New Tourance EXP Tyres

[Diver Dan]

Hi Guys,

I recently fitted the new Metzler Tourance EXP's to my 12GSA. Up to this point I had Michelin (fitted from new), two sets and then reverted back to my old favourites, the standard Tourances. I loved them and have great confidence in them, both wet and dry.

Last tyre change, about 1000 miles ago, my freindly tyre dealer encouraged me to try out the new Tourance Exp's. This I did.

So far I'm not that happy, I seem to have less confidence in the front wheel, I seem to be right over to the very edge of the tread, but still a few millimetres on the tread of the rear tyre. Surely it should be the other way round?? I know it was on the standard Tourances. I was also encouraged to increase my front tyre pressure from 32psi to 36psi, as this was recommended by Metzler. Maybe this is the cause of the different cornering feel. It seems to want to drift on tight bends and it never was like this before the new tyres.

Just wondered if anyone else has any experience of these new EXP's??

Cheers

 

[Big Red]

Metzler EXP tyres

I have a 1200 GSA which was fitted with Michelin Anakees from new.
The tyres didn't give me the confidence in the wet that I had from the Metzler Tourances on my 1150 so when it was time, (8500 miles front - 6500 miles rear) I replaced them with standard Metzler Tourances.
The front is now due for replacement after covering 10000 miles and I replaced the rear after 8000 with a Metzler Tourance EXP.
The EXP feels that it has slightly more grip but then I had the confidence to get right over with the original Tourances and I don't want sportsbike grip.
I have only covered 3500 miles on the rear and I'll be lucky if I get another 1000 miles out of it so I won't get another EXP.

I always stick with the recommended BMW pressures and check my tyre condition and pressures regularly and change them when they are still legal but I don't think the EXP's are better than the original Tourances.

If I can find any I will fit a pair of original Tourances or either Avon Distanzia or Anakee 2's

 

[davidgibson999]

Hi Guys,

I recently fitted the new Metzler Tourance EXP's to my 12GSA. Up to this point I had Michelin (fitted from new), two sets and then reverted back to my old favourites, the standard Tourances. I loved them and have great confidence in them, both wet and dry.

Last tyre change, about 1000 miles ago, my freindly tyre dealer encouraged me to try out the new Tourance Exp's. This I did.

So far I'm not that happy, I seem to have less confidence in the front wheel, I seem to be right over to the very edge of the tread, but still a few millimetres on the tread of the rear tyre. Surely it should be the other way round?? I know it was on the standard Tourances. I was also encouraged to increase my front tyre pressure from 32psi to 36psi, as this was recommended by Metzler. Maybe this is the cause of the different cornering feel. It seems to want to drift on tight bends and it never was like this before the new tyres.

Just wondered if anyone else has any experience of these new EXP's??

Cheers

Hey there
I stuck the EXPs on last month and I love them - they won't wear as well as my beloved Tourances original but I'm really happy with them. Did Metzeler say to raise the pressure? I'd be surprised if you're riding solo...
However I'd just taken off TKC80s so perhaps anything would have inspired more confidence?? Not sure. My wear pattern is the same as your's though - right to the edge on the front and a couple of mm on the back either side. However I don't find the bike wanting to drift at all - I find them fantastic

 

[Diver Dan]

Thanks for the input guys.

I have a funny feeling the 'drifting' may be due to the increased front tyre pressure from 32psi to 36psi. It was only increased on the recommendation of my tyre fitter who told both me and my buddy that this was recommended by Metzler.

I'll drop the pressure to 32 tonight and see how it feels.

I will be disappointed if I get less wear from the EXP's than the standard Tourances, but it just reinforces the old maxim.....'if it ain't broke, don't fix it'.

 

[davidgibson999]

Thanks for the input guys.

I have a funny feeling the 'drifting' may be due to the increased front tyre pressure from 32psi to 36psi. It was only increased on the recommendation of my tyre fitter who told both me and my buddy that this was recommended by Metzler.

I'll drop the pressure to 32 tonight and see how it feels.

I will be disappointed if I get less wear from the EXP's than the standard Tourances, but it just reinforces the old maxim.....'if it ain't broke, don't fix it'.

You will definitely get less wear. If it was your tyre fitter's advice I'd ignore it because Metezler definitely recommend 32 front for solo riding. It is 36 front if two up

 

[john1215]

Interesting thread this cos I have just got a 2010 GS1200 GSA whi8ch has the new tourance exp's on. The dealer had the front and rear tyre inflated to 2 psi off maximum for both front and rear. On my previous bike a GS 1200 I had original Tourances on and because I am a big guy (6' 4" and almost 20 stone, I kept the front and rear both 2 psi above the normal setting to allow for my size and weight. My thinking is that the recommend pressures are set for a "normal" size rider weighing say 14-16 stone so my weight needs the extra 2 psi, I followed the recommended pressures in the manual though for carrying luggage and/or two up.
I amm interested to hear others views on wether I am doing the right thing by increasing the pressures or should I stick with the recommend pressure despite mysize?

john

 

[Giles]

Hi Guys,


I seem to be right over to the very edge of the tread, but still a few millimetres on the tread of the rear tyre. Surely it should be the other way round?? :

Yes, I'd have said so too. In all my biking years I've never got to the edge of a front tyre whilst still having spare rubber on the rear. My understanding is that tyre profiles are designed this way - if youre uber confident, scrape yer pegs and get to the limit of your rear tyre, you should always still have room to spare on your front.

