Below are the parts of the video for your ease , the times are on the timeline @ Important Intro @ First Benefit: Plug & Play @ Second Benefit: Reusable @ Third Benefit: Reversible @ Benetts Bike Track Tyre Test @ Findings from Track Testing @ An Intriguing personal point @ Conclusion with very Important pointers @ Outro
Michelin has the new Power Slick 2, which also supposedly do not require warmers. I tried them at the last track day I did in January (it was 68*F, I'm in California), and while the tire had immediate grip from lap one even when completely cold, I basically ended up destroying the rear tire by cold tearing them on corner exit, pretty much had to throw it away after the 6th sessions. I'm going again next week, tho this time with warmers. I do like the idea of immediate grip though, more for safety factory. Hopefully this time I won't cold tear them.
Spot on mate , you are right . I am surprised you got cold tears with Michelin, that means warmers are must on that tyre. I just think warmers give the added confidence on track and like you say immediate grip which is so important. Sometimes if someone is too busy warming tyres on track , you might get knocked by a fast rider who is fully warmed up and on the gas full on .
Hi everyone, back from my trip to circuito Almeria where I tested the Metzeler racetec TD. This text is an automatic translation by Google translate as I am not a native speaker. So there may be some mistakes here and there, but with a little good will you will understand me. Initially it was the intention to drive there for 6 days, but due to a technical problem (no crash) there were only 3. Still I was able to test the tire extensively and share my experience with you. These are personal and objective. I am not a pilot but a recreational track rider and I am in no way sponsored by the brand. The test was done with a 2015 GSXR 600cc, stock. No engine changes or application of electronic aids . Rated for 125 hp at the crankshaft. Also, only the rear tire was tested in the 180/60/17 version as it fits on a 5.5 inch rim, which does not mean that you can mount it on any motorcycle. Indeed, since the 180/60 version will be a bit higher than the 180/55 you have to be sure that you have enough slack and that it will not rub against your swingarm, fairing, fender or other. This can be the case on older 600cc engines. The front was equipped with a new Pirelli diablo superbike SC 2 in 120/70 and since Metzeler belongs to Pirelli, it is no problem to mix the 2 brands, at least their racing range. Now, the testing part. As mentioned, Pirelli diablo superbike SC 2 round the rims from a previous trackday. That's how I started the first day, Wednesday. Ideal to get familiar with the circuit, find reference points, determine gears etc. That day I drove 7 sessions with constant 1.50 and some 1.49 which was also my best time. Thursday I started with the same tires and did 2 sessions in the morning. Since I couldn't get below 1.51 anymore and the grip decreased, I decided to mount the Metzeler TD. Divided into 4 groups, I had 1 hour to remove the rim from the bike, take it to the tire service and reassemble. That worked just fine, without wanting to continue a session, I decided to leave with a cold tire. That should answer whether you need tire warmers or not. The first lap I drove very carefully but there is no question of a total loss of grip like with a "real slick" that I had experienced before. The Metzeler therefore offers grip, although you should not get the most out of it. You won't do that if you have some sense. The 2 nd round goes a little smoother and it went on like this until the end of the session. With a best time of 1.54 in that session with a cold rear tire I was quite satisfied. After all, I didn't know anything about the band. It's also my first time. Coming in from the session, the tire warmer went around the rim. If you have tire warmers, which is the case for most track drivers, I would recommend it, so you don't lose time when exiting the pit. That's what I did the next session, gas up, knowing full well that the tire was warm and new except for one session. The band instills confidence and reassures you. To be honest I didn't feel any difference with an SC version of Pirelli. The Metzeler performs particularly well for an "entry" version and is also competitively priced. That session, 6 laps were measured on the lap timer with 3 times 1.48 and 3 times 1.49. which is certainly not bad. These are not top times as in the Spanish championship, but a 17th overall place out of 140 participants, all of whom participate in circuit driving recreationally. In total I have 10 sessions of 8 rounds per session of which 6 were croned. Always nice constant times of low 1.50, high 1.49 and when free track (read no 1000cc) in the corners 1.48. As the tire wears you will feel some movement in the rear. You can feel the tire looking for grip when opening the throttle but nothing to worry or really startle you. On a 600cc engine with relatively little power and no electronics, you have reasonable control of what is going on or should be done with your right wrist. I am pleasantly surprised by the performance of the Metzeler TD, both in terms of grip and feedback to rider time. Metzeler has succeeded in creating an accessible product, price and availability that I will certainly use in the future and can only recommend to all skeptics. I am convinced. PS : the tire pressure was measured cold at 1.5 bar. Hope this review has taught you something. Keep it all safe. Kristof
wow , I just saw this , thank you so so much for this detailed info , unbelievable, I can't believe how much data you gathered and your superb observations . I am speechless
Hi Kristof, and thanks for your review ! What about the wear of your tires at the end ? I'm going to Almeria soon (with a ZX-6R) for 3 days too, and would like to know if I should take another rear tire. Both front and rear Racetec TD will be new, and there's 2 Supercorsa SC2 (40% of wear) on the bike.
@@Tacgibs I think you will be fine with the 2 Pirelli sc's and a set of new Metzeler TD. Depending on your laptimes of course. About the wear of the tyre: after al my laps and sessions the rear tyre still looks great but like I said, I felt more and more movement on the rear when I opened the throttle, nothing to really worry about but the tyre is telling you something. No signs of typical hot or cold tyre on the tyre. The wear is uniformly. You will be impressed. Leave a message after your trip and share your thoughts.
@Chris1979 Lots to like about your detailed post, just let down by presentation as a continuous block of text. I suggest you brake it up into paragraphs with new lines that YT does support, please.
Brilliant post again running on supercorsa on my Mv f3 on track days for the simple reason of longevity these tyres look like the next step up for my bike
Absolutely spot on mate if you are running supercorsas then these tyres are for you for sure, it’s the best of both worlds , grip with longevity... love the F3 by the way , one of my favourite bike
@@ChasingTenths Thanks, is the answer I was looking for...I have and F3 as well and I need to change my tires, I have Metzeler k3 so these ones are most probably the next I'm going to install! good video thanks a lot!
Was eyeing these up for this year after detroying a set of Racetec RR at Silverstone in a day. Great review Abhi mate, am sold, will be getting a set of these bad boys!!
Brilliant mate I have tried those tires too but the k3 compound which last a little longer But these TD are just so adjustable and so responsive and got plenty of life in them
Djinkuje Tomasz, very grateful for the lovely feedback , I did a new video on them 2 days ago, feel free to check that out , it’s got some updated facts :) Thanks for watching and taking time out to comment
I feel for you guys , 20 mins track time at a time? .... here in Kenya for 2000(14£) the track is yours for the whole day ..... in fact getting tired is what makes people go home or running out of fuel believe it or not( there are no petrol stations @ the tracks) ....I am yet to try slicks tho.
Thanks for watching mate, we get 8 sessions of 20 mins each in the day and to be honest on a decent pace they are enough but we also have open pit lane too where we can go out until the fuel finishes ... so like you said it’s getting tired which gets people in the end and they end up leaving early ... try slicks mate You would love them Thanks for the support
I just used them in Cartagena, wear was good, I got 2.5 days out of a new rear. I lapped decent times, best being 1:49.99 but my issue with them was the amount of movement, I had a lot of slides and loose feel from about lap 3 of a session. Tyres were always on warmers, ambient around 22 degrees, and the pressures I kept stepping down ending with 26 psi hot. I don’t know if I’d use them again, honestly. Because over a 3 day euro they don’t last well enough to do the whole trip, but likewise the wear is too good for a 1 day and then change them, so you end up in sub optimal situation anyway so may as well just take two supercorsa or v02 rears and do the 3 days with probably much better grip and feel. This assumes warmers are available to the rider
Thank you very much for this feedback I actually write all the feedback down and Almeria and Cartagena has quite tyre hungry tyres and that’s not bad wear but the movement I have felt too I keep it at 25 psi hot always It’s not been too bad but 2022 I have been using Pirelli , I am moving back to Metzeler TD next year . Thank you again , very helpful
@@ChasingTenths I want to love them. £530 for two rears and a front in todays climate made them a superb option, and they would good in silly temps at Jerez last year on a 675, but I just had so many first touch of the throttle slides on the rear that I started to really be focussed on the rear tyre and not what was going on ahead of me. I know they are capable, someone was there doing 1:45’s on them but he was happy with the rear being super loose and I’m still getting used to it moving around a little. The problem with the types of slide I had is that the electronics won’t save them, because the rear has slipped at max lean with maybe only 5% throttle so your brain just has to hold station until you can feel them grip and then begin to accelerate. I should say I was on a 190/55 as that’s standard fitment for the R1, perhaps 200 would have given me that little bit more
@@Phillc748 wow Phill , ok , points noted. I am surprised with the amount of sliding , I don’t have that many but then I have riding them mainly in much cooler track conditions So understandable comments from you
Absolutely mate, spot on , there’s no point wasting time or taking undue risk , it’s all about being safe and not keep warming tyres so someone ends up hitting you by mistake , thanks for watching, appreciate the support
Hi Abhi ! good to see you back ! I have used these tyres, they are pretty damn good ! but I completely agree in the UK warmers are a must, why waste 3 laps feeling the grip come in? I found the TD slick very good the noticeable difference for me was the 55 rear profile against a 60 Pirelli slick rear profile, it didn't seem to feel as great on absolute edge grip and getting on the gas I found I had to stand it up a bit more but it was a very good tyre and if it's a cooler day you don't have to worry so much about keeping the tyre at its optimum temp - a cool wind can sap a tyres heat if you are held up - here's looking forward to spring ! PS, I turn my tyres anyway ! :-)
Some absolutely brilliant points there mate especially the 55 rear profile point , I am glad you got on with this slick To be honest after warmers they feel like any other race slick anyways and are very versatile
Just watched this as I've been undecided what tyre to get as I've just bought a new track bike triumph 765rs,bit of an upgrade from my old cbr600f4i which had metzeler k3 and k2 on.I think you have just made my mind up on the td slicks as I'm not ultra fast 1.56s at Donnington.Great video good honest opinions and straight to the point keep it up 👍
Thank you mate , really appreciate the feedback , all I would say is that if you are doing 1 min 56 & really want the taste of slick then this compound is sufficient, I am a huge fan of the K3 & k2 RR , I have done a 1 min 43 at Donington with these metzeler TD with no squirming or issues and I have done a consistent 1 min 48 on a very cold but dry day , so it works in all conditions . You won’t be disappointed with this slick or just stick to the K3K2 , they are superb
Metzeler says on their website that it's good to go from the first corner as if it only takes 1 second to warm it up. I can't make sense of this. "Performance at the first corner RACETEC™ TD SLICK features extremely quick warm-up and allow riders to approach a track without worrying about tire temperature into the first corner."
