Tyre Tech: Metzeler RACETEC TD SLICK

By Bike Review • 3 years ago

Apr
2021

Metzeler have released new track day and club racing slick tyre technology to the Aussie market. The RACETEC TD SLICK are designed specifically to help you keep costs down...

The Metzeler RACETEC TD SLICK combines the advantages of a slick tyre but do not require tyre warmers or elaborate bike settings, according to Metzeler. Taka Nagata will be putting them through their paces on the Philip Island GP Circuit later this month. Stay tuned!

For those who have ridden a motorcycle with racing slicks, the first few minutes fresh off the tyre warmers can be quite sketchy unless you push immediately to make sure you don’t lose temperature, as racing slicks only operate properly within a very narrow temperature and pressure operating range.

You wouldn’t dare leave the pits on stone cold slicks if you want to finish lap around the track still on your bike. Metzeler, however, have found a way to eliminate the use of tyre warmers to keep the costs down and track days easier by having a broader operating range, with these essentially replacing the RACETEC INTERACT K3 from previous years, the hardest race slick from Metzeler.

The structure of the TD slick is proof of the ever improving tyre technology available to the public.

The secret is comes from the TD SLICK featuring a racing compound that includes polymers with a low glass transition temperature, carbon black and high melting temperature resins. METZELER engineers have designed a compound capable of operating in a wide range of temperatures and asphalt conditions, in order to offer consistency in performance and resistance to cold tearing.

The TD has been created to keep costs down at track days and performance to a maximum with the tyre being durable.

The exclusive patented CCM process – Compound Continuous Mixing process – maximises the homogeneity of the components in the polymetric matrix and allows the tyre to consistently offer high performances, from the first to the last lap, even if divided between several thermal cycles.

Thanks to this set-up, track day fans can get all the performance they can dream of out of their bike without needing to spend thousands on bike stands, climate controlled storage and tyre warmers. Riders can just kick their stand up, warm the tyres up slightly and apply maximum throttle.

Strengthened by the experience accumulated in road racing such as the Tourist Trophy on the Isle of Man, used as a testing ground to test the versatility of its products, Metzeler engineers have designed a compound capable of operating in a wide range of temperatures and asphalt conditions, in order to offer consistency in performance and resistance to cold tearing.

The tyre has been made in sizes that will fit straight onto most 1000cc bikes without having to change your set-up.

Metzeler have kept the sizing simple by providing the most common rear sizes, so you don’t have to muck around with changing the rear setup. The Genuine rear sizes allow a smoother transition from OEM tyres geometries to professional racing tyres, and helps the rider skip some of the setup variables a professional racer is required to manage.

Check out all of our tyre tests here…

Everything about the TD SLICK has had value for money in mind, rear sizes feature a symmetric structure and seamless construction layers avoiding the junctions, which are sensitive to the stress direction. The rear is also fully reversible, offering the rider the chance to fully use the tyre, when riding at tracks featuring a predominant leaning side, which exploit just one side of the tyre.

Metzeler have provided all the figures you need to find out if these tyres will fit your bike. Along with cold and warm pressures to show off the performance.

The Metzeler TD RACETEC SLICK are available now, check out the sizing and price list down below. Contact Cassons to find a supplier near you so you can improve your track day experience and your lap times beyond your expectations and keep an eye out for Taka’s review soon!