fronts one my first two sets got changed along with the rear though as they were cupping. I've got Pilot Roads on it now, and this is the first tire I've used on the B12 where I didn't change the front when the back wore out.

[PeteSC]

I think the compound of the Z6 is intended to be a 'sport-touring' compound, and noticeable wear (On the front)sounds a litte strange to me at 3500 miles.
     Is the wear on the front even?   I'm wondering about your tire pressures on the front.

 Just for the heck of it, how does the rear look?

[FreediverGa]

yeah it's pretty even but maybe tad moreflat  on the right side than it is on the left because I tend stay on the brakes alittle longer when hit the right hander hairpins turns on the way back down the mountain.  I tried experimenting with tire pressure recently.  I've been running 31 front and 34 rear for about 3 weeks now.  I'm going back to 33 front because I don't think the front is getting up to temp because it feels like doesn't grip aswell when I was running it at 33.  The back it perfectly event all the way to the edges.  I might be cupping my tires because  my trail braking.
I'm hoping with more experience I get rid of the bad habbit !


I've tried to stop using engine braking as little as possible and more brakes  when intering turns.

[PeteSC]

Hmm.  My thoughts are lower tire pressures heat up quicker.
 (More friction)

    I'm not into real technical riding on the street.   I got faster in the twisties by becoming more competent on sighting and keeping my 'line' in the twisties, and learning to control the throttle better to adjust my suspension.  As a result, I hardly ever use the brakes.
  It may be a perverted way to ride, but I'm a lot more confident, and smooth, and faster.
  (And I have the OEM pads on  my '99 Bandit after 22000 miles....)
   I use the brakes only in an emergency, or when I'm screwing up in the twisities!   Once I get tired, or distracted.....I'll start using brakes...and it doesn't feel 'right'.

[FreediverGa]

well I don't know what the hell I'm doing wrong!  It doesn't surprise me that I have phucked up rideing technic.  I guess I just need to except I'm going to eat up front tires twice as anyone else I guess.  This is just fustrating really I thought switching over to the new z6 would solve the cupping problem I had on the original stock tires.   I guess I'm going to be dealing with for while.  I don't want even want know what will happen when I switch over to the softer M1's

[dsartwell1]

my dealer recommended 41 psi in both tires on my 02 b600. It sounded high to me but I went by his word. After a few thousand miles I thought I'd try a little lower pressure. went to 37 at both ends. Rear was ok but the front cupped real bad in just over 1000 miles! Won't do that again.! Went back to higher pressure on my new set (Battlax 020's) and everything is going well 4000 miles in.

[Red01]

41 does sound high, but then, so does 37. Unless someone has removed it, there should be a tire pressure sicker on the swingarm or chain guard that tells you what the factory recommends. If it is gone, the same info is also in the owners manual. If you don't have that either, maybe a B6 owner of your vintage will pipe up with the info.

On the 2G B12, Suzuki recommends 36 at both ends for all types of riding. This is what I've been running since day 1 with pretty good tire life results.

[dsartwell1]

I have all the info from suzuki and read it all. seemed way too high but the dealer seems to be right. I've had the best results from the higher pressure. I think max pressure is 45 or 50 psi. I'm pretty sure I'm not over. bike is still in storage so I can't check right now. My brother in law had a similar issue with his Intruder. He was running 36 psi in the front and getting cupping. Dealer told him to bump up the pressure and he seems happy. Does rider weight have any effect. I'm 145. If anything I should be able to get away with lower pressure right? Anyhow I'm going to stick with whats working for me.

[FreediverGa]

The sticker on my B6 says 33 front 36 rear and that's what I went back to!
I only ran the lower pressur for like three weekends of riding, about 500mile each weekend!

[chupacabra]

My 96B6 also reads 33 front 36 rear and I've been running that all the time with no cupping till now. I'm running a BT010 at stock size and have about 2000 miles on it and have a little cupping showing. The tire before that was a BT45 or something like that and lasted forever (7 years) with no cupping.

[Bazza]

Here is a photo of my front Z-6 at about 12,000 km. Most of my riding is Prairie type and I did get the flat spot but not till late in life and after a very long ride. I kept mine inflated at the recomended 36 psi.