Yesterday, METZELER introduced the new SPORTEC™ Klassik tire at the International INTERMOT Show, which runs from October 1-5, in the city of Cologne, Germany. The SPORTEC™ Klassik is the new METZELER tire in the Classic segment for owners of motorcycles built since the 70s. In recent years we have witnessed a growing trend, the revival of classic motorcycles from years past. Motorcycles from the last 30 years of the 20th century come to life again thanks to restoration or customization, thus giving rise to the Vintage trend, already very popular in the world of design and clothing.
These motorcycles are often at a disadvantage because they are bound to older technology compared to more modern machines, which are equipped with cutting-edge safety systems and tires – and therefore they are not fully benefiting from the rapid tire developments of the last decade.
The tires of these machines have many diverse sizes which are now little used in new street and touring motorcycles, and for this reason they are often neglected in the design of new tires by tire manufacturers. The SPORTEC™ Klassik conception is inspired by the glorious ME1™ CompK, the first tire with “bias belted” (MBS) technology launched by METZELER in the mid-80s, which became a hit among sports bike owners during those years.
The features of the new SPORTEC™ Klassik
From a compounds point of view, the Research and Development Center of the METZELER brand has worked hard in recent years to develop more and more advanced chemical formulations that would ensure safety and traction on wet and dirty roads. The SPORTEC™ Klassik achieves excellent results in the wet, without exceeding the use of grooves and maintaining a design with a very high land-sea ratio. Its footprint provides a high amount of rubber in contact with the road, both on the straight as well as when leant over.
The drainage capacity is ensured by parallel grooves that work in unison to disperse water that comes under the footprint of the tire. The development of the grooves in the direction of the shoulder of the tread provides a cross-section that grips the asphalt, to the benefit of traction especially on wet surfaces. The evolution of materials has also covered the carcass, stiff enough to ensure optimal interaction with the robustness of the tread. The structure thus reinforced of SPORTEC™ Klassik allows a better stability of the motorcycle in the most critical phases of riding, which are cornering, braking and acceleration, contributing in an important way to improve the balance of the entire motorcycle.
It’s about time… I have had to put Kendra and other lower brand tires on vintage Jap bikes because nothing was available in the sizes I needed. There are a lot of these bikes out there and more and more people are restoring them and customizing them. I hope that Pirelli and Dunlop follow suit.
What about Goodyear for Sportsters?
I wish the tread pattern was blockier, more typical of the 1960’s, more like a K81 or a K70 Dunlop…..
Yeah, I remember those Crappy Dunlops also!