Racetec K3 review
Even wear and total stability when accelerating out of corners
The launch was held at a soggy then sun-drenched Brands Hatch. Metzeller fitted the tyres to a range of 600cc and 1000cc sportsbikes.
The Interact has newly designed grooves; there are less of them but they are bigger than the outgoing version of the tyre. I was given the perfect chance to test the capability of these within seconds of stepping onto a drizzling Paddock Hill bend. Cold and on the brakes the front felt dependable within laps.
I rode quicker than I would on the road in the same conditions, and this is not from some race-hardened hack, but from a road rider with average levels of riding experience. In the wet this tyre felt as good as the Dunlop Roadsmart, which won our wet weather test a few issues back.
Two hours later, the track was dry. I took an R6 with a full fuel tank and lapped until the reserve light came on. The K2 compound tyre provided fantastic feedback on every section of the track. High speed turn-in was constant; the Interact was smooth, allowing me to carry plenty of corner speed and to get on the throttle earlier and harder. Through Surtees and into Clark curve the Interact-shod 600 changed direction really easily. After forty-two laps, the tyres still felt good – if anything, the more laps I did the better they felt.
From Metzeler:
Easier to go faster
- The new Racetec adopts INTERACT™ technology, the latest evolution of the patented 0° steel belt
- The new winding process of a 0° steel belt reduces the contribution made by belts and carcass to stress resistance all along the profile.
- Lower tension in the crown area creates more flexibility and the tyre can adapt itself better to the road surface, enlarging its footprint.
- High steel belt winding tension in the shoulder area ensures maximum and uniform pressure on the contact patch: the trajectory is therefore always precise, without any deviation.
120/70 R 17 M/C 58V TL
120/70 ZR 17 M/C 58W TL
180/55 ZR 17 M/C 73W TL
190/55 R 17 M/C 75V TL
190/55 ZR 17 M/C 75W TL
The launch was held at a soggy then sun-drenched Brands Hatch. Metzeller fitted the tyres to a range of 600cc and 1000cc sportsbikes.
The Interact has newly designed grooves; there are less of them but they are bigger than the outgoing version of the tyre. I was given the perfect chance to test the capability of these within seconds of stepping onto a drizzling Paddock Hill bend. Cold and on the brakes the front felt dependable within laps.
I rode quicker than I would on the road in the same conditions, and this is not from some race-hardened hack, but from a road rider with average levels of riding experience. In the wet this tyre felt as good as the Dunlop Roadsmart, which won our wet weather test a few issues back.
Two hours later, the track was dry. I took an R6 with a full fuel tank and lapped until the reserve light came on. The K2 compound tyre provided fantastic feedback on every section of the track. High speed turn-in was constant; the Interact was smooth, allowing me to carry plenty of corner speed and to get on the throttle earlier and harder. Through Surtees and into Clark curve the Interact-shod 600 changed direction really easily. After forty-two laps, the tyres still felt good – if anything, the more laps I did the better they felt.
From Metzeler:
Easier to go faster
- The new Racetec adopts INTERACT™ technology, the latest evolution of the patented 0° steel belt
- The new winding process of a 0° steel belt reduces the contribution made by belts and carcass to stress resistance all along the profile.
- Lower tension in the crown area creates more flexibility and the tyre can adapt itself better to the road surface, enlarging its footprint.
- High steel belt winding tension in the shoulder area ensures maximum and uniform pressure on the contact patch: the trajectory is therefore always precise, without any deviation.
120/70 R 17 M/C 58V TL
120/70 ZR 17 M/C 58W TL
180/55 ZR 17 M/C 73W TL
190/55 R 17 M/C 75V TL
190/55 ZR 17 M/C 75W TL
