Sustainability Channel

Pirelli Metzeler Tourance™ Next is the best balanced endurance street tyre for Motorrad

Pirelli new  Metzeler Tourance™ Next demonstrated the best balanced performance in all the conditions taken into consideration during the tests, an excellent performance on the dry combined with the excellent features which shone through in the wet and a high mileage.

For this the new Metzeler Tourance™ Next was on the top step of the podium in the street enduro tyre comparative review organised by the authoritative German magazine Motorrad which put it against the Michelin Anakee 3, Bridgestone Battle Wing 501/502, Continental TrailAttack 2, Dunlop Trailmax TR91 and Pirelli Scorpion Trail, all of them in the 110/80 R19 and 150/70 R17 sizes and mounted on six Triumph Tiger Explorer motorcycles.

The 11/2013 edition of the German magazine explains that the six tyre models were tested at two different times: first when the products were completely new and then after 4000 km in order to verify wear and mileage of both the front and the rear. Tests were also conducted on the road at high speeds (motorway and highway) and, above all, there was a test in the wet.

In particular, for the test on the dry, in order to assess the performance parameters were taken into consideration such as handling, steering precision, stability in turns, grip in leans, traction in acceleration, stability on a straight line under full load, performance with a passenger, performance in conditions at the limit and maintaining the trajectory when braking in turns.

For the testing in the wet, held on a duly irrigated track, in addition to the parameters above Motorrad also took into consideration the braking distance at a speed of 100 kph, the average travel speed and lap times, and the new Metzeler Tourance™ Next came out on top over the competition.

ON THE WHEELS OF SUSTAINABILITY: HENKEL AND PIRELLI TOGETHER FOR ROAD SAFETY IN THE COMPANY

Pirelli pit-stop Pirelli at Henkel’s offices; for the first time tyre maintenance and control directly at the place of work

Henkel continues is path towards sustainable mobility and announces a new project in collaboration with Pirelli, a high profile sustainable partner committed to the dissemination of the cultre of road safety. Henkel employees, on the occasion of its first ‘Sustainability Day’ at its Milan headquarters, installed a tyre pumping station available to all employees. The Pirelli station represents a new piece of a wider sustainability strategy which Henkel has been pursuing successfully for many years, also directly involving employees in sensitizing initiatives. Even an apparently simply gesture like checking one’s tyre pressure can contribute to ensuring  vehicle and passenger safety on the one hand and increasing motor efficiency, therefore reducing consumption and emissions, on the other.

During the inauguration of the station, Henkel employees also had the possibility of speaking with Pirelli technicians to learn things about correct tyre maintenance like tread depth, damage that can compromise safety, the difference between winter and summer tyres, pressure and methods of inflation.

The initiative was part of Henkel’s first Sustainability Day, conceived to motivate employee engagement with themes of importance to the company such as the consumption of resources, waste management, safety, social progress and the growth in value of company activities.

“We recently announced a new sustainability strategy which will see us committed from now until 2030 to increasing our efficiency by 30%, with short terms targets set for 2015. To achieve these results it is indispensable that everyone be involved, along the entire value chain and in all areas of activity, with a continual monitoring of the milestones reached. With regard to safety, we are implementing a strict policy of eliminating all types of workplace accidents, through continuous training in responsible behaviour. The theme of safe driving is dear to our hearts; our goal is to shine a light on such arguments also as a way of caring for the health of our employees,” said Giacomo Archi, Chairman and CEO of Henkel Italia.

“In Pirelli we live sustainability as a natural way of managing our business and of creating value for all stakeholders”, said Filippo Bettini, the Pirelli Group’s Director for Sustainability and Risk Governance.  “For this reason we developed a plan that fully fits into the business’s growth strategy and which will lead us to become ever more committed to process innovation, with more challenging targets, such as a 70% reduction in the drawing of water by 2015 or the 15% reduction in specific CO2 emissions and energy consumption in the same time frame. And, obviously, a commitment to continuous product innovation, developing tyres that deliver safety, performance and driving comfort in all atmospheric conditions, as well as environmental efficiency. At the heart of Pirelli plan, underlined Bettini, “is the quality of the workplace environment and the quality of the work of our employees, as well as a commitment to transforming the education of road safety in a true culture of safety. Occasions like today constitute a further cultural enrichment and a stimulus for future commitments”.

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Metzeler Roadtec Z8™: synonymous with safety

Metzeler Roadtec Z8 Interact™ is the safest sport touring tyre on wet roads.

As certified by the German Motorrad TestCenter, which carried out a test for which it bought the Metzeler products and those of its direct competitors.

To guarantee a high level of safety to motorcyclists, Metzeler decided to develop new tread compounds for its Roadtec Z8 Interact tyres with the clear objective of offering them not only the latest technological solutions in the area of wet handling, but also the chance of having a tyre that represents the new point of reference in all weather conditions, from wet and cold to dry.

The values taken into consideration by the Motorrad TestCenter test in the wet were: riding precision and characteristics, maintenance of trajectory under acceleration, ease of riding, grip when cornering, grip of the front and rear tyres in lean angle, grip in acceleration, handling on the limit, response when leaning and braking stability in the complete braking phase with ABS.

The motorcycles selected for the test were a Honda CBR600F ABS and a Suzuki Bandit 1250 ABS. The test took place at the Vizzola Ticino track network last January and February in the dry in slightly cloudy weather.

The Metzeler Roadtec Z8 Interact™ was not only the safest tyre in the wet, but also the fastest over the timed lap. Considering all the values taken into account, the Motorrad TestCenter crowned the Metzeler Roadtec Z8 Interact™ superior to its competitors in its segment.