Yeah I know what you mean mate, but I would take that with a pinch of salt. I don’t think it’s misleading because people have used these tyres totally without warmers without any issues. But warmers are definitely the way to go but if not using warmers then just be sensible for a lap or two and you are fine.
What i like to know is how they act when temperatures are High! Yes we know it's awesome on low temps, but so is the D212Endurance, ContiTrackMedium/Hard, RacetecCompK/K3 Low temps don't matter to me as much as high temps on these type of tires... Thx
They are absolutely fine on high temperature, as mentioned in the video , the Bennett’s U.K. test was conducted at Sicilian circuit of Peragusa , the track & ambient temps were very high there and they had no issues at all I have used this tyre in very high temp at Silverstone and Donington gp configuration circuits with no issues No undue sliding Nothing No dramas So extreme heat doesn’t bother this tyre, I can confirm so as Bennett’s U.K.
Riding a 600 bike for more than 15 years now only on the track, I always used a treated slick or what we called a semislick. In the beginning the dragon supercorsa, then the diablo supercorsa V1 and currently the V2. Always the SC versions and not the SP. Back to 2008 , maybe earlier or later Pirelli devlopped the diablo superbike Pro. A slick tyre, one compound too. In the same philosophy of the current TD slick. The superbike Pro was supposed to perform the same way than the Metzeler TD from today. Instead it was not performing at all and had a bad reputation. So bad , nobody wanted them, even for free. Pirelli decided to stops the production. Now 10 years after that, I'm quite confident, after a lot of research they might have been to succeed. I bought one Metzeler TD, that I will use and try on Almeria circuit . The event during 6 days, I'm very curious to see if it's worth it. With my laptimes on Almeria of 1.47/ 1.48, I wonder if I will be able to do the same. It will be great if I could do the 6 days with one tyre. I take 2 others Pirelli diablo supercorsa V1 SC 2 with me.....just in case of. I will write a comment about my feeling on this tyre after my trackdays, which will take place at the end of oktober.
Kristof thank you so much for a wonderfully written constructive comment , even I learnt something new today . Almiera as you know yourself is a tyre hungry tarmac but I hope you have a good time there with these TD tyres , the laptimes you are doing are excellent, really good stuff . Please do write a detailed comment once you have come back from your track event , I would love to know your feedback as you are a very experienced rider, thank you for watching
slicks are great , but when you see sylvain guintoli going past everyone in the fast group on hypersport tyres then there really is no need for a slick tyre in trackdays. Sure they look great and will provide ultimate grip when hot, but there very expensive and most riders wont be able to utilise a slick tyre. I dont doubt how good this TD slick is , but I will stick with my hypersport tyres for now.
I understand mate, everyone’s got their chosen tyre, and I also believed in that but one Day by chance I tried slicks at Jerez last to last year and went 4 seconds quicker , may be it’s a mindset thing . But they worked for me ... but you make some excellent points there mate I totally appreciate your views Thanks for watching and the support
@@gkat123 I mostly use SC1 slick in the front mate and TD rear It’s a great combination Never had any issues even at good pace However when it’s very very hot The TD rear starts to slide
@@ChasingTenths Iv got a few days coming up at Cartagena in march and was planning on bringing a couple td rears as I have a couple new ones spare but maybe an sc2/3 for the front? What do you think? What’s your experience on the sc3 I can’t seem to find many videos apart from your comparison?
@@gkat123 so the SC three Pirelli slick is very good when the weather is not hot if the weather gets hot the tire will start sliding the compound of the Perelli SC3 slick is very similar to the Metz TD … the main differences you get more aspect ratios with the Perelli so you can get that 60 ratio and 65 ratio so you have more contact patch on the side compared to the TD compound which only comes in 55 ratio but that has never bothered me… for the front you can useSC1 or SC2 .. you’ll be fine … TD is perfect for Spain at this time because Spain will not get too hot but just remember the tyre pressure must be 25 psi hot in the rear or if it gets too hot then 24 psi you don’t need to go lower than that … I have tried the Sc3 five times during an endurance race but it started sliding when it got hot and also you need to think about the pricing Pirelli sadly is very expensive
Amazing video : ) I actually used them 2 weeks ago in Spain. Very good feeling, but honestly it was my first time on slicks. Had been using SC until then. What is the difference with the Metz RR?
Thank you very much for the kind words , I am really glad you liked the feel of the slick , a lot of people get surprised by the immediate “cliff” like lean of the slick, it takes a session or so to get used to first ever time using slick. I think this tyre is different profile from the RR, the RR still has a very Supercorsa like profile but this Metz TD is a pure slick tire so it’s different , more like their CompK slick
Useful stuff. I've added a set of these recently although I didn't enjoy scrubbing them in at Silverstone when it started raining after half a lap 🤦♂️. Will give them a proper test at Brands on the 10th.
I know mate, I put a new set at Angelsey 3 days ago and it rained non stop all day. But I properly gave them a good run yesterday at cadwell . To be honest they aren’t like road tyres which need scrubbing , these start working pretty much straight away but always use warmers mate
Great vídeo Abhi. It looks to me this tire is like the Dunlop d212 M Slick. It's a great tire for track days. Warm fast and grips all most like a race tire. In Estoril is 2 seconds of the pace of a race slick. No need to change geometry or suspension settings, And it's not expensive compare to d213 or kr...so it's a tire that most people use on track, and its seems to me pirelli wants a piece of that action.
Absolutely Mate , spot on that I didn’t want to compare it to anything in the video but you are absolutely right It’s quite similar to that Dunlop Pirelli/metzeler definitely a slice of the cake
I’ve just picked myself a set of the TD Met slicks. First outing next month on them … so no scrubbing in really required then … just tyre warmers & after a sighting lap they are good to go? Cheers Jack
Yes mate, I am on my 5th track day on them but I always put Warmers on no matter what And they feel amazing I have used them in all kinds of weather I have no issues Let me know how you get along with them
Tires don't need scrubbing in anymore since they don't use mold-release-agents anymore. "Scrub in new tires" is anninsurance phrase from seller and "urban legend". I and many many others NEVER scrub tires in. Not even hypersport tires on track. Just smack that new tire on, if needed use tirewarmers and kneedown if you like the first corner
Dunlop says their tyres don't suffer from heatcycles. The lessening grip is cause of less and less tire thickness after every session, not cause of heatcycles. I can confirm Dunlop D212 does NOT suffer from heatcycles, and if so, only negligible. The ContiTrack was awesome too in this argument, a very underrated tire.
I haven’t mentioned anywhere in the video about Dunlop suffering from heat cycles, or are you just stating a fact from Dunlop ? Apologies if I have misunderstood I am aware Dunlop 212 is a stunning tyre and can take multiple heat cycles
@@ChasingTenths @reusable you say this metzelerTD has less or no problems with multiple heatcycles. What I'm basically saying is: there is NOTHING NEW about this tire. It's just marketing
@@lillnemo1 aaahh ok , I understand. Everyone uses marketing mate to the best of their ability in this world no matter what the product is . I have now used this tire for 2 years now and I have truly used it in all sorts of conditions and it’s performed stunningly well at decent pace . But I know what you mean
No problem Kevin , I will be doing a follow up video to this , this coming Sunday and that should be interesting , thanks for taking time out to say Thank you, much appreciated
good video, i agree with with everything you said . I used this tyre as a first time on slicks choice last year at portimao, i absoultely love it and would highly reccomend it . loads of confindence straight away for me at my level fast inters on a suzuki 1000 R. great value at £250 and reversable is a massive plus point.
