Reise Moto invited us to the CoASTT High Performance Centre in Coimbatore to experience their all-new radial road tyres, the traceRads.
Story: Charan Karthik
Photography: Reise Moto
The smell of fresh rubber is something all of us enthusiasts look forward to. For me, it’s one of the smells that has a stronger effect than coffee. The smell of petrol and freshly printed magazines also have the same effect. The launch of a newly-designed tyre is always a memorable moment for a manufacturer and for us gearheads. So, what better way to experience Reise Moto’s brand new traceRad tyres than setting a few fast laps around the CoASTT?
It was a beautiful and a not-so-sunny morning in Tamil Nadu when we got down from our taxi and made our way onto the track. On the pits were some beautiful-looking KTM RC 390s shod with the new tyres all ready to go. The Reise traceRads are beautifully designed and look like the Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsas. Dubbed by Reise as the ‘Spark Groove’, the company say the tyre’s tread design provides grip and facilitates sporty riding.
I quickly kitted up and was the first person to get out of the pits and was rightfully assigned bike number one. The track marshals were alongside and explained the dos and don’ts while the rest of the media riders lined up alongside me. After the short briefing we all headed out in 15-second intervals.
The initial impressions proved to be surprising as the tyre provided a lot of grip in the initial parts of the first lap before getting fully heated, which is a great property to have on a motorcycle tyre. Our KTM RC 390 had a 110/70 R17 front tyre and a 150/60 R17 rear tyre. As mentioned earlier, there was ample grip from initial stages and to top that off, there was good grip available in the corners. The RC 390 is a fast-accelerating machine and the traceRads had no problem keeping up with the hurriedness of the motorcycle. The tyres provided a lot of confidence while accelerating in and out of corners and they facilitated good feedback while keeping the bike planted and giving me, the rider, a proper feeling of the front.
Performance under braking was commendable and the front tyre held its ground with a lot of assurance. However, under aggressive down-shifting and braking led to some confusing behaviour where the front tyre just couldn’t find the ground to be stable. Bar that, I faced zero issues and the tyre held up amazingly well. Overall, there was an assuring, planted, and stable characteristic present, and it encouraged me to push even more. For a newly developed tyre, one that has been ‘rigorously’ tested at the NATRAX and at Oulton Park in the United Kingdom, they provide great performance.
The Reise traceRad tyres rival the CEAT SportRads, the TVS Eurogrip Protorq Extremes, and the Apollo Alpha H1s. The Reise traceRad tyres are priced at Rs 5,199 (front) and Rs 6,199 (rear), and come with a six-year warranty from the factory. Although not as sticky as the Protorq Extremes on the race track, the traceRads provide all the confidence to tackle what one might face on a day-to-day basis on the open roads of our country.
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