In the market for some new rubber that can do it all? You might want to look this way
Humans are creatures of habit; we vote Labor or Liberal because we always have, or mum and dad did, we put our socks and shoes on the same way the majority of the time and when it comes to our bikes, we can be fiercely brand loyal.
“I’m a Honda man” or “I’m a Ducati girl” and our biases extend to the equipment we strap on ourselves and our bikes as well, such as the tyres we rely on to keep sunny side up.
Our tyre loyalties are formed in a bunch of different ways, it can be what our mates use, perhaps what a racer uses, or it could be something as simple as good experiences, even just sticking with the OEM tyre.
As someone that used to flog motorcycle tyres for a living, I know all too well how hard it can be to get someone to ditch brand loyalties. And I get why it’s difficult to change; if you take the punt and swap brands and you pick an inferior product, the consequences can be dire, I mean these round black things are all that stand between our rims and the road.
But it’s not the gamble it once was. No reputable brand makes a bad tyre anymore, they just don’t. You might hear the odd wanker who couldn’t ride out of sight on a dark night telling all and sundry that this tyre is crap, and this one’s the go, but in all honesty, if used correctly, modern sports hoops have way more ability than 90 percent of road riders do.
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TEST: PETE VORST PHOTOGRAPHY METZELER