Sport tires, touring tires, race tires, even scooter tires are new from Metzeler!

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METZELER, always at the forefront of research and technological innovation, announces that, in 2020, it will broaden its range with four new tire 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

SPORTEC M9 RR is the successor of the multiple award-winning SPORTEC M7 RR, which is 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 a new slick tire for track-day lovers and club racers. Finally, ROADTEC Scooter, the chosen heir of the FEELFREE family, is designed for urban mobility, commuting and sport-touring use typical of the ROADTEC product family.

SPORTEC M9 RR is without a 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 tires 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 tires. Road racing competitions bring to mind not only performance but also the typical characteristics associated with the use of road bikes, which generally include 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 tire 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 pursuits.

One of the most pervasive innovations in motorcycle technology from the 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, tires play a fundamental role in allowing the electronics to interpret the true behavior of the vehicle and calibrate it to offer the best riding experience and optimum performance. The biggest challenge for the METZELER Research and Development Center was to adapt the dynamic performance of the SPORTEC M9 RR to 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 riding style and who use their bikes almost every day in conditions from the urban jungle to the winding weekend roads. These riders are looking for improved performance and want a great riding experience with sporty performance even in wet conditions, but also with the option to take their bike on the track as well. These riders need a sports tire that provides precise and reliable feedback while they enjoy their bike’s performance.

The full SPORTEC M9 RR range includes 3 front and 9 rear tires sizes.

ROADTEC 01 SE

Following the success of the multiple award-winning ROADTEC 01 that debuted in 2015 for the sport-touring tire segment, METZELER has decided to introduce the new ROADTEC 01 SE.

The ROADTEC 01 SE radial range completes METZELER’s catalog, consolidating the strengths of the ROADTEC 01 – with its exceptional performance in wet conditions and high mileage – and enhancing the sporty 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 lean angles, the tread design for the ROADTEC 01 SE builds on that of the ROADTEC 01, with an evolution towards a tire with a slicker shoulder, optimizing drive with a greater surface area coming into 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 optimizes performance through half and full lean, improving agility and steering stability.

The rear models of the ROADTEC 01 SE use a bi-compound and, as with the front, feature a sportier evolution of the ROADTEC 01 tread pattern, aimed at offering greater drive at sharper lean angles together with comfort and driving pleasure capable of satisfying even the most demanding riders, both 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 tires, dedicated to riders and club racers with a focus on competition and training use.

RACETEC TD Slick is a slick tire for the track that is quick and easy to use. It can also be used without tire 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 tires between sessions if the circuit configuration generates more wear on one side.

RACETEC TD Slick has been designed for riders that want the advantages of a slick product but without the need for additional racing equipment (stands, tire warmers, generators, etc.) or a highly tuned bike set-up and suspension, as are normally needed with slick racing tires.

RACETEC TD Slick is therefore aimed at all riders who do not want to go without slick tires on the track, expert riders who want a plug-and-play product for long free sessions, and club riders who need a tire with endurance mileage and an excellent quality/price ratio that allows them to focus on improving lap times for the entire race weekend.

The new tire 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 tire 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, while optimizing its features for scooter use. The full range includes 51 sizes, and ROADTEC Scooter will gradually replace the current METZELER catalog, 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, along with use under a greater range of temperatures and improved handling.

The tread design of this new tire is directly based on the ROADTEC 01, specifically developed to allow the use of a system partially based on siping. The primary benefits of this help with 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 recognizable 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 tires use a bi-compound.

The post Metzeler Introduces Four New Tires For 2020 appeared first on Motorcycle.com News.

Laidlaw Harley-Davidson wins against global competition.

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Following an intense global competition, including national and international heats, Laidlaw’s Harley-Davidson has today been crowned Global Custom Kings and overall winners of the 2019 Battle of the Kings.

Laidlaw’s Harley-Davidson’s winning entry, the stunning “FXGTS Coast Glide” is based on a Harley-Davidson Sport Glide model and has been extensively customized to create a truly unique ride. The bike is a throwback to FXRT styling with a Southern California twist, paying tribute to the Pacific Coast Highway and the Southern California influence on modern performance cruisers. As a concept, it covers a lot of ground. As a design, it’s far more than the sum of its parts. The team wanted full functionality but with a strong California flair.

