The 2021 Yamaha MT-09 ABS will wear Bridgestone tyres as original equipment. Bridgestone is supplying its Hypersport S22 for Yamaha’s new hyper naked in the front wheel size 120/70ZR17M/C (58W) and rear size 180/55ZR17M/C (73W).
Avon Tyres are featured as part of a faithful restoration of a motorcycle previously ridden by stunt performer Evel Knievel. The 1968-spec ‘American Eagle’ Laverda, a bike on which Knievel made a host of jumps during the late 1960s and early 1970s, has gone on display at the Evel Knievel Museum in Topeka, Kansas. The restored Laverda was formally rolled into the museum on Friday, 6 November, where it was placed alongside other iconic items, such as Knievel’s original Mack Truck. It will remain on show for a period of two years, prior to being returned to the owner.
The FIM Moto2 and Moto3 World Championships will continue racing on Dunlop tyres for at least another three years following the extension of Dunlop’s contract with Dorna Sports. This means that Dunlop, who has partnered with Grand Prix motorcycle racing since its inauguration in 1949, will exclusively supply the two classes until at least the end of the 2023 season.
Amongst the additions to the Metzeler motorcycle tyre range we’re anticipating in 2021 is a product Metzeler says will be the “new benchmark” in the enduro street segment. This is the Tourance Next 2, the fourth generation Tourance.
Junior fitments are joining the Mitas extreme enduro tyre range. These new sizes have been developed for use on motorcycles with engine displacements of 50cc to 85cc, and Mitas says they “ensure incredible grip and stability in all conditions the rider can face in extreme enduro.” The Trelleborg Group brand adds that the tyres are suitable for riders of all levels of competence, from novices to competitive riders, due to their “excellent handling characteristics and grip.”
Bridgestone has launched its new Battlax Sport Touring T32 tyre. The tyre represents improved wet performance over the T31, containing Bridgestone’s Pulse Groove Pattern Technology. The T32 has a 13 per cent bigger contact patch than its predecessor, which supports handling improvements. The tyre has also reduced wet braking distance by seven per cent. Enhancing the tyre’s size line-up, Bridgestone is launching a version of the tyre dedicated to middleweight and heavy motorcycles. The Battlax Sport Touring T32GT increases wear life by 10 per cent over its predecessor. Bridgestone calls the T32 range a “new benchmark” for the touring segment. Nico Thuy, head of motorcycle at Bridgestone EMIA, adds: “We wanted to give riders more control and confidence in the wet and this tyre delivers exactly that.” The full sport touring line-up of sizes will be available on the market in early 2021.
Mitas has extended the Terra Force-MX motocross competition tyre range, introduced at the beginning of 2019, to include junior sizes designed for motorcycles from 50cc to 85cc engine displacement. These additional sizes will be available from October.
BMW’s first ‘M’ motorcycle has arrived, and Dunlop tyres have been chosen as original equipment. The road-legal version of the BMW M 1000 RR will exclusively wear the Dunlop SportSmart TT.
Bridgestone EMIA has become the official European tyre partner of motorcycle charity event, The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride (DGR). The global event brings together riders’ passion for classic style bikes and men’s health charity Movember, for which it raises funds. DGR will hold its first-ever solo edition on Sunday 27 September 2020. In 2019 the event brought together 116,000 motorcyclists across 100 countries. Welcoming Bridgestone’s support, DGR founder Mark Hawwa explained why the ride was urgently needed.
German motorcycling magazine Motorrad MO has recommended a trio of brands in its test of a half-dozen roadgoing sports tyres. MO fitted the candidates to a Triumph Street Triple RS and evaluated their performance in a range of parameters, publishing the results in its September 2020 edition.
Maxxis’s new sand motocross tyre is now in stock and available to buy today from distributor Bickers. The MaxxCross MX-SM is a sand and mud tyre designed to offer the performance expected by professionals to the everyday rider. Used on sand tracks in the 2019 MXGP season, the MaxxCross MX-SM has two championship titles to its belt already; the Junior Motocross World Championship 125cc and the European 125cc Motocross Championship.
Pirelli has rolled out a range of larger Diablo Superbike Slick tyres for the Bennetts British Superbike (BSB) Championship. The series will run over six rounds starting at Donington Park on 7-9 August. Each round features three Superbike races. Pirelli has continuously acted as sole tyre supplier to the series since 2008. It supplies approximately 4,000 tyres to each event, as well as offering service and support. The new tyres were developed during the 2019 World Superbike Championship. They now comprise part of Pirelli’s production tyre range, available to racers of all levels.
Apollo Tyres is aiming for leadership in the premium two-wheeler segment in India with the inauguration of a dedicated two-wheel cross-ply and tyre manufacturing operation. India is the largest two-wheeler market in the world, and still has a headroom for further growth. In light of the Covid-19 pandemic, demand has increased as people move away from shared/public transport and gradually moving to own a personal vehicle. However, while India is at the forefront for Apollo’s venture into the two-wheel segment, the company is also hinting that it plans to export two-wheel tyres to Europe and North America.
The second quarter of 2020 provided the worst quarterly sales results in recorded memory, the European Tyre and Rubber Manufacturers’ Association (ETRMA) states. Publishing its members’ replacement tyre sales for the Covid-19 pandemic stricken quarter, ETRMA secretary general Fazilet Cinaralp said: “The tyre sector’s full recovery is still far away. For the moment, we can only hope for the market to stabilise in the second half of the year. Our outlook for 2020 remains bleak with a double-digit drop in sales expected across all segments.”
Dunlop’s versatile Geomax MX-33 tyre has been selected as original equipment on every KTM and Husqvarna 2021 motocross range. The tyre has proven its race-winning performance in top-level motocross races around the world. Dunlop signed a three-year extension to its MXGP World Championship tyre partnership in February 2020.
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