Chinese Tourance
- Thread starter I of the Strom
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i have been reading this thread and its sister thread on adventure bike rider,i have been fitting tyres for over thirty years and always make a point of reminding my customers to go gentle and scrubb there new tyres for a hundred miles or so.
however ,i very seldom follow this myself as i swap my tyres between road,dual sport and nobblies all the time,BUT ,i nearly always steam clean NEW tyres once mounted to the rim to remove the releasing agents.
maybe i dont ride very hard,but i certainly cannot recall ever having any real issues with a lack of grip.
and never push hard until the tyres are up to temperature.
it certainly makes for interesting reading.
one thing i would say though,if there is a professional valet co. or truck workshop nearby with a steam cleaner it is deffo worth a couple of quid to give them a high temp cleaning before refitting.
however ,i very seldom follow this myself as i swap my tyres between road,dual sport and nobblies all the time,BUT ,i nearly always steam clean NEW tyres once mounted to the rim to remove the releasing agents.
maybe i dont ride very hard,but i certainly cannot recall ever having any real issues with a lack of grip.
and never push hard until the tyres are up to temperature.
it certainly makes for interesting reading.
one thing i would say though,if there is a professional valet co. or truck workshop nearby with a steam cleaner it is deffo worth a couple of quid to give them a high temp cleaning before refitting.
diver1
Registered user
Hi All.
For you information, I sent an E Mail to Metzeler with regard to the 'made in China tyre's' and received this reply:-
Dear John,
Thank you for your email,
We have a Factory in China since last couple of years now that start to produce Pirelli/Metzeler tyres, and we can assure you that they are the same quality that are made in Germany as the same high quality and technology equipment installed, I hope this has helped.
Regards,
Mannie
Contact Centre
Pirelli Metzeler Moto UK
For you information, I sent an E Mail to Metzeler with regard to the 'made in China tyre's' and received this reply:-
Dear John,
Thank you for your email,
We have a Factory in China since last couple of years now that start to produce Pirelli/Metzeler tyres, and we can assure you that they are the same quality that are made in Germany as the same high quality and technology equipment installed, I hope this has helped.
Regards,
Mannie
Contact Centre
Pirelli Metzeler Moto UK
Tyres: it's usually all in the mind.
Deleted account 211025001
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With all due respect what did you hope to gain with that email?
Maybe a reply stating that the production plant in China used sub-standard materials and processing equipment??
Andres
diver1
Registered user
With all due respect what did you hope to gain with that email?
Maybe a reply stating that the production plant in China used sub-standard materials and processing equipment??
Andres
Hi Andres,
I got what I expected..................................I have just had new Tourances fitted on my R1200GS. The front is marked manufactured in Germany and the rear manufactured in China.
I am in the process of scrubbing them in at the moment, and have a European trip to look forward to in the next month or so.
I will report back as to how they perform in due course.
As I said the E mail from Metzeler is exactly what I expected them to say (of course they are not going to admit to sub standard materials, quality Assurance and Safety aspects) I do however, have something in writing which I thought that I would share with this community. I thought it may be useful. (maybe not)..................................only trying to help.
Best Regards,
John
Andres[/QUOTE]
In ten years and 96,000 miles of 1150GS ownership my normal tyres were original Tourance. Fit in Crieff, back to Glasgow then a lap of the roundabouts in East Kilbride they were scrubbed to the side wall on the rear tyre. About 64 miles. These Chinese versions sound like a very different matter. The OP is right to warn people if he thinks that these tyres need a lot more scrubbing in.
I of the Strom
Registered user
I know that feeling having experienced it just before leaving the road. I want others to be aware of this as I'm sure there are many GS riders out there that are also accustomed to fitting Tourances as I was. If I can provide information that saves someone going through I have and still have ahead of me, then being on this forum is worth it.
I of the Strom
Registered user
Other than the colour is there any other signs of them appearing different, eg. my pair did not have the manufacturing baubles on the main area of tread pattern only down near the edge of the carcass. On the main surface there was small circles where you'd have expected to see the baubles protruding. There was also quite a bit of thin flange material in the tread gullies, the residue from the manufacturing seams.
fatnfast
Registered user
I still have my old German tourance and side by side there is no difference other than the manufacturing 'marks' as you descibe (and the made in China part ;-)). As you say, the small circles and flange material are the only obvious difference when new.
I doubt that Metzeler would change the compound, it seems to be whatever 'new' coating they have.
