Roadtecs - the first 1500 miles

[RiceBurner]

Sorry to rain on the parade, but... I've just put a pair of Z6 roadtecs on the bike following the rave reviews that they seem to be getting on the forum.

I've noted that they are very noisy at low speed. As Mick noted, they sound as if a wheel bearing has failed. My previous pair of 020s were silent in comparison.

I'm still just running them in and getting used to them at the moment. The first 300 miles confirms that they are good in the dry whilst banked over, but with a slight tendancy to understeer compared to the 020.

They seem skittish when upright at high speed, not as well planted and surefooted as Bridgestone.

I'll fiddle with the suspension and see if that picks it up to any extent.

I haven't tried them in the wet yet and I think wet weather performance in a road tyre is more important than dry.

So far the 020 is favourite.

Paul S

Interesting - I think this prooves that tyres are a very individual thing - I HATE 020's with a passion, couldn't get them off quick enough. Dangerous in the wet and mediocre at best in the dry.

Getting some Z6's on Saturday.

[Jason M]

Sorry to rain on the parade, but... I've just put a pair of Z6 roadtecs on the bike following the rave reviews that they seem to be getting on the forum.

I've noted that they are very noisy at low speed. As Mick noted, they sound as if a wheel bearing has failed. My previous pair of 020s were silent in comparison.

I'm still just running them in and getting used to them at the moment. The first 300 miles confirms that they are good in the dry whilst banked over, but with a slight tendancy to understeer compared to the 020.

They seem skittish when upright at high speed, not as well planted and surefooted as Bridgestone.



I'll fiddle with the suspension and see if that picks it up to any extent.

I haven't tried them in the wet yet and I think wet weather performance in a road tyre is more important than dry.

So far the 020 is favourite.

Paul S

Paul - I agree with the noise thing. I put some Z6's on yesterday - £155 a pair fitted loose at Micheldevers - f'kin things are just as noisy as the Z4's were. It just sounds like the front and is very road surface/lean dependent. Stick like shit to the carpet round the corners though - much more confidence inspiring than the 020's IMHO

So... here we go again... another noisy 10k - still I'll be doing that in 2 weeks soon HORAH HOARH can't wait, as long as we can get out of NY alive.

Jason

[minivin]

JasonM

Did you actually get 10k out of the rear??? just that my 020 rear is shafted at 5k while the front is still good for another 3k miles

What do people think of having a mix of 020 on the front and Z6 RT on the rear????

[minivin]

ah well, shall learn the 020 front/Z6 rear mixture this weekend as getting a Z6 fitted to the rear and taking the Z6 front home until the 020 on the front it dead. Pissing 020 rear has been slidding for the past 3k-5.5k of it's life and generally scary down country lanes so hoping for a better marriage between bike and tyres with the new one's

[bernsmartco]

Rob
Mixing tyres of a different type from the same manufactures is not recommended but mixing tyres with a different pedigree could be lethal - was the answer I got when I posed a similar question on another board some while ago.

Take care and make sure you know how they are behaving before taking your favourite corner at full tilt

[Boxadog 2000]

Just fitted Roadtecs to my S and I agree with the statement that they have a tendancy to understeer cant say I have noticed any extra road noise but have noticed that when i take both hands off the bars the bike does veer to the right.
As for fitting different spec/type tyres back and front do it at your own risk just dont moan when the bike chucks you in a ditch.

Bob

[RiceBurner]

Rob
Mixing tyres of a different type from the same manufactures is not recommended but mixing tyres with a different pedigree could be lethal - was the answer I got when I posed a similar question on another board some while ago.

Take care and make sure you know how they are behaving before taking your favourite corner at full tilt

oh I don't know - it depends on what you're doing etc.

I once had a Metz MeZ1 matched with a Part worn BT96 for a couple of thousand miles on my ZXR400 - VERY good match up. :D

[minivin]

as the next 2k miles is going to be mainly touring and motorway/trunk road stuff I shan't be pushing the mixture through the twisty stuff and looking for knee-down antics , but needless to say once we get to october-ish and the front is shot I'll be getting the two tyres matched again

[theseadog]

Well I've had mine on for quite some miles now and I have to say that overall I'm pleased with them. They certainly were quite noisey to start with and I thought I'd a bearing on the way out at the front ! As the miles increased the noise decreased and to be honest I can't recall it lately.

Can't say I notice any understeer, and they're nothing but rock solid at high speed upright or over, might be worth checking your tyre pressures ( I run them at the manual recommended pressures) and the state of your suspension if your experiencing handling issues.

They are very good in both the wet and the dry over the mixed quality roads that we have in Scotland. I've had them pretty much edge to edge ( there's a tiny bit of Nellie's feet that isn't touched ) and they have performed well solo and two up. They also seem to be wearing very evenly, better than my previous fav the 020's.

Overall I'm very pleased with them and I'll probably stick on another set of these, but like many things they're subjective, and for me they're better than the 020's, which were very good to start with.

Toodle Pip

[bigblackfalco]

Guys,got to tell ya that I'm not half as impresssed by the Z6 as i was on the Pilot Roads.
The rear has squared off quite a lot and I got to say that side grip is no where near as good.
I won't be buying anymore!
Bailey.

[uptoere]

I've done 3000 miles on the Z6 now and I'm getting used to the noise from the front end. I've played about with the suspension settings and this has improved the understeer I was noticing.

They performed very well over the alpine roads. Two up with luggage, they stuck to the dry roads at least as well as the 020s.

In the wet, two up, they were superb. There were some days of heavy rain in Germany and the roads were slow to drain. The Z6s were very stable under braking and cornering in the wet. I don't think I had even one scary moment that I could put down to the tyres. A couple of slides over the white lines and overbanding were down to rider error rather than tyre fault.

Fastest thing over the Grossglockner was a 'mature' Austrian rider on a red R1100S with Z6 tyres. He was a joy to watch, excellent use of cross views, quick to spot the opportunity of an overtake and read the bends like a book. Big respect.

He left behind him a trail of japan's finest. I passed him at a rest stop with his helmet off, he looked to be in his 60's. Proof that there are old, bold motorcyclists after all.

Paul S.

[minivin]

500 miles so far with a "pair" (micheldever refushed to fit a rear as an odd pair) and they pea all over the 020's, a lot more confident with the bike now

[uptoere]

I think they did you a favour to be honest minivin.

If, in the unlikely event of an unexpected tarmac/arse interface, you may have come a cropper with the insurance assessor.

Paul S

[RiceBurner]

Dunno how many miles I've done on em (at least 525 a week, and a trip to the Manx GP) and they're wearing reasonably well.

They're squaring off a bit - but nowhere near as badly as 020's and I'm pretty happy with em at present.

Not sure what to get next, what are the full range of options???

[stephenb]

Well the rear has finally been changed after 10,700 miles, but the front is still going strong!!! How many 020's would have bitten the dust before this. Live with the noise and profit the mileage.

Stephen B