During 2020 METZELER has renewed a large part of its on-road portfolio with the introduction of four important products: from RACETEC^TM TD SLICK designed for track use, to the supersport tyre SPORTEC^TMM9 RR, to ROADTEC^TM 01 SE, a product with high sporty performance while maintaining sport-touring characteristics, and to ROADTEC™ SCOOTER.

The research and development work carried out by METZELER engineers has never stopped and the blue elephant brand, always at the forefront both in technological innovation and in anticipating market trends, is now ready to reveal important innovations in its on-road, on-off and off-road portfolio by introducing new products, sizes and specifications.

TOURANCE^TM NEXT 2 as the new benchmark in the enduro street segment and new trail sizes of SPORTEC^TM M9 RR; in enduro there are new front and rear specifications of MCE 6 DAYS EXTREME developed for traditional enduro and extreme enduro competitions, plus the new R specification within the MC360^TMportfolio, designed for competitive use in motocross and the new RACETEC™ SM range, a product dedicated to Supermoto competitions, are the highlights of an exciting METZELER offering for 2021.

METZELER unveils the new TOURANCE^TM NEXT 2, the fourth generation of the acclaimed TOURANCE^TM product range, born thanks to the combination of the latest technologies in terms of materials and processes of the two-wheel specialist brand, and designed for the latest generation adventure bikes.

TOURANCE™ NEXT 2 is the ideal choice for owners of enduro street motorcycles used both for long journeys and for out-of-town excursions, alone or with a passenger, even when fully loaded, who are looking for the aggressive look of an off-road inspired tyre, but also top road performance combined with riding comfort and durability. Even motorcyclists who use their maxi enduro for daily urban trips will appreciate the feeling of safety that TOURANCE^TM NEXT 2 offers on different types of surfaces, even in wet conditions.

TOURANCE^TM NEXT 2 improves all-round the performance of its predecessor: in particular, the neutrality in corner entry and mid-corner, and the feeling of safety supported by a significant reduction in braking distances.The main benefits of TOURANCE^TM NEXT 2 include:

• Agile and neutral behaviour in particular on the latest generation vehicles, which are increasingly performing and equipped with advanced electronic systems;
• Benchmark performance in wet conditions, with an improvement in stopping distance compared to the predecessor TOURANCE^TM NEXT (-10%[1]) even at low temperatures thanks to the use of the latest generation compounds and the innovative METZELER HYPERBASE scheme;
• Immediate and lasting performance for the entire life cycle of the tyre thanks to a tread pattern based on METZELER DYMATEC, a design methodology that combines the functional characteristics of the tread pattern with wear uniformity in typical riding conditions;

Most of the TOURANCE^TM NEXT 2 radial range benefits from METZELER 0° STEEL RADIAL and INTERACT™ technologies, which ensure a neutral and gradual response to riders with very different riding styles, and transmit a feeling of safety and full control of the vehicle at all times.

The tread pattern maintains the distinctive elements of the METZELER family and implements innovative technical solutions in favour of performance consistency. The longitudinal grooves on the rear tyre are interrupted by the intersections with other grooves to improve the stability of the compound and ensure wear uniformity. This in turn will benefit the mileage capabilities while holding a line on gravel roads. Finally, the grooves geometry, designed with DYMATEC methodology, optimises wear uniformity and the functional contribution of the tread, according to the lean angle.

On the front tyre METZELER introduces an innovative high-silica compound (85%) containing functionalised polymers that enhance its stability and grip characteristics in the wet. The rear tyre is multi-compound and is characterised by, depending on the size, either a CAP&BASE structure (the central compound extends below the two shoulder compound areas) or by the new METZELER HYPERBASE structure (the central and lateral compound areas are supported by a full-carbon-black base oriented to dynamic and thermal stability). The central compound replicates the same one used at the front, while the shoulder compounds are full-silica and oriented towards performance I wet conditions and grip while leaning.

TOURANCE^TM NEXT 2 range available in 2021 includes the following eight sizes:

Presented at the beginning of 2020, SPORTEC™ M9 RR is the most recent METZELER supersport tyre and is now further enriched thanks to the arrival of the radial sizes 120/70 R 19 60V front and 170/60 R 17 72V rear, dedicated to equipment of the most popular adventure bikes, which will now be able to enjoy an unprecedented sport riding experience.