Battle of the Kings is the world’s largest dealer custom build-off competition. The competition showcases the very best in customization capability and the creativity of the Custom Kings who can be found at every Harley-Davidson dealership globally. In 2018, the Custom King crown was taken by debut-entrants Harley-Davidson Bangkok with their Street Bob-based build “The Prince”.

For 2019 any model in the Harley-Davidson range could be selected as a base for the build (excluding Trike and CVO models) meaning dealers had more choice than ever before in order to create a title challenger. To further inspire the competition dealers had to choose from three style categories – Dirt, Chop and Race – for their build. The rules for the build were simple – 50 percent of the parts used must be genuine Harley-Davidson accessories and the customization budget was a maximum of 50 percent of the donor bike retail price.

The United States dealers added an extra dimension to their competition, inspiring the next generation of custom builders by teaming each build with a trade school, with students working alongside the dealership team to create and build their machine.

Grand final runners-up were Warr’s Harley-Davidson, The Crook (United Kingdom), Thunderbike Harley-Davidson, Roar (Germany), Calgary Harley-Davidson, Moonshine (Canada) and Harley-Davidson Queretaro, Joe Tracker (Mexico) – whose machines were all on display at EICMA for the tense final voting.

“Once again the global Harley-Davidson dealership community has excelled at demonstrating their custom leadership. This expertise is accessible at any Harley-Davidson dealership, allowing riders around the world to truly make their ride unique. Huge congratulations to all of our over 300 entries, the regional winners and finalists – and especially to our 2019 champions Laidlaw’s Harley-Davidson. A truly stunning build – and a worthy champion,” said Steve Lambert, International Marketing Director, Harley-Davidson.

For information on the Battle of the Kings contest visit: www.h-d.com/customkings

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Now the official Honda World Superbike team is complete, as Haslam joins Alvaro Bautista in hopes they can bring Team Red back to their former glory.

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Following yesterday’s 2020 Honda New Models Press Presentation, where the World Premiere unveiling of the sensational new CBR1000RR-R was the highlight of event, this morning the 2020 HRC Teams and Riders Presentation took place in the presence of Managing Officer, Chief Officer, Motorcycle Operations of Honda Motor Co. Noriaki Abe, President and Representative Director, Honda Racing Corporation Yoshishige Nomura.

Made even more special by the celebration this year of the 60^th anniversary of Honda’s racing activities, the presentation once again brought together riders of the official HRC teams competing in the top motorsport championships worldwide – including the 2019 World Championship-winning triple of Marc Marquez (MotoGP), Tim Gajser (MXGP), and Toni Bou (Trial).

It was the perfect stage for Mr. Abe to announce the signing of Leon Haslam to partner recently announced Alvaro Bautista in the strong line-up of the HRC’s Official WorldSBK team in 2020.

“We will join WorldSBK with our new CBR1000RR-R with HRC factory team”, Mr. Abe commented. “We are happy to announce that we just fixed the rider line-up, with Leon Haslam becoming team-mate with Alvaro Bautista. I expect to see our WorldSBK riders fighting for victory”.

“For me to get the opportunity to be back with Honda and, most importantly, as an official rider with HRC back in the championship with a factory team, is like a dream come true” said Leon Haslam. “It’s so exciting to be involved in the project and already I’m thinking about when I can ride the bike and get to Phillip Island, one of my favourite tracks, for the first race. I can’t wait to ride the CBR1000RR-R. A new bike means that we’re looking at a big challenge of course, but the project is extremely professional, and we all know what Honda and HRC are capable of. What they have achieved in the racing world speaks for itself. It’s really a fantastic opportunity for me, and I’m ready to give it my all, for the team, the company and all our fans around the world”.

Full details of the HRC Official WorldSBK team will be announced at the team launch before the start of the 2020 WorldSBK season.

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