Nice. I bet that tire was a noticeable step up from the Pilot Roads in the mountains. It's good to know they also worked good in the wet.

 

The Metezelr Sportec M7 and M9 RR tires are known for their wet traction. Reviews by pro riders consistently say they are a great tire for someone who rides street but wants to also do some trackdays. The 2008 ZX-6R I just recently bought from its original owner happened to have an almost brand new pair of the Sportec M7 RRs, and after several hundred kilometers of riding on them, I really like them.

Jim G

 

Yeah I have ran the M7 RR's on the track with the 400 multiple times, as well as on a SV650 also a few times at the track, when I was not running the Pirelli SC's, and always on the street

I have had good results out of them, only a few times on the track when there was alot of standing water did I feel the back end step just out in the corners, just a slight bit, where there was standing water.....and that was only one time

 

Just fitted new Metzeler M9RR tyres to the bike. I've had the M7RRs on previous bikes and I'm a big fan of these tyres. Always did everything asked of them and very confidence inspiring. They have really good wear characteristics as well. The new ones are no exception. Very impressive and glad to have them. Also fitted right angle valves at the same time. I do this to every bike now. Have also fitted YSS fork upgrade kit and rear shock. The feeling of the handling and road holding is like a race bike now. Lowered the front 10mm and raised the rear 5mm. Turn in is very quick and easy. Stable and planted. Loves to lean and all the grip you need from the Metzelers.

 

I'm past 4500 miles on the Metzeler Sportec M9RR's. The rear is just starting to show a hint of flattening. The front isn't looking like it's had any meaningful wear. They don't seem to loose any air--my trips to the Tail of the Dragon and the Black Hills didn't show any air loss between leaving and returning.

They still corner with confidence. And Ms. Noire easily climbs mountain roads and feels in charge of any situation. Including mid-corner corrections when oversized vehicles come from around blind corners partway in my lane. (Preparing for this is just a part of assuming that they're out to get you. )

If the wear pattern continues, I'll perhaps be able to keep the front and just replace the rear when they get to 10,000 or 12,000 miles. Then replace both the next time.

Still falling into the "I'd buy again" category.

 

Well that encourages me with my M7RRs!

Jim G

 

Went out for a country ride yesterday on the new 9MRRs. Had my first slide on them which was quite a surprise. The limit on the road I was on is 70Kmh. I came barreling into a left hander at 140 on the clock, so about 133 true speed, must have hit a smooth patch or maybe tar snakes or tar patch, anyway she moved, I think front and rear moved but more on the front, the whole thing felt skattie for an instant then the front dug in an caused a little wallow then settled and carried on. Quite scary! But I feel it had a lot more to do with the road having a shiny spot mid corner than any deficiency in the tyre. I would still buy again.
Although having said that I would consider getting the Metzeler Sportec Street next time. They are cheaper, all you really need for the road and you can use more of the edge of the tread because they aren't so curved over on the edges as the 9rrs

 

Perfectly normal and expected on the street. There’s always going to be those spots where things get greasy. No matter what tire you are running.

 

On a COUNTRY road. on a sharp turn, spilled diesel fuel is the likely culprit. And diesel fuel is VERY slippery. You are lucky. There are occasional incidents too where farmers deliberately spill diesel fuel or other substances, on roads frequented by motorcyclists, because they object to the excessive speed and loud exhausts, especially if they keep dairy cows and other animals who react negatively to some of the loud, irritating frequencies produced by exhaust pipes.

I recall reading about one such incident years ago where a motorcyclists did go down with a great deal of damage and some injuries, and the suspicion was that that was what happened in that case, as the farmer right by that section of road was very vocal in his opposition and the bikers had ignored him.

Jim G

 

Thanks for reminding me that some people can think like that. My mind doesn't work that way so I need to be reminded that some people's mind do think like that. I can believe that someone would do that. I don't believe it was diesel in my case. The slide was too mild and controlled for that. But you are def right. I was lucky!

 

Here's a pic of the rear tire showing the degree of flattening at 4500 miles.

 

Yes it does look somewhat flattened but also looks like plenty of meat still left

 

I'll add a comment now that it's cooler in my neck of the woods. Yesterday was in the mid to lower 50s F (12C) with mostly cloudy skies. I rode through the hilly sweepers in Kettle Moraine State Forest, some areas still shaded, and hit the Five Roundabouts on my way home. I didn't notice any lack of grip for street riding.

This probably isn't significantly cold to be a meaningful test yet. I'll have to wait for colder weather when the roads are just above freezing to make a useful comment.

The tires are just shy of 5,000 miles (about 8,000 km).

 

I'll be looking to see your comments on colder temperature performance, as our winters here on Vancouver Island require me to ride at 5 degrees C = 40 degrees F or lower if I want to ride versus store the bike, and I have the Sportec M7 RR tires.

Jim G

 

The roads are good and frozen. Yet temps were above freezing yesterday and today. The ice has cleared. So I rode a little more than 50 miles today. It took about two or three miles at low, residential speeds for the tires to warm up and feel right. But they were great after that, mind that I was riding with traffic and not being too zippy.

I'm probably gonna become a fanboy for these Metzler tires.

 

Thanks for the reply! I appreciate it. I was hoping that their cold weather performance would be decent.

I still cannot get out on our streets. The ice is gone off the pavement, but we are getting lots of really cold rain (temperatures are still way below normal for our area), and there are still snowbanks melting onto the roads from the recent bizarre snow storms. The rain is supposed to continue for at least another week before we see any sunshine.

