Metzeler MC 360 Carries Riders From Zero to 19,000 Feet In 24 Hours For Three Records

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This is an impressive accomplishment by man, machine, and tires working together.

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METZELER MC 360 Sets Three World Records Climbing the Nevado Ojos del Salado Volcano, Located Between the Border of Argentina and Chile

From Zero to 5,900 Meters Above Sea Level in Less Than 24 Hours, 5,960 Meters was the Maximum Altitude for a Twin-cylinder Motorcycle and 5,977 Meters was the Maximum Altitude Reached With a Motorcycle in Less Than 24 Hours

The Records Were Set Using the New Off-Road Tire from Metzeler and using Honda Africa Twin and CRF450RX Machines Ridden by a Team That Included Salvo Pennisi, Head of Testing Department of the Tire Brand, Among Others

NEVADO OJOS DEL SALADO, Chile (March 7, 2017)– The brand new METZELER MC 360 tire, which thanks to its promising features, has already caught the attention of off-road enthusiasts before its market availability that begins in April, boasting an incredible three World Records.

Last weekend, the METZELER MC 360 went through the final stage of the test which challenged it with extreme trials in Chile at the Nevado Ojos del Salado volcano, located at the border between Argentina and Chile. At 6,891 meters high, it is the highest volcano in the world. During this particular test, the MC 360 with the Honda Africa Twin and CRF450RX captured three records:

1) From zero to 5,900 meters above sea level in less than 24 hours
2) 5,960 meters as maximum height for a twin-cylinder motorcycle
3) 5,977 meters as maximum height reached with a motorcycle in less than 24 hours

The team of 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. The team managed to reach 5,900 meters after starting from sea level, in just 22 hours and 30 minutes.



The second success was an individual record claimed by Fabio Mossini, who managed to bring his Honda Africa Twin to 5,960 meters above sea level, the highest level ever reached with a twin-cylinder motorcycle.
Fabio Mossini

The third record is again an individual one, 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 meters of altitude in 22 hours and 40 minutes. This achievement came after a challenging climb to reach the Atacama hut at 5,200 meters when riding the Africa Twin.

Salvo Pennisi

As already mentioned, both the Africa Twin and the CRF450RX had been equipped with the new METZELER MC 360™ tires, in prototype sizes for the Africa Twin and in standard sizes for the CRF450RX.

The adventure in Chile represented the final and most severe testing of the new METZELER MC 360™. It was aimed at assessing the tires 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.

Salvo Pennisi on the Honda CRF450RX

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.

Following five days of mandatory naturalization 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, March 3rd at 1:20 pm local time. After a challenging 300 kilometers 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 meters of height. The METZELER MC 360™ had ensured, already in this first step, 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 left to climb towards the top of the volcano. From the Murray hut, after an exhausting 40 kilometers ride to reach the Atacama hut 5,200 meters above the sea level, the four riders composing the team went through the toughest step. Fabio Mossini, Karsten Schwers and Francesco Catanese with the Africa Twin and Salvo Pennisi with the CRF450RX, all using METZELER MC 360™ tires.

Following a dramatic climb to the Tejos hut, 5,837 meters above sea level, and after riding through stretches of sand and ice sheets, the group had to deal with an unpleasant surprise: at 5,900 meters 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.

The "Penitentes"

This is when Fabio Mossini and Salvo Pennisi decided to accept the challenge posed by the volcano and try the last effort. Luck supports the braves and Fabio Mossini, with the big Africa Twin supported by the MC 360™ managed to reach 5,960 meters of height to set the World Record for twin-cylinder motorcycles. Salvo Pennisi managed to bring his CRF450RX to 5,977 meters above sea level and set the absolute record of height ever reached by a motorcycle in 24 hours.

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