Did you use the tyre before the re-tarmac surface or after mate ... great feedback mate .. someone told me good tyre didn’t last long on the new tarmac they put on but to be honest that’s with most new tarmac and all ... thanks for watching I agree with your feedback totally
@@bladeboy2008 this tyre should easily do 2 euros with no issues 3 days each on inters speed Fast speed it should do easily one full euro 3 to 4 days however the new Portimao surface now is very abrasive, current rider feedback is that bike needs to be suspension set up perfectly otherwise the abrasive new surface is always pretty hard on any new tyre and poor bike set up can really hamper the longevity
Can you say something about the Metzler rain tires? I already ordered the TD's and I'm looking for rain tires as well. I have been riding rain on Michelin up until now.
I will look into them , and will come back to you. At the moment I haven’t done any research on their rain tyres or Pirelli , only Bridgestone W01 . I will definitely do a video . :)
@@ChasingTenths First we need steady rain in order to achieve that :-) I never thought I'd be wishing for rain :-) I actually enjoy riding rain a lot. I used to fear it, but that was until I made it out on real rain tires. The grip level is insane, and the fun level is almost the same. I just ordered a set of Metzler RR Rain. I subsect that we have about the same climate here in Scandinavia as you guys, which means that they will properbly be coming on at some point this coming season. Cheers!
Many, many, people are reversing rear slicks of ALL brands for years without problems. SOMETIMES, in exceptional cases, the tire can get a splice/opening/gap where the rubber comes together. If so, dump that tire. In 99,99% you can just reverse a rear slick without problems.
Yup , I totally agree with you, I think the difference here was that some companies don't publicly mention that their rear tyres can be reversed as they are wary of being sued in court. Metzeler have categorically mentioned that they are happy for people to reserve the tyre. People have been reversing tyres for decades, apologies for the late reply
Michelin power cup 2 is an excellent tyre but it still has that road profile . This metzeler has a racing slick profile, so more side grip and it heats up quickly like Michelin does . So if this Trackday metzeler has more grip
Really hard to find what's changed since the compk. I know you said you weren't making comparisons but can you say anything about the differences? The compk has been brilliant for me. Not as grippy as supercorsas but more than enough at my pace. Also fine for me at Catalunya in low 20s without warmers. Was a turn or two to get the brakes hot and only a couple more until the tyres really started to come in. But never slippery at any point, though it takes half a lap just for my head to come back up to speed ha. Hitting turn 1 for the first flying lap felt the same as hitting it for the last lap in the session. Think they are less pressure sensitive than out and out race tyres too.
Mate, you hit the nail on the head there , absolutely spot on. I personally think , not much has changed too but I really think metzeler really want to make a comeback to the Track Day scene with the correct marketing strategy which starts with the name TD TRACKDAY, I think they realised with previous names like RR (Road Race) or CompK, they weren’t hitting the right spot with it. So now with new name but dare I say broadly the same tyre construction as a CompK , they are back. Less pricey than Pirelli and others and more versatile than others too
@chasing tenths Hi, I am with you re heaters - enjoy every moment on track not wasting time by two three laps. Moreover heaters make hot air in, alloy, not only tire. So I am assuming tire would be more temp stable on course - getting heat also from inside and wheel itself. My only concern is are they same sticky as supercorsas sc? Do they last longer? I love my sc but they get gone in no time … cheers from Brno track
Hi mate, thank you, I agree with the rim heat point , absolutely...... and yes they are better than Supercorsa , more heat is retained, more contact patch and they last very very long . I have been trying them Now in all kinds of circuits in all kinds of temperatures. The grip is amazing and life is amazing . This is definitely much better than supercorsa I have used supercorsa a lot but this is a proper slick tyres which are very balanced and they don’t demand an extreme rider
Well, tires are weird. I always heard pirelli's didn't last long, however the superbike slicks on my "new" bike were already used some days (and from 2014😱) and I have done another 6 quite fast days on em (front 1/3 fast group) and there's still enough meat in em for at least 2 days. All depends on driving style, suspension, etc. I doubt the TD is as grippy/good as SC2 or other medium compounds. Should be as good or better as other endurance compounds
fantastic , recently during a practice day before my race , I did not use warmers and it was fine after a lap or two. However, I am a huge advocate of warmers with slicks as I am normally in the fastest group and deliberately on the lowest traction control setting and I like to be on the throttle straight away out of the pits.
Hi very interesting and informative review I currently run a metzler K1 front and K2 rear am going to almeria and was thinking of going down the slick route what would add more outright grip my current set up or the slick. Currently running in inters and am doing the 5 day on track in almeria your thoughts would be really appreciated. Thank you
Definitely go for it The contact patch on the side is amazing Almeria has a bit of an abrasive surface but a very grippy surface I am a big fan of the K1 & K2 combination but if you are in inters and want a taste of slick then take these slicks on , 5 days is enough time to get suited to the tyres. For an inters guy, these are perfect You won’t regret it at all
I cant decide if i want to try them on my 636 or my 1000r i ride both on the street but enjoy the power of the gsxr on track but would rather risk my 06 636 over my 18 gsxr with 2k miles 🤔
@@ChasingTenths i agree plus im more comfortable on my 636 as far as knowing exactly how its going to react and finding the limit faster i have the s22 hypersport on it now and loved those on the track especially in the wet but found the limit in the rear on day 2 but was still on of the fastest in intermediate so i definitely be excited to try out slicks for the first time thanks for all the great info once again🧐🤓
Haha , Mark , thats a good way to put it actually. Honestly I have hardly any tires or scrubs in my garage , these Metzeler TD lasted 6 trackdays in the fast group , so pretty good. I must apologise for my super late reply to your comment , I try to reply to every comment but some slip through the net. By the way I am launching a new video on these Trackday TD slicks on this Sunday , just a follow up video . hope you would like it. Thanks , safe riding
How would you compare to Dunlops Q4? its nice not having to deal with tire warmers, track temps for right compound, looked like this could of been the next step up but you say they need tire warmers? is all the extra hassle worth it
Hi mate, thanks for watching , Dunlop q4 technically is still a street legal tyre. The grooves on that can still loose heat sometimes but it’s not that bad. It’s an amazing tyre. However, This metzeler TD is a perfect step up if you are doing decent pace on Dunlop’s . Yes, tyre warmers are not technically needed with these Metz TD tyres as the compound warms very quick especially if it’s a warm Day and warm track . But the reason I recommend tyre warmers is to save time and you can get on the pace straight away and make the most of your session on Trackdays. Plus no hesitation with throttle or scared of high side. The profile of the metzeler TD is a race slick profile , which means more contact patch than street legal Dunlop Q4. I know tyre warmers seem hassle but trust me mate, you get used to it so quickly and if you are a rider who is getting faster and faster , get used to warmers , you would absolutely love the instant grip you get . I hope I haven’t made it more indecisive for you . Let me know if you have any further questions
While I do agree on the handling of the tyre and its performance, I can not agree on its durability. The tyre wear markers are really shallow compared to other slicks and when I was using the TDs for a weekend last year I had a lot of wear on the rear tyre of my ~100PS bike while temperature and tyre pressure where kept inside the specs from Metzeler.
This is very interesting , thank you so much for this feed back , I am doing a back to back test in Mugello with this tyre and Dunlop KR hopefully if things pan out ok with corona this year . so I will keep your point in mind. thanks for watching and commenting
Woe Svea, thats definitely a tricky one, I would definitely say the TD has better life span than the other two because of the new compound which is meant to last a long time but at the same time be more flexible. the only time I have seen the TD compound struggle is last year at Portimao circuit where tarmac was 2 weeks old and on the new surface it really struggled but otherwise I haven't heard anyone mentioning any issues with longevity. thanks for watching :). really appreciate the support too
Thinking about trying these, coming from Bridgestone R11’s I get they are pretty special as an all round tyre, but are they a worthy replacement for a race tyre?
Yes mate, I just took absolute liberties yesterday on this tyre , I was at Mallory park yesterday and I was the second fastest in the fast group and the tyre still had plenty to give after doing 7 Trackdays on it. I was doing same laptimes as a racer in the EMRA mid field rider , so from personal experience, they are perfect for racing especially endurance racing especially in changeable weather
😂😂😂😂 you never will truly win inters with supercorsas lol Only kidding mate I loved the supercorsa until I got the taste of a slick Try it end of the year It will blow you away
Excellent informative video. I am currently running Dunlop D213gp pro, love how fast they get into the corner and they are very grippy. Would the TD slick a step forward? Seen the profile of the front, are they as aggressive as the Dunlop to tip onto the corners? Cheers
Thanks for watching mate, I absolutely love those Dunlop’s and they are used a lot in racing in Superstock Italy and it’s an epic compound ... but these metzeler TD is a thoroughbred slick so I definitely the contact patch and the liberties you can take with this compound slick is higher and heat retention is greater due to no grooves , plus the profile of a slick is more fast pace lean friendly
@@ChasingTenths so the D212 slick isn't a proper slick too? Always thought the profiled and unprofiled D212 were the same essentially. And d212 slick is used in races, so should be proper slick, no? Unless 180/55 maybe
@@lillnemo1 D212 is absolutely fantastic tyre, funny thing is that lately at cadwell a guy was 6 seconds quicker than me on those tyres (talent Offcourse) but I really respect that tyre a lot. At the end of the day it’s also talent, tarmac , weather , Temps , so many things can come into play but it’s a personal suitability factor too
I got my first set and ran them with warmers, 26 rear hot and I tore the right side pretty bad in 3 sessions. It looked like cold tear to me, 07 cbr600rr, outside temp was 57 F and I weight 200lbs in my gear. What pressure do you recommend?