Jim G

 

Today was a nice warm day to do some garage things. I fired up the ol' compressor to fill all my tires and the M9RRs hardly needed any air. It's been since early December. Probably a sign of good quality.

 

Not necessarily. The air temperature is warmer in March than in December, so air psi in the tires increases without you having to add more air.

Jim G

 

Nice here today also. I balanced the tires on my pit wagon. I ran out of proper wheel weights so I used some 380 +P hollow points I had lying around. I still need to duck tape to spec. Anyone know what the best pressure is for these tires, cold?

😎

 

Duckman . . . duct tape . . . hmmm. The traditional racer way to balance tires to spec!

Jim G

 

It’s faster.

 

I had a rainy day in the Smokies yesterday, still got out on the Foothills Parkway and had some fun. These tires have about 7000 miles on them, and had no issues. Cornering, braking, felt quite normal. I was riding slightly more cautiously than in the dry, but that was just me, nothing to do with being limited by the tires.

 

I had a rainy day in the Smokies yesterday, still got out on the Foothills Parkway and had some fun. These tires have about 7000 miles on them, and had no issues. Cornering, braking, felt quite normal. I was riding slightly more cautiously than in the dry, but that was just me, nothing to do with being limited by the tires.

That is very impressive. I'm hoping to get that mileage out of the Road 5's. Did you get caught in the rain on Sunday riding towards Townsend? I hope it stays dry for the Dragon ride with Tracy.

 

I've just pushed these tires past 8k miles. I had a slab day returning home from visiting @Tracy and the Smoky Mountains. It rained about half the day, including a stronger downpour as I navigated Indianapolis. The tires felt great at highway speeds despite the rain. Even while still in the mountains.

I did, however, avoid standing water. I'll let someone else test for hydroplaning resistance.

 

I'm going to have to try those Metzlers. I'm getting tired (no pun intended) of buying the stock Dunlops every 3000 miles for the rear and 6000 miles for the front. Would love to find tires that have more grip than the Dunlops AND last longer.

 

11,000 miles from the stock Dunlop Sportmax GPR300's? WOW!!! Oddly enough besides the rear squaring off my tires wear out more on the left than the right. Last time around the front had lost most of the tread on the left half of the tire. Guess I push a bit harder turning left.

It's been decades since my last track day.😢 but thank you for jogging a bunch of very pleasant memories! I just tend to ride a bit spiritedly on the street which is why I am searching for something with a bit more grip without going to something that will wear out faster than the Dunlops.

 

Well, it's getting to be time to say goodby to my Metzeler Sportec M9RR tires. They have about 9,025 miles on them. The rear's profile has a slight resemblance to Herman Munster's head, and I've just noticed the front starting to cup. So I'm not going to be able to do the "one front for every two rears" money saving trick.

For what it's worth, they cornered and held their grip well at the Dragon last month. They also were great in the rain, both mountain curves and at interstate speeds last month as well. But I was starting to notice the flatter profile in corners and curves. My only complaint is not getting 12K miles out of them.

Now I'm gonna have to think. Do it again or try something else. Michelin's Road 6 seems to be in short supply. Maybe try the Road 5 which might be available since the 6 has been introduced. But these have been good to me.

On a related note, I've somehow managed to wear out my front brake pads. This didn't happen when I lived in North Dakota--no need to apply your brakes more than twice in every hundred miles. Another price for moving to a city and traveling to mountains, I guess.

 

I’ve been guilty of sticking with a tire I really like but I also like trying different tires. It’s fun learning how different they sometimes feel. Not always good or bad but just different.

9000 miles! I’ve never kept a tire that long. Well, maybe a front.

 

9,728 miles now. I've been noticing a slight squirminess in corners, perhaps because the rear tire is getting squared off, maybe just wear, maybe just in my mind because I'm conscious of the tires' age.

I've already ordered up another set of the same. I'd considered Michelin's Road 5 and 6, but they seem to be in short supply. And I've liked these tires. They really made Ninjette feel confident in the mountains and were amazing in the rain. This will be the first time I've had the same tires on twice.

 

If the dang tire prices keep going up I may re-think my loyalty to Michelin

 

10,239 miles from the pair. Swapped them for new of the same today. This is the first time I've ever had an exact repeat of a tire. I'd considered Michelin Road 5 or 6, but they seem to have long wait lists. They also cost more. The Sportec M9RR did me well, so here I go again!

I'm also trying angled valve stems to make checking & filling air a bit easier. And somehow I wore out my front brake pads. City living and a few visits to mountains seems to have had a hand in that.

Break-in felt easy. They seemed to get over the initial squirminess in about 10 miles. I was no longer feeling anything abnormal by the time 50 miles had passed. Just the joy of fresh tires. I now have a little over 100 miles on them--geez, one day in and I've already used 1% of their expected life?!?

I'll take them out for some conditioning over the next few days. And I'll let the new brake pads bed in as well. Then Ninjette Noire and I will be ready to take on an adventure again.

 

I should add that the first pair of Sportec's were installed on August 20 last year, these on August 1st--this is the first time I wore a set of tires out in less than one year! Celebrations are in order!

 

I’m surprised that tires that look that “sporty” lasted that long.

Angled valve stems are the cat’s pajamas.

 

I'm a little obsessive about air pressure, which helps longevity. (I also check & fill the spares in our cars twice a year.) The angled stems will make the job just a bit easier.

And both front and rear are dual compound tires. The center is a harder rubber that doesn't wear as much, with the sides being very grippy. And "full silica compound," whatever that means, is supposed to help with grip while reducing overheating and thus prolong longevity.