Cold Weather Scooter Tires
Safety in every month of the year is now even more within reach for all scooter riders thanks to the introduction of new sizes for Feelfree Wintec, the first tire conceived to allow scooter riders to use their two wheelers in every season, especially in the coldest months.
In addition to the sizes already sold, now riders can also find sizes of 100/80-16 for the front and 120/80-16 for the rear on 150 cc scooters like the Honda SH150i, 110-70-16 for the front and 130/70-R16 for the rear on 300cc scooters like the Honda SH300i as well as front size 110/70-13 and rear 140/60-14 suited for scooters like the Piaggio MP3.
With the expansion of the Feelfree Wintec range Metzeler confirms road safety as a priority element of its research and development activities, which are conducted alongside numerous sensitization initiatives in all major European countries.
Created in 2007 as a radial for maxi-scooters (Burgman 650 and Tmax 500), Feelfree Wintec quickly became the tire of choice for the entire segment and made scooter use non-seasonal. Feelfree Wintec was designed to provide the best possible performance in low temperatures and on wet road surfaces, but it guarantees the same reliable performance in hot weather and on dry surfaces as well. Its primary benefits are stability and handling, factors which give the rider a feeling of security and confidence.
The Feelfree Wintec tread design is the most visible application of Metzeler technology. The tread, characterised by siping, was designed to optimise the empty/full ratio of both front and rear tires in order to maximize performance, especially in wet conditions, enhancing water drainage.
The sipes play a fundamental role because, breaking up the water plane, they provide better traction on wet surfaces (centre of the tread) and an excellent feeling of contact in bends (shoulders). The shape of the sipes was designed to ensure fast warm-up without making the tread excessively mobile.
Feelfree Wintec is made up of both a conventional structures (for sizes from 10" to 15") as well as radial structures (sizes from 14" to 16"). The conventional structures are made up of a carcass on which two or more layers of rubber textile material are overlaid, with different angles of inclination based on the technical construction requirements and the different desired speed indexes.
The radial versions associate the famous Metzeler 0° steel belt with a lightened carcass in order to increase ease of riding and handling at high speeds. This technology constitutes a Metzeler patent which the engineers have developed even further, introducing variations on the density of the steel cords in the various areas of the profile.
Feelfree Wintec has a "three zone A-B-A pattern" which is able to provide a larger tread area. "A-B-A" represents the arrangement of the steel belt, tighter on the shoulder and less at the centre, with a new optimised profile which ensures progressive performance, predictability and maximum riding precision.
The compound plays an important role and thanks to a specific study on the composition mix, Feelfree is able to provide exceptional grip in all weather conditions. A patented process with an appropriate mix of compounds allows the properties of three different polymers to be added, each of which glazes over at different temperatures.
This new patented technology ensures grip on wet surfaces even in extremely cold temperatures (-10°C) and at the same time provides excellent physical strength. An appropriate hardness of the compound in wet conditions and high temperatures stems from a perfectly balanced mixture of components (Silica + Carbon Black) created specifically for this tire.
Metzeler has also applied "Cap & Base" technology: strategic reinforcing fibres under the soft compound with a perfect balance of flexibility and rigidity between tread and structure which ensure transfer of road stress from the tread to the carcass, improving stability.
For more information about the new Metzeler FeelFree sizes, visit our website at metzelermoto.it.
