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I just mounted the Interacts on my Buell Ulysses on Sunday night, so I only have about 300 miles on them right now. I will try to keep this updated as they wear.
After my first 50 miles on these, I was ready to take them off and sell them. They felt like I was riding a tire with a profile like a stop sign. They were nice and stable in a straight line, but something as simple as a lane change felt like the whole bike was going to fall over. I decided, in the interest of testing every sport touring tire available, to persevere, and boy am I glad I did. As these tires wear in and I get a chance to adjust my riding style to suit the tires, they just keep getting better and better.
The Interacts do not want to turn in slowly. Anyone who has read Lee Parks, Total Control, will remember how he talks about initiating the turn hard and fast, and then working your way back from there. Well that is exactly how these tires want to behave. Coming off the straight line, it takes a little input to get these tires to lean, and then they really just fall into the corner, after which point, you can start taking lean angle out. The tires really do a nice job of encouraging late apexes, because an early apex is going to put you either in the dirt or into oncoming traffic as quickly as these guys turn in.
Comfort on the newest Metz is very good, without being numb. They translate just enough through the controls to get a feel for the road surface, and what the tires are doing.
Grip, so far they have plenty, and I hope not to explore those limits. Everything I have thrown at them so far has felt like they still had much more to offer. I can say they have more than enough traction to deal with big torque. Lean angle, yup, check, they have that so far, but I'm not at the edge of the tire or the peg yet, so a little bit longer to get adjusted to the tire before I can give my full verdict on that.
Wet conditions, well in two days, they haven't seen any, but the forecast makes it look like a definite possibility for this week.
So far, I really like the Interacts. The only thing I have found that they don't excel at is lane change maneuvers. If they maintain the same profile through the size range, I think it is a tire that would really well suit the Katana, and help it to turn in a bit faster. As a matter of fact, I will probably pick up a set for my Kat, (if I ever wear the RoadSmarts out.)
After my first 50 miles on these, I was ready to take them off and sell them. They felt like I was riding a tire with a profile like a stop sign. They were nice and stable in a straight line, but something as simple as a lane change felt like the whole bike was going to fall over. I decided, in the interest of testing every sport touring tire available, to persevere, and boy am I glad I did. As these tires wear in and I get a chance to adjust my riding style to suit the tires, they just keep getting better and better.
The Interacts do not want to turn in slowly. Anyone who has read Lee Parks, Total Control, will remember how he talks about initiating the turn hard and fast, and then working your way back from there. Well that is exactly how these tires want to behave. Coming off the straight line, it takes a little input to get these tires to lean, and then they really just fall into the corner, after which point, you can start taking lean angle out. The tires really do a nice job of encouraging late apexes, because an early apex is going to put you either in the dirt or into oncoming traffic as quickly as these guys turn in.
Comfort on the newest Metz is very good, without being numb. They translate just enough through the controls to get a feel for the road surface, and what the tires are doing.
Grip, so far they have plenty, and I hope not to explore those limits. Everything I have thrown at them so far has felt like they still had much more to offer. I can say they have more than enough traction to deal with big torque. Lean angle, yup, check, they have that so far, but I'm not at the edge of the tire or the peg yet, so a little bit longer to get adjusted to the tire before I can give my full verdict on that.
Wet conditions, well in two days, they haven't seen any, but the forecast makes it look like a definite possibility for this week.
So far, I really like the Interacts. The only thing I have found that they don't excel at is lane change maneuvers. If they maintain the same profile through the size range, I think it is a tire that would really well suit the Katana, and help it to turn in a bit faster. As a matter of fact, I will probably pick up a set for my Kat, (if I ever wear the RoadSmarts out.)
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this is the best icon eva
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