Roadcaptain
Registered user
I am about to fit my second Chinese rear, I have had no bad experience with them at all even though I had the last one fitted in torrential rain. It has done about 8500 miles now and is not at the limit yet, however I am getting the rumble on lean.
I of the Strom
Registered user
chinese tourance
Thanks for the info, from that then lets say my tyres are the genuine article and not counterfeit.
Thanks for the info, from that then lets say my tyres are the genuine article and not counterfeit.
Last edited:
XBX
Registered user
New Tourance Next feels WEIRD...
I had a new Tourance Next fitted to the front (inflated to 2.3bar) yesterday to match a new rear (2.6 bar) fitted a couple of months ago. I have only ridden about 20 miles home on it but it feels weird. I appreciate about scrubbing in new tyres etc, but in 40 years of riding never experienced anything like this.
As you sweep gently into a roundabout at really sensible speeds, it initially feels like you are going to drop the bike, it falls into the bend, like when sliding on ice, then, when trying to correct this by pulling the inside bar gently, the steering feels heavier, like you have a friction damper on the thing!
One of the things that made me choose a GS was how confidence inspiring the handling was, now I feel really unsafe in anything other than a straight line. I will give it a couple of hundred miles to see if it improves ....
Anybody else had anything like this?
I had a new Tourance Next fitted to the front (inflated to 2.3bar) yesterday to match a new rear (2.6 bar) fitted a couple of months ago. I have only ridden about 20 miles home on it but it feels weird. I appreciate about scrubbing in new tyres etc, but in 40 years of riding never experienced anything like this.
As you sweep gently into a roundabout at really sensible speeds, it initially feels like you are going to drop the bike, it falls into the bend, like when sliding on ice, then, when trying to correct this by pulling the inside bar gently, the steering feels heavier, like you have a friction damper on the thing!
One of the things that made me choose a GS was how confidence inspiring the handling was, now I feel really unsafe in anything other than a straight line. I will give it a couple of hundred miles to see if it improves ....
Anybody else had anything like this?
I had Chinese Tourances fitted to my bike. 2,500 miles and the front was down to the wear limit. All motorway miles, as were the previous 70,000 on German Touraces.
I sent the pair back to Pirelli with a nice letter and photo's. Got a new pair of Tourances in return free of charge. The whole process took about 5 weeks. In the meantime I had fitted a pair of Scorpion Trail's. Even worse. At 5,000 miles the front tyre had 13 deep splits and one or both of the tyres generated horrible vibrations through the bike.
Again, sent the pair back to Pirelli and I currently have a credit note sitting at home for another pair of Tourances.
My first set of "free" Chinese Tourances seem to be handling the mileage better although they're not going to last as long as the German ones. 6,000 miles and both front and rear are about 50% worn.
Hopefully my second set of "free" Chinese Tourances will be ok too.
I do notice the Chinese ones get hotter and even smell hot at journey's end. They're also lacking in feedback on wet roads compared to German Tourances but seem to be fine in the dry.
Regards
RobC
I sent the pair back to Pirelli with a nice letter and photo's. Got a new pair of Tourances in return free of charge. The whole process took about 5 weeks. In the meantime I had fitted a pair of Scorpion Trail's. Even worse. At 5,000 miles the front tyre had 13 deep splits and one or both of the tyres generated horrible vibrations through the bike.
Again, sent the pair back to Pirelli and I currently have a credit note sitting at home for another pair of Tourances.
My first set of "free" Chinese Tourances seem to be handling the mileage better although they're not going to last as long as the German ones. 6,000 miles and both front and rear are about 50% worn.
Hopefully my second set of "free" Chinese Tourances will be ok too.
I do notice the Chinese ones get hotter and even smell hot at journey's end. They're also lacking in feedback on wet roads compared to German Tourances but seem to be fine in the dry.
Regards
RobC
Justin Trevett
Registered user
So what are the other tyre options?
I currently have a pair of german tourances on my 1100gs and they are great.
I bumped into a guy a couple of years ago and he was raving about the anakees are these any good?
I currently have a pair of german tourances on my 1100gs and they are great.
I bumped into a guy a couple of years ago and he was raving about the anakees are these any good?
I of the Strom
Registered user
Anakee 3 seem to be the tyre of choice at the moment and once the bike is back I'll be changing to them - my Tourance days are over.
I of the Strom
Registered user
Sorry to hear about your issue but glad for the heads up as my tyre supplier was suggesting I try the 'Next' as a replacement for my Trad Tourances but after reading this I'm definitely moving to Anakees. You experience sound very similar to mine when having just had the Tourances fitted.
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