Track days are cool, but most of the time, they also take a lot of extra effort. That’s true whether you’re riding your bike to and from the course, or whether you’re prepping it at home and then hauling it there. Then, no matter what, you have to worry about the tires. While you won’t be going at flat-out race speeds that eat through tires like candy, there are still a lot of particularities you have to worry about.
Metzeler’s new Racetec TD Slick tire is intended to make at least that one part of your track day routine easier. It’s made for both track day users and club racers, and is designed to be used without the need for tire warmers or any special setup on your bike to get the best performance out of them. That’s right. They’re slicks, but you don’t need to haul an extra boatload of stuff with you to the track to get the best performance out of them, says Metzeler.
According to the company, this is all made possible by its patented compound continuous mixing process, which mixes polymers with a low glass transition temperature, carbon black, and high temperature resins together to form as homogeneous and consistent a mixture as possible. This compound also allows the tire to better retain its chemical properties, even throughout the wide range of temperature and abrasion stresses this tire will naturally experience in its life. The rear tire, incidentally, is fully reversible so you can get the most possible wear out of it and adjust for specific track leaning biases.
Gallery: Metzeler Racetec TD Slick Tires
The front and rear tires complement each other to work best together on track, and feature a sharp profile that increases contact area when cornering, so your grip is enhanced when you need it most. The front tire is available in just one size, 120/70 ZR 17 NHS TL. Meanwhile, the rear tire comes in 180/55 ZR 17 NHS TL, 180/60 ZR 17 NHS TL, 190/55 ZR 17 NHS TL, and 200/55 ZR 17 NHS TL. Information about these tires is already listed on Metzeler’s website for various countries, so check with your local dealer to find out availability in your area.
Source: Metzeler
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