Wow, that’s very odd, the only time people have reported something like that is either At Portimao’s newly laid surface just before the first F1 Grand Prix or Almiera’s naturally abrasive surface. I am running 23 psi on hot days and 25 psi on cold days But mostly 25 to 26 PSI hot to be honest I would really look into the rear suspension set up for your bike, something might be odd for that tyre to be so off within 3 sessions, very odd that. Please keep me in the loop I am quite keen to know
@@ChasingTenths thank you very much for your reply. I will definitely keep you in the loop. I have 2 days this weekend at a track I’m very familiar with so I’ll let you know how it goes. I plan on running 24 psi off the warmers and see what happens
Good video. I used the compK 2020 on some track days in Oschersleben an they fit great on my Ducati 1098S. For 2021 I will use the TD slicks on a 2018 RSV4 RF. It will be nice. CU
@@marcuss9778 Hallo. Ja hab ich. Insgesamt auf 6 Trackdays in Oschersleben. 4 davon mit der 1098S in 2020. 2 Tage in 2021 mit einer RSV4 und neulich 2 Tage in Hockenheim auch mit der RSV4. Ich bin mit dem Reifen zufrieden. Die Laufleistung ist mit der RSV4 aber deutlich geringer. Grip ist Top.
@@MK1098S das klingt gut, mit ner zx6r sollte Laufleistung bei Zeiten um die 1,52 kein Problem darstellen. Top wenn der grip gut ist, ich bin gespannt bis ich die endlich ausprobieren kann
That’s an excellent question You don’t need these tyres to be on boiling temperature to get them working, in U.K. in between session we have 30 to 35 mins give and take faffing around with stuff. I get to them about 55 degrees minimum before I leave the pits . Pressures should be 26 psi rear HOT & 35 psi front HOT
Not really mate but these have a complete slick profile, on full lean your pegs might touch the tarmac on & off if they are set quite low. Keep an eye on any uneven wear & if you see anything strange then pay a visit to the suspension set up guy. But otherwise they should be absolutely ok
I am ever so sorry for the late reply Steven, some comments slip through the radar , I am running 35 psi front and 25 psi rear , both HOT , no issues at all on all British circuits with varied temperatures
This tyre is definitely more grippier than q3 plus the profile of the tyre is total race slick, so the contact patch is more and it’s very sticky and no less of heat as there are no grooves in it where heat can be lost . It’s definitely worth buying over a q3 for sure
@@moystonadv3651 lovely mate, let me know how you got along with them please It would be good to know some feedback ... feel free to add the page on Facebook to keep in touch . See description of this video . Appreciate you watching the video mate
Great video content, I wonder how these compare to my pirelli supercorsa SP V3s as I was pretty disappointed with there lifespan, after just one day on a cold donnington park GP circuit, ended up with considerable hot tear on right hand side, not that fast 1.48s
So sorry for the late reply , some comments slip under the radar. I am super surprised that a SP V3 had issues on a cold tarmac, I know Doni surface is old but its not that abrasive , I had issues with an SC0 but I was over using that tire on a wrong/cold temp day. I was speaking to a Pirelli engineer at oulton last month , he mentioned that Pirelli's are super sensitive to pressures too , so 1 psi here and there can cause such issues. It's odd that you had issues on that compound rubber. Touchwood on these Metzeler, I haven't had any issues yet.
Dude, everyone has funds for Motea/Constands warmers. And they ARE awesome. Also, stands don't cost luch. Buy a used set, or those cheap 60€ a set ones an you're done
i used it in anneau du rhin yesterday. brand new in the morning, rear completely over in the evening. Grip and feel was great, really great, tire wear looked beautiful, but durability...nope. 2003 gsxr 1k, 10degrees asphalt, 20degrees air. anyone else with this experience?
Wow Dom, that’s shocking . Only on the new tarmac in Portimao this tyre DIDNT last long otherwise this tyre last really long. Are you sure the track wasn’t newly tarmaced?
@@ChasingTenths dont get me wrong, i had good grip till the end, its just that the markers show "zero rubber" on one side and about 30% on the other. Thanks for your replies.
Yes mate, I’ve had 6 people tell me that they have , unfortunately to tell you the truth and I have made a follow up video on this too…. when the Portimao tarmac was newly laid for the inaugural formula 1 Grand Prix , there was a bike trackday just before it and these tyres shredded within a day and a half but then Dunlop kr were the same but that was nearly 2 years ago , since then the surface of Portimao has been bedded in nicely and now it’s not that abrasive I heard . This is just feedback from some people Hope it helps
@@philevans3891 that’s such a good point phill , tyres are in short supply after the first round of racing We were at the Silverstone endurance last weekend and there were tyres galore and this week they have sold out , no limits that is. If you need VO2 I am sure you know bob Collins from FWR. Have a good one Phil
Below are the parts of the video for your ease , the times are on the timeline
@ Important Intro
@ First Benefit: Plug & Play
@ Second Benefit: Reusable
@ Third Benefit: Reversible
@ Benetts Bike Track Tyre Test
@ Findings from Track Testing
@ An Intriguing personal point
@ Conclusion with very Important pointers
@ Outro
Thank you so much! I’m buying some now! I really appreciate the time you spend to create your videos
You are most welcome Eric
Thanks for appreciating the work which goes behind the scenes
Michelin has the new Power Slick 2, which also supposedly do not require warmers. I tried them at the last track day I did in January (it was 68*F, I'm in California), and while the tire had immediate grip from lap one even when completely cold, I basically ended up destroying the rear tire by cold tearing them on corner exit, pretty much had to throw it away after the 6th sessions. I'm going again next week, tho this time with warmers. I do like the idea of immediate grip though, more for safety factory. Hopefully this time I won't cold tear them.
Spot on mate , you are right . I am surprised you got cold tears with Michelin, that means warmers are must on that tyre. I just think warmers give the added confidence on track and like you say immediate grip which is so important. Sometimes if someone is too busy warming tyres on track , you might get knocked by a fast rider who is fully warmed up and on the gas full on .
Hi everyone, back from my trip to circuito Almeria where I tested the Metzeler racetec TD. This text is an automatic translation by Google translate as I am not a native speaker. So there may be some mistakes here and there, but with a little good will you will understand me. Initially it was the intention to drive there for 6 days, but due to a technical problem (no crash) there were only 3. Still I was able to test the tire extensively and share my experience with you. These are personal and objective. I am not a pilot but a recreational track rider and I am in no way sponsored by the brand. The test was done with a 2015 GSXR 600cc, stock. No engine changes or application of electronic aids . Rated for 125 hp at the crankshaft. Also, only the rear tire was tested in the 180/60/17 version as it fits on a 5.5 inch rim, which does not mean that you can mount it on any motorcycle. Indeed, since the 180/60 version will be a bit higher than the 180/55 you have to be sure that you have enough slack and that it will not rub against your swingarm, fairing, fender or other. This can be the case on older 600cc engines. The front was equipped with a new Pirelli diablo superbike SC 2 in 120/70 and since Metzeler belongs to Pirelli, it is no problem to mix the 2 brands, at least their racing range. Now, the testing part. As mentioned, Pirelli diablo superbike SC 2 round the rims from a previous trackday. That's how I started the first day, Wednesday. Ideal to get familiar with the circuit, find reference points, determine gears etc. That day I drove 7 sessions with constant 1.50 and some 1.49 which was also my best time. Thursday I started with the same tires and did 2 sessions in the morning. Since I couldn't get below 1.51 anymore and the grip decreased, I decided to mount the Metzeler TD. Divided into 4 groups, I had 1 hour to remove the rim from the bike, take it to the tire service and reassemble. That worked just fine, without wanting to continue a session, I decided to leave with a cold tire. That should answer whether you need tire warmers or not. The first lap I drove very carefully but there is no question of a total loss of grip like with a "real slick" that I had experienced before. The Metzeler therefore offers grip, although you should not get the most out of it. You won't do that if you have some sense. The 2 nd round goes a little smoother and it went on like this until the end of the session. With a best time of 1.54 in that session with a cold rear tire I was quite satisfied. After all, I didn't know anything about the band. It's also my first time. Coming in from the session, the tire warmer went around the rim. If you have tire warmers, which is the case for most track drivers, I would recommend it, so you don't lose time when exiting the pit. That's what I did the next session, gas up, knowing full well that the tire was warm and new except for one session. The band instills confidence and reassures you. To be honest I didn't feel any difference with an SC version of Pirelli. The Metzeler performs particularly well for an "entry" version and is also competitively priced. That session, 6 laps were measured on the lap timer with 3 times 1.48 and 3 times 1.49. which is certainly not bad. These are not top times as in the Spanish championship, but a 17th overall place out of 140 participants, all of whom participate in circuit driving recreationally. In total I have 10 sessions of 8 rounds per session of which 6 were croned. Always nice constant times of low 1.50, high 1.49 and when free track (read no 1000cc) in the corners 1.48. As the tire wears you will feel some movement in the rear. You can feel the tire looking for grip when opening the throttle but nothing to worry or really startle you. On a 600cc engine with relatively little power and no electronics, you have reasonable control of what is going on or should be done with your right wrist. I am pleasantly surprised by the performance of the Metzeler TD, both in terms of grip and feedback to rider time. Metzeler has succeeded in creating an accessible product, price and availability that I will certainly use in the future and can only recommend to all skeptics. I am convinced. PS : the tire pressure was measured cold at 1.5 bar. Hope this review has taught you something. Keep it all safe. Kristof
wow , I just saw this , thank you so so much for this detailed info , unbelievable, I can't believe how much data you gathered and your superb observations . I am speechless
Hi Kristof, and thanks for your review ! What about the wear of your tires at the end ?
