Review / MotoZ GPS Tires by ADVRIDER
I picked up a new to me Yamaha T700 and recently used it for a coast-to-coast and back ride which included an article that will be in the next issue of the ADVrider magazine… I only had one issue: The current tires on the bike wouldn’t make it there and back.
Photo: rtwPaul
I decided on a set of MotoZ GPS tires for the trip, hoping they would last the expected distance of 6000+ miles. I called Pacific Power Sports direct, to place my order. Brian (the owner) got me set up and also told me to let riders know if they are struggling to find MotoZ Tires locally, RMATVMC is now stocking them and an order for 1100 tires was just shipped to them for distribution!
I fitted the tires at home on the garage floor and honestly found them easy to mount with hand tools, but it was 110 degrees outside so they were very pliable. I used an 18×150 rear and 21″ front with HD tubes
Photo: rtwPaul
My trip took me from Phoenix to San Francisco.
Photo: rtwPaul
Across the country via California, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, Colorado, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio Pennsylvania to New York City…
Photo: rtwPaul
Then Back via New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona.
Photo: rtwPaul
Riding primarily pavement for over 90 percent of the trip the MotoZ GPS was a good choice—but how did they fair, and how did they wear?
From west to east, not a single drop of rain but one of the hottest summers on record can take a toll on tires wearing them quicker than expected with the black top in some areas most likely exceeding 140 degrees. On the return trip, it was rain virtually the whole way, and even a mini tornado in Kansas, and a brutal return to Phoenix in 117-degree temps.
Photo: rtwPaul
Let’s go full nerd on the tire wear, here are the tread depths of my tires at the start
image – rtwPaul/ Pacific Powersports
I completed just over 7,400 miles/ 11,900 kilometers.
If I’m riding RTW or around the country, personally, I would take a tire down to about 30 percent tread left and then start looking for a replacement while still having reasonable grip left to play with and be safe too.
The rear was a little squared off due to all the straight road riding in the Midwest, but from an original 12.5 mm now worn to 7.41 mm…I still have 59.3 percent of my tread remaining, or 5.09 mm of wear. I’m getting around 1400 mi 2250 km per mm of tread
If like me you were willing to take the tire down to 30 percent of its original tread you’d look for that lower limit to be 3.75 mm, or a range of approximately 12,250 mi/19,700 km.
If you ride your tires to the wear bar, on the MotoZ GPS that is just 0.2 mm of tread left, or in my case around 17,500 miles/28,000 km
Photo: rtwPaul
Photo: rtwPaul
If you are impressed by the wear on the rear, the wear on the front is better. From an original 7.25 mm, at 7,400 miles I had 4.91 mm of tread left, or 67.7 percent tread left. That works out to 3,160 mi/ 5,100 km per mm of tread and a potential 16,000 mi/ 25,750 km at 30 percent of tread left or 22,000 mi/35,400 km at the wear bar.
Photo: rtwPaul
These numbers are certainly impressive, but of course subjective and would certainly depend on your riding style, type of bike, and weight of the rider, luggage, and bike combined. No doubt in the comments riders will tell you they only last a few thousand miles and that may be due to their individual riding style.
Try them out for yourself to make your own determination.
Regardless of how you look at it, the MotoZ GPS is a very impressive tire, extremely long-lasting, and has amazing grip in most conditions even rain due to the unique compound makeup that they use in the manufacturing process.
Link to the original review: https://www.advrider.com/motoz-gps-tires/