Motorbike Tyres
On 27 July Metzeler chose London as the host city for an ‘opening ceremony’ of its own, the global debut of its Feelgreen tyre. The new range, which from 2014 onwards will be supplied as original equipment on BMW’s electric C evolution scooter (120/70 R15 on the front and 160/60 R15 on the rear), is designed with an emphasis on minimising rolling resistance.
Two-wheel tyre specialist Metzeler has launched a new scooter product at the Olympic Games. The Feelgreen is being used by some journalists as they move around the London venues; the tyre has been chosen as original equipment by BMW for its electric C evolution scooter, which was introduced at an international press conference on the opening day of the Games. The new scooter will be fitted with the Metzeler Feelgreen in size 120/70 R15 on the front and 160/60 R15 on the rear, and will be sold from 2014 as exclusive original equipment on the BMW electric scooter, as well as in the replacement market.
The latest new motorcycle and scooter figures show last month sales overall were down 3.5 per cent against April 2011. Under 50cc scooter sales were down 9.6 per cent in April, while over 50cc motorcycle sales have decreased by 2.5 per cent.
Sue Robinson, Director of the RMI National Franchised Dealers Association which represents motorcycle and franchised car retailers across the UK commented "It is disappointing to see motorcycle sales down in April after signs of recovery in the first quarter of 2012.
"The poorest performing sectors were the custom, super sport, touring and trail bikes. With people’s disposable income shrinking, the demand for these larger motorcycles has noticeably dropped, as they are often considered a non-essential purchase.
Dunlop has unveiled its new scooter tyre on the UK market at the Ace Café, London. The Dunlop ScootSmart applies the brand’s global experience with the RoadSmart motorcycle tyre, bringing what the company says are unprecedented levels of technology to the small wheel class. Mark Sears, Dunlop’s motorcycle product support manager commented that the ScootSmart has benefitted from “advanced Dunlop technology, much of it adapted from high-performance motorcycle tyres”, allowing “scooter enthusiasts to ride with total confidence and manage their running costs.”
The latest motorcycle and scooter registration figures show sales overall were down 3.5 per cent last month compared with April 2011. Under 50cc scooter sales were down the most (9.6%) in April, while over 50cc motorcycle decreased by 2.5 per cent. There was however growth in two segments. Sales of Adventure Sport and 51-125cc Scooter bikes shot up 47.5 per cent and 8.9 per cent respectively.
Pirelli is offering the chance for followers of its Moto Facebook page to compete in an online “social game” with the top prize of a trip to Los Angeles. The complete content of the brand’s “Ride Like an Angel” contest will become available to users promoting Pirelli’s Moto page within their own social groups and purchasing a set of Pirelli Angel ST tyres in April or May 2012, helping to promote the brand both online and in retail stores. The game involves scoring points by completing four tracks set in Los Angeles districts such as Downtown and Santa Monica.
While the world of MotoGP may seem a far cry from the realm of the everyday motorcyclist, Bridgestone believes lessons learned in the heat of competition enable it to deliver customers unrivalled safety and performance. Therefore, when asked why it invests so much time and money in MotoGP, the tyre maker finds the answer comes easy – although its MotoGP participation works as a very effective marketing and product promotion tool, by far the greatest benefit it brings is technology transfer.
The newest member of Pirelli’s Diablo motorcycle tyre range – the Supercorsa SC – has hit the track, the Italian tyre maker reports. It says the new tyre took centre stage at the Autodromo Enzo and Dino Ferrari in Imola, Italy during the first Superstock 1000 FIM Cup race held on 1 April as part of the World Superbike championship. As of this year, all riders in this race category will use the SC2 compound version of the Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa SC in sizes 120/70 ZR17 for the front and 200/55 ZR17 for the rear.
In mid-March, Avon Tyres officially launched its latest high performance motorcycle tyre range – the 3D Ultra. Tyre dealers and members of the press got their hands on the new tyres for the first time during a launch event at the Almeria circuit in Spain, and Avon says the tyres “exceeded expectations” despite the difficult weather conditions experienced. All three versions of the 3D Ultra were put through their paces, and riders attending the launch commented favourably on the new Avon rubber.
Motorcycle insurance broker Carole Nash is to introduce free security marking kits as a standard benefit not only on all new road and off-road policies, but also on renewals. The move comes after a successful trial of Carole Nash DNA+ at the end of last year, which saw thousands of satisfied customers apply the anti-theft measure to their cherished motorcycles.
The UK’s largest motorcycle and scooter tyre wholesaler, Cambrian Tyres, has just released its 2012 price catalogue – a whopping 192 page tome that list the full ranges available from Avon, Bridgestone, Continental, Dunlop, Metzeler, Michelin and Pirelli, as well as a full selection of inner tubes and accessories. Completely re-written for 2012, the price list also features an enlarged fitment guide to aid dealers in selecting the correct size tyres for almost 2,500 different motorcycles.
Michelin is running a web-based competition offering motorcyclists the chance to win a trip worth more than €20,000. The competition runs from 1 March to 30 April 2012. Michelin will also offer cashback to motorcyclists buying one or a pair of its Power Pure, Pilot Road 3, Anakee 2 or Commander II tyres in the next two months. The offer means that riders buying one tyre will be able to claim £10 and those buying a pair will be entitled to claim £25.
Continental’s big news for 2012 is the imminent launch of its new ContiSportAttack 2 tyre into the all-important and hotly contested sport/hypersport sector of the market. UK distributor of the Continental motorcycle tyre range, Cambrian Tyres, says that the latest compound technology has improved the performance of the SportAttack 2 compared with its predecessor in all performance criteria but especially in the areas of wet grip, mileage and handling. A further feature, Conti’s Traction Skin – a micro-rough finish to the tread surface that minimises the running-in procedure – has also been used in the new tyre, increasing rider safety when the tyre is new. Cambrian explains that the micro-roughness of the Traction Skin tread optimises mechanical adhesion to the road, reducing the distance required to scrub the tyre in.
The UK replacement motorcycle tyre market has been in the doldrums for a couple of years now, which is a shame because, as Bike Tyrestore managing director Peter Smith opines, this past year has been punctuated by outstanding products from all manufacturers. And despite the promise of key new introductions, such as the Bridgestone Battlax Hypersport S20, Smith notes that opinions are mixed as to which way the market will go in 2012.
A new Bridgestone radial for larger scooters is due for release this year – The new Battlax SC will be launched in Japan on 1 April and will also be introduced into other global markets during the course of 2012, including North, Central and South America, Asian and Oceania. In Europe it will be available as a replacement tyre for maxi scooters of 300cc and above.
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