I'm going to Almeria soon (with a ZX-6R) for 3 days too, and would like to know if I should take another rear tire.
Both front and rear Racetec TD will be new, and there's 2 Supercorsa SC2 (40% of wear) on the bike.
@@Tacgibs I think you will be fine with the 2 Pirelli sc's and a set of new Metzeler TD. Depending on your laptimes of course.
About the wear of the tyre: after al my laps and sessions the rear tyre still looks great but like I said, I felt more and more movement on the rear when I opened the throttle, nothing to really worry about but the tyre is telling you something. No signs of typical hot or cold tyre on the tyre. The wear is uniformly. You will be impressed. Leave a message after your trip and share your thoughts.
@Chris1979 Lots to like about your detailed post, just let down by presentation as a continuous block of text. I suggest you brake it up into paragraphs with new lines that YT does support, please.
I like the honesty of this review, nice work
Thanks Chris , always try to keep it real. Not sponsored by anyone lol so I have nothing to worry about ;)
Thank you for the kind words
Brilliant post again running on supercorsa on my Mv f3 on track days for the simple reason of longevity these tyres look like the next step up for my bike
Absolutely spot on mate if you are running supercorsas then these tyres are for you for sure, it’s the best of both worlds , grip with longevity... love the F3 by the way , one of my favourite bike
@@ChasingTenths Thanks, is the answer I was looking for...I have and F3 as well and I need to change my tires, I have Metzeler k3 so these ones are most probably the next I'm going to install! good video thanks a lot!
@@lorenzoamadei4784 no problem Lorenzo
Have a good one mate
Hope you enjoy these tyres
They work well for me
Was eyeing these up for this year after detroying a set of Racetec RR at Silverstone in a day. Great review Abhi mate, am sold, will be getting a set of these bad boys!!
Brilliant mate
I have tried those tires too but the k3 compound which last a little longer
But these TD are just so adjustable and so responsive and got plenty of life in them
Informative and extensive review. I'll definitely try them on now as had doubts before.
Djinkuje Tomasz, very grateful for the lovely feedback , I did a new video on them 2 days ago, feel free to check that out , it’s got some updated facts :)
Thanks for watching and taking time out to comment
I feel for you guys , 20 mins track time at a time? .... here in Kenya for 2000(14£) the track is yours for the whole day ..... in fact getting tired is what makes people go home or running out of fuel believe it or not( there are no petrol stations @ the tracks) ....I am yet to try slicks tho.
Thanks for watching mate, we get 8 sessions of 20 mins each in the day and to be honest on a decent pace they are enough but we also have open pit lane too where we can go out until the fuel finishes ... so like you said it’s getting tired which gets people in the end and they end up leaving early ... try slicks mate
You would love them
Thanks for the support
Good info on that. Looks like a great tyre. I'm a dunlop person myself, but this seems really good.
Dunlop’s are absolutely fantastic mate
They also have amazing life span
I love them
Thanks for the video. Enjoyed the no nonsense personal view.
Thank you very much Mick
Much appreciated
I just used them in Cartagena, wear was good, I got 2.5 days out of a new rear. I lapped decent times, best being 1:49.99 but my issue with them was the amount of movement, I had a lot of slides and loose feel from about lap 3 of a session. Tyres were always on warmers, ambient around 22 degrees, and the pressures I kept stepping down ending with 26 psi hot. I don’t know if I’d use them again, honestly. Because over a 3 day euro they don’t last well enough to do the whole trip, but likewise the wear is too good for a 1 day and then change them, so you end up in sub optimal situation anyway so may as well just take two supercorsa or v02 rears and do the 3 days with probably much better grip and feel. This assumes warmers are available to the rider
Thank you very much for this feedback
I actually write all the feedback down and Almeria and Cartagena has quite tyre hungry tyres and that’s not bad wear but the movement I have felt too
I keep it at 25 psi hot always
It’s not been too bad but 2022 I have been using Pirelli , I am moving back to Metzeler TD next year . Thank you again , very helpful
@@ChasingTenths I want to love them. £530 for two rears and a front in todays climate made them a superb option, and they would good in silly temps at Jerez last year on a 675, but I just had so many first touch of the throttle slides on the rear that I started to really be focussed on the rear tyre and not what was going on ahead of me. I know they are capable, someone was there doing 1:45’s on them but he was happy with the rear being super loose and I’m still getting used to it moving around a little. The problem with the types of slide I had is that the electronics won’t save them, because the rear has slipped at max lean with maybe only 5% throttle so your brain just has to hold station until you can feel them grip and then begin to accelerate. I should say I was on a 190/55 as that’s standard fitment for the R1, perhaps 200 would have given me that little bit more
@@Phillc748 wow Phill , ok , points noted. I am surprised with the amount of sliding , I don’t have that many but then I have riding them mainly in much cooler track conditions
So understandable comments from you
Real good information about the slick.
I always prefer to use warmers and not take chances, also like you said use the most of the 20minute session.
Absolutely mate, spot on , there’s no point wasting time or taking undue risk , it’s all about being safe and not keep warming tyres so someone ends up hitting you by mistake , thanks for watching, appreciate the support
Hi Abhi ! good to see you back ! I have used these tyres, they are pretty damn good ! but I completely agree in the UK warmers are a must, why waste 3 laps feeling the grip come in? I found the TD slick very good the noticeable difference for me was the 55 rear profile against a 60 Pirelli slick rear profile, it didn't seem to feel as great on absolute edge grip and getting on the gas I found I had to stand it up a bit more but it was a very good tyre and if it's a cooler day you don't have to worry so much about keeping the tyre at its optimum temp - a cool wind can sap a tyres heat if you are held up - here's looking forward to spring ! PS, I turn my tyres anyway ! :-)
Some absolutely brilliant points there mate especially the 55 rear profile point , I am glad you got on with this slick
To be honest after warmers they feel like any other race slick anyways and are very versatile
Just watched this as I've been undecided what tyre to get as I've just bought a new track bike triumph 765rs,bit of an upgrade from my old cbr600f4i which had metzeler k3 and k2 on.I think you have just made my mind up on the td slicks as I'm not ultra fast 1.56s at Donnington.Great video good honest opinions and straight to the point keep it up 👍
Thank you mate , really appreciate the feedback , all I would say is that if you are doing 1 min 56 & really want the taste of slick then this compound is sufficient, I am a huge fan of the K3 & k2 RR , I have done a 1 min 43 at Donington with these metzeler TD with no squirming or issues and I have done a consistent 1 min 48 on a very cold but dry day , so it works in all conditions . You won’t be disappointed with this slick or just stick to the K3K2 , they are superb
@@ChasingTenths cheers mate but the bullet and gonna try the td slicks at cadwell on 21st July 👍
@@TheVentman69 best of luck mate, let me know how it went , I am curious
@@ChasingTenths will do and thanks again great videos 👍
Metzeler says on their website that it's good to go from the first corner as if it only takes 1 second to warm it up. I can't make sense of this.
"Performance at the first corner
RACETEC™ TD SLICK features extremely quick warm-up and allow riders to approach a track without worrying about tire temperature into the first corner."
Yeah I know what you mean mate, but I would take that with a pinch of salt. I don’t think it’s misleading because people have used these tyres totally without warmers without any issues. But warmers are definitely the way to go but if not using warmers then just be sensible for a lap or two and you are fine.
Superb review absolutely spot on
Thank you mate
Much appreciated
Thanks for watching and supporting
Awesome video Abhi. I ran these tyres for my last trackday at Cadwell. Took 8 seconds off my previous best!
Fantastic mate, this tyre just grips and grips , hasn’t let me down at all. 8 seconds is huge though, it’s a lot down to you too mate 👏🏽👏🏽
What i like to know is how they act when temperatures are High! Yes we know it's awesome on low temps, but so is the D212Endurance, ContiTrackMedium/Hard, RacetecCompK/K3
Low temps don't matter to me as much as high temps on these type of tires...
Thx
They are absolutely fine on high temperature, as mentioned in the video , the Bennett’s U.K. test was conducted at Sicilian circuit of Peragusa , the track & ambient temps were very high there and they had no issues at all
I have used this tyre in very high temp at Silverstone and Donington gp configuration circuits with no issues
No undue sliding
Nothing
No dramas
So extreme heat doesn’t bother this tyre, I can confirm so as Bennett’s U.K.
