India first: Vredestein pauses motorcycle tyre sales in Europe

Early in 2019, Apollo Tyres announced it would introduce motorcycle tyres into Europe under the Vredestein brand name, promising performance that competed with its rival’s first line products at prices competing with their second or even third line ranges. The first three models – the Vredestein Centauro ST radial for sport touring bikes, Centauro Road sports radial, and Staccata scooter range – debuted at the EICMA show in Italy later that year.

What happened? A search of Vredestein’s UK website draws a blank, and it’s the same story when visiting other customer-facing European sites. Not so when visiting the online presence in India, where the brand was recently introduced. Riders in that market can currently choose between the Centauro ST and the Centauro NS.

When asked why it isn’t promoting Vredestein two-wheeler tyres in Europe at the moment, Apollo Tyres confirmed that it had indeed eased up on the throttle in our part of the world: “Due to high demand for motorcycle tyres in the Indian market and our limited production capacities, we have decided to stop selling motorcycle tyres in Europe for the time being.”