I
n tourism terms Queenstown is often said to be
the adventure capital of the world, so I wasn’t
quite sure what to expect when Metzeler NZ
invited us down to our picturesque lakeside
city for two days of riding. Bungee jumping,
jet boating, rafting and skydiving are your
typical Queenstown fare, but, as it turns out, QT
is also the Kiwi capital for motorcycle riding.
The plan was for us to get a taste of Metzeler’s
current range of tyres. I specifically didn’t say
motorcycle tyres, because Metzeler is the only
tyre brand to solely produce motorcycle tyres.
That’s all it does; no trucks, cars or inflatable toys
to muddy the waters, just tyres for motorcycles.
To be perfectly honest, I’ve not had anything to
do with Metzeler’s tyres for a few years but I do
have a lot of experience with the old Roadtec
Z6 Interact, tyres for which I’ve prised my wallet
open on several occasions to fit on my own bike.
Unlike most tyre launches, there were no in depth
presentations on silica compounds, how tightly, or
loosely, the belts in the carcass were wound or how
the tread pattern evokes confidence or passion – or
some other marketing hype. Nope, this wasn’t to be
the standard tyre launch, it was to be – in Metzeler’s
words – an ‘experience’. They were to give us some
bikes and let us ride them – easy-as. It sounded
refreshingly Kiwi. This was also to be a trial for the
‘Metzeler Grand Tour’, something they’re thinking
of throwing out there for any rider to attend.
The bikes we would be riding were the four main
market segments here in NZ; Adventure, Cruiser,
Road and Sport. When I heard Metzeler had
enlisted the services of Off Road Adventures to
run everything, a Kiwi-owned and run company
based in Queenstown, I knew we were in for some
fun. It’s run by the Columb family, a name you
may well have come across especially if you ride
dirt bikes – Scotty Columb has multiple NZ and
international titles to his name. Along with dad Denis
and brother Lochhy, the family offers a range of
riding experiences you just can’t get anywhere else.
QUEENST
Two days, four styles of bike and the
roads and trails Queenstown has to o
DIRT/TRAIL
The first morning was a guided trip up the
Skippers Canyon road towards the Mt Aurum
homestead and school, with an extension ride
further out to Branches Station. The day started
on the ‘crisp’ side of things but autumn’s golden
28 KIWI RIDER
Words: Ben Wilkins Photos: Metzeler