Muley
Cruisin' Guzzisti
johnno asked:
I have an apology to make. I did make a mistake on the mileage I previously reported for my Metzeler Marathons, so here are the exact numbers.
16,632 miles two sets ago
14,219 miles one set ago
9670 miles on the current set (mounted in Alaska)
I thought my tires only had 8000 miles on them, but they have nearly nearly 1700 miles more than that. I added that mileage to my 14K plus set, from memory, and miscalculated the total. I went back and checked my records which are kept for everything from oil changes to spark plugs, etc.
I changed tires in Alaska prior to riding the 415 mile Dalton Hwy. which is mostly gravel and dirt. I could have gone further on the 14K set, but was concerned about "off road" traction. The new tires got many small cuts from the sharp gravel, but I rode all the way home on them, and with nearly 10K, they look pretty good. I'm sure they won't get as many miles as the first set since I intend to change them before my next long ride this summer. The roads in Alaska look like rasps with large gravel protruding up through the tar. While riding up there all I could think about was how abrasive that surface was on my tires and how much of my ass would be left in the road if I fell off. The current set of tires endured those conditions and got me home safely with good tread left.
I am very impressed with the Marathons. They handle well, ride well and last forever, especially the fronts. I have never worn out a front Marathon, just simply change them with the rear ones each time.
As some of you have mentioned, tire life is contingent upon riding style, road surface, type of bike, etc. I ride with Harley owners who seem to be determined to roar away from every stop like it's a drag race. They get no more than 4 or 5,000 miles on their tires. They also slow down just as quickly. I use engine compression to slow me until the last few feet, and I don't take off like a rabbit (except when the Harley guys piss me off and try to outrun me). My EV has 110,000 and I intend to ride on for several years so I try not to flog it, but sometimes I can't stand it and it gets pushed to the limit. Most of my riding, unfortunately, is on the interstate at around 75-80 mph, so the bottom of my tire wears off square before the sides even look used.
The first set of Metzeler Marathons I owned got about 23,000 miles. I distinctly remember that since I thought it was phenomenal. These tires were on the bike when I bought it and the PO said he had gotten about 20,000 on the set before those. I never got over about 5000 or 5500 miles on my rear dual sport tires on my KLR, but, apparently, even that is good compared to what some of you are reporting.
Altogether, I am pleased with every aspect of the Marathon's performance, and I see no reason to change brands, that is, unless I am forced to ride with Pete or Jon.
I have an apology to make. I did make a mistake on the mileage I previously reported for my Metzeler Marathons, so here are the exact numbers.
16,632 miles two sets ago
14,219 miles one set ago
9670 miles on the current set (mounted in Alaska)
I thought my tires only had 8000 miles on them, but they have nearly nearly 1700 miles more than that. I added that mileage to my 14K plus set, from memory, and miscalculated the total. I went back and checked my records which are kept for everything from oil changes to spark plugs, etc.
I changed tires in Alaska prior to riding the 415 mile Dalton Hwy. which is mostly gravel and dirt. I could have gone further on the 14K set, but was concerned about "off road" traction. The new tires got many small cuts from the sharp gravel, but I rode all the way home on them, and with nearly 10K, they look pretty good. I'm sure they won't get as many miles as the first set since I intend to change them before my next long ride this summer. The roads in Alaska look like rasps with large gravel protruding up through the tar. While riding up there all I could think about was how abrasive that surface was on my tires and how much of my ass would be left in the road if I fell off. The current set of tires endured those conditions and got me home safely with good tread left.
I am very impressed with the Marathons. They handle well, ride well and last forever, especially the fronts. I have never worn out a front Marathon, just simply change them with the rear ones each time.
As some of you have mentioned, tire life is contingent upon riding style, road surface, type of bike, etc. I ride with Harley owners who seem to be determined to roar away from every stop like it's a drag race. They get no more than 4 or 5,000 miles on their tires. They also slow down just as quickly. I use engine compression to slow me until the last few feet, and I don't take off like a rabbit (except when the Harley guys piss me off and try to outrun me). My EV has 110,000 and I intend to ride on for several years so I try not to flog it, but sometimes I can't stand it and it gets pushed to the limit. Most of my riding, unfortunately, is on the interstate at around 75-80 mph, so the bottom of my tire wears off square before the sides even look used.
The first set of Metzeler Marathons I owned got about 23,000 miles. I distinctly remember that since I thought it was phenomenal. These tires were on the bike when I bought it and the PO said he had gotten about 20,000 on the set before those. I never got over about 5000 or 5500 miles on my rear dual sport tires on my KLR, but, apparently, even that is good compared to what some of you are reporting.
Altogether, I am pleased with every aspect of the Marathon's performance, and I see no reason to change brands, that is, unless I am forced to ride with Pete or Jon.
