Interesting. My sons an independent tech, primarily HD. He said the same about Metzeler’s doing that in the past 4 years. I never had any come apart and they stick well, esp in rain, but these inputs worry me. I like how Cobras stick but found they don’t last very long. Probably get E4 radial.
I will Take a 10K mile tire that out runs well, sticks well, over a tire that lasts longer but does not grip and or comes apart.
As for me, there will not ever be another ME 888 Metzler anything anywhere in my stable.
I never even got an apology, a prorate, nothing from them or the vendor that sold them.
Tooooooo bad for me.
i am glad i am not DEAD!
Most of the Metzler problems were the 880"s.The place I have my tires mounted in Reno NV has installed 100's of Metzler 888's without a problem and I have a set on my 13 F6B with about 9 thousand trouble free miles.Stick well in all conditions and are wearing pretty nice as I am a big dude at 385lbs and could see 15 thousand out of the rear.Original Bridgestones gave me about 10 thousand miles to wear bars.Only bitch I have on the Metzlers is they have become a little whinny in the lean.Might try the E4's next time as many here have reported good things about them.Ran Avons on a few other Goldwings and while they stick like glue to the road they wear fast!
I change my tires as soon as i see significant wear. Generally around 10K but it varies on the long distance, heavy loads I do. I know others that get more but I hate getting stranded by bad tires. I should add that I used them on my old GW, this F6B and my other bikes.
I run Avon's on the F6B as I did on the Valkyrie. Always had good luck.
Your mileage will vary greatly on these bikes all due to how you ride, type of roads you ride on and also temperatures.
I've run Metzeler 880's and then the 888's on three K1200LT's - 2000, 2002 and 2009 (still riding this one) - for a total of 140,000 miles. Probably 60% of that was 2 up. Never any problem except for whining in the corners (the tires) as they got up in miles. However, on the F6b I liked the OEM Bridgestone's a lot and used them again when it came time to replace them at 12,500 on the rear and 14,000 on the front. There was probably 1,500 - 2,000 more miles left in them to the wear bars, but I never run M/C tires that far down.
I've got Metzlers on my Harley and I just put Dunlop E-4's on my F6B. The Dunlops changed the handling on the F6B for the better. The tar snakes are no longer an issue and after 5000 K's they still look new(missing the chicken strips...) but otherwise a great tire. I've run two sets of Meztlers on the Harley and they have been fine. Not great but just fine. I too have heard bad things about the ME88's but not had the same experience. My riding partners have changed from the ME's to either Pirrellis or to Michlens. Safe money appears to go to the Dunlops.