A tire question.

[texaskatrider]

Ok, I know this has been asked a lot, but I am looking for the best answer. My 1998 Katana 600 needs new tires, both front and rear. I am going to base my decision on what to buy from the members of this site. I live in an area that does not have a lot of twisties, but there are a few so I am looking for good traction and a decent tread life. Need to know if I should stay with the same size, or go a little larger in the rear. I do not want to affect the handling. (Although, the cuped front tire and the slick rear tire do make it kinda tricky to ride now.) Also my inspection is coming up and I know that the rear tire will not pass. Any input will be greatly appricated. I will have to order the tires, since the stealership does not carry much in the way of sportbike tires. Thanks.......

[Crackshot]

Metzler Mez-6's. a bunch of people here recomended them, and I just put them on my bike. Dear god, its a new bike. 120 in the front, 160 in the back.

[arsenic]

+1 i have a pre 98 so it's a 120 front, 150 rear. Metzler's Z6's are great. I live in Chicago where we get a lot of rain and the Z6's are great for wet traction.

[ThAzKat]

According to another one of these threads, Cyber has said, "Z6 is probably the best all around tire for the Katana. I am in a warm climate and would like to try the Z6's myself and hope they will work in Ohio too. lol

[WildKat]

I cant wait to get some new rubber for mine, but what I have is sufficient for this year yet. Metz are some of the most popular, as are pilots. 160 on the back is the biggest you can go without mods done to the rear. 150 is what alot of people use on the rear.

[arsenic]

yeah, 150 is the biggest on the pre's. On the 98+ the rim is a 1/2in wider and it will accomidate the 160, but the pre's only go to 150 without ugrading to the 98 + rim and possibly swingarm(I'm not sure).

[ThAzKat]

yeah, 150 is the biggest on the pre's. On the 98+ the rim is a 1/2in wider and it will accomidate the 160, but the pre's only go to 150 without ugrading to the 98 + rim and possibly swingarm(I'm not sure).

you can run the 160 on the 98+ rim and some on the pre98 rim but I don't suggest the pre98 rim with a 160. 120front and 160 rear is about the norm on Katanas.

[The CyberPoet]

I vote for the Z6's for your intended use. You won't get caught out and the lifespan will be great. I just started riding the Z6's after having gone through 3 sets of Z4's over the last 35k miles (and I hate to admit it, but I preferred the Z4's feel, but they're not available in the stock sizes in the USA anymore).

The OEM sizes are 120/70ZR17 front, 150/70ZR17 rear. Moving to a 160/60ZR17 is recommended only if you tend to ride dry weather, have a 98+ rear rim, AND want better dry traction (it will increase the tendency of the rear to hydroplane in wet situations, but give slightly better grip in the dry). The 150 will work better in the rain and for commuting/touring.

Current best price I know of was out of an outfit in California called AmericanMototire.com, at $187 for the pair, plus shipping ($212 across the country to me in Florida 2 weeks ago).

Cheers
=-= The CyberPoet

[The CyberPoet]

Oh, and run the pressure a little high... baseline is 34 front, 36 rear; if you weigh 180 - 200, run them 35-36 front and 37-38 rear.

Cheers
=-= The CyberPoet

[woobie]

I don't know how much rain you get down in texas, or if you even ride when it does. But the MEZ-6s are great in the rain, I've ridden in a few downpours and traction was never an issue.

When the set I have wears out I'll be getting another set of the same, I envy you guys with your tire prices. $200US for a set, that would buy the rear tire up here locally .

[irenekat]

i put some metzler M1's on my kat and it was a totally different bike. good handling. i think any upgrade from crapadams will give you much difference in handling. weird, never heard of mez6. do they not make m1's anymore? anyways, good luck on your tire search and make sure you get a 160 in the back!

[The CyberPoet]

I don't know how much rain you get down in texas, or if you even ride when it does. But the MEZ-6s are great in the rain, I've ridden in a few downpours and traction was never an issue.

When the set I have wears out I'll be getting another set of the same, I envy you guys with your tire prices. $200US for a set, that would buy the rear tire up here locally .

I'll be happy to reship them to you in Canada, as I'm sure some folks in California (who are closer to the vendor and thus can get local shipping from them) would probably be happy to do as well (I'm thinking DennisWilson here). No sense in paying through the nose with NAFTA in place.

i put some metzler M1's on my kat and it was a totally different bike. good handling. i think any upgrade from crapadams will give you much difference in handling. weird, never heard of mez6. do they not make m1's anymore? anyways, good luck on your tire search and make sure you get a 160 in the back!

Metzeler still makes SporTec M1's, although I think they are slated for obsoletion, being replaced by the new RaceTec line (which, unforunately, won't come in sizes suitable for the rear tire of the Kat; the smallest RaceTec rear is a 180). The M1 is overkill for the power-output of the Kat for most riders, and while it is an extremely grippy tire, a normal rider (even while railing) on a typical stock Kat 600/750 won't lose traction with a Metzeler Z4 or Z6 because of the bike's weight (high weight means better downforce on the contact patch) and the low power-output of the kat (70 - 90HP). Plus the Z4/Z6 will last about three to four times longer than the SporTec M1's.
The line-up numbers have to do with the softness of the tread compound -- an M1 is hyper-soft road-racing tire; the Z series are Sport-Touring tires (going from the relatively soft Z2 to the longer-lived Z4, with the Z6 as the new replacement for the Z4). The ME part of it just means "Metzeler"... Thus, your tires are ME-M1, while the one we're advocating here is the ME-Z6.

KNOW THIS:
Metzler also just released their Metzeler Street Tire Brochure for 2005 (PDF), which denotes the differences between the various compounds & tire types.

See http://www.metzelermoto.com/ for more info on Metzeler tires.

Cheers
=-= The CyberPoet

[irenekat]

thanks for the info as always!

[1FunnyGuy]

Greetings to All... !!

I'm Tippen tword the Mich. Pilot Powers...I Just recently installed a 120 on the front and a 160 on the rear and this kitty handles like never before.

-M