Hard to do i know, esp with a telelever front end, but there's nothing wrong with experimenting with tyre pressures and trying to tune in to the feel of the bike; take a foot pump and a guage out with you and ride the same bit of road over and over again on different pressures??

I had the exp's on as standard when I bought in March, and thought they were very good.

I've never used the original Tourances, but I promise you the exp's will grip better than the original (which obviously is why they don't last as long..). I'm not sure if they share the same profile, but remember that different profiles will give you a different feel to cornering; some tyres will fall in to a turn and others will feel like theyre running wide unless you keep a bit of pressure on the bar mid turn.

We all rely (heavily) on confidence (ask Casey Stoner about front end confidence!!), but you won't wash your front out driving normally on the road. So relax, go and experiment with tyre pressures and see if you can teach yourself to tune in to the feel of your bike, and what you can do to subtly change things.

 

[Rasher]

On all my "Normal" sportsbikes I notice just 2-3psi down on front as the steering tends to go very heavy, the rear has to lose a lot more before I notice anything amiss.

Odd that you reach edge of Front Tyre first, this vertainly does not happen on Sports Bikes with 17' rims, maybe this is something to do with tall skinny (relatively speaking) fronts on these bikes?

 

[Big Nick]

Had both standard Tourances and EXP's only difference I found is wear rates, the EXP last only around two thirds of the mileage of the standard tyre.

I'll be sticking with standard Tourances from now on

 

[t'other dave]

I have EXP's and the front is worn right to the edge and the rear has about 5/10 mm chicken strip. It's just the profile of the tyres dont worry just ride. I have a 1150 with 33/36 pressures.

 

[Yellow Peril]

Hated Exp's no confidence in them at all changed to Conti Trail attacks feel same if not better than original Tourances.

 

[Brian ROSEN]

Who's normal?

"....a "normal" size rider weighing say 14-16 stone...." Really? Not me by a long chalk. Coming back to the thread I have Bridgestones on mine - coming up to about 5000 miles from new; I am sure they are as 'non-slip' as the Touraces I had on previous GS's and they are certainly smoother - but when I change I will probably go back to Touraces. I always keep pressures standard .... but at 84 kg only perhaps I should lower them!

 

[mrpc]

I have the EXP's on my 2010 std GS and have the strange wear on front and back (front - no chicken strip & back - about 5/10mm chicken strip). Tyres haven't done anything unpredictable yet (about 500km). Im going for a good run tomorrow so I will find out then. Once I got the strange wear out of my mind I found the tyre's feel fine. I was mostly spooking myself rather than paying attention to what the tyres were doing.

Bike came new with Anakee 2 and I so far slightly prefer them. Anakees 2 are really hard to get down here in Australia.

I had 32 - 36 when the tyres were fitted but I bumped the pressure up to 38 - 42 and they felt alot better to me. Dont know how they will last though.


Cheers

Pete

 

[Brian ROSEN]

I am sure that the demands on our tyres are often very different - I don't suppose that Pete in Australia is over concerned with wet weather performance (neither am I in Southern France) Others amongst us who are (more than) a little on the heavy side(!) present another set of parameters. Those of us who really do cover great distances are going to be more concerned with wear rates. Feed all the factors into a computer and you would get the right answer for your situation - but then new & different tyres are coming out all the time! I reckon that if they are the 'correct' tyres (as approved by the makers) and you accept that, you won't have too much of a problem with any of them.

 

[(RIP) Kaister]

EXP's are cheaply made, thinly carcassed, designed down to an oem price, shite.

Standard tourances are far superior in grip and lack of twitchy squirminess and far more confidence inspiring

The only point an EXP is any good is in the first 1/3 of its life - after than it goes downhill very rapidly in direct proportion to its carcass weight.

Anyone who thinks an EXP is a good tyre, obviously isn't a riding god, like me

 

[Giles]

I haven't tried the original, but if people regularly write on here 'yeah .... I get over 10,000 miles from my rear...' then I would suggest they aren't riding gods either .... : (and that your claim that the original is a far grippier tyre than the exp is also tosh )

 

[C-J]

Standard tourances are far superior in grip and lack of twitchy squirminess and far more confidence inspiring

On what sort of road surface... In the rain or the dry ?? What sort of pressures ? What preload and damping settings ???

Opinions are like ar5eholes.. Every forums got one

 

[mrpc]

Im not too concerned about wet grip, although these tyres have caused me no problem in the rain... I just dont want em to skate all over the place and these dont.

I am curious about why the front will wear to the edge and the back has a couple of mm chicken strips?????

I went out today to get rid of the strips (I have only done about 500km and the 300km of that was commuting) and I have no strips on the front and still have strips on the back.

Tyres felt fine no slips - some quick cornering and dirt roads.

Anyone got any ideas about why design a tyre that wears opposite to the standard - no strips on the back and strips on the front???

Cheers

Pete

 

[(RIP) Kaister]

On what sort of road surface... In the rain or the dry ?? What sort of pressures ? What preload and damping settings ???

Opinions are like ar5eholes.. Every forums got one

a) all of those

b) welcome aboard

 

[chipsonfriday]

Nice Avatar C-J.

Tyres must contribute!!!