MCE 6 DAYS EXTREME now boasts a rich record of victories in the spectacular world of enduro competitions, including forty world titles won in the FIM Enduro World Championship with riders of the calibre of Steve Holcombe, and multiple collaborations with prominent events such as the International 6 Days of Enduro and the RED BULL Romaniacs, of which Metzeler is a technical partner.

The renewed MCE 6 DAYS EXTREME portfolio includes many innovations such as new front and rear specifications dedicated to extreme enduro, now easily identifiable thanks to coloured lines on the tread.

In detail, the innovations that will be gradually released starting from January 2021 include:

• The classification of extreme enduro tyres through three coloured lines on the tread: orange to identify SOFT specifications and green for SUPERSOFT;
• New 90/90-21 SOFT front, an evolution of the previous HARD compound,which ensures extreme grip on slippery surfaces while maintaining the necessary structural stiffness for the sections typical of the enduro test. METZELER adopted this name change to ensure consistency with the rear tyre range classification;
• New 90/100-21 SOFT front, dedicated to extreme enduro competitions, with marked damping and longitudinal stiffness characteristics suitable for a sustained riding pace as well as for slow passages;
• New 90/100-21 SUPERSOFT front, developed specifically for the more technical stretches of extreme enduro; used in international races of the segment;
• New 140/80-18 MEDIUM rear, METZELER’s answer to Enduro GP competitions which more and more frequently include the technical passages typical of Extreme Enduro, while retaining extensive guided webbing sections where stability is crucial;
• New 140/80-18 SOFT rear, dedicated to extreme enduro and implements innovative structures and compounds to raise the bar of the combination of damping structure and lateral stiffness;
• New 140/80-18 SUPERSOFT rear for extreme enduro, which represents the finest evolution of structures and compounds for the most challenging passages of the discipline. This product represents the only enduro specification with the name SUPERSOFT approved for road use[2] currently on the market.

The MCE 6 DAYS EXTREME range available in 2021 includes the following sizes:

MC360^TM is the off-road tyre from the METZELER brand product portfolio intended for amateur and professional off-road disciplines of motocross, supercross, cross-country and freestyle. Since its market introduction, which saw it as a protagonist of an adventure record ascent to Nevado Ojos del Salado, the highest volcano in the world (located between Argentina and Chile) establishing three world records, MC360^TM has made versatility its winning weapon as well as the competitive advantage that distinguished it from the competition.

MC 360 Mid Hard	MC 360 Mid Soft

From May 2021, motocross sizes will also be available in the new R specification for professional track racing applications. With these sizes, METZELER introduces innovative tread and structure compounds, developed to guarantee performance at the highest levels. The MC360^TM R specification will be available exclusively in NHS (Not for Highway Service) version and in both Mid-Soft and Mid-Hard compounds.

MC360™ is available in the following sizes (new in bold):Within the METZELER racing range, RACETEC™ SM is the tyre dedicated to Supermoto competitions, fresh from winning the 2020 Supermoto European Championship with Diego Monticelli, using the 16.5” front wheel configuration.RACETEC™ SM offers the possibility to opt for a 16.5” (⌀ 420mm) or 17” front tyre in combination with the classic 17” rear tyre. All sizes follow the traditional METZELER compound scheme: Supersoft K0, Soft K1 and Medium K2, all with a high silica content for an immediate warm-up and perfect self-cleaning just a few metres after the dirt sections.For 2021 METZELER updates this entire range: at the rear, the latest evolution of the K0 compound improves grip when exiting corners and allows for a more sustained pace, improving performance consistency throughout the race. The 17″ front features an updated profile, which improves the feeling at corner entry and the speed of descent into the lean, and an updated compound. This solution proves to be the preferred one by riders of the S4 class, which is run on tarmac only.The new 16.5″ front features, on top of a revised profile and compounds as in the 17″ range, also a new structure. This tyre offers the best of its potential in sessions that include competition on dirt roads, giving a feeling of absolute control.RACETEC™ SM is available in the following sizes:[1] Internal breaking test on wet surfaces at 85km/h using a BMW R 1250 GS model year 2020[2] With exception of USA and Canada, where NHS marking is applied

For more information on Metzeler Tyres visit metzeler.com/en-uk/home

If you would like to receive our headlines daily to your email inbox then sign up to our newsletter
[mc4wp_form id=”67857″]

Podcasts Latest Episodes

Vroom – Your Motorsport Fix

Rock’N’Road a new podcast by Leona Graham

[wptb id=65242]
[wptb id=64599]