It’s been quite some time since we saw a new Metzeler Karoo. The brand took a decade before it came up with something new, and finally, this is the Karoo 4 the next-generation dual sport tire from Metzeler. Following the Karoo 4, the Metzeler Tourance is likely the next product to see a new generation this year.
Serving as the successor to the Karoo 3, the Karoo 4 offers a new level of performance for adventure and dirt riders that want some street-ability with a 50/50 bias for off-road performance. The Karoo line of Metzeler is divided into three product categories with the Karoo 4 in the middle of the Karoo Street and the Karoo Extreme. The Karoo 4 is the intermediate option between the Street and Extreme tires for riders that want a tire that can go on asphalt then off of it whenever they want to.
With a 50/50 street-dirt bias, the Karoo 4 was stated to have “cutting-edge technologies and processes” that allow it to be a more versatile tire whether on the street or on the dirt, hence the 50/50 designation. As such, it’s an all-rounder that boasts a new “revolutionary patented tread design,” which is constructed out of carbon black-based compounds that resists abrasion and tearing. The Multi-Radius Contour (MRC) technology allows riders to carve lines in curves despite the wide gaps between the tire’s knobs. Metzeler also stated that the new Karoo 4 has improved overall handling and wet behavior at certain lean angles. The brand has also stated that the performance of the Karoo 4 has also increased especially on soft surfaces like sand, mud, and clay.
Metzeler also went into detail about the Karoo 4 thanks to its multiple patented technologies such as the DETRATEC tread pattern, and the patented DYMATEC technology that keeps the tire performing optimally over time, keeping wear uniform and the tread solid. The tread is also optimized with a greater number of knobs that breathe a more continuous contact patch, and provide a good platform for integration with electronic rider aids that a lot of new adventure bikes are coming with. The Karoo 4s are also built with a zero-degree steel belt with interact variable tension technology. Metzeler says that the Karoo 4 is also lighter for less unsprung weight on the bike.
Starting March of 2022, the Karoo 4 will be made available for sale in a range of sizes. Large adventure bikes, in particular, are the main focus of Metzeler for the Karoo 4, coming in 19-inch/17-inch sets and 21-inch/18-inch sets.
Front
- 19” 100/90-19 TL 57Q M+S
- 19” 110/80 R 19 TL 59Q M+S
- 19” 120/70 R 19 TL 60Q M+S
- 21” 90/90-21 TL 54Q M+S
Rear
- 17” 130/80 R 17 TL 65Q M+S
- 17” 140/80 R 17 TL 69Q M+S
- 17” 150/70 R 17 TL 69Q M+S
- 17” 170/60 R 17 TL 72Q M+S
- 18” 140/80 – 18 TL 70Q M+S
- 18” 150/70 R 18 TL 70Q M+S
