On test at OVERDRIVE: Metzeler RoadTec 01
The RoadTec 01 is Metzeler's new sport touring tyre. Metzeler says it makes the RoadTec in crossply as well as radial constructions for street riders (meaning on-road application only) and recommends it for touring, sport-touring and urban applications. The front tyre sizes range from 110/70 to 120/70 in radial as well as X-ply formats in 17, 18 and 19-inch sizes. The rear tyres start at 120/90 and go up to the 190/55 all in 17-inch radial and X-ply sizes. The sole exception is a 120/90-18 X-ply tyre.
What is the price? Where to buy them?
Pirelli-Metzeler dealer Path Pavers lists a set (127/70 and 190/55 ZR17) at Rs 27,400. A small nuance is that the 190/55 tyre is a 75W and not a 73W. That's a tyre that Metzeler bills as HWM, denoting that the tyre is designed to run longer than the regular RoadTec 01.
What the RoadTec's promise
Metzeler says the RoadTec 01 is designed to be a great all-round sport touring tyre. To that end, the first talking point is the tread design. It's not as aggressive looking as, say, the Michelin Pilot Road 4 that it replaces on the Ducati, but promises excellent grip on wet roads as well as low friction roads. Metzeler also says the compound selection promotes grip on a range of surfaces while a short and wide contact patch aims to reduce tyre wear. The final piece of the jigsaw is the structure of the tyre which enhances stability, precision as well as comfort.
Initial impressions
New tyres on a bike always feel great. This is especially true when the outgoing tyre has finished its full life. So the move from squared-off 11,000km old Michelins to the new Metzeler's felt absolutely great. The Ducati feels renewed and as precise and direct as we remember it.
The typically stiff feel of the Metzeler tyre is immediately noticeable and I really do like that feeling. It feels like the tyre is a strong component on the motorcycle and makes the ride feel a little more robust. At the same time, this doesn't change either suspension behaviour or ride comfort.
I've put just over 60km on the tyre so far and the grip and feedback have been excellent. In fact, Pirelli and Metzeler offer feedback in the same sort of 'language' that we are used to on Indian tyre brands which makes them easier to get used to. Michelins speak a slightly different dialect that usually takes me a few hours of riding to tune fully into.
So all in all, this is an extremely promising tyre with reviews suggesting that the Michelin Pilot Road 4, the ultimate sport-touring tyre benchmark for the longest time has been matched, if not beaten. Beaten? Stay tuned.
Metzeler Roadtec 01
Path Pavers.in
Rs 27,400 for 127/70 and 190/55 ZR17, 1 each
