Roadtec Z8 Interact Wins Top Honors in French Magazine’s Braking Contest

France’s Moto Magazine conducted a tire test for their August 2011 issue. Metzeler’s Roadtec Z8 Interact took first place in the braking contest, beating all the competitors by stopping in the shortest distance. In dry braking from 50 mph, the Z8 Interact managed to haul the bike up in less than 90 feet, while wet braking took just 99 feet. The top-performing competitor took 99 feet to brake in the dry (102 feet wet), which means that the Z8 Interact can brake as well in the wet as its competitors can in the dry. We know the Z8 is a high-tech tire, but this result is impressive; Metzeler has achieved its goal of producing a fantastic sport-touring tire with its Interact technology.

Rather than varying the tire compound across tire casing with a hard compound in the center and a softer compound on the shoulder, Metzeler’s Interact technology varies the winding tension of a patented zero-degree steel belt, which allows us to tune the tire for optimal feel in the curves and stability under braking. As evidenced by the results of the test, the tire also has a compound with excellent wet traction that doesn’t come at the expense of dry performance. Tire technology has really come a long way in the past few years.

Moto Magazine concluded their braking test (from 80 to 0 km/h) with the following comments:

Read more about our Roadtec Z8 Interact

Score free Smith shades when you buy a set of Metzeler Tires

Metzeler knows that seeing the road is just as important as gripping it, so we’ve teamed up with Smith Optics to create the “Summer Riding in the Sun” promotion. This summer, when you buy a set of high-performance Metzeler sport or sport-touring tires from your local motorsports dealer, you can receive a pair of Smith Optics sunglasses absolutely free.

For a limited time, Smith is giving away their stylish Rambler with black or brown polarized lenses and their classic Serpico with mirrored silver lenses. Either model will protect your eyes and help you see the road for a safer ride. Polarized lenses are terrific at cutting glare, and the mirrored lenses work well on bikes with LCD displays.

Some of Metzelers top-performing tires are eligible for this deal. For instance, the Sportec M5 Interact™. The Sportec M5 is Metzeler’s most highly-engineered supersport tire, with a long-wearing compound in the center of the tire, a softer-zone alongside for medium lean angles and an ultra-grippy strip at the edge for maximum grip during high lean angles. The M5 also has lean-angle markings moulded lightly into the surface of the tire, so you have evidence of just how far you leaned over during your most recent ride.

The Roadtec Z6 is also eligible. It’s a sport-touring tire crafted for bikes riding on real world on-road conditions. The Z6 is a long-lasting tire with excellent performance in the wet, and is as happy on big enduros as it is on sport-tourers.

Eligible Tires:
Sportec M3
Sportec M5 Interact™
Roadtec Z6
Roadtec Z6 Interact™
Roadtec Z8 Interact™

Please don’t forget to read the Terms and Conditions.

Trip to Sicily for Metzeler test experience

Richard Morgan from Cambrian Tyres has been in the tyre trade for many years and has tried a number of different bikes, but always seems to come back to single cylinder trail bikes as they suit his riding style. Living in one of the most stunning parts of Mid Wales with many of the best riding roads in Britain at his doorstep Richard considers he is very lucky and try’s to get as much riding in as possible when the weather allows. A thirty mile ride home instead of four is quite normal in the summer months.

It’s never easy setting your alarm for 02:30, for me it was worse knowing I had to fly as well. I am not a comfortable flyer put it like that. I was however looking forward to the event that Metzeler had planned for some of its UK trade customers, namely to familiarise us with their products especially the Z8 Interact.

Because it was dark when we got to Sicily and drove over to the hotel, it was a very pleasant surprise to wake up to the stunning vistas that the hotel enjoyed. Hills and rocky out-crops surrounded the hotel and it was great to see the difference in the vegetation out there. Huge cacti are not an every day sight for us here in the UK…. Neither is bright blue sky. The weather was perfect, cool and crisp with perfect clear blue sky, it was going to be pretty epic on the track in conditions like that.

We had a short technical presentation from Steffen Baum, the UK’s technical manager. He liaises with the R&D team headed by Alessandro Abate who is possibly the luckiest man ever. Not only does he live in one of the most stunning countries, but he tests motorbike tyres for a living! He and his test team ride pretty much all day every day come rain (in Sicily?) or shine (mostly shine) testing tyres for Metzeler, clocking up nearly a million km’s a year! They also have a couple of test tracks where they can go and do endless laps all in the name of perfecting Metzeler motorcycle tyres. Lucky so and so’s.

It was one of these test tracks in the small town of Pergusa pretty much smack bang in the middle of the country. The bus ride over there was fascinating, with stunning views of Etna over our shoulder and huge rocky cliffs surrounding us.

I had chance to try most of the bikes and tyres but I did miss out on the BMW S1000RR, that was busy all day and I never managed to time my sessions to get on it. I had a go on the BMW K1300 that was shod with Z8 Interact tyres. These tyres and I have to say, that although I found the bike uncomfortable with my lanky frame and badly fitting borrowed leathers it was a doddle to ride and I would put that down to the tyres. Very predictable, very neutral and very confidence inspiring. This is very nerdy, but I love the Pi symbol in the tread. It helps disperse water and greatly improves wet grip and of course is essential in the calculations for anything round! Deservedly, these tyres will prove to be extremely popular and I will be recommending them to everyone asking for a top notch sports touring tyre.

The day ended with a coach ride back to Catania with a smoking Mount Etna dominating the view for the entire drive back. We had a final meal together at the hotel where we shared our thoughts about the day and then we headed off for an early night as we were flying back at 7:15 the next morning.

Metzeler Interact Experience- Presentation Video

As the final nations pass through the Metzeler Interact Experience in Spain, we are recieving great feedback from testers on the event and tyres themselves.

With approx 100 riders from around the World, this has been a great experiement to show the differences between the Interact family of tyres.

The testers felt the different abilities of the Racetec K3, Sportec M5 and Roadtec Z8 across road and track tests.

As part of the presentation to these riders we bring you the media launch video;

Test Metzeler: Day 2 – Rain?!

Light rain here in Cartagena which is a surprise after yesterday’s great weather but this hasn’t stopped the enthusiasm from our blogger and dealer test riders. It has also shown the all round abilities of the Metzeler Interact family of tyres in different conditions.

Yesterday’s track action was topped off by some sweeping mountain roads and a café stop by the sea, pictures from that as below.

The journalists found the comparative tests very useful through the three different tyres from the Interact range (Racetec K3, Sportec M5 and Roadtec Z8).

It’s been a great experience to share stories with Metzeler staff, journalists, dealers and bloggers from around the world.