A winning hand from METZELER: four new tyres for 2020
SPORTEC™ M9 RR, ROADTEC™ 01 SE, RACETEC™ TD Slick and ROADTEC™ Scooter are the new products to join the brand’s range in their relative segments
METZELER, always at the forefront of research and technological innovation, announces that, in 2020, it will broaden its range with four new tyre models.
SPORTEC™ M9 RR, ROADTEC™ 01 SE, RACETEC™ TD Slick and ROADTEC™ Scooter are the new products strengthening the brand’s range in their relative segments.
SPORTEC™ M9 RR is the successor of the multi-award-winning SPORTEC™ M7 RR, still considered a benchmark in the Supersport segment. ROADTEC™ 01 SE represents the evolution of ROADTEC™ 01, available in radial sizes for owners of naked, supersport and sport-touring bikes who are looking for improved handling and sportier performance. RACETEC™ TD Slick is the new slick tyre for track-day lovers and club racers. Finally, ROADTEC™ Scooter, the chosen heir of the FEELFREE™ family, is designed for urban mobility, commuting and the sport-touring use typical of the ROADTEC™product family.
SPORTEC™ M9 RR – Ride the unexpected
SPORTEC™ M9 RR is without doubt the most keenly awaited release for all supersport riders who have had the chance to appreciate the already excellent experience offered by the SPORTEC™ M7 RR,with SPORTEC™ M9 RR bringing further performance improvements across the board. SPORTEC™ M9 RR, as you may guess from the name, has a strong connection to its predecessor and its roots. The name SPORTEC™ identifies the range of sports road tyres designed for day-to-day use and to guarantee a great riding experience, safety and versatility. RR stands for Road Racing and immediately brings to mind the iconic Isle of Man TT competition, won this year by champion Dean Harrison on METZELER tyres. Road racing competitions bring to mind not only performance but also the typical characteristics associated with use of road bikes, i.e. unpredictable weather and road-surface conditions. This is the concept behind the claim for the new product, “Ride the unexpected”.
SPORTEC™ M9 RR perfectly combines the typical versatility of day-to-day use with the brand’s competitive experience in road racing, building on the important legacy of the SPORTEC™ M7 RR, a tyre that boasts an impressive list of awards and recognitions. This is completed with the most recent technological advances from the German brand’s research and development activity.
One of the most pervasive innovations in motorcycle technology from introduction of the SPORTEC™ M7 RR has been the development of electronic rider-assist technology, supported by sophisticated sensors that offer riders greater security, regardless of the type of motorcycle. In this context, tyres play a fundamental role in allowing the electronics to interpret the true behaviour of the vehicle and calibrate it to offer the best riding experience and optimum performance. The biggest challenge for the METZELER Research and Development Centre was to adapt the dynamic performance of the SPORTEC™ M9 RRto a wide range of motorcycles, allowing electronic rider assistance systems to function properly.
SPORTEC™ M9 RR has been designed for motorcyclists, primarily owners of supersport and naked bikes, with a sporty driving style and who use their bikes almost every day and in all conditions, from the urban jungle to the winding weekend roads, and are looking for improved performance: riders who want a great driving experience and sporty performance even in wet conditions, primarily on the road but with the option to take their bike on the track as well. These riders need a sports tyre that provides precise and reliable feedback while they enjoy their bike’s performance.
The full SPORTEC™ M9 RRrange includes 3 front tyres sizes and 9 rear.
ROADTEC™ 01 SE – The sporty side of touring
Following the success of the multi-award-winning ROADTEC™ 01 since 2015 in the sport-touring tyre segment, METZELER has decided to introduce the new ROADTEC™ 01 SE.
The ROADTEC™ 01 SE radial range completes METZELER’s catalogue, consolidating the strengths of the ROADTEC™ 01—its exceptional performance in wet conditions and high mileage—enhancing sports characteristics in terms of the grip and agility needed by supersport, naked and sport-touring riders.
To meet sports requirements that imply high performance at sharp leaning angles, the tread design for the ROADTEC™ 01 SEbuilds on that of the ROADTEC™ 01, with evolution towards a tyre with a slicker shoulder, optimising drive with a greater surface area in contact with the asphalt.
The front models of the ROADTEC™ 01 SE inherit the latest version of the full-silica compound used for the ROADTEC™ 01 and feature the same tread pattern in the middle section, a key aspect of its exceptional grip on low-friction surfaces. The shoulders are slicker, and the relative structural refinement optimises performance through half and full lean, improving agility and steering stability.
The rear models of the ROADTEC™ 01 SE use a bi-compoundand, as for the front, feature a sportier evolution of the ROADTEC™ 01 tread pattern, aimed at offering greater drive at sharper leaning angles together with comfort and driving pleasure capable of satisfying even the most demanding riders, on long routes and winding roads. ROADTEC™ 01 and ROADTEC™ 01 SE: two products perfect for any adventurer with a sports attitude.
RACETEC™ TD Slick
RACETEC™ TD Slick joins the range of METZELER™ racing slick tyres, dedicated to riders and club racers for competition and training use.
RACETEC™ TD Slick is a slick tyre for the track that is quick and easy to use. It can also be used without tyre warmers and does not require any special bike set-up to offer optimal performance. The key features of the RACETEC™ TD Slick include optimal performance, uniformity of yield even after several sessions, versatility for different track surfaces and operating temperatures, high resistance to abrasion and the option to reverse the direction of rotation of the rear tyres between sessions if the circuit configuration generates more wear on one side.
RACETEC™ TD Slickhas been designed for riders that want the advantages of a slick product but without the need for additional racing equipment (stands, tyre warmers, generators, etc.) or a highly tuned bike set-up and suspension, as are normally needed with slick racing tyres.
RACETEC™ TD Slick is therefore aimed at all riders who do not want to go without slick tyres on the track, at expert riders who want a plug-and-play product for long free sessions, and at club riders who need a tyre with endurance mileage and an excellent quality/price ratio that allows them to focus on improving lap times for the whole race weekend.
The new tyre will be available in four sizes at 17 inches: 120/70 front and 180/55, 190/55 and 200/55 rear.
ROADTEC™ Scooter
ROADTEC™ Scooter is the new tyre developed by METZELER for all types of scooters with wheels from 10 to 16 inches. ROADTEC™ Scooter boasts extreme flexibility and versatility, meets the broadest range of weather, temperature and road-surface conditions, in urban areas and beyond.
The development of the ROADTEC™ Scooter naturally took inspiration from the ROADTEC™ 01, with optimisation of features for scooter use. The full range includes 51 sizes, and ROADTEC™ Scooter will gradually replace the current METZELER catalogue, including FEELFREE™, FEELFREE™ WINTEC and ME 7 TEEN™, with a single product offering optimum performance.
More specifically, ROADTEC™ Scooter, compared to the products it will replace,guarantees greater grip on wet and low-friction surfaces, use under a greater range of temperatures and improved handling.
The tread design of this new tyre is directly based on the ROADTEC™ 01, specifically developed to allow use of a system partially based on siping. The primary benefits of this regard warm-up and comfort, as the siping contributes to the deformability of the tread, and first-class grip on low-friction surfaces, guaranteed by the recognisable ROADTEC 01 groove pattern.
Compared to its predecessors, ROADTEC™ Scooter features a rounder profile to increase the tread contact area, and a more rigid structure to support the profile and improve handling.
Finally, the ROADTEC™ Scooter compounds feature a high percentage of silica for greater control in wet conditions and use at a greater range of temperatures. All ROADTEC™ Scooter rear radial tyres use a bi-compound.