Riding a 600 bike for more than 15 years now only on the track, I always used a treated slick or what we called a semislick. In the beginning the dragon supercorsa, then the diablo supercorsa V1 and currently the V2. Always the SC versions and not the SP. Back to 2008 , maybe earlier or later Pirelli devlopped the diablo superbike Pro. A slick tyre, one compound too. In the same philosophy of the current TD slick. The superbike Pro was supposed to perform the same way than the Metzeler TD from today. Instead it was not performing at all and had a bad reputation. So bad , nobody wanted them, even for free. Pirelli decided to stops the production. Now 10 years after that, I'm quite confident, after a lot of research they might have been to succeed. I bought one Metzeler TD, that I will use and try on Almeria circuit . The event during 6 days, I'm very curious to see if it's worth it. With my laptimes on Almeria of 1.47/ 1.48, I wonder if I will be able to do the same. It will be great if I could do the 6 days with one tyre. I take 2 others Pirelli diablo supercorsa V1 SC 2 with me.....just in case of. I will write a comment about my feeling on this tyre after my trackdays, which will take place at the end of oktober.
Kristof thank you so much for a wonderfully written constructive comment , even I learnt something new today . Almiera as you know yourself is a tyre hungry tarmac but I hope you have a good time there with these TD tyres , the laptimes you are doing are excellent, really good stuff . Please do write a detailed comment once you have come back from your track event , I would love to know your feedback as you are a very experienced rider, thank you for watching
So, how were they?
nvm, I see your other comment
slicks are great , but when you see sylvain guintoli going past everyone in the fast group on hypersport tyres then there really is no need for a slick tyre in trackdays. Sure they look great and will provide ultimate grip when hot, but there very expensive and most riders wont be able to utilise a slick tyre. I dont doubt how good this TD slick is , but I will stick with my hypersport tyres for now.
Have you seen his tire test on these as well
I understand mate, everyone’s got their chosen tyre, and I also believed in that but one Day by chance I tried slicks at Jerez last to last year and went 4 seconds quicker , may be it’s a mindset thing . But they worked for me ... but you make some excellent points there mate
I totally appreciate your views
Thanks for watching and the support
Did I once see you swapped the front for an sc2/3 slick used with a td rear? I don’t like the front so much but the rear i like
@@gkat123 I mostly use SC1 slick in the front mate and TD rear
It’s a great combination
Never had any issues even at good pace
However when it’s very very hot
The TD rear starts to slide
@@ChasingTenths Iv got a few days coming up at Cartagena in march and was planning on bringing a couple td rears as I have a couple new ones spare but maybe an sc2/3 for the front? What do you think? What’s your experience on the sc3 I can’t seem to find many videos apart from your comparison?
@@gkat123 so the SC three Pirelli slick is very good when the weather is not hot if the weather gets hot the tire will start sliding the compound of the Perelli SC3 slick is very similar to the Metz TD … the main differences you get more aspect ratios with the Perelli so you can get that 60 ratio and 65 ratio so you have more contact patch on the side compared to the TD compound which only comes in 55 ratio but that has never bothered me… for the front you can useSC1 or SC2 .. you’ll be fine … TD is perfect for Spain at this time because Spain will not get too hot but just remember the tyre pressure must be 25 psi hot in the rear or if it gets too hot then 24 psi you don’t need to go lower than that … I have tried the Sc3 five times during an endurance race but it started sliding when it got hot and also you need to think about the pricing Pirelli sadly is very expensive
Great informative clip Abhi . Well done.
Thank you so much mate
Commenting here really helps me out
Much appreciated
Amazing video : ) I actually used them 2 weeks ago in Spain. Very good feeling, but honestly it was my first time on slicks. Had been using SC until then. What is the difference with the Metz RR?
Thank you very much for the kind words , I am really glad you liked the feel of the slick , a lot of people get surprised by the immediate “cliff” like lean of the slick, it takes a session or so to get used to first ever time using slick. I think this tyre is different profile from the RR, the RR still has a very Supercorsa like profile but this Metz TD is a pure slick tire so it’s different , more like their CompK slick
Awesome video Abhi !!!
Thank you mate
Really appreciate your support 😃
Useful stuff. I've added a set of these recently although I didn't enjoy scrubbing them in at Silverstone when it started raining after half a lap 🤦♂️.
Will give them a proper test at Brands on the 10th.
I know mate, I put a new set at Angelsey 3 days ago and it rained non stop all day. But I properly gave them a good run yesterday at cadwell . To be honest they aren’t like road tyres which need scrubbing , these start working pretty much straight away but always use warmers mate
100% warmers
Great vídeo Abhi. It looks to me this tire is like the Dunlop d212 M Slick. It's a great tire for track days. Warm fast and grips all most like a race tire. In Estoril is 2 seconds of the pace of a race slick. No need to change geometry or suspension settings, And it's not expensive compare to d213 or kr...so it's a tire that most people use on track, and its seems to me pirelli wants a piece of that action.
Absolutely
Mate , spot on that
I didn’t want to compare it to anything in the video but you are absolutely right
It’s quite similar to that Dunlop
Pirelli/metzeler definitely a slice of the cake
I’ve just picked myself a set of the TD Met slicks. First outing next month on them … so no scrubbing in really required then … just tyre warmers & after a sighting lap they are good to go? Cheers Jack
Yes mate, I am on my 5th track day on them but I always put Warmers on no matter what
And they feel amazing
I have used them in all kinds of weather
I have no issues
Let me know how you get along with them
@@ChasingTenths will do thanks mate 👍
Tires don't need scrubbing in anymore since they don't use mold-release-agents anymore. "Scrub in new tires" is anninsurance phrase from seller and "urban legend". I and many many others NEVER scrub tires in. Not even hypersport tires on track. Just smack that new tire on, if needed use tirewarmers and kneedown if you like the first corner
Dunlop says their tyres don't suffer from heatcycles.
The lessening grip is cause of less and less tire thickness after every session, not cause of heatcycles.
I can confirm Dunlop D212 does NOT suffer from heatcycles, and if so, only negligible.
The ContiTrack was awesome too in this argument, a very underrated tire.
I haven’t mentioned anywhere in the video about Dunlop suffering from heat cycles, or are you just stating a fact from Dunlop ? Apologies if I have misunderstood
I am aware Dunlop 212 is a stunning tyre and can take multiple heat cycles
@@ChasingTenths @reusable you say this metzelerTD has less or no problems with multiple heatcycles.
What I'm basically saying is: there is NOTHING NEW about this tire.
It's just marketing
@@lillnemo1 aaahh ok , I understand. Everyone uses marketing mate to the best of their ability in this world no matter what the product is .
I have now used this tire for 2 years now and I have truly used it in all sorts of conditions and it’s performed stunningly well at decent pace . But I know what you mean
Good vid Abhi and happy new year - let's hope it's a better one for all 👍
Absolutely Steve
Very well said mate
I really hope so too
Thanks for watching
Much appreciated
Lovely video again mate very informative enjoyed it 👌🏼 , deffo 💯 need warmers. Looking forward to try these in summer
Absolutely, you would love these tyres
Brilliant price plus they last so long
And the grip was unbelievable
Thank you!
No problem Kevin , I will be doing a follow up video to this , this coming Sunday and that should be interesting , thanks for taking time out to say Thank you, much appreciated
good video, i agree with with everything you said . I used this tyre as a first time on slicks choice last year at portimao, i absoultely love it and would highly reccomend it . loads of confindence straight away for me at my level fast inters on a suzuki 1000 R. great value at £250 and reversable is a massive plus point.
How many days did you get out of the tyres at Portimao?
Did you use the tyre before the re-tarmac surface or after mate ... great feedback mate .. someone told me good tyre didn’t last long on the new tarmac they put on but to be honest that’s with most new tarmac and all ... thanks for watching
I agree with your feedback totally
@@bladeboy2008 this tyre should easily do 2 euros with no issues
3 days each on inters speed
Fast speed it should do easily one full euro 3 to 4 days however the new Portimao surface now is very abrasive, current rider feedback is that bike needs to be suspension set up perfectly otherwise the abrasive new surface is always pretty hard on any new tyre and poor bike set up can really hamper the longevity
3 days plus life left
Can you say something about the Metzler rain tires? I already ordered the TD's and I'm looking for rain tires as well. I have been riding rain on Michelin up until now.
I will look into them , and will come back to you. At the moment I haven’t done any research on their rain tyres or Pirelli , only Bridgestone W01 . I will definitely do a video . :)
@@ChasingTenths First we need steady rain in order to achieve that :-) I never thought I'd be wishing for rain :-) I actually enjoy riding rain a lot. I used to fear it, but that was until I made it out on real rain tires. The grip level is insane, and the fun level is almost the same. I just ordered a set of Metzler RR Rain. I subsect that we have about the same climate here in Scandinavia as you guys, which means that they will properbly be coming on at some point this coming season. Cheers!
chasing how many trackdays does the td slick tire do?
I would say front 6 rear 4
@@ChasingTenths for a 600cc what you recomend for rear, 180/60 or 190/55?
