TyreSafe and NTDA Advise Proper Winter Tyre Usage
Tyresafe and the National Tyre Distributors Association have released a message for British skiers driving to their destination of choice this season: make sure your tyres are fit for purpose. Tyresafe says that, when heading to European skiing destinations, motorists should ensure they use correctly inflated tyres with sufficient tread depth to perform on icy, snow-covered roads. Backing up the organisation’s advice, the NTDA has released a special technical bulletin to provide advice for UK Tyre retailers to pass on to their customers planning to drive across Europe in the coming months. The bulletin will allow dealers to give valuable advice to British motorists, many of whom may be unaware of the guidelines set out by each individual country.
Continue ReadingSEMA Show 2008 – Exemplifying Inspiration and Optimism
As the world reels from the effects of the global economic slowdown, many may have wondered if this would have had a negative effect on SEMA 2008’s tyres, wheels and equipment section supported by the Tire Industry Association (TIA). As it turned out, while attendance was definitely down, the quality and buying power of attendees was in line with recent shows. What we found is that where a buyer might have sent six or seven people in years past - many of whom were not in key decision making positions - this year, they might have only sent two or three people; but they had the authority to make those purchasing decisions, said TIA executive vice president Roy Littlefield. While Bridgestone has not exhibited at SEMA for a number of years, with the current fiscal conditions being what they are, it was likely that this was a major factor in the decisions of a number of other key players who did not exhibit at this years show. While manufacturers such as Michelin and Goodyear had very little, or no, presence at all, there were plenty of other manufacturers who came out in full force, such as Pirelli, Toyo, Yokohama, Cooper, Dunlop, Sumitomo, Hankook and Falken.
Continue ReadingAvon Tyres Starting 2009 With a Strong Product Line-Up
In early December, Avon Tyres announced the launch of a new sports tyre range. As with most of the company’s product range, much of the work that went into developing and testing the new VP2 was done right here in the UK, and the man responsible for the tyre’s design is confident it delivers marked advantages over its predecessor. The name VP2 stands for Viper 2, and as the moniker implies the product is an across the board replacement for the Viper range launched in early 2005. “We chose to call it the VP2 for strategic reasons in our global markets, however,” explains Avon Tyres’ product and design manager Peter McNally, who designed the VP2. To cater to the demands of today’s multi-discipline riders and the vast array of performance machines available, the VP2 is available in three different types – Sport, Supersport and Xtreme. All three varieties come in a number of popular fitments.
Continue ReadingThorite’s Biggest Ever Catalogue Goes ‘Lite’
Thorite, the pneumatics supplier, has launched its latest annual catalogue. At an impressive 1,460 pages and listing products from almost 200 manufacturers, the catalogue is the company’s biggest to date. In order to increase ease of use the format is slightly smaller than the previous A4 versions, as well as being printed on lighter paper. New ranges featured for the first time include the latest Hydrovane compressors, Festo pneumatics, Gast air motors and Wade compression fittings. Other noteworthy products from Norgren, CP Redipower, Redashe, John Guest, Wade, Wika and dozens of other leading manufacturers are well represented. A page of 12 discount vouchers encourage customers to use one per month to receive discounts of up to 30 per cent on a range of products – on top of Thorite’s already ultra-competitive prices. Thorite’s specialist pneumatics expertise, which encompasses Customer Training Courses, Design, Engineering, Installation and Repair is also covered.
Continue ReadingAvon Remoulds Introduces Website for Retreading Market Customers
Avon Remould Materials (ARM) has launched a website to highlight the range of products it supplies to the retreading market, at www.avonremouldmaterials.com. Melksham based ARM, a division of Cooper Tire & Rubber Company Ltd, which also owns and manufactures the Avon Tyre brand, supplies a wide range of rubber compounds, pre-cure tread and calendered fabrics to meet customers’ needs, including tread for use in commercial truck tyre retreading, aircraft tyre retreading materials and sidewall veneer.
Continue ReadingAvon Tyres Excel in RiDER Power Survey
Avon Tyres cam top in a recent RiDER magazine survey of motorbike products. RiDER Power, the largest annual motorcycle consumer survey of its kind, had more than 7,056 RiDE readers participate to help discover what the best bikes are, who the finest motorcycle dealers are and what the top products are. The tyre category was assessed on a range of criteria, including wet and dry grip and front and rear longevity. An incredible four products from the Avon range featured heavily in the overall top 10 positions. Demonstrating Avon’s strength in the sports touring category, Azaro-ST took the top spot followed by its successor, Storm-ST, in seventh. The popular Viper Sports road tyre was placed eighth with the Roadrider finishing off the top 10.
Continue ReadingMichelin Develops Lunar Wheel For NASA Moon Rover Vehicles
NASA intends to return to the moon, with both manned and unmanned missions planned for the coming decade. To meet the unique tyre requirements presented by a no-atmosphere operating environment, Michelin has developed a new lunar wheel for the next generation of NASA moon rover vehicles. The structurally supported tyre and wheel assembly, made from composite materials, was jointly developed at Michelins European and North American research centres.
