Motorcyclists are a persnickety bunch. Want proof? Just ask the average rider for a list of well-meaning, though contradictory, qualities they’d like from their rubber. To the ears of tire engineers, the answer will probably sound like wishing for unicorns. First, we demand dry grip on par with narrowly focused sport hoops, but they’ll also need to endure high miles. Oh, we’ll need impressive wet-weather performance, too. We’ll then politely suggest something that can operate in temperatures as broad as our demands. Invariably, tire choice is about compromise. Yet, the sport-touring Metzeler Roadtec 02 aims to deliver some do-it-all magic to the masses.
The formerly German, now-Italian brand’s new set of kicks is designed with the latest generation of sport-aligned motorcycles in mind, which have become increasingly more powerful and technologically advanced. In fact, the sport-touring realm has changed quite a bit in recent years, seeing as more than a few offerings crest into the 200-horsepower club. That doesn’t mean Metzeler exclusively focuses on the upper echelon of motorcycling—the Roadtec 02 supports standard sizes for middleweight and liter-class bikes alike, with 17- and 19-inch front wheel options that bring ADV bikes into the conversation.
Raising the collective performance ceiling of the average sporty bike pushed engineers to create what they’ve dubbed a “super-sport-touring” tire, serving a vast audience. Everything from the sportiest of sport-tourers, high-performance naked bikes, ADV-inspired sport-tourers, and road-focused supersport owners is what the Roadtec 02 pledges to please. Considering that it covers most of the street motorcycle market, that’s a big goal to put afoot.
The thing about a sport-touring tire is that it’ll experience a little bit of everything that roads and Mother Nature can muster. In truth, that broad spectrum capability makes them more appealing than track-capable rubber when looking through the lens of the average enthusiast. Interestingly, tire launches often occur at racetracks, allowing us to test a tire’s upper limits, though it doesn’t necessarily tell us much about everyday riding. But what if the road is the racing circuit?
As luck would have it, Metzeler is the official tire sponsor of the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy. Metzeler pulled some strings that allowed us to test the Roadtec 02, its latest super-sport-touring tire, on arguably the most extreme racetrack in the world—the TT course.
While the TT is extreme in every description, Manx roads run the gamut from the smoothest of the smooth to the harshest harsh and every possible variation in between. As the island is plopped in the middle of the Irish Sea, it is subject to equally varied weather conditions. Locals are familiar with enjoying sunny skies on one end of the small 277-square-mile island while the other side is belted with rain—a perfect environment for a do-it-all tire.
There was only one problem—the Irish Sea was angry that day, my friends. We were treated to proper Manx weather—frigid, foggy, blustery, and wet. However, it did afford this Californian the rare opportunity to test the Roadtec 02 in wet conditions, which is somewhat of a rarity in our parts of the globe.
We’ll have a fully developed follow-up test when Metzeler has tires available, though we’re working only with wet impressions for now.
Tech Talk: What’s New for the Metzeler Roadtec 02
The Roadtec 02 builds on the Roadtec 01 SE’s sturdy foundation in several ways, changing tire construction compounds and introducing an innovative adaptive tread pattern that Metzeler calls Dynatread.
Managing the ever-increasing horsepower of modern-day motorcycles is one thing, but we’ve also got advanced rider aids and semi-active suspension to consider. This reality isn’t lost on Metzeler, who has said they’ve taken inspiration from their sport range of tires, repurposing several performance-focused design elements for the Roadtec 02’s versatile mission.
Meeting those demands is a strategy that begins with a stiffer overall carcass construction often used in sportier applications. However, those attributes encourage stability in high or low-speed scenarios when combined with tamer sport-touring-friendly tire profiles.
Sport-touring/ADV-touring machines tend to crest into the 500-pound realm before adding luggage or a passenger. When factoring in some of their high-powered engines, these bikes can stress tires during acceleration and braking. So, the rubber on these bikes must be sturdy to maintain a uniform and consistent contact patch on the asphalt.
Metzeler has also updated its front and rear full-silica rubber compound formulas, resulting in significant gains according to the brand’s claims. Silica content is a critical factor in street tires, as it contributes to Improved warm-up times and dramatically increased wet traction over non-silica carbon-black compounds used in pure-sport tires. While Metzeler cites better fair-weather behavior, there are large gains when the heavens open up.
The new single-compound front tire sees a 10.2 percent improvement in dry conditions, followed by a five percent uptick in wet performance. Meanwhile, the dual-compound rear tire opts for a harder center that further enhances stability and encourages mileage, with a softer shoulder compound that provides better edge grip while cornering. The brand says it offers a nine percent increase in the dry, with a significant 15 percent step in the wet.
What’s new to the party is Metzeler’s clever Dynatread, which bridges the gap between wet-weather friendly treaded tires and sport rubber that typically leaves its shoulders bare for maximum grip. At casual speeds or under low load, the siping controllably flexes, generating friction and heat—hence the faster warm-up times—while allowing space to help evacuate water.
