Metzeler "Steel" Up Front

METZELER "STEEL" UP FRONT

MONO-SPIRAL. JOINTless-belt. Zero-degree belting. Three tire terms that mean essentially the same thing: a single continuous cord wound in the direction of travel onto a radial carcass. Whereas most manufacturers employ kevlar or aramid fibers, though, Metzeler uses steel. The benefit, company officials claim, is superior damping, reduced shimmy and increased bump stability. Until recently, this technology was reserved for rear tires. Now, Metzeler is incorporating zero-degree steel belting into its front applications, an industry first. Recently, the press was invited to Sicily to sample the track-spec MEZ3 and street-compound MEZ4.

At the high-speed Per gusa roadrace circuit, the MEZ3s fitted to a Kawasaki ZX-9R and a Yamaha YZF 1 000R provided impressive feedback and grip. Ditto the MEZ4s spooned onto the BMW K1200RS, Honda Interceptor 800 and Suzuki Bandit 1200 that we sampled on the area's backroads. The tires exhibited ex cellent stability, no sign of handlebar shimmy and minimal tendency to stand up under braking. With only one day in the saddle, though, it was im possible to judge durability. The post-ride pasta, however, was first-rate.

Don Canet