Buddy of mine stumbled upon these on a Euro site for very reasonable prices. Metzeler claims no warmers are needed? Anyone have experience with these? Is it basically a Metzeler variant of a Q4 with no siping? https://www.metzeler.com/en-uk/products/tyres/racetec-rr-compk-slick
Comp K slicks have been around for about 3 or 4 years and the last 2 years in the US. You can get them from Scott Jensen at Moto Garage in CO. https://moto-garage.com/collections/hot-sellers
Thanks for letting me know. Any personal experience with them? Maybe I'll see if I can call in to Scott and ask how he thinks they compare to the usual TD tires.
Metzeler is old design/ previous gen Pirelli tires. Pirelli has owned Metzeler for some time. Your Best bet is to buy Pirellis/ Metzelers if you so choose from your local Pirelli vendor.
Yep kinda like this. The Racetecs are built with different compounds and similar materials/constructions and are not developed as intensely as the Pirelli roadrace product. FYI Pirelli purchased Metzeler in 1986 but in the big picture each company has unique customer types so the products are different.
Probably not if I remember correctly Metz had ME 33 & a rear? that were called sport (aka race compound) that were used for racing in 83 and later. Then Metz developed the new K compound and its was simply named after a part of its chemical make up.
I believe that Metzler is still made in Munich. The company is owned by Pirelli as stated but is solely a motorcycle tire manufacturer with separate R&D from Pirelli. I also wouldn't say the development isn't a fierce its just different markets. I mean they even compete against each other in the European market. Not saying information isn't shared but I also don't think to say it is just a generation old Pirelli is accurate...
Yeah, they had those tires in a street compound. Then in '86-'87, afaik, those tires were also available in CompK. I wondered if that was a Pirelli influence.
Uh no, Metzeler hasn't had a factory in Munich in like 50 years. The factory is located in Breuberg, about an hour SE from Frankfort. The Pirelli car tire factory is in the same village and just down the road. I've visited there 6 or 7 times during my employment and its a great area. They still have sales and marketing offices in Munich though. Metzeler stopped making car tires and products, inflatable boats, and industrial rubber products in the late 70s, and switched to 2 wheels only at that time. What I meant in regards to race tire development is that with WSBK, WSS, and the 10 plus spec tire series in Europe and other places they have to prioritize Pirelli over Metzeler. But with street and dirt tires it's much different.
Before the Comp K there was the Sport compound that I raced on with my SR500 around 84/85. And I know the 3 German engineers/test guys that picked the Comp K name well.
I believe you could get the ME77 in a sport compound it was both a front and rear fitment on smaller bikes. I think the matching rear was the ME99. Then the ME 33 front and the ME1 rear came out in the Comp K. We ran those on the FJ600 and the Ascot. They were the hot ticket for a while and better than the Pirelli Sport Demon.
I didn't forget about them, I just didn't like them much, especially in the rain. But they were better than the Dunlops of that era. In the late 80's if I was buying my own tires, I bought Metzelers. If I was running endurance, I raced whatever was on the bike. If somebody was giving me tires, I used those.
Are the Metzeler Slick Comp K any good? And what compound are they similar to? It shows they're having "special pricing while supplies last", although I haven't called to confirm if they're still available.
These are a trackday product so much better than a street tire but not up to race compound performance on the track.