Diablo rear tire life

I just got back from a 225 mile ride today (a bit chilly, but the heated jacket and gloves made it nice) and noticed that I have cord showing through the Pirelli Diablo rear tire. I had that tire installed Nov 27, 2010 and got about 5700 miles on it. That is not very far off from the mileage that I got from the first Diablo (about 6100 miles).

Its a nice tire, but that is not enough mileage. I already have a Metzeler Feel Free in the garage that is going on next week. Hopefully it will last longer. I already have a Feel Free front tire (installed in Sept. 2011, and now has just over 2000 miles on it), and it seems to ride as well as the Diablo.

Tires have always been balanced, and pressure is monitored at least monthly (and rarely needed more air). Valve stems were replaced April 1, 2010 when the first Diablo set was installed.

I like to ride hard, but I'm not a racer. I'm hoping the Metzelar is a better fit. Just letting you all know my experience in hopes it can help someone out there.

I've logged over 9500 miles so far on my metzelers, new pair going on soon!

I replaced my Metzler rear tire with another Metzler. Had 9500 smiles on it. I get the most out of Metzlers and like the performance on all road conditions.
Old Dave in Western Nebraska

That's strange since I got about 10,000 miles and 9,500 on my 2 rear Diablo's. I change my tires out at the same time also. I don't race either so I wonder if it is your roads or something like that. Good luck on your new tire and if that doesn't get good mileage I would try the Hoops. They came OEM on my SWing and I changed them at 10,000 miles and they probably could have gone a couple of thousand more.

I'm not all that good at checking my tire pressure and sometimes they are kind of low. I guess I'm just lucky.

My 2002 SW had 7,800 miles on the Diablo's and just changed the rear at 14,000 - don't know how many miles were on the tires at time of purchase - it was getting down on tread but not totally worn out. I had picked up a set of Diablo's from a local Honda dealer for less than my normal mail order outlet otherwise was looking at the Metzeler Feel-Free's and may go that route next time depending on my experience with the second set of Diablo's.

All in all did not think my mileage on the Diablo's was too bad - I ride moderately aggressive with the SW and it is the choice for 2-up riding with my spouse which pushes the capacity limit. I do check air pressure before any major outing and have been keeping pressure at 31 front and 36 rear - my SW does seem to lose about 2 lbs over the course of a month.

My other experience with tread life is no better with my Aprilia Scarabeo 500 GT and probably less - best so far is with the Michelin Gold Stds at 7k for rear and less with factory tires - this is with 16" on both front and rear. Will admit to pushing the Aprilia harder in the twisties because the suspension feels more capable than the SW.

To close, I don't expect to get great mileage on tires with either of my scoots so 6 - 7k on the rear seems reasonable to me. Maybe I should push my rear pressure up to 38 lbs like mentioned by others.

Rick V

I'm sure my Metzler could have gone another couple of thousand miles but why "risk" your life? After being in aviation for over 35 years I believe in "preventive maintenance."
Old Dave

Thanks for the responses, guys.

I realize that my mileage is low, but I tend to ride it hard. Full throttle starts are typical, in town on on the road. I think this tends to cause a little slippage of the tire on the road, which is what is supposed to wear away the rubber. I've read (and think it makes sense) that two-up is actually better for the tire because you have enough weight on the back to prevent the tire from slipping.

I noticed that I get indications of use between 1/8-1/4" of the edge of the rear tire. Love the NC mountains!

On another note, I noticed that I started to get some wobble in the front end (not the usual 35-25 coast down wobble, but 50+mph wobble). The front tire (Metz) has about 2000 miles on it and the rear is now brand new. Tried adding air pressure to the front and it seemed to get rid of the wobble. The same thing happened to my Vespa when I put Michelin City Grips on it. The wobble disappeared when I boosted the psi to 37. I think I am running about 33-35 psi on the Honda front and it cleared up the wobble. FYI.