Key tyre size enters Michelin BibLoad Hard Surface range

The Michelin BibLoad Hard Surface tyre range, which was first introduced last year, has been extended to include a new size popular on telehandlers used by farmers across the UK and Ireland: the 500/70 R24.

The new tyre has been specifically designed for working on hard surfaces, whether dry, wet or greasy, and this hard surface focus is seen in the tyre’s tread pattern; this is made up of diamond-shaped tread blocks. Michelin says the pattern builds on the “supreme robustness” of the previous generation Michelin XMCL tyre.

Commenting on the BibLoad Hard Surface’s launch, Mike Lawton, commercial director of Michelin’s agricultural tyre division in the UK and Ireland, explains: “Each diamond-shaped tread block has seven sides and 12 distinct bevelled edges; giving it a very different appearance to traditional telehandlers’ tyres. The net result is a product with unmatched performance on the market, providing better traction, stability, comfort, damage resistance and a longer service life than the XMCL it replaces. It’s a natural result of Michelin consistently spending more than €600 million on research and development every year.”

Michelin says the diamond-shaped tread blocks ensure that whatever the direction of the machine, the tread block is always in the right position for working efficiently. Alongside it, the new lug tread pattern makes it possible to evacuate quickly any debris that may have got caught in the tread grooves, whilst also providing greater transverse adherence on slippery ground.

The new tyre offers improved damage resistance, claims Michelin. New features include enhanced sidewall protection and a wheel rim stone guard that prevents damage to the edges of the rims when working on difficult terrain. Tyre life is also extended by increasing the surface area of the tyre in contact with the ground to 44 per cent, from 29 per cent for the equivalent size XMCL tyre. The new diamond-shaped tread blocks and shoulder blocks also provide increased rigidity to the tread in the event of lateral forces being applied, improving resistance to wear-and-tear.

This increased rigidity also delivers greater operator comfort because for each revolution of the wheel, 24 tread blocks on each side of the tyre and 48 in the centre – making 96 tread blocks in total – come into contact with the ground in an offset fashion, rather than simultaneously. This helps to reduce vibrations and noise, particularly at high speed.

At the same time, Michelin is also extending its BibLoad Hard Surface tyres to include the 400/70 R20, ideally suited to compact loaders and backhoe loaders.