Metzeler’s Got Two Versions Of Its Awesome 2019 Calendar

Every December, you're subjected to an avalanche of unwanted gifts piled up under the tree, and every year, you fake a smile. It's a safe bet that a good ol' wall calendar is stashed in there somewhere and it's probably going to coax an eye roll or two out of you, right? But listen, what if those calendars actually held some images you really wouldn't mind looking at? You know, tear out the compelling and beautifully shot pages, printed on high-quality paper, and bam! Instant posters your buds are sure to drool over. That's the kind of calendar Metzeler has put out every year since 1994, when it had the title Metzeler Classics and presented black and white historical images of the best moments of international motorcycling. The calendar quickly became popular, earning a faithful following of enthusiasts thanks to the precious snapshots. In 2010, Metzeler introduced a thematic calendar, and in 2011 café racers were the subject, while the 2012 edition was a homage to Japan and its machines. Check out some past images here.

Well the 2019 Metzeler calendar is here, and—as per tradition—is available in two versions. The Classic, now in its 25th year, celebrates two-wheel competition of the 1960s and '70s with black and white shots of racing heroes like Barry Sheene, Phil Read, and and Giacomo Agostini, to name just a few.

The thematic version of the calendar is entitled Ways Of Cruising and is dedicated to the custom cruiser world (also a world in which the German tire brand has always had a strong presence). The evocative imagery in the pages of Ways Of Cruising, (that's the title—no we're not making it up) showcases innovative approaches and new styles within the segment alongside elements of classic cruising.

The 2019 edition of the Metzeler calendar, realized in Italy by HH Global of Bergamo, features 14 subjects in the Classic, with photos from the archive of Text & Technik Verlag in Weissach, Germany. The photos in the thematic calendar are by Ben Ott, Goetz Goeppert, Volker Rost, and Tom O'Connor. The calendar is printed in a limited edition of 6,000 copies by Grafiche Antiga SpA on high-quality paper with both covers on glossy paper.