Tire tread deforming under high load isn’t anything new and is naturally occurring. It will go unnoticed in most cases, but it can sometimes create an inconsistent feeling when cranked over. Dynatread embraces that concept and uses it as a strength, with the narrowest portions of the tread designed to deform to a point where the gap closes (highlighted in blue/aqua) when riding at faster paces, creating a larger contact patch and better cornering consistency. Depending on your speed, you’ll also hear up to a 6 dB noise reduction—those used to the droning of off-road tires on pavement might be envious of that claimed figure.
Riding In the Wet
If there is a hallowed ground in the two-wheeled world, then the Isle of Man TT fits the description. Few circuits pony up such a legacy, let alone what the TT means to so many fans, racers, and residents alike. TT racers and the dedicated spectators are in a league of their own.
What’s crucial to remember when trawling through the quaint city of Douglas is that the TT course is a public road when Superbikes aren’t blasting across the blacktop. Kids go to school, parents go to work, and life moves on when the likes of John McGuiness, Michael Dunlop, Peter Hickman, and this year’s Senior TT winner, Davey Todd, aren’t holding it WFO. The TT is actual road racing.
Yet, there’s no denying it’s wholly integrated into Manx life, with road signs marking the course and identifying every section. While we didn’t bomb down Bray Hill or loft our front wheels loft over Ago’s Leap, it was a surreal experience to see what these riders experience when hitting triple-digit speeds.
Luckily, our ride was led by a group of experienced TT riders, with Richard “Milky” Quayle as our trusty guide. Milky is one of only three Manxman to win the TT, and the last to do it, 22 years ago. Being born, bred, and still residing on the Island, Milky coaches Manx GP and TT newcomers. If you’re looking to compete on the Island, he’s the man who observes you and gives you the go-ahead to do it. His passion for the TT, the Isle, and racing is infectious. He also managed to get on the podium in the wet, which would certainly help our ride.
Our Roadtec 02-equipped steeds were high-tech sport-tourers and sporty middleweights, though I spread my time between the KTM 890 SMT, KTM 990 Duke, and BMW R 1250 R, as they’re bikes that were relatively fresh in my memory banks.
While these machines are different from one another, they all took to the Roadtec 02 nicely. The ST-influenced tire profile provides a predictable roll rate when initiating turns that balance agility and stability well. Those traits played well with the 890 SMT, with its higher center of gravity and sometimes overeager handling qualities, chilling it out a touch. Meanwhile, the R 1250 R felt right at home on its countryman’s rubber, with the 990 Duke seemingly maintaining its excellent handling at these lower speeds.
What stands out immediately about the new Metzeler Roadtec 02 is that the wet-weather performance claims to hold water—the silica-rich compounds provide a confidence-inspiring level of traction when cruising through Douglas and obeying the rules of the road. Douglas is the capital of the Isle of Man, after all.
That grip earned its keep on Snaefell Mountain, of which Metzeler managed to shut a portion to allow a more authentic and uninhibited experience. However, the thick fog, steady rain, and howling winds meant that our speeds were kept in check, though the wet grip is more than welcome in those situations.
The few rare opportunities to wick up the pace to 70+ mph weren’t met with trepidation, as the updated tread pattern was doing its job in these situations. How the morphing Dynatread behaves at pace is a question we’ll answer during a dry test.
Metzeler explained that a more rigid carcass ethos is behind the Roadtec 02, which can raise questions about comfort because a firm tire can transmit too much feedback to the rider. The TT course can be incredibly bumpy, especially in areas near Kerrowmoar, and the idea of charging through there on a sportbike seems harrowing at best, with Milky describing it like riding through whoops. Even on middleweight machines, tire comfort and bump absorption at street-legal speeds are excellent, with good feedback during braking or cornering. How that translates to brisker paces is unknown until we can test in the dry.
A key point of action for Metzeler engineers was to improve tire behavior with advanced rider aids such as traction control and ABS in mind, which is a good thing. Graphs point to gains in those areas, with test riders braking harder, accelerating earlier, and at higher leans than the Roadtec 01 SE. We’ll credit the grip gains, as the nannies didn’t seem to trigger prematurely in wet conditions, and a welcoming bite is still achieved when reaching for the lever.
That leaves us in an interesting place we rarely explore: wet performance. The Metzeler Roadtec 02 proved a sage choice when faced with rough weather conditions, thanks to its quick warm-up times and impressive wet weather traction, putting it at the top of the list for riders who ride rain or shine. As of now, dry impressions are unknown to us, but we’ll update this story when we’ve got a set of hoops on a bike stateside.
Metzeler Roadtec 02 Tire Sizes
Front
- 120/70 x 17
- 110/80 x 19
- 120/70 x 19
Rear
- 150/70 x 17
- 160/60 x 17
- 170/60 x 17
- 180/55 x 17
- 190/50 x 17
- 190/55 x 17
