HaulinAshe
Well-known member
This being my post #1,000 and all, I REALLY did not want it to be another tire post. But I just can't help myself!
OEM Metzeler Z6 was starting to feel too much like a truck, so at 3,940 miles I decided to go ahead and mount the new Avon AV55 Storm front tire.
Immediately, the steering was noticeably "loose", much more loose than I would typically expect. So I spent the past few days putting about 500 miles on the new front and readjusting my timing to the feel of the Avon. The front end "dance" and noticeably loose feel required a big change in my habits, timing and style.
After doing about 200 miles slabbing (followed my Mom to the beach this weekend), the front Avon developed that noticeable thump-thump-thump in a lean. I had not felt or heard that sound since my last Mich Pilot Road was on its final miles. The sound was tolerable, but soon after the front developed a definite shimmy during braking. Hands-off on the bars under any load, accel, decel, or braking, and you get fork wobble that would undoubtedly grow into tank slap if left unattended.
I've consistently found myself going wide in corners, slipping across wet stripes of pavement, doing whoopee slips across paint stripes, and generally running lines that scare me a bit too much. The rear Avon seems to be handling fine, but the front Avon has to go. I will say that the Avon front seems to do much better in a two-up situation, and might be a decent choice for someone who rides 2-up most all the time.
As a side note, my local tire dealer swears that the front is mounted backwards. He says the tread pattern looks backwards, even though we definitely have the rotation arrows correct. I'm not sure I agree with him, but I am sure that this is the second worst handling front tire I have yet run on a FJR, with the Z4 Metzeler still holding that 1st place honor.
The rear does not look like it's going to offer substantially longer life than most other tires. It's looking pretty worn at under 2,000 miles. Things are not looking good in the Haulin Ashe household for Avons' future.
There, I've done it. I wasted a perfectly good milestone post.
OEM Metzeler Z6 was starting to feel too much like a truck, so at 3,940 miles I decided to go ahead and mount the new Avon AV55 Storm front tire.
Immediately, the steering was noticeably "loose", much more loose than I would typically expect. So I spent the past few days putting about 500 miles on the new front and readjusting my timing to the feel of the Avon. The front end "dance" and noticeably loose feel required a big change in my habits, timing and style.
After doing about 200 miles slabbing (followed my Mom to the beach this weekend), the front Avon developed that noticeable thump-thump-thump in a lean. I had not felt or heard that sound since my last Mich Pilot Road was on its final miles. The sound was tolerable, but soon after the front developed a definite shimmy during braking. Hands-off on the bars under any load, accel, decel, or braking, and you get fork wobble that would undoubtedly grow into tank slap if left unattended.
I've consistently found myself going wide in corners, slipping across wet stripes of pavement, doing whoopee slips across paint stripes, and generally running lines that scare me a bit too much. The rear Avon seems to be handling fine, but the front Avon has to go. I will say that the Avon front seems to do much better in a two-up situation, and might be a decent choice for someone who rides 2-up most all the time.
As a side note, my local tire dealer swears that the front is mounted backwards. He says the tread pattern looks backwards, even though we definitely have the rotation arrows correct. I'm not sure I agree with him, but I am sure that this is the second worst handling front tire I have yet run on a FJR, with the Z4 Metzeler still holding that 1st place honor.
The rear does not look like it's going to offer substantially longer life than most other tires. It's looking pretty worn at under 2,000 miles. Things are not looking good in the Haulin Ashe household for Avons' future.
There, I've done it. I wasted a perfectly good milestone post.
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