Press Release | June 30, 2020
The Metzeler Racetec TD Slick Tires are for track-day riders and club racers
The Metzeler Racetec TD Slick tires are aimed at club racers and track riders. The tires are engineered to warm up quickly so tire warmers are not necessary. They have a high resistance to thermal decay, giving them consistent performance even after several thermal cycles. The rear is reversible for circuits with a prevalence of turns in one direction. The tires come in sizes commonly found as original equipment on popular supersport models.
Here is the full press release from Metzeler:
Racetec TD Slick is dedicated to track day fans and club racers. It combines the advantages of a slick tire that does not require tire warmers or elaborate bike settings with constant top performance and versatility to different riding styles.
Munich (Germany), 26 June 2020 – Racetec TD Slick becomes part of the Metzeler slick racing tire range and is dedicated to motorcyclists and club racers for both competitive and training activities.
Racetec TD Slick is a track tire that is easy and immediate to use, which can be used without tire warmers and does not require any particular set-up of the motorcycle in order to perform at its best. Racetec TD Slick main features includes high performance, the consistency of performance over multiple sessions, the versatility on different asphalt types and operating temperatures, high abrasion resistance and the possibility of reversing the rear tire between sessions (if the circuit wears a tire more on one side).
Racetec TD Slick has been designed for motorcyclists who want the advantage of a slick product but without the need for additional racing equipment (stands / electric blankets / power generators, etc.) or the refined set-up of motorcycle and suspension that a slick racing tire usually requires.
Racetec TD Slick is therefore intended for all motorcyclists who look for slick performance, for expert riders who need a plug & play product for long practice sessions, for club racers who require an excellent value for money tire that allows them to focus on improving lap times throughout the race weekend.
Racetec TD Slick is part of the Metzeler slick racing portfolio with a range that includes one front and four rear sizes which are most commonly found as original equipment on supersport bikes, to further testify the plug & play characteristics of the product.
The Metzeler slick product family includes also the renowned Racetec RR Slick, the tire for top competition available in different compounds according to the type of use. The K0 and K1 compounds are dedicated to the professional use in the Superbike class of road racing activities, such as the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy, and to the same classes of the various national championships. The K2 compound is the most versatile within the Racetec RR Slick range and is developed for those competitions at professional and amateur level where it is necessary to combine constant peak performance over several sessions, resulting in the best solution on particularly demanding circuits and in endurance sessions.
Features and benefits of Racetec TD SLICK
- A quick warm up, which allows motorcyclists to free themselves from the use of tire warmers thanks to the polymers characterized by a lower glass transition temperature. Racetec TD Slick is suitable for use from low operating temperatures, with a consequent resistance to cold tearing
- Reusable over multiple sessions. The evolution of resins resistant to high temperatures and their patented mixing process give Racetec TD Slick a uniform behavior both on a thermal and mechanical level. This provides a high resistance to thermal decay, thus keeping the chemical-physical properties of the tire constant lap after lap, session after session
- Plug & play solution, thanks to the choice of street-legal sizes that use sharp profiles but retain the geometries of tires approved for road use, thus not requiring complicated set-up solutions for track use. Racetec TD Slick is the result of a development aimed at combining ease of driving, plug & play performance and the Metzeler road racing imprint to allow all motorcyclists to enjoy a weekend on the track;
- Reversible rear tire, thanks to the symmetrical structure that evenly distributes the dynamic stresses and allows itself to be fully exploited, even on circuits with a prevalence of turns in one direction.
Metzeler Racetec TD Slick Tires Details:
The Compound
Racetec TD Slick features a racing compound that includes polymers with a low glass transition temperature, carbon black and high melting temperature resins. This combination has numerous advantages: first of all the ability of the Metzeler Racetec TD Slick tires to get up to temperature very quickly, and even without the use of tire warmers.
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 exclusive patented CCM process – Compound Continuous Mixing process – maximizes the homogeneity of the components in the polymetric matrix and allows the tire to consistently offer high performances, from the first to the last lap, even if divided between several thermal cycles.
The Structure
The carcass of the Racetec TD Slick rear tire is characterized by a classic radial single- ply rayon structure, similar to that used in supersport road tires, and represents a plug & play solution that allows riders to make the bike track ready while maintaining the standard set-up.
The zero-degree steel belts used both on the front and on the rear tires are a patented technological solution that allows a high degree of structural flexibility and consequently a better
feeling with the tire. All this allows the motorcyclist to be more precise in the trajectory, adjusting it when already in mid-lean or delaying the braking point when entering the corner.
The Profile
The rear Racetec TD Slick features a sharp profile that improves the handling of the motorcycle and at the same time increases the contact area when cornering, resulting in a considerable increase of grip. The profile of the front tire reflects that of the rear for a balanced and harmonious behavior of the tire set.
The Range
The Racetec TD Slick range includes the following sizes, all already available:
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Size |
Front |
120/70 ZR 17 NHS TL |
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180/55 ZR 17 NHS TL |
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180/60 ZR 17 NHS TL |
Rear |
190/55 ZR 17 NHS TL |
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200/55 ZR 17 NHS TL |
For more information, visit www.metzeler.com