Motorbike Tyres
Dunlop will be official tyre partner and sponsor of the Classic TT. The manufacturer said that success at the 2014 Isle of Man TT, as well as the desire to underline the tyre manufacturer’s commitment to motorsport had informed the decision. Dunlop took 13 out of a possible 15 podium places at the Isle of Man TT.
Slovenian tyre producer Savatech has recalled its Sport Force radial motorcycle tyres. The tyres, which were sold to customers mostly in Europe, may develop a bulge in the tread during sustained high speed riding. This could cause vibration and, in the most extreme of cases, some of the tread may become detached. Savatech clarified that the problem has only been simulated in controlled and the most severe of conditions. The Sport Force recall is pre-emptive.
Dunlop Motorsport has used the Moto 2 and 3 mid-season break to examine the changes brought about by its 2014 tyre philosophy. The manufacturer’s 2013 rubber provided more opportunities for riders to make choices about the tyres that suited them best at a particular circuit, Dunlop’s tyre selections this year have led to very little variation in the top riders’ decisions. Clinton Howe, Dunlop’s operations manager, Motorcycle Grand Prix, explains that the manufacturer has been able to develop tyres that are harder – and therefore last longer – and more versatile without compromising on pace.
“June marked another good month for the motorcycle market with sales up 6.3 per cent,” said Stephen Latham, Head of the National Motorcycle Dealers Association (NMDA) which represents motorcycle retailers across the UK.
Pirelli introduced its latest World Superbike tyres at Misano, helping Tom Sykes to set a new lap record. The Superpole tyre was developed by Pirelli as a qualifying tyre, and Sykes was able to shave more than a tenth of a second off Troy Corser’s 2010 record. He also won both the Superbike races on the new soft blend rear solution with team mate Loris Baz and Italian Marco Melandri crossing the line behind him.
Michael Dunlop has confirmed he will use Dunlop tyres in this year’s Isle of Man TT races. Michael Dunlop was a four-time winner at last year’s Isle of Man TT on Dunlop tyres, but since moving to BMW this year has competed on a different tyre brand. By switching back to his namesake brand of tyre on the eve of the Island’s big races, he hopes to boost his record of seven TT wins.
Dunlop and riders from the Moto2 and Moto3 series will begin testing for the 2015 season at Italy’s Mugello track on 3 June. The brand will introduce new front and rear specifications for both series, making the available after the sixth round of the championships at the same circuit on 1 June.
Members of the historic motorcycle skill display team, White Helmets are to train with Enduro and Dakar legend Mick Extance, courtesy of Bridgestone. The tyre manufacturer is backing The Royal Signals Motorcycle Display Team with equipment and tyres for 2014, and has put the group in touch with the seven times Dakar Rally competitor’s off-road school in Powys, in an attempt to improve each soldier’s riding ability.
German motorcycle tyre brand Metzeler is offering motorcyclists not only the chance to win a set of new supersport SPORTEC M7 RR tyres but also to become an official tester for Metzeler.
The Metzeler test rider competition is online until September 15 2014 and motorcyclists can participate by accessing both the Metzeler website and the dedicated app on the Metzeler official Facebook page. The competition is divided into two different phases; the first part of the contest is called “Photograph, vote and win!” (closes June 15) and has two elements of participation.
Dunlop has launched a tribute pack to celebrate its return as ‘official tyre partner’ to the 2014 Tourist Trophy races. The pack, signed by John McGuinness, includes a specially minted Isle of Man 50p coin, three Isle of Man postage stamps showing McGuinness in full throttle and a piece of the ‘Morecambe Missile’s 2013 race winning tyre as used in laps five and six of the Senior TT.
Developed and tested in the World Endurance and national championships, Pirelli is supplying a new World Superbike tyre to premier class EVO riders. The tyre uses a very soft performance compound that, according to the supplier, should offer an advantage, especially at high temperatures. The fourth round at Imola will see Pirelli supply the new SCO EVO compound to the premier class, while debuting the standard SC0 compound in the Supersport class.
Michael and William Dunlop have chosen to join Metzeler for the road racing season, in a line-up that includes Guy Martin and Josh Brookes. The brand’s tyres will be present on machinery from five different manufacturers: Yamaha, Suzuki, Honda, Kawasaki and BMW.
Figures from the Motor Cycle Industry Association reveal that sales were buoyant in March. “It is extremely positive to see that the motorcycle market was up by an impressive 18.2 per cent last month following February’s -3.6 per cent decline”, said Stephen Latham, Head of the National Motorcycle Dealers Association (NMDA) which represents motorcycle retailers across the UK.
Avon Tyres has launched a motorcycle tyre fitment promotion for the 2014 riding season. From 1 April to 30 June, customers buying a pair of Storm 3D X-M, 3D Ultra Sport and 3D Ultra Supersport tyres from approved Avon stockists will get £20 off the fitting fee, or £10 off for one tyre. Avon motorcycle tyres are designed, developed and manufactured in Melksham, Wiltshire.
The Pirelli Diablo Rosso II has been chosen as original equipment for MV Agusta’s Rivale 800 and Brutale 800 Dragster models. The latest models from the Varese, Italy based high performance motorbike manufacturer will fit the Pirelli tyres in sizes 120/70 ZR17 (front) and 180/55 ZR17 (rear) to its Rivale 800, while the Brutale 800 Dragster will run on 120/70 ZR17 (front) and 200/50 ZR17 (rear) Diablo Rosso IIs.
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