Tank Slap - Motorcycle Forum

So I managed to get the bike out today for a good blast round Guildford and ending up at boxhill. My old stomping ground from when I first started riding..

Things started very cautiously as it had been raining very heavily the day before and I wasn't sure how clear and dry the roads where. It didn't take long to find out they where fairly clear and dry The first section of the ride is fairly slow, which suits given the new tyres, so it gives me a chance to get the feel of the bike. My last tyres where "well worn", read as fooked, so the initial feel is a little edgy.

Once out onto the open roads it was time to start letting the bike flow a little. The turn in is quick and progressive and makes the bike feel very light, especially so at slower speeds. Rolling the bike from side to side through the fast flowing bends is smooth and effortless. I took a loop round the outside of Guidford that is a fast and flowing A road, the M7's are right at home here and give good feedback as the road surface changed.

The ride home however threw in a test I wasn't prepared for and hadn't anticipated writing.. Coming down a dual carriage way through Farnborough the sky darkened, this was then followed by the drop in temperature that can mean only one thing.... Time to get wet and boy did it rain.

The first roundabout was, unsurprisingly, slightly nervy. But the nerves where unjustified, the bike felt comfortable. The only thing that upset it was me going over a white line. The ride through camberly in the pissing rain wasn't fun, but it was very uneventful. That in it's own right says something for a set of brand new tyres IMO.

The final part of the ride was on a mixture of dry, damp, and wet country lanes. To be honest it didn't really make too much difference, I've found the confidence in the tyre. I'm really looking forward to getting them properly hot so I can see how good the grip levels really are.

Looking forward to wales next weekend.

Glad you like them mate. Are they a noticreable improvement over the m5?

Great write up Nutz. Glad to hear the New Tyres were a good choice after the ball ache you had to go through to get them!! :-)

Blade wrote:Are they a noticreable improvement over the m5?

To be honest mate, it's a bit too early to tell. Like the M5 they give good confidence from the outset, the grip in the wet does seem better especially as there was quite a bit of standing water about yesterday.

M5's were the most confidence inspiring tyre I gave used in the wet. If the M7 is the same with more dry weather grip and more agility they will be a great tyre. Let us know how you find them in the dry.

From the reading I have done I think the biggest improvements to the tyre have been towards the wet. The M7 has a totally new tread pattern that is designed to move water to the edge of the tyre much faster. The Mezeler site also claims they have increased the mileage from the tyre by up to 20% !

http://www.metzeler.com/site/com/produc ... -M7RR.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Tyres are all about confidence and feel which is why opinions vary so much.

Looks like money well spent, D6Nutz.

IMO there are also some tyres that suit a bike/rider combo and others that don't.

Maxxis diamonds, for example, do not suit an rsv. And if I recall correctly maxxis don't suit the duke63 model rider.

D6Nutz wrote:IMO there are also some tyres that suit a bike/rider combo and others that don't.

Maxxis diamonds, for example, do not suit an rsv. And if I recall correctly maxxis don't suit the duke63 model rider.

D6Nutz wrote:IMO there are also some tyres that suit a bike/rider combo and others that don't.

Maxxis diamonds, for example, do not suit an rsv. And if I recall correctly maxxis don't suit the duke63 model rider.

Agree with the first comment.

Second comment is not true maxxis diamonds are sh1t full stop which ever way you look at it. Stopping being polite, haha

I reckon if you whacked them on something like a GS500 and commuted on them in all sorts of weather they would work quite well. But for a superbike that spends most of its time in dry conditions, nah...

I reckon these will be the next tyre for me. I think I might wait a bit longer before I get them, the short term weather forecast doesn't look great.

Blade wrote:Let us know how you find them in the dry.

Didn't get a change to write this last night as I was too knackered.. Now I've had a proper day out on the bike I can answer the question as to whether I think the M7's are an improvement over the M5's. Yes !!

There is one trait I find unusual, but I'm getting used to it. The tyres roll very abruptly from the upright position into a lean, it's caught me out a couple of times. Once you are leaning however the stability is something else, The biggest change I found is the additional strength added to the carcass of the tyre, it's most noticeable on the the front even to the point I'm considering dropping a bit of preload.

I tried on corner I know near me to see how the tyres reacted. It's a long sweeping left hander coming down of a dual carriage way, 2/3rds of the way through the corner is where the resurfacing stopped. On the M5's this line would make the bike twitch, but the M7's nothing the bike was perfectly stable..

If they last well then this is going to be a fun summer..

That sounds promising.

I get mine on Saturday.

Good write up Nutz and glad you looked them.

Have they purposely made the carcass stiffer ? As Metzler and pirelli's are normally soft which I have always liked about them. Coming over Dunlop's and going onto M5's for the first time the compliance of the metzlers over ripples etc..was so much better than the Dunlop's. Could it be as simple as tyre pressures with the M7 being set higher by the tyre monkey ?

Kwacky wrote:That sounds promising.

I get mine on Saturday.

You'll like them mate. would be interested to hear your thoughts when you've got them acrubbed in..

Blade wrote:Good write up Nutz and glad you looked them.

Have they purposely made the carcass stiffer ? As Metzler and pirelli's are normally soft which I have always liked about them. Coming over Dunlop's and going onto M5's for the first time the compliance of the metzlers over ripples etc..was so much better than the Dunlop's. Could it be as simple as tyre pressures with the M7 being set higher by the tyre monkey ?

They're sales brochures say they have stiffened the carcass and it is quite evident. I've checked the tyre pressures and I even dropped them a few PSI (3-5) for the ride yesterday. The stiffer carcass doesn't seem to have compromised the ability to deal with the rougher tarmac, if in fact its completely the opposite.

So are they still this flexible cord carcass or whatever the technical jargon called it ?

Blade wrote:So are they still this flexible cord carcass or whatever the technical jargon called it ?

Have a look back on page one mate, I linked to the brochure with the technical stuff on it.

http://www.metzeler.com/site/com/produc ... -M7RR.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

To support such a profile, to permit the compound to grip the asphalt and keep the groves wide open when going under footprint, we developed a proper structure in order to sustain all elements in their correct position.

The radial carcass is made of a special version of Rayon with a high rate of linear density and stiffness. In other words, this structure is much more rigid and capable of maintaining its shape under a higher stress and load strain.
The fiber end-count has then been reduced by 20% increasing the space between a fiber and the next one; this space is therefore occupied by more rubber that enhances the overall dumping effect, providing a better contact feeling and predictability.

Over the radial structure lies the 0° steel belt with a 5 zones INTERACT™ technology to provide progressive behavior at any lean angle. The INTERACT™ technology is the latest level of evolution of the 0° steel belt technology and is an integral part of all METZELER tyre development where steel belt is used.

By Combining the INTERACT™ Structure with Compound Technology, all the elements of the complex Structure-Belt-Compound blend in the perfect way offering a continuous tuning of the performance over the lean angle of the bike.

The variable string winding tension of the 0° steel belt guarantees a progressive pressure distribution, giving tailored solutions to the different needs of every lean angle without any discontinuity in terms of performance.