Guys, I need you to help me with a perplexing problem.

The local HD dealer was soooo booked this summer and I needed a new set of Tires with about 16K on my 07 EGC with IDS installed. I needed my 2nd rear and a 1st new front. I couldn't wait a month, but found a local indy shop that has a set of Metz 880s for the same prices as the Dunlops and so I went for it. I've had 880s on previous bikes and always been pleased with them.

So, anyway, the mount of the Metz and off I go. All is good except when I start going over 60 I start feeling a shudder or shake or vibration, (I wouldn't call it a wobble).. but kind of like an out of round tire feel. At 70 it sets in and is a definite something I shouldn't be feeling. Clicking into 6th just pronounces it more as it seems to set up a harmonic with the engine pulses and I feel it more, but I feel it in either 6th or 5th.

It's a shake or shudder that feels like an imperfection in the tire.

So, anyway I take it back to the Indy and he says, let me look it over. They take it in for another day or two, and claim to rebalance both tires/wheels.. and say they find nothing. They also say the looked at the motormounts and they looked okay and they torqued them to spec. And also checked to make sure the belt was right on. It's no change, still the same.

I ride it for a week or so and am convinced I must have a bad tire. So I bring it back, and this Indy has done business with me for a while and I've had him put on a lot of tires over the last decade, so he says.. "hey, maybe you got a bad beltin one of those tires, I'll change them both out" and he does.

Still no change.. if anything, with these new tires, it feels a little more pronounced.

I am baffled and just don't know where to turn. I might be able to take it into the HD dealer in my area now and askthem to troubleshoot.. but going back to the Indy seems pointless.

Any ideas? I asked the Indy if he maybe took off the IDS and/or touched it and he claims he didn't. It was fine before I went to these Metz. But now, after replacing them it seems unlikely the problem lies with the tires. ...but, then, on the other hand what could it be?

A 30 pack to anyoen that can help me with this dilemma!

 

I had almost the exact experience a few weeks ago. Same bike with IDS, same miles, and as with your experience the bike felt perfect before changing tires. Only difference, I had the HD dealer install Dunlops, same as the ones that came on the bike, and same as the 1st swap on the rear. After the new tires were installed, my wife & I rode it about 500 miles over the Labor Day weekend. I felt all the stuff you described, and was very uneasy about the situation all weekend long. I dropped the bike off at the dealer as soon as we got back to town. The next day the service manager called me after riding the bike and told me the back tire had a bad belt. They replaced it immediately, at no cost, and all is well.
Hopefully it is one of the new tires & your indy will stick with you & work this out. Of course, your problem may not be the tires. Guess I just got lucky.

 

Are these 880's made in Brazil? May be that bad batch that had balancing problems.

 

I was thinking the same thing about a possible bad batch.

My next stop is the HD dealer and asking them to troubleshoot it before I rip of "apparently" perfectly good tires and put another set on. It sure does feel like an imperfection in the tire and I would not be surprised if I got two, from the same distributor and all from the same batch.

What a pain. If anyoen else has any ideas, I'd love to hear them. Thanks Pab and Streetrunner for your replies.

 

Sounds to me like your indie is trying to make things right-give him a chance.Could be a bad batch of tires.Going to the dealer is going to cost you

 

The Indy is trying to make it right, but is pretty much given up at this point as he is mainly a metric bike shot, and rarely does a HD, although he does some.

Problem is I'm beginning to expect it's either a Metz bad batch or maybe the Metz just don't get along with my bike.. the Dunlops were smooth as glass. So the expertise and should another set of tires be the answer I really don't see putting on another set of Metz unless I find the problem first.

The HD dealer I just talked to said he would troubleshoot before just throwing new rubber on. So that feels pretty good.

 

If nothing else was done at the same time, it has to be the tires. It is not because there is a problem with 880s on Harleys. I'm with those who are saying it could be a bad batch. Suggest to the indie he get some from a different source.

 

That would be an ideal situation, there may be a bad batch out there all stacked in the same boat or at the same distributor.

I've had Metz for years on other bikes and always liked them for both handling, quality and mileage.

 

i have had metz dunlops and avons on my bike. all balanced without issue. sounds like more bad tires. i would go back to indy and ask if he has a set of old rubber you can put on. if the vib goes away its the tires. ask for refund or try diff brand at that point

 

I spent the best part of an hour talking with a German Metzler technician at European bike week, as I was concerned about the 880's on my RG and had two big slides on the way there in the alps. I've read on several forums about tyre pressures in Metzlers needing to be much higher than Dunlops. Here's what he told me.
All numeric sized Metzlers are made in Brazil ie 140 / 80 /16 etc.
Alpha numeric's are made in Germany that's like the Harley Dunlop sizeing MU90 16 etc.
The numerics made in Brazil should be inflated to 52 psi rear and 50 psi front when fitted, after 50 to 100 miles not exceeding 60 mph drop the pressures to 48 / 50 rear and 38 / 42 front. He made it clear you need to give the tyre a minimum of 50 miles to break in and remove the mould release oils etc.
I inflated my tyres to 42 front and 48 rear, it handles better with no rain problems.

I'd say both sets of tyres the indy fitted were from the same batch and could have a problem, but what were they inflated to and did you give them a gentle first 50 or 100 miles ?