The brand new Metzeler MC 360 tyre which, thanks to its promising features, has already caught the attention of off-road enthusiasts, and before its market availability (which starts in April) already has three world records in its trophy cabinet.
At the beginning of March this year, the tyre was subjected to the final stages of a test that challenged it with extreme trials in Chile at the Nevado Ojos del Salado volcano, situated at the border between Argentina and Chile.
At 6,891 metres high, it is the highest volcano in the world, and the MC 360, with the Honda Africa Twin and CRF450RX, established three records in riding it:
1) From zero to 5,900 metres above the sea level in less than 24 hours
2) 5,960 metres as maximum height for a twin-cylinder motorcycle
3) 5,977 metres as maximum height reached with a motorcycle in less than 24 hours
The team for this record expedition was composed of Salvo Pennisi, Metzeler’s Head of Testing Department, Carlo Fiorani, Honda’s Head of Racing Communications, the industry journalists Francesco Catanese and Karsten Schwers, and Fabio Mossini, the enduro champion, now part of the Honda Sud America team.
The first record set was a real team victory: Francesco Catanese, Fabio Mossini and Karsten Schwers riding the Honda Africa Twin and Salvo Pennisi, riding alternately both the Africa Twin and the CRF450RX, managed to reach 5,900 metres, after starting from sea level, in 22 hours and 30 minutes.
The second success was an individual record scored by Fabio Mossini, who managed to bring his Honda Africa Twin to 5,960 metres above sea level, the highest level ever reached with a twin-cylinder motorcycle.
The third record, another individual one, was set by Metzeler’s Head of Testing. Riding the CRF450RX, he set the record for the highest climb above sea level ever reached by a motorcycle, bringing his single-cylinder Honda to 5,977 metres of altitude in 22 hours and 40 minutes. This came after a challenging climb to reach the Atacama hut at 5,200 metres when riding the Africa Twin.
Both the Africa Twin and the CRF450RX had been equipped with the new MC 360 tyres, in prototype sizes for the Africa Twin and standard sizes for the CRF450RX.
The adventure in Chile represented the final and most severe testing for the new tyre, aimed at assessing its level of performance, wear, versatility and resistance to tearing in extreme conditions, with temperatures ranging from +40° in the Desert of Copiapó, down to -15° on the Andes.
The record climb started on February 24th in Copiapò, the capital of the Atacama region, in Chile. Things were made even tougher by the challenge to reach the extreme height in 24 hours without the support of oxygen.
After 5 days mandatory naturalisation at increasing heights, where one of the riders and one of the technicians supporting the team were forced to give up due to increasing symptoms of acute altitude sickness, the team left from the Pacific shore at Bahia Inglesa on Friday 3rd of March at 1.20 pm local time.
After a challenging 300 kilometres ride through all kind of asphalts, screes, dirts, endless stretches of sand and deep mud pits, the team reached the base camp of Laguna Verde at 4,300 metres of height. The Metzeler MC 360 had, already in this first stage, shown exceptional versatility, providing maximum stability in any condition, power of traction and reduced wear with an outstanding level of resistance to rips and tears.
On the morning of Saturday March 4th, at the crack of dawn and -5° C temperature, the team set off to climb towards the top of the volcano. From the Murray hut, after an exhausting 40 kilometres ride to reach the Atacama hut 5,200 metres above the sea level, the four riders composing the team went through the toughest stage - Fabio Mossini, Karsten Schwers and Francesco Catanese with the Africa Twin and Salvo Pennisi with the CRF450RX, all using Metzeler MC 360 tyres.
Following a dramatic climb to the Tejos hut, 5,837 metres above the sea level, and after riding through stretches of sand and ice sheets, the group had to deal with an unpleasant surprise - at 5,900 metres there are some impenetrable icy patterns, also known as “penitentes”. Such patterns, typical in this kind of area with very strong wind, were obstructing the chance of climbing any higher.
This is when Fabio Mossini and Salvo Pennisi decided to accept the challenge posed by the volcano and try the last effort. Luck smiled on the brave and Fabio Mossini, with the big Africa Twin, on the MC 360s, managed to reach 5,960 metres to set the World Record for twin-cylinder motorcycles, following the path opened up by Salvo Pennisi, who had just managed to get his CRF450RX to 5,977 metres above the sea level to set the absolute height record ever reached by a motorcycle in 24 hours.
