Motorbike Tyres
The UK’s biggest selling superbike magazine has awarded the Dunlop D212 GP Pro its ‘Tyre of the Year’ honour in the 2013 Fast Bikes Awards. The supersport tyre, launched in 2013, received the accolade in the magazine’s round up of 2013’s leading motorcycles, accessories and events.
Avon Tyres has announced an original equipment deal that, while not high volume, certainly sees its tyres on an eye-catching machine. Old Empire Motorcycles, specialists in building bespoke, limited-run motorcycles, has launched its latest custom bike, the Fox. Only five of this limited-run motorcycle, which is based on the classic Royal Enfield Bullet 500, will be built – and all will be fitted with Avon Roadrunner tyres as original equipment.
Some three years after introducing its first motorcycle tyre, the Roadiac WF-1, Nankang has expanded its two-wheel portfolio with the release of the WF-2 Sportiac sport touring tyre. The Taiwan-based tyre maker claims that two years of research and testing went into the WF-2 Sportiac’s development, and as a result the tyre “stands out with high performance in grip within every kind of road condition.”
Indian action film Dhoom3 will be released later this week and is said to be one of the most expensive films ever to come out of Bollywood. The sequel features plenty of motorcycle action, including a chase scene set in Chicago. Seizing the marketing opportunities this presents, Ceat Ltd has acquired the license from Yash Raj Films to produce a branded tyre – the first H-rated motorcycle tyre from an Indian manufacturer.
In February, Bridgestone Corporation will introduce four new motorcycle radials into the global market, the company announced on 18 December. This new line-up includes three lines in the Battlax series and one Battlecross range.
Metzeler has launched its 2014 Calendar, celebrating its ongoing commitment to road racing. The 21st edition of the calendar has 19 coloured and black and white images and is accompanied by a mini documentary “The road to legend: a story about road racing”.
Speaking at the close of this year’s MotoGP season, Bridgestone’s motorsport manager Hiroshi Yamada shared that in 2014 the tyre maker’s race experience will be brought to market in a pair of new products. “We will be releasing two production Battlax motorcycle road tyres next year that will draw on recent MotoGP technological developments,” commented Yamada. “Both these tyres will probably be the purest example to date of our ‘racetrack to road’ concept and will offer exceptionally high levels of safety, performance and control to consumers.” The motorsport manager added that 2014 will be a “big year for Bridgestone both on and off-track.”
Adventure bike rider and travel writer Sam Manicom has completed his latest trip across Europe to Sarajevo, Bosnia on Avon’s Gripster tyres. The author of four books on motorcycle adventures is a long-term user of the Gripster, which he says has allowed him “to ride in some of the most remote parts of our planet”.
A low rolling resistance tyre has been added to Bridgestone’s BattlaxSC maxi scooter range. The Battlax SC Ecopia is said to reduce rolling resistance by 15 per cent while maintaining the wet and dry handling, stability, wear life and comfort found in the standard Battlax SC. Bridgestone says it was able to reduce rolling resistance – which primarily results from tyre deformation and the loss of energy via heat generation during rotation – by working on three factors that directly affect tyre rolling resistance.
Michelin will bring its latest range of motorcycle tyres in January 2014, with three versions of the Pilot Road 4 available in a total of 17 sizes. The Pilot Road 4, Pilot Road 4 GT and Pilot Road 4 Trail have been developed to decrease wet braking distances. The GT version of the tyre has been awarded a major original equipment contract too; it will be fitted to the new BMW R 1200 RT, one of the bestselling bikes in its category.
The EICMA motorcycle show in Italy serves as a platform for the tyre industry to present next season’s new products. Pirelli says it will display two new Metzeler-brand motorcycle tyres at the show, and Continental is also bringing its latest to Milan.
At the EICMA motorcycle show in Milan, which opens to the media today ahead of its public opening on 7 November, the newly-created Mitas Moto business unit will introduce itself to the world. The new business unit will also introduce its first product, the Sport Force radial for sport, naked and touring bikes.
Bridgestone will launch a new motocross tyre and announce an exclusive partnership with a historic motocross organisation at the International Dirt Bike Show. The world’s biggest tyre manufacturer says the sport represents one of the fastest growing motorbike tyre sectors in the UK, as well as offering significant brand awareness and sales opportunities. An official announcement is being made at the hugely popular annual show at Stoneleigh Park, which takes place between 31 October and 3 November.
Dunlop has announced a softer set of compounds than in 2012 for the Japanese Moto2 and Moto3 races. The announcement comes one week after the Australian grand prix at Phillip Island, where the new aggressive track surface led to shortened races in both the Moto2 and Bridgestone-supplied MotoGP.
The Duke of Cambridge and family may be hogging UK headlines at present, but others may be more interested in a duke set to enter the realm in December. The recently unveiled KTM 1290 Super Duke R, dubbed ‘the Beast’ by its manufacturer, features a 1,301cc, 2-cylinder engine that delivers 180hp, paired with a weight of just 189 kilogrammes. KTM describes it as “hottest street-legal naked bike around.” And all this power will roll on Dunlop’s SportSmart2.
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