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Metzeler Z8, leaking at the rim.

670cc

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I'm just posting this because it surprises me. Is it just Metzeler's that develop leaks at the rim? Or, just NC700 wheels? I know others have reported rim leaks with the original factory tires. This Metzeler Z8 rear tire I bought from a forum member, nearly new. I mounted myself it a year and a half ago, and put 8000 miles on it, trouble free. Now after the winter, she's losing air. I find two spots on the rim leaking slowly. I find this strange because in 40 years of street riding (on tubeless since 1982), I have never found a leak like this along a rim, let alone on a fairly new bike and one or two year old tire.

Well, there won't be any more Metzelers to worry about. I have a PR4 and a Conti Motion in my stock for the next two rear tires.
 
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Mine leaked also but has been fine ever since the shop redid the seal. My Z8 is pretty much done and won't be getting another. I'm going to try the shinko 705's.


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Mine leaked also but has been fine ever since the shop redid the seal. My Z8 is pretty much done and won't be getting another.

I feel the same way about these tires. Once the rear is "DEAD", I going to replace the front at the same time with Bridgestone T30s. I hate these Metzeler Z8s. I lost traction going into low speed turns and I had the rear wheel "WASHED OUT" on me completely because of it.

I am sure that you will be a lot happier with another set of tires than these "POS"...
 
Thanks for the replies, but my question was about air leaking at the rim, not confidence in traction.

Anyone else with rim leaks on Z8s or other tires? I'm trying to see if it's a tire specific problem or if it's a wheel issue.
 
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My original rims didn't leak. The spare set I picked up off ebay leaked with tkc80, Pirelli, and the Kenda. I took the tires off and examined the lip/bead seating area of the rim. Found that it had many rough spots in the paint. Sanded the lip with 220 grit then 320 grit wet and no more leaks.

Saw this a lot back when I worked at gas stations. Dirt, rust, rough paint causing bead leaks.
 
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The NC has been holding air with factory tires, but my FJR1300 leaked with factory Bridgestone tires on it. Like Bamamate said, my experience is that the problem is usually crud on the wheel where the tire bead seats. As a matter of practice, I always use a scotch brite pad to clean that area when changing tires and have no problems with mounted tires now.
 
My original rims didn't leak. The spare set I picked up off ebay leaked with tkc80, Pirelli, and the Kenda. I took the tires off and examined the lip/bead seating area of the rim. Found that it had many rough spots in the paint. Sanded the lip with 220 grit then 320 grit wet and no more leaks.

Saw this a lot back when I worked at gas stations. Dirt, rust, rough paint causing bead leaks.

This is your problem. Bread the bead, sand till smooth to the touch. Blow it up. Blam - no leak.
 
I had a Bridgestone leak at the rim on a GL1800. It almost spoiled a holiday for me as I had no idea this could happen, and I was looking everywhere except the rim . It turned out to be a minor malformation of the bead. My tech rubbed it down and all was well. These things happen. Sometimes it is the tyre and sometimes the rim. Generally it is easily fixed.
 
My OEM Z8's both had stickers applied on the inside of them (some unknown little info label of some kind) right on the bead contact portion of the tire where it meets the rim. I doubt this could be a super likely source for an air leak of any consequence, but I thought it was quite a silly place to put decals, myself.
 
My OEM Z8's both had stickers applied on the inside of them (some unknown little info label of some kind) right on the bead contact portion of the tire where it meets the rim. I doubt this could be a super likely source for an air leak of any consequence, but I thought it was quite a silly place to put decals, myself.

Yes, I've seen those bar code stickers on the beads. Putting them there seemed stupid to me, too.
 
Thanks for the replies, but my question was about air leaking at the rim, not confidence in traction.

Anyone else with rim leaks on Z8s or other tires? I'm trying to see if it's a tire specific problem or if it's a wheel issue.

Every couple weeks I have to air mine up. My ST1300 has a bad rear rim, its over $500 to replace it. I have to air up the tire every 2-3 weeks. I check NaNCy's tires at the same time and top them off at that time.

The Metzler Z8 is a terrible tire all around (punt intended). I cannot wait to get rid of it. I have already put over 5,600 miles on it and it is starting to show its wear very visibly.

There's my 2¢ worth...
 
[...I always use a scotch brite pad to clean that area when changing tires and have no problems with mounted tires now..]

+1 on the Scotchbrite pads. I also use RuGlyde which is a tire mounting lube & sealer that is sold by NAPA auto parts stores. I bought a 1-gallon jug eons ago for under $9 and it's still more than 3/4 full.

Some of my previous bikes appeared to have untreated, bare aluminum on the inside which I always cleaned, sometimes with course steel wool, and oxidation was never a problem. If you kept your bike for 20 years with the same tires still mounted it could become a problem for otherwise, it's not worth worrying about. :)
 
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Every couple weeks I have to air mine up. My ST1300 has a bad rear rim, its over $500 to replace it. I have to air up the tire every 2-3 weeks.


Have you tried putting in some latex puncture repair foam ? I believe it could sort your problem.
 
It rained most of the day. The chain needed adjusting anyway. So. . . , I reluctantly pulled the rear wheel off, broke the bead on the leaky side, and sanded off the corrosion on the rim. That one 10 inch long circumference was corroded, but not the rest. Why that area? I don't know. I lubed the rim with No-Mar's paste and set the bead again. Reassembled the bike.

Sad thing is, the tire has less than 2000 miles life left in it, so it was a semi waste of time. Yet, it's nice not filling your tire before every ride.

100_9486.jpg
 
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Seems to be a reoccurring problem with rear tire/rim interface. Wondering if it was poor preparation in manufacturing or a manufacturing error.
 
670....my bike has been sitting over the winter and the front tire was at 4.5 psi today when I was prepping it for my first ride of the rear. I put some soapy water around the bead and found where it is leaking. It has a Conti Motion mounted that was installed last spring.
 
Seems to be a reoccurring problem with rear tire/rim interface. Wondering if it was poor preparation in manufacturing or a manufacturing error.

Probably not. I've had three different sets of tires on my '14 and have had any issues.

I don't recommend sanding the bad area. If you remove the paint from the rims you will have oxidization occurring and it will make the problem worse.
 
Probably not. I've had three different sets of tires on my '14 and have had any issues.

I don't recommend sanding the bad area. If you remove the paint from the rims you will have oxidization occurring and it will make the problem worse.

Well the fact that it oxidized and leaked air means the paint is already toast in that area. Is there a coating that I might apply to the damaged area next time the tire is off, so as to prevent oxidation next time?
 
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