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New shoes for Vegas

3K views 13 replies 8 participants last post by  Wormjello 
#1 ·
I had Jacksonville Power Sports install new tires right before Biketoberfest. I've always been a "factory know best" kind of guy when it comes to tires but decided to try the Metzeler's this time. I'm glad I did. The Metzeler ME 888 feels so much better than the OEM Dunlop. It doesn't have the center sipe and so doesn't catch and track in road grooves or bridge gratings. It's simply a more modern design. The new rear rolls in much better but the old tire was a little squared off. If anyone is on the fence all I can say is that I will not go back to the OEM Dunlops, ever.
 
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#2 ·
I have never tried those. Just put Michelin Commander II tires on front and rear and love them!

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#4 ·
I also just got a new set of Metzeler ME 888, I am on my second set and love them on my Vegas. Good luck with them.
 
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#5 ·
I've heard using other then dunlop OEM tires on the Vegas 8 Ball. The bike starts to walk or side track at high speeds...guess that's not true?



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#6 ·
I've heard using other then dunlop OEM tires on the Vegas 8 Ball. The bike starts to walk or side track at high speeds...guess that's not true?
I've never heard that and there is no reason it would be true. As far as handling and performance, Dunlop cruiser tires are fairly middle-ground. There are lots of choices that offer better performance, although the Dunlops do seem to offer good longevity.

The claims of drifting or tracking to the side might be correlative. Perhaps the owner or tech didn't align the rear axle properly after installation. I'm all about Avon Cobras now. Totally impressed with the grip my new rear tire has.
 
#7 ·
I love Metz tires. I went through a few sets of them on my VTX. But I was lucky if I got more than 8k-9k out of them. I'm just at the end of life on my stock Elite 3's, just changed the rear and the front will be due soon. I got over 15k out of the rear. That's a big part of the reason I chose to go with the Elite 4's.

As far as design, I think it's apples and oranges. That center stripe is a stripe of harder compound they put there to extend the life for highway riding. They use a soft compound on the sides for the curves. My experience with Metz was that the center wore fairly quickly and the tire developed more of a car type profile that made it more difficult to roll into the curves. But keep in mind that most every road up here is flat and straight so I I have to travel some distance to give the sides a workout. Bottom line is that there is a tire out ther for every type of riding.
 
#9 ·
Thanks Wormjello
that does make since...I have Michelin PR4s on my 1150 RT and I have run them about 6 psi higher then BMW owners manual to prevent cupping. The Vegas will be getting radials next go around, I always worry about wet roads with OEM tire.



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#10 ·
I do run Metzelers M888 at 40 PSI on the rear and I love the way my Vegas handles. I would recommend them.
 
#11 ·
I am running ME880 on my 2010 Vegas 8-Ball. After 14 months and 5,000 miles, I am about ready to replace the rear tire. Hoping to make it through Christmas first (maybe another 1,000 miles). I have been pretty happy with this tire. Was thinking about trying the Pirelli Night Dragon a try.
 
#12 ·
I recently rode the bike to visit our horses. The last part of the trip is a dirt road a little over half a mile. withe the OEM Dunlop's the bike would wander quite a bit. I didn't feel in control and so never drove past 10 mph. Now I can do over 20 without hesitation. Great tires all around. Now let's see how long they last.
 
#13 ·
I have always wonder. If you have tires you like and they wear good.
Why switch brands.
You know what you have and can only guess what you might get
 
#14 ·
It's a gamble I was willing to take after some thought and research. I did not like the OEM Dunlops and thought "maybe tire technology has improved in the last 20 years...". Big difference! The D417 is antiquated by it's design. The block tread pattern on the rear tends to cup on the trailing edge and the front tire's center sipe tracks horribly.
I couldn't be happier with my M888's. If they last a while.:smile
 
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