Metzeler Presents The New Racetec™ TD Slick

RACETEC™ TD SLICK is dedicated to track day fans and club racers. It combines the advantages of a slick tyre that does not require tyre warmers or elaborate bike settings with constant top performance and versatility to different riding styles.

RACETEC™ TD SLICK becomes part of the METZELER slick racing tyre range and is dedicated to motorcyclists and club racers for both competitive and training activities.

RACETEC™ TD Slick is a track tyre that is easy and immediate to use, which can be used without tyre warmers and does not require any particular set-up of the motorcycle in order to perform at its best. RACETEC™ TD Slick main features includes high performance, the consistency of performance over multiple sessions, the versatility on different asphalt types and operating temperatures, high abrasion resistance and the possibility of reversing the rear tyre between sessions (if the circuit wears a tyre more on one side).

RACETEC ™ TD Slick has been designed for motorcyclists who want the advantage of a slick product but without the need for additional racing equipment (stands / electric blankets / power generators, etc.) or the refined set-up of motorcycle and suspension that a slick racing tyre usually requires.

RACETEC™ TD Slick is therefore intended for all motorcyclists who look for slick performance, for expert riders who need a plug & play product for long practice sessions, for club racers who require an excellent value for money tyre that allows them to focus on improving lap times throughout the race weekend.

RACETEC™ TD Slick is part of the METZELER slick racing portfolio with a range that includes one front and four rear sizes which are most commonly found as original equipment on supersport bikes, to further testify the plug & play characteristics of the product.

The METZELER slick product family includes also the renowned RACETEC™ RR Slick, the tyre for top competition available in different compounds according to the type of use. The K0 and K1 compounds are dedicated to the professional use in the Superbike class of road racing activities, such as the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy, and to the same classes of the various national championships. The K2 compound is the most versatile within the RACETEC™ RR Slick range and is developed for those competitions at professional and amateur level where it is necessary to combine constant peak performance over several sessions, resulting in the best solution on particularly demanding circuits and in endurance sessions.

Features and benefits of RACETEC™ TD SLICK

The main benefits are:

• A quick warm up, which allows motorcyclists to free themselves from the use of tyre warmers thanks to the polymers characterized by a lower glass transition temperature. RACETEC™ TD SLICK is suitable for use from low operating temperatures, with a consequent resistance to cold tearing
• Reusable over multiple sessions. The evolution of resins resistant to high temperatures and their patented mixing process give RACETEC™ TD SLICK a uniform behaviour both on a thermal and mechanical level. This provides a high resistance to thermal decay, thus keeping the chemical-physical properties of the tyre constant lap after lap, session after session
• Plug & play solution, thanks to the choice of street-legal sizes that use sharp profiles but retain the geometries of tyres approved for road use, thus not requiring complicated set-up solutions for track use. RACETEC™ TD SLICK is the result of a development aimed at combining ease of driving, plug & play performance and the METZELER road racing imprint to allow all motorcyclists to enjoy a weekend on the track;
• Reversible rear tyre, thanks to the symmetrical structure that evenly distributes the dynamic stresses and allows itself to be fully exploited, even on circuits with a prevalence of turns in one direction.

THE TYRE IN DETAILS

The compound
RACETEC™ TD SLICK features a racing compound that includes polymers with a low glass transition temperature, carbon black and high melting temperature resins. This combination has numerous advantages: first of all the ability of the tyre to get up to temperature very quickly, and even without the use of tyre warmers.

Strengthened by the experience accumulated in road racing such as the Tourist Trophy on the Isle of Man, used as a testing ground to test the versatility of its products, METZELER engineers have designed a compound capable of operating in a wide range of temperatures and asphalt conditions, in order to offer consistency in performance and resistance to cold tearing.

The exclusive patented CCM process – Compound Continuous Mixing process – maximizes the homogeneity of the components in the polymetric matrix and allows the tire to consistently offer high performances, from the first to the last lap, even if divided between several thermal cycles.

The structure
The carcass of the RACETEC™ TD SLICK rear tyre is characterised by a classic radial single-ply rayon structure, similar to that used in supersport road tyres, and represents a plug & play solution that allows riders to make the bike track ready while maintaining the standard set-up.

The zero-degree steel belts used both on the front and on the rear tyres are a patented technological solution that allows a high degree of structural flexibility and consequently a better feeling with the tyre. All this allows the motorcyclist to be more precise in the trajectory, adjusting it when already in mid-lean or delaying the braking point when entering the corner.

The profile
The rear RACETEC™ TD SLICK features a sharp profile that improves the handling of the motorcycle and at the same time increases the contact area when cornering, resulting in a considerable increase of grip. The profile of the front tyre reflects that of the rear for a balanced and harmonious behaviour of the tyre set.

The range
The RACETEC™ TD SLICK range includes the following sizes, all already available: