Metzeler on FB

Gotta say that the boys and girls at Metzeler did me a solid last week by getting me a set of RoadTec 01's fitted for ?40 cheaper than I could find myself. Just a quick note to them on FB and then 'jim' took on the challenge.

Firstly he tried to convince me to buy some z8's ? (not sure if they're budget mz's?) and then M7's but as I'm revving up for my Italian trip I wanted something a little more comfortable & hard wearing doing that kind of distance so stuck to my trusted RoadTec's. After a few to & fro's he got me a deal with "The Bike Depot" in Worksop .. Nice guys, even serviced my brakes & lubed my chain for a (very) few extra beer tokens.

The culprit to my forever decreasing tyre pressure was a very thin, but long black needle - almost like a panel pin, but even thinner. The head had buried itself into the rubber making it almost impossible to see. Anyway, i've done 3k miles on the factory Bridgestones and they were a bit on the square side so needed replacing.

Z8s are excellent tyres (I had them on my old F800ST, great grip, 14k out of front, 8k rear), and not at all budget....but still surprised to see them suggested for the RR... Plenty of love for both alternatives in other threads, no idea about expected mileage from the 01s, maybe 4-5k if you're lucky for the rear M7 - is that enough?

I had 01's on the old bike and managed 6k (mostly upright) riding before the bike went in for trade. I'd guess at another 1-2k before it would have been embarrassingly square - like the tyres on my van. The M7's (I do have a set of lightly worn ones in the garage purchased from Felix a little while ago) I'm saving for when someone offers me a set of HP wheels for threpence ...

Weren?t the Z8 Interact?s the predecessor to the RoadTec 01?s? If so, from memory they had fantastic reviews