Wednesday 11 May 2016

Metzeler : Take The Road With Roadtec 01 - Tried & Tested in Japan



What do you look out for when it comes to getting a set of rubbers for your ride?



Well I guess the answer would depend on which type of rider you belong to; be it Enduro, Tourer, City User or Race. Thankfully, the market supplies tyres catered for different types of riding / rider style.

But how about dual or even triple purpose tyres?





With a different set of materials used and compounds put together, METZELER is proud to present their all new ROADTEC™ 01 Sport Touring Radial Tyre , the successor to the award-winning ROADTEC™ Z8 INTERACT™, which has already been recognized as the BEST tyre in its segment. 

Credit to driftingalive

Special thanks to Metzeler for an exclusive invite to test the ROADTEC™ 01 in Mount Fuji, Japan, let's see if the tyres live up to their promises.



ROADTEC™ 01 - Features & Advantages 


• It sports a completely new tread pattern. In particular, the front tyre has grooves that are more transversal with respect to the rolling direction of the tyre. This has made it possible to increase the mechanical grip on slippery surfaces and in different riding situations.



• The area of contact with the asphalt is now wider and shorter and, working together with the 0-degree steel-belt technology, this guarantees higher mileage and lasting performance over time.



• The innovative compounds are well adapted to the needs of different categories of motorcyclists. The dual-compound rear solutions, with 100% silica on the shoulders and silica and carbon black in the central band of the tread, ensure mileage and grip in the most varied conditions of use. The 100% silica front tyres ensure great safety while braking, in particular on wet surfaces and on those with low friction.




• The 0-degree steel belt together with the INTERACT™ technology improve stability and comfort, and guarantee foreseeable and precise behaviour, so the rider can thoroughly enjoy the roads.



• There are also dedicated sizes for Heavy Weight Motorcycles (HWM).


Busy recording notes here at the product presentation ;)
Ok I hope the above information wasn't too dry, LOL. 




Basically, Here Are The Key Points In Summary

- 10% Increase in Mileage - Makes it more value for money
- Enhanced grip in both dry & wet conditions, performing well too in low friction surfaces
- 5% Increase in Contact Area - Providing more stability
- New Tread Pattern offers higher Precision in different road conditions



The ROADTEC™ 01 was created to find a place in adaptability to different bikes, riding styles and weather conditions.



There were a fleet of bikes waiting to be taken out, from Honda CB1000, to Ducati Multistrada 1200, KTM 690 Duke, KTM Supermoto etc. 



Say hi to my ride ;) 
The KTM 1290 Super Duke. 


Let the test begin! 



First, we went through about 80KM of mountainous roads around Mount Fuji area, near Fuji Speedway.



Weather wasn't playing too nice with heavy fogs, allowing us up to a mere 5 metre visibility. Drizzled in some sections too, and you know how slippery corners can get with the windy curvy roads wet and fallen leaves lying around. 



The ROADTEC™ 01 has performed well so far, from slow to fast speeds on the straights, stability during the corners despite the multiple wet surface area. 



But that's not enough, so we went on to approach wet concrete where the area is constantly watered by a sprinkler truck, to further test the tyre's abilities.



Braking hard from 65KM/H to 0KM/H on the wet concrete, we observed significant sturdy stability on the ROADTEC™ 01, with none of us successfully skidding the tyres even with the ABS deactivated.

Repeated it over a few times, and we are impressed at how consistently and quickly the bikes were brought to a stop on both tyres.



Last but not least, it's time to test the significance of having an increased contact area and how far the tyre's stability stretches on dry tarmacs at Fuji Speedway




I went for just a few laps because I didn't have my full leathers with me and the guys started aggressively testing the tyres with knee downs. Before I knew it, I was seeing fireworks from multiple foot pegs scraping the ground and high speeds all at the same time.




Thanks guys, slow mo's gettin' outta hereeee! LOL.



Smiles were seen on their faces after the track session as positive feedbacks flooded in on how grippy the ROADTEC™ 01 was.




Who Is Ideal For The ROADTEC™ 01

A. Tourers

Always exploring new adventures on their two wheelers, you belong to owners of sport-touring, gran turismo or large road enduro bikes, for whom no place is too far and no journey too long. Fluctuating weather doesn't scare you and you usually travel with some luggage and passenger. 

Credits to motorcycledaily

Travelling to you is an experience, and tyres are what enables you to have a safe and pleasant
grip in whatever sort of terrain you may face, while providing lasting mileage, stability and comfort.




B. City / Short distance Tourers (I think that's me hehe)

You wheeze through the bustling city on a day to day basis, but take advantage of the long weekends to travel to somewhere different for a short getaway on your sporty looking ride. You may own a sport touring or naked bike, and the tyre you'd be on would need grip, good handling and high mileage.




C. City Rides Users

Probably enjoying a bike that ranges from medium to large engines breezing through the cities, to commute and occasionally during your free time, do a short or medium-length journey not too far away from home. 

Your ideal tyre must be reliable and offer safety on all roads, even those with worn asphalt that have pot holes and damage. Subject to rain whenever, mileage and regular wear are important performance factors to you.




+ Why ROADTEC™ 01?

With different materials and compounds put together, along with a new tread design, the ROADTEC™ 01 provides high mileage with a more regular wear so you can travel further, and offers great stability both at high speeds even with the bike fully loaded. 



D. Heavy Weight Motorcycles (HVM)

Since ROADTEC™ 01 has been designed for a broad category of users and for
motorcycles belonging to different segments, besides the standard version, the HWM version is available, dedicated to heavier motorcycles.

On these models, the HWM version offers greater stability reducing the intensity and
frequency of vibration caused by an uneven road surface or by handlebar movements.



The greater stability is achieved using a two-ply casing on the rear tyres while the standard
version uses a single ply, along with the use of a different compound which, besides silica, uses an additional filler. 



If you happen to fall within the any of the category above, the new Metzeler ROADTEC™ 01 might just be the choice for your next tyre change!

Here are the sizes available:

Happy choosing your rubbers!