Thanks, great review
Thanks Rob, much appreciated
Many, many, people are reversing rear slicks of ALL brands for years without problems. SOMETIMES, in exceptional cases, the tire can get a splice/opening/gap where the rubber comes together. If so, dump that tire. In 99,99% you can just reverse a rear slick without problems.
Yup , I totally agree with you, I think the difference here was that some companies don't publicly mention that their rear tyres can be reversed as they are wary of being sued in court. Metzeler have categorically mentioned that they are happy for people to reserve the tyre. People have been reversing tyres for decades, apologies for the late reply
I’m thinking to get this tires, how you compare to the Michelin power cup 2 witch one you think has more performance and grip… thanks
Michelin power cup 2 is an excellent tyre but it still has that road profile . This metzeler has a racing slick profile, so more side grip and it heats up quickly like Michelin does . So if this Trackday metzeler has more grip
Really hard to find what's changed since the compk. I know you said you weren't making comparisons but can you say anything about the differences? The compk has been brilliant for me. Not as grippy as supercorsas but more than enough at my pace. Also fine for me at Catalunya in low 20s without warmers. Was a turn or two to get the brakes hot and only a couple more until the tyres really started to come in. But never slippery at any point, though it takes half a lap just for my head to come back up to speed ha. Hitting turn 1 for the first flying lap felt the same as hitting it for the last lap in the session. Think they are less pressure sensitive than out and out race tyres too.
Mate, you hit the nail on the head there , absolutely spot on. I personally think , not much has changed too but I really think metzeler really want to make a comeback to the Track Day scene with the correct marketing strategy which starts with the name TD TRACKDAY, I think they realised with previous names like RR (Road Race) or CompK, they weren’t hitting the right spot with it. So now with new name but dare I say broadly the same tyre construction as a CompK , they are back. Less pricey than Pirelli and others and more versatile than others too
@@ChasingTenths Ah ok, cheers for the reply! Well I'm happy with the CompK so that's good enough for me.
@@ChasingTenths 👍🏻
@chasing tenths Hi, I am with you re heaters - enjoy every moment on track not wasting time by two three laps. Moreover heaters make hot air in, alloy, not only tire. So I am assuming tire would be more temp stable on course - getting heat also from inside and wheel itself. My only concern is are they same sticky as supercorsas sc? Do they last longer? I love my sc but they get gone in no time … cheers from
Brno track
Hi mate, thank you, I agree with the rim heat point , absolutely...... and yes they are better than Supercorsa , more heat is retained, more contact patch and they last very very long . I have been trying them Now in all kinds of circuits in all kinds of temperatures. The grip is amazing and life is amazing .
This is definitely much better than supercorsa
I have used supercorsa a lot but this is a proper slick tyres which are very balanced and they don’t demand an extreme rider
@@ChasingTenths that’s what I am looking for! Thanks and keep good work here mate! Cheers 🥂
@@MOTB81 thank you very kind of you. Trust me, you would be pleasantly surprised with this tyre
It’s absolutely fantastic
Well, tires are weird. I always heard pirelli's didn't last long, however the superbike slicks on my "new" bike were already used some days (and from 2014😱) and I have done another 6 quite fast days on em (front 1/3 fast group) and there's still enough meat in em for at least 2 days.
All depends on driving style, suspension, etc.
I doubt the TD is as grippy/good as SC2 or other medium compounds. Should be as good or better as other endurance compounds
I didn’t use warmers and it works great after 1 lap
fantastic , recently during a practice day before my race , I did not use warmers and it was fine after a lap or two. However, I am a huge advocate of warmers with slicks as I am normally in the fastest group and deliberately on the lowest traction control setting and I like to be on the throttle straight away out of the pits.
Hi very interesting and informative review I currently run a metzler K1 front and K2 rear am going to almeria and was thinking of going down the slick route what would add more outright grip my current set up or the slick.
Currently running in inters and am doing the 5 day on track in almeria your thoughts would be really appreciated.
Thank you
Definitely go for it
The contact patch on the side is amazing
Almeria has a bit of an abrasive surface but a very grippy surface
I am a big fan of the K1 & K2 combination but if you are in inters and want a taste of slick then take these slicks on , 5 days is enough time to get suited to the tyres. For an inters guy, these are perfect
You won’t regret it at all
I cant decide if i want to try them on my 636 or my 1000r i ride both on the street but enjoy the power of the gsxr on track but would rather risk my 06 636 over my 18 gsxr with 2k miles 🤔
Try it on the 636 mate
You might like them
No harm in giving it a try
I tried them out of the blue and they haven’t disappointed yet lol
@@ChasingTenths i agree plus im more comfortable on my 636 as far as knowing exactly how its going to react and finding the limit faster i have the s22 hypersport on it now and loved those on the track especially in the wet but found the limit in the rear on day 2 but was still on of the fastest in intermediate so i definitely be excited to try out slicks for the first time thanks for all the great info once again🧐🤓
Really helpful that!! Need to offload a big pile of scrubs and switch over to these suckas.
Haha , Mark , thats a good way to put it actually. Honestly I have hardly any tires or scrubs in my garage , these Metzeler TD lasted 6 trackdays in the fast group , so pretty good. I must apologise for my super late reply to your comment , I try to reply to every comment but some slip through the net. By the way I am launching a new video on these Trackday TD slicks on this Sunday , just a follow up video . hope you would like it. Thanks , safe riding
How would you compare to Dunlops Q4? its nice not having to deal with tire warmers, track temps for right compound, looked like this could of been the next step up but you say they need tire warmers? is all the extra hassle worth it
Hi mate, thanks for watching , Dunlop q4 technically is still a street legal tyre. The grooves on that can still loose heat sometimes but it’s not that bad. It’s an amazing tyre. However, This metzeler TD is a perfect step up if you are doing decent pace on Dunlop’s . Yes, tyre warmers are not technically needed with these Metz TD tyres as the compound warms very quick especially if it’s a warm Day and warm track . But the reason I recommend tyre warmers is to save time and you can get on the pace straight away and make the most of your session on Trackdays. Plus no hesitation with throttle or scared of high side. The profile of the metzeler TD is a race slick profile , which means more contact patch than street legal Dunlop Q4. I know tyre warmers seem hassle but trust me mate, you get used to it so quickly and if you are a rider who is getting faster and faster , get used to warmers , you would absolutely love the instant grip you get . I hope I haven’t made it more indecisive for you . Let me know if you have any further questions
While I do agree on the handling of the tyre and its performance, I can not agree on its durability. The tyre wear markers are really shallow compared to other slicks and when I was using the TDs for a weekend last year I had a lot of wear on the rear tyre of my ~100PS bike while temperature and tyre pressure where kept inside the specs from Metzeler.
This is very interesting , thank you so much for this feed back , I am doing a back to back test in Mugello with this tyre and Dunlop KR hopefully if things pan out ok with corona this year . so I will keep your point in mind. thanks for watching and commenting
How would you compare the longevity between TD Slick vs CompK Medium vs Racetec RR Slick K2 (hardest)
Woe Svea, thats definitely a tricky one, I would definitely say the TD has better life span than the other two because of the new compound which is meant to last a long time but at the same time be more flexible. the only time I have seen the TD compound struggle is last year at Portimao circuit where tarmac was 2 weeks old and on the new surface it really struggled but otherwise I haven't heard anyone mentioning any issues with longevity. thanks for watching :). really appreciate the support too
Really nice video mate
Thank you very much mate
Really appreciate it 🤗🤗
Thinking about trying these, coming from Bridgestone R11’s
I get they are pretty special as an all round tyre, but are they a worthy replacement for a race tyre?
Yes mate, I just took absolute liberties yesterday on this tyre , I was at Mallory park yesterday and I was the second fastest in the fast group and the tyre still had plenty to give after doing 7 Trackdays on it. I was doing same laptimes as a racer in the EMRA mid field rider , so from personal experience, they are perfect for racing especially endurance racing especially in changeable weather
Oh wowww.. new video🙂 gd make more n more videos👏👏
Thank you very much
Soon as I get to use up the 4 sets of supercorsas I’ve bought during lockdown, I’ll buy a pair 🤣
😂😂😂😂 you never will truly win inters with supercorsas lol
Only kidding mate
I loved the supercorsa until I got the taste of a slick
Try it end of the year
It will blow you away
@@ChasingTenths they are slicks bud, I just call them supercorsa lol SC1 😍
@@WinningInters aaahhhhhhhhh
So you got Diablo slicks from Pirelli SC1 compound
Wow , you must be loaded lol
They are expensive 😜😜😜
@@ChasingTenths only scrubs but yeah got carried away 🤣
Excellent informative video. I am currently running Dunlop D213gp pro, love how fast they get into the corner and they are very grippy.
Would the TD slick a step forward?
Seen the profile of the front, are they as aggressive as the Dunlop to tip onto the corners? Cheers
Thanks for watching mate, I absolutely love those Dunlop’s and they are used a lot in racing in Superstock Italy and it’s an epic compound ... but these metzeler TD is a thoroughbred slick so I definitely the contact patch and the liberties you can take with this compound slick is higher and heat retention is greater due to no grooves , plus the profile of a slick is more fast pace lean friendly
@@ChasingTenths thanks for the great answer!!! I will definitely try them!
