With BT014's and even 002's to a degree, they rely on very much lower pressures to get them to wrok properly. If you have them up around the Max recomended pressures, they slide all over the place. At lower pressures they grip mint. The trade off is tyre life, with me struggling to get 3500-4000ks out of a set of 014s.
I frigged about with pressures over the trip, and found that pretty much these Metzlers are better off with a few more pounds in em. They still work fine at lower pressures, but I found that even with more pressure in them they still gripped really well, although the harder I put them the less feedback they offered.
At 29/30 for the hills they are pucka race tyres and you can't get em to slide or feel skatey! At 34/38 they still grip well, but lose a little in feel. But they don't wear hardly at all. So I am running them at higher pressures, unless it is a cold (say below 24c) day. This seems to work well with no slides so far, although as I was alone on the last ride, didn't push it too hard. (I would hate to be stuck at the bottom of a cliff with my bike on top of me till the dingoes started to eat me! )
The wear has been particularly impressive. Usually on a jaunt such as the one just completed, It would be tyre replacement time upon my return, as there was a lot of high temp, high velocity sections. And as those who have done lots of miles will tell you, anything over 140 kph for any constant time, will overheat and wear tyres very rapidly. Most of the ride, apart from yesterday thru the mntns, was done in 35c+ heat. So for the tyres to not show any premature wear is impressive. And some of those were at 140+gazelles/kilotron constantly.
Here is another interesting fact. I reckon I could improve fuel economy, by runing hard touring tyres. When I was doing the high speed runs, I could feel when the tyre was hot and sticky and working at its best, as the rolling resistance would increase dramatically. I could physically feel more braking when slowing, and found it harder to turn it!
But fcuk did it feel planted. 
If I had done the same run on 014's using sim pressures, they would have worn far quicker than the rennies and wouldn't have gripped when needed. If I had run the pressures I used to run on 014's to maintain grip they would need replacing about now I reckon.
Isn't Metzler owned by Pirelli now???? Maybe some of the Pirelli race tyres might be worth a look these days too.
midlles are brand new.
, then wanted cheaper ones so I fitted BT13/Dunlop something. Dunlop is especially el cheapo and got nice looking threads 
andi - 