Continue ReadingTRIB MD to Speak on Retreading at Reifen China Show
Harvey Brodsky, managing director of the US based Tire Retread & Repair Information Bureau (TRIB), will be a featured speaker at the Reifen China exhibition to be held in Shanghai, between December 4 and 6. Brodsky’s first presentation, titled ‘The Economic and Environmental Benefits The Retread Industry Can Offer in China’, will take place on December 4, and his second presentation, ‘The Importance of Being Ethical in Your Business Dealings with Truckers and Other Users of Your Retreads’, will take place on December 5. “We are honoured to have been invited to make TRIB’s activities known to the Chinese retread industry and I am pleased to be able to represent TRIB members by making my two presentations.” said Brodsky.
Continue ReadingMaxxis Reviews its Sporting Year
Maxxis has reported a successful motorsport year thanks to its high profile sponsorship of motocross and participation in the British Superbikes and a top European drifting series. The brand has continued to make strides forward in cycle sports and – proving that it truly has arrived has even featured in an off-road racing computer game. Maxxis has been a major supporter of British motocross and this season’s ACU British Motocross Championship. The competition’s events aired regularly on Sky Sports, and once again delivered some first class action. Riding for CAS Honda, reigning MX1 class champion Billy MacKenzie, 24, dominated the field to take his second successive domestic title, while fellow Scot Shaun Simpson, 20, clinched the MX2 title – his first national adult championship – riding for KTM UK. Maxxis-sponsored teams fared well, with ARB Tuning Kawasaki’s Mark Jones and Jamie Lewis finishing fourth and joint 10th in the MX1 class respectively, while Kawasaki Relentless Suzuki MX rider Lewis Gregory put in some solid performances to round out the top ten in the MX2 class. In addition to taking title sponsorship of arguably Europe’s strongest motocross series, Maxxis sponsored the 2008 MXY2 Championship and continued as a major sponsor of and official tyre supplier to Team Green.
Continue ReadingKraiburg Newsletter Proves Popular
A helpful and convenient source of information! The most important details in a nutshell. Comments such as these are currently being received at Kraiburg Austria in response to the first Kraiburg newsletter. The company sent out information in August for the first time in the form of newsletter both to the business management and to the technical managers of its partner companies. The first edition featured tips and recom¬mendations for winter tyres and running commercial vehicles in winter conditions.
Continue ReadingSealey’s Digital Tyre Gauge
Sealey’s Digital Tyre Inflator Gauge is just one of 70 new service tools featured in the companys current Vehicle Service promotion. The SA391 gauge, calibrated in bar, psi, kg/cm² and Kpa, features a built-in LED worklight for use in low visibility areas along with auto power off, to preserve battery life. To celebrate the launch the SA391 is featured in Sealey’s Vehicle Service Promotion, saving you £20 off list price and offering a free Digital Tyre Tread Depth Gauge, which is also new to Sealey’s vehicle service range.
Continue ReadingBritish Pair Circle the Globe on Michelin Tyres
Two intrepid Brits, a Land Rover Discovery called ‘Rabia’ and Michelin’s A/T 4x4 tyres have completed an expedition that took in all corners of the world in a breathtaking display of longevity, durability and performance over an extraordinary range of surfaces and conditions. Peter and Eileen Crichton began long distance travelling in their ‘92 Land Rover in 1997 whilst based in the Middle East. With a penchant for exploration, their passion ultimately took them around the world twice on Michelin tyres, covering a total of 150,000km during 23 months on the road.
Continue ReadingUS Congress Orders Rolling Resistance Information Campaign
Following some 12 years during which it blocked any attempt to introduce a tyre rolling resistance standard, the US Congress has responded to climbing fuel prices by ordering a consumer information programme by next year to inform consumers what to expect from tyres in terms of fuel economy. Since 1996 a congressional ban on adding such information to existing grading standards has been in place and renewed annually.
Continue ReadingZeus Launches New Website
As part of its new customer communications programme, Zeus has just launched a new and easier to navigate website that now provides real time information to OEM’s, tyre dealers and end users. Information featured on the site includes the latest tyre filling & flat proofing’ technologies, solutions, materials, products and services for large earthmoving, OTR and general industrial tyres’.
Continue ReadingSafety Scholar Video Contest Winners Named
Bridgestone/Firestone North American Tire has announced the winners of its second Safety Scholars video contest. Three grand-prize winners, plus one Critics’ Choice winner, were selected from 10 finalists through an online voting process that was open to the general public. BFNAT said that more than 10,000 online votes were collected. BFNAT said that all four winning videos will be used as public service commercials, and the winners receive a $5,000 college scholarship and a trip to the 2009 Chicago Auto Show. The winners were: • Danny Belkin of Rockville, Md., who warned about the dangers of behind-the-wheel cell phone use. • Ryan Massey, 18, from Laguna Niguel, Calif., used a first-person accident account as the basis for his seat-belt use video. • Sarah Wilson of Tampa featured a group of teenagers recounting a collision they were involved in as a result of text messaging while driving. • Critics’ Choice award was given to Angela Roscioli, 17, of Bethlehem, Pa., who contemplated the impact a collision near her home would affect the family of a young woman who was killed. (Tire Review/Akron)
Continue Reading
