Ian's tyre test of the Metzeler Tourance Next 2

There is a jokey pre-amble to this story, read it here if you wish.

I was sent to Portugal to ride in 30 degree sunshine along glorous coast lines and scenic mountains, all so I can learn about the new Metzeler Tourance Next 2.

The Briefing.

In a room with a plethora, yes a plethora, of Metzeler product specialists and sales guys with print out, spreadsheets and power point charts. Let me summarize it all for you.

Metzeler thought that the Tourance Next was good enough in every area except for wet grip. So they improved that. A lot.

The 30 degree ride in glorious sunshine...

If you've read the article about Mick the Evil Magician then you already know that the whole experience was a wash out.
Apparently that area gets only 28 days of rain per year... and I think we had all of them crammed into 2 days.
It didnt just rain, it hammered down, the visibility was terrible, the spray off the road was a nightmare, even the guys who packed full on water proofs got soaked through. It was dire.

The scenery that should have been stunning was obscured, and mountain roads that should have been a joy were instead slippy, puddled, dangerous and compounded by the 300 foot cliffs.

Ah we should all be fine though, the leader of the ride will surely go steady .... NO!!! because the leader of the group was Paris-Dakar rider Simon Pavey.

I think, that in his mind, he was going steady.

The tyres! (that is probably why you're here)

Having product knowledge does help to sell tyres. Ask me if the Anakee Wild are any good in the rain... I don't know. I've heard they're ok.

Ask me if the Tourance Next 2 are any good in the rain.. OH MY GOD YES THEY ARE UNBELIEVABLE IN THE RAIN!

And here is why.....
In the briefing we are told that the roads in Vilamora are slippy, so go steady until we get out of town. Easy enough.
We're also told that these Tourance Next 2s are brand new, not had the 100 mile run in period. Fair enough.

Sat on brand new BMW R1250 GS bikes, we all set off, in differing levels of motorcycle clothing. I was wearing short boots, Kevlar Jeans, leather jacket and gloves and my bright greeny yellow helmet. No waterproofs.

We get out of town and it's like someone set off a rocket on Simon Pavey's bike. He's just gone. And being macho bikers surrounded by other macho bikers we have to keep up. Pah! No one want's to be 'that guy who couldnt keep up'.. and I admit, it was stupid.

It was scary, the roads are hairpin after hairpin with drop offs to the side of 100s of feet, and I had a moment which I can say without adding the usual dramatic effects... I thought I was about to die. Going down a tight hairpin, the road really dropped off around the bend, the road was wet and there was a huge patch of gravel... I'm giving the GS as much brake as I dare but I'm heading towards the armco barrier. That 18" high bit of metal might stop the bike going over the cliff but I'm perched on top and I'm likely to over it.

I have no choice but to keep on braking as much as I dare and tip the bike over more in the hope of low siding it and sliding into the barrier without going over it.... and the tyres just gripped and I made the corner with a heart rate of about 4000 (I have restarted dramatic effect now by the way)

This moment changed things on the whole ride, corners that seemed sketchy before now seemed safer... and on less cliff-edge corners I started to push the tyres harder, taking liberties a bit ..... and they gripped.

Looking back I see it as an experience, though I wouldnt want to repeat it. Metzeler were happy though as they had the feedback they had hoped for, that the Tourance Next 2 is phemomenal in the wet.

Ask me if you should buy some....... YOU SHOULD! 

Ian