METZELER ME 888 MARATHON™ ULTRA EXPANDS THE RANGE WITH NEW SIZES, INCLUDING THE 23-INCH FRONT, AND WITH A WHITEWALL VERSION

The new custom touring product from Metzeler will be on sale from Spring 2014 in new sizes, including the all-new 23-inch front designed especially for the ‘Baggers’, and in a Whitewall version in 12 sizes; 5 front and 7 rear, dedicated to heavy tourers, V -Twins and metric cruisers

The range of METZELER tyres expands from Spring 2014 . A wider range of sizes and a new version of the ME 888 MARATHON™ Ultra, the new tyre from the brand with the blue elephant, dedicated to all owners and lovers of V-Twins and the custom world. The new product, already nicknamed "Triple 8" from the US public, will be present with new sizes, including the 23-inch front, and with a Whitewall version.

The new blackwall sizes of the ME 888 MARATHON™ Ultra that complement existing ones are 130/70 R 18 M/C 63H TL, MH90 - 21 M/C 54H TL and 130/60 B 23 M/C 65H TL at the front and 140/90 B 15 M/C 70H TL, 140/90 B 16 M/C Reinf 77H TL, 180/60 R 16 M/C 74H TL e 160/70 B 17 M/C 79V Reinf TL on the rear.

Among the new sizes, also a 23-inch front, an unprecedented size in the range of products from METZELER dedicated to the custom world, which demonstrates the desire of the brand to continue on the road that led it to success, especially in the United States, that is the role of best partner for customisers, such as Dirico Motorcycles USA. The new front size is especially dedicated to those who want to transform their motorcycles into baggers and by customizing their own vehicle, do not only want to obtain a motorcycle for exhibition but use it on the road, all this through the quality of METZELER tyres .

In the Whitewall version, which joins the "classic" one, ME 888 MARATHON™ Ultra includes 12 sizes, 5 front and 7 rear, which can fit the most popular models of heavy tourers, V-Twins and metric cruisers offering the same performance of the equal "blackwall" sizes and at the same time a vintage look carefully finished.

ME 888 MARATHON™ Ultra is the appointed heir of the ME 880 MARATHON™, a tyre which is already quite popular with V-Twin owners and customisers all over the world where, whilst maintaining the popular characteristics of grip in both dry and wet, significantly increases mileage. In order to achieve this result the engineers focused completely on selecting the materials to be used and fine tuning every feature of the tyre: compound, structure, tread and profile. Therefore, the goal of increasing mileage did not effect the features which make its predecessor, the ME 880 MARATHON™, so famous: stability, agility, grip and excellent comfort.

The improvement in terms of compound compared to the ME 880 MARATHON™ was achieved by working on the materials used in the process. In fact, the polymers chosen for the compound have a greater resistance to abrasion and are therefore able to ensure more mileage, but at the same time the selection of appropriate resins allowed excellent grip to be maintained, even on wet roads. Another objective which was achieved by the engineers was to make the abrasion resistance properties last for the entire life cycle of the tyre.

The increase in mileage was obtained in part by focusing on the structure and carcass with the choice of designing the geometry of the plies larger and wider compared to the one normally used in conventional construction.

The geometry of the ply’s reduces the amount of deformation in the tread contact area with benefits in terms of uniformity of the contact pressure and less heat generation, all to the advantage of mileage and consistent performance of the compound.

Deformation is therefore concentrated more on the sides where it is dissipated without interfering with the area that comes into contact with the road.

But the increased mileage was also obtained by working on the tread pattern, thanks to more even wear of the entire tread. In order to improve even wear, the new tread pattern is more solid, thanks to the particular alternation of the land/sea ratio, and the compound itself is less stressed in the tread contact area, thereby reducing the transmission of the tread's stressing forces on the belts and plies of the carcass. The new tread pattern not only gives the ME 888 MARATHON™ Ultra higher mileage compared to the ME 880 MARATHON™, but it also provides better water drainage in favour of safety and the prevention of aquaplaning.

Last, but not least, the contact area of the ME 888 MARATHON™ Ultra is 5% shorter and 15% wider than that of the ME 880 MARATHON™, thanks to its profile which has been entirely redesigned and the technical solutions in the carcass and structure area described above. This solution was sought in consideration of the fact that the longer the contact surface is, the greater the wear on the tread will be due to the deformations the compound in contact with the road surface is subjected to. On the other hand, a shorter and wider tread surface like the one on the ME 888 MARATHON™ Ultra helps to better distribute the force necessary for transferring horsepower to the ground, reducing overheating of the tyre surface due to sliding effects.

Metzeler ME 888 MARATHON™ Ultra is therefore at the top of its category for all intents and purposes in terms of mileage, allowing the biker to enjoy typical Metzeler performance such as agility, stability, safety and comfort, for the entire life cycle of the tyre.

The new ME 888 MARATHON™ Ultra in new new sizes, including the 23-inch front, and in Whitewall version will be on sale from spring 2014 as a complement to "blackwall" sizes already on the market. This is the full range of available sizes (in bold the new ones):