@@rubenassandri9389 no problem mate , let me know how it goes for you
@@ChasingTenths so the D212 slick isn't a proper slick too?
Always thought the profiled and unprofiled D212 were the same essentially.
And d212 slick is used in races, so should be proper slick, no? Unless 180/55 maybe
@@lillnemo1 D212 is absolutely fantastic tyre, funny thing is that lately at cadwell a guy was 6 seconds quicker than me on those tyres (talent Offcourse) but I really respect that tyre a lot. At the end of the day it’s also talent, tarmac , weather , Temps , so many things can come into play but it’s a personal suitability factor too
I got my first set and ran them with warmers, 26 rear hot and I tore the right side pretty bad in 3 sessions. It looked like cold tear to me, 07 cbr600rr, outside temp was 57 F and I weight 200lbs in my gear. What pressure do you recommend?
Wow, that’s very odd, the only time people have reported something like that is either At Portimao’s newly laid surface just before the first F1 Grand Prix or Almiera’s naturally abrasive surface.
I am running 23 psi on hot days and 25 psi on cold days
But mostly 25 to 26 PSI hot to be honest
I would really look into the rear suspension set up for your bike, something might be odd for that tyre to be so off within 3 sessions, very odd that.
Please keep me in the loop
I am quite keen to know
@@ChasingTenths thank you very much for your reply. I will definitely keep you in the loop. I have 2 days this weekend at a track I’m very familiar with so I’ll let you know how it goes. I plan on running 24 psi off the warmers and see what happens
@@24snowboarder4life no problem at all, please definitely get the suspension setup looked at mate
They certainly look the business Abhi 👍 what pressures do you run with them please, are they similar to the SC2s
Yes mate absolutely, I am running 31 or 32 psi front and 24 or 25 hot rear
I was using the same for Pirelli sc2 to be honest
And had no issues
@@ChasingTenths oh brilliant Abhi, that's great thankyou, that's spot on. Will be the first time on slicks so can't wait 😊👍
@@ianhince3444 haha Ian, you will never go back , slicks are epic.
So much confidence, it’s amazing
@@ChasingTenths 👍😊😊😊
Good video. I used the compK 2020 on some track days in Oschersleben an they fit great on my Ducati 1098S. For 2021 I will use the TD slicks on a 2018 RSV4 RF. It will be nice. CU
Aaahhh perfect
Yes I am curious To see how long these tyres last and riding them at various temperatures too , thanks for watching
Hast du schon ein paar Runden in Oschersleben gedreht? Wie sind deine Erfahrungen mit dem Reifen? @MK1098 S
@@marcuss9778 Hallo.
Ja hab ich. Insgesamt auf 6 Trackdays in Oschersleben. 4 davon mit der 1098S in 2020. 2 Tage in 2021 mit einer RSV4 und neulich 2 Tage in Hockenheim auch mit der RSV4. Ich bin mit dem Reifen zufrieden. Die Laufleistung ist mit der RSV4 aber deutlich geringer. Grip ist Top.
@@MK1098S das klingt gut, mit ner zx6r sollte Laufleistung bei Zeiten um die 1,52 kein Problem darstellen. Top wenn der grip gut ist, ich bin gespannt bis ich die endlich ausprobieren kann
@@marcuss9778 Bei der Zeit brauchste keine Slicks. Investiere erstmal Fahrzeit
What temp do you use on the warmers to get these to operating temperature & what pressures do you run at operating temperature
That’s an excellent question
You don’t need these tyres to be on boiling temperature to get them working, in U.K. in between session we have 30 to 35 mins give and take faffing around with stuff. I get to them about 55 degrees minimum before I leave the pits . Pressures should be 26 psi rear HOT & 35 psi front HOT
@@ChasingTenths awesome thanks for the reply!
Will swapping from supercorsas to these require much in terms of set up change?
Not really mate but these have a complete slick profile, on full lean your pegs might touch the tarmac on & off if they are set quite low. Keep an eye on any uneven wear & if you see anything strange then pay a visit to the suspension set up guy.
But otherwise they should be absolutely ok
@@ChasingTenths, cheers, my rearsets are quite high so should be OK. First go on them will be qualifying lol
wat tire pressure do you put in it ? Thanks for the reply
I am ever so sorry for the late reply Steven, some comments slip through the radar , I am running 35 psi front and 25 psi rear , both HOT , no issues at all on all British circuits with varied temperatures
Great video mate.. i’m still 50/50 on slicks only as it seems to upset my style with ‘tip’ in..
Wow really
That’s an interesting point
I know you are running Avon’s
Try a different brand
How long will these tires last compared to the Q3+? How does the grip compare?
This tyre is definitely more grippier than q3 plus the profile of the tyre is total race slick, so the contact patch is more and it’s very sticky and no less of heat as there are no grooves in it where heat can be lost . It’s definitely worth buying over a q3 for sure
@@ChasingTenths thanks for the reply. I'm hearing the rear tire can last about 4 track days so that's a plus
@@1234dfl1 absolutely it can unless they tarmac has been recently surfaced or it’s too too too hot then you might find it may last 3 days or less
not sure if i heard, but was there any mention of rough tyre pressure recommended as a base?
Hi mate , very good point
I should have mentioned it
But it’s 24 to 26 psi Hot rear and 31 to 33 psi Hot front
@@ChasingTenths cool, thanks , ordered a set to use in 3 weeks, as usually use V02....so see how they are thanks
@@moystonadv3651 lovely mate, let me know how you got along with them please
It would be good to know some feedback ... feel free to add the page on Facebook to keep in touch . See description of this video .
Appreciate you watching the video mate
@@ChasingTenths can i ask what a cost of a set of them are there..? wonder as compariosn in oz here
@@moystonadv3651 £125 for front mate and £150 for rear 😊
Great video content, I wonder how these compare to my pirelli supercorsa SP V3s as I was pretty disappointed with there lifespan, after just one day on a cold donnington park GP circuit, ended up with considerable hot tear on right hand side, not that fast 1.48s
So sorry for the late reply , some comments slip under the radar. I am super surprised that a SP V3 had issues on a cold tarmac, I know Doni surface is old but its not that abrasive , I had issues with an SC0 but I was over using that tire on a wrong/cold temp day. I was speaking to a Pirelli engineer at oulton last month , he mentioned that Pirelli's are super sensitive to pressures too , so 1 psi here and there can cause such issues. It's odd that you had issues on that compound rubber. Touchwood on these Metzeler, I haven't had any issues yet.
Warmers work better but these tires are definitly made for those without those funds
It’s just a very versatile tyre
It does a lot of things in a lot of good way.
And you are right , the price is spot on
Thank you for watching:)
Dude, everyone has funds for Motea/Constands warmers. And they ARE awesome. Also, stands don't cost luch. Buy a used set, or those cheap 60€ a set ones an you're done
i used it in anneau du rhin yesterday. brand new in the morning, rear completely over in the evening. Grip and feel was great, really great, tire wear looked beautiful, but durability...nope. 2003 gsxr 1k, 10degrees asphalt, 20degrees air. anyone else with this experience?
Wow Dom, that’s shocking . Only on the new tarmac in Portimao this tyre DIDNT last long otherwise this tyre last really long. Are you sure the track wasn’t newly tarmaced?
@@ChasingTenths afaik tarmac was recently renewed, like 2-3 years ago, its quite grippy. but somehow that is not a sufficient explanation...
@@domothepilot yes I agree , this is the first time I heard that this tyre has lost grip so quick , ok it’s good to know
Thanks for the feedback
@@ChasingTenths dont get me wrong, i had good grip till the end, its just that the markers show "zero rubber" on one side and about 30% on the other.
Thanks for your replies.
@@isayenibayrak5671 lovely feedback
Thank you very much
Ah cmon then I don’t use it they say no tire warmers then just use it as it is made for.
Sorry mate I didn’t understand the msg
But they definitely work better with warmers :)
Has anyone ran these at Portimao?
Yes mate, I’ve had 6 people tell me that they have , unfortunately to tell you the truth and I have made a follow up video on this too…. when the Portimao tarmac was newly laid for the inaugural formula 1 Grand Prix , there was a bike trackday just before it and these tyres shredded within a day and a half but then Dunlop kr were the same but that was nearly 2 years ago , since then the surface of Portimao has been bedded in nicely and now it’s not that abrasive I heard .
This is just feedback from some people
Hope it helps
@@ChasingTenths Thanks for your reply. I still think i might try these, VO2s seem hard to come by at the minute.
@@philevans3891 that’s such a good point phill , tyres are in short supply after the first round of racing
We were at the Silverstone endurance last weekend and there were tyres galore and this week they have sold out , no limits that is.
If you need VO2 I am sure you know bob Collins from FWR.
Have a good one Phil
@@ChasingTenths ahh okay, don't go until May so will have to see whats available. Cheers.
Loving the top. Im size medium will send you my address..lol
Hahaha
No worries mate ;)
Thanks for watching
Bhaiya revive your hindi channel
Theek hai, 🤗I promise I will
This weekend I will launch a Hindi video
🥰💋
Thank you ☺️