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Avon - Metzler...My Finding...My 2 Cents.. Whatever you like to call it...

10K views 87 replies 51 participants last post by  Oriondk 
#1 ·
LAst year I switched to Avon Cobras from 5 years of Metz tires. Reason? Well Avons Used to be $50+ More Per tire in the past. For some reason Metz $ have gone up and Avons have gone Down in the last 24 months so I did it.
Well I last time I changed tires I used a Honda shop and asked them to put the used aside so I could compare, I never expected to have such a difference.
1) Avons Ride Better, They chew up and Stick to the canyon roads like no other tire I have had, The rear 200 is Higher than Stock and seems to Roll into corners better than both Metz and Dunlops.
2) In the rain (yes I do that occasionally) the Avons win again. While riding around last month with a Visiting Forum Member a rain Storm hit while we where in the canyons and 30 miles of freeway from home. Well the Avons once agn Out performed any other tire I have used on this bike. (Avons, Dunlops, Metz)
3) Most surprising is the Wear pattern. I figured (and heard from others) that Avons are Stickier but wear out quickly. NOT TRUE!!!
I have complained in the past that Metz seem to Wear Out over night. You will be riding along fine one day than 2 days later your tire looks and feels like it is 10 years old!, The rear tires develop a Flat Spot that goes all the way around the tire and makes riding problematic.

Here is the Pict of the 2 tires side by side. The Metz (Off the Bike) has about 11k on it, the Avon (on the Bike) was put on last July and has 10.5k on it right now.
Notice the Metz one side is completely gone, no tread left what so ever while the other side appears to have a Bit of Life remaning.
The Avon on the Other hand looks brand new to me still. I cannot see having to change this tire anytime soon at all from the looks of the tread and MOST IMPORTANT the EVEN WEAR PATTERN!!! I ride the same as always. 35% FReeway, 10% street and 55% Canyon roads.
I am sold on the Avons.
 

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#5 ·
That's some good info! And to add to the balancing controversy, how are your wheels balanced? Static balanced with lead weights, Dynamic balanced with lead weights, no balancing, were balanced but weights fell off, DynaBeads? Inquiring minds want to know.
 
#7 ·
Man that is exactly what my Metz looks like on the front. So did the Dunlop. I have been asking why on this forum. I knew I could not be the only one experiencing this problem. Anyone got ideas except changing tire brand. I think I will turn my front wheel around and run it backwards until it matches the other side. I don't ride in the rain anyway, so what should it hurt?
 
#8 ·
I just happen to have Brand New Avons in the garage now too.
Here you can see the Difference isn't that Great from new to used on these tires. (On Bike and In plastic wrap).

The rear seems to be on track to the same as the Metz too, I go through 2 Rear tires for every front. This one has a little over 2000 miles MORE than any Metz I ever had before at around 9k. I am thinking 3k more out of it.
 

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#10 ·
That's just what my front Dunlop looks like; wearing on the left side more than the right.
 
#12 ·
Thanks, Lux. I just ordered an Avon Cobra front tire and will be getting the rear tire soon.
 
#13 ·
David,
Great pix for comparison. I got 30k on my front, still not down to the wear mark, but now it need to be replaced just due to age. Avons are great and definitely my tires of choice.
btw, I get a new rear Cobra put on tomorrow :D
 
#14 ·
Well you've sold me...the Metz's were exactly as you described. The main reason I stuck with them though was because I was nervous about the slightly larger (than 200 Metz) 200 Avon rubbing on my saddlebag brackets....but I'm just going to bite the bullet and grind more metal off if needed.
 
#15 ·
Great review David. I'll be switching from Metz to Avon next time I need tires. (Soon!)
 
#17 ·
i def. notice a diff. with my new cobra 250/120 front to the metz...the 250 handles better & leans into the turns easier than the 240 dunlaps & 240 metz. haven't done any rolling burnouts yet, so can not compare how they hold up to abuse, we'll see.
 
#26 ·
Hey Mega, I have the Unlimited Eng. tank & zero clearance issues.

11000+ on the Avons & they are as Lux describes...
 
#22 ·
I love the girl in the back ground. Looks like her balance weights stayed on. How did she wear?
 
#28 ·
If anything the Avon will be the same in width but slightly taller than the Metz from what I have seen. Also Avon offers a 250 width (instead of Metz 260) - but it is about the same width as the Metz 260 from what others have said.

I just put on a pair of Avons (250 rear on a 8.5" wheel) and love them. I have about 250 miles on them now and the WOW factor is still off the hook compared to the Duncraps.
 
#25 ·
I wish I had seen this last week...just ordered the front and rear replacements for the Metzlers and had them put on last Thursday.
I had about 9k on them and the front was horrible and like Lux said, I swear that front tire seemed fine one day and then went to shite the next.

I'm going with the Avons next time I need a new set. That said, the Metzlers were HUGELY better than the Dunlops the bike came with.
 
#29 ·
Good post Lux!

What you say here >

I have complained in the past that Metz seem to Wear Out over night. You will be riding along fine one day than 2 days later your tire looks and feels like it is 10 years old!, The rear tires develop a Flat Spot that goes all the way around the tire and makes riding problematic.

I totally agree and it has gotten me stuck badly needing a tire on the road a couple of times, threads showing....I usually only get about 8k out of the rear and it looks worse than the one you posted!

I wanted to try the Avon Cobras last time, but it seems someone had purchased them all! :chair:
 
#47 ·
Good post Lux!

What you say here >

I have complained in the past that Metz seem to Wear Out over night. You will be riding along fine one day than 2 days later your tire looks and feels like it is 10 years old!, The rear tires develop a Flat Spot that goes all the way around the tire and makes riding problematic.
I experienced the same thing on my 1600 mile trip last week. I knew the tire was getting toward the end of its lifespan, but it looked like it had 3 or 4k left in it. By the end of the trip, the tread on the left side was almost totally gone, but the right side was still decent.
 
#31 ·
I went from Dunlops to the Avon Cobras (front/back) and my bike felt completely different! I love the clearance that they have given me (maybe 1 more inch) and the way that they corner. I have less issues now keeping up with the sporties in the twisties. I was concerned about the rumors that the Avons wearing quicker than Metz but now am no longer worried :). For me the selling point (even independent of the wear issue that now appears debunked) was that they hold up extremely well in wet weather. I frequently ride in areas that are subsequent to heavy rain and also the oil beading up on the road. Excellent review!
 
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