Burgman 650 service

I tried the Metzler on the back of my 650. It handled about the same in the wet as the OEM Bridgestone or the Michlen Pilot Sport. I got less wear out of the Metzler than I did from the other 2 brands.

If you like to corner hard (center stand dragging levels) the Metzler has a handling trait I didn't like. Just before you get to mazimum lean angle the tire profile goes to a steeper angle that causes the tire to feel like it slips a little as it goes through the transition to the steeper angle. It doesn't actually slip but the feeling made me apprehensive when I was pushing lean angles to the max. Other people on the Burgman USA board have reported the same feeling. The slipping feeling is more pronounced when you hit the transition at low speeds than at high speeds. Up until you hit that point the tire feels very secure and I actually prefer it for less aggresive riding. I do like agressive cornering though so that quirk and the lesser wear caused me to go back to the Michelin Pilot Sport on the back of my 650.

For me the best tire combination is the OEM Bridgestone on the front and the Michelin Pilot Sport on the back. YMMV