Motorcycle Tyres
The middle of winter may not be motorcycle weather, but it is time for the motorcycle sector to be considering their purchases for the coming year. T&A looks at the players, the brands and the market developments for 2004.
Tag Archive for: motorcycle tyres
C3M technology used in motorcycle tyres
Product NewsMotorcycle tyres for the Moto GP are already running on C3M built tyres. The technology is said to give engineers better control over tyre manufacture.
Michelin claim that Valentino Rossi laps a half-second faster on a C3M-built tyre compared to a traditionally built tyre using the same materials.
Mitas moves into Irish market
Product NewsTyres from Czech manufacturer Mitas will be sold directly on to the Irish market from the beginning of November. The tyres will be sold through subsidiary company Mitas UK Ltd., which will be trading on the Irish market as Mitas Ireland. As well as agricultural and OTR tyres, Mitas Ireland will be selling earthmover, industrial and motorcycle tyres. The organisation will operate from a warehouse in County Kildare, run by sales manager Dave Deering.
New Bridgestone Motorcycle Tyres
Product NewsBridgestone used the EICMA show in Milan last month to introduce new motorcycle tyres. The Battlax BT-014 already has several OE homologations and the BT-020 and BT-45 are designed for the growing enduro/touring sector. The fourth new tyre, the Battlax BT-002, is for riders competing in supersport races or track days.
New Production System From Sumitomo
Product NewsSumitomo Rubber Industries has revealed details of its new tyre production system, called Taiyo (“the sun”). It is a fully automatic system, integrating all the production process, from component preparation to tyre curing, into one cell. The process is very flexible and, says SRI, produces a more uniform tyre. The Taiyo system is in production at SRI’s Nagoya plant and 1,000 tyres of eight different sizes can be produced daily.
Metzeler Car Tyre Production Confirmed
NewsDr Peter Kronthaler, Managing Director Pirelli Motorcycle Tyres Germany, has confirmed that production of Metzeler car tyres will go ahead. The tyres will be offered alongside Pirelli and will not be marketed as middle market or budget tyres but have a parity with Pirelli. It is believed that two production lines will be given over to Metzeler production, but sizes, names and prices have yet to be confirmed.
Supersport motorcycle tyres ContiForce Max
Product NewsDuring the presentation of the ContiForce on the Contidrome near Hanover this spring, Jörg Essiger, Marketing Manager Motorcycle Tyres at Continental, hinted that the corporation did not intend resting on its laurels after the introduction of this newly developed radial motorcycle tyre. It was suggested that work was being carried out on the development of a tyre for Super Sport Motorcycles, in order to make the ContiForce product range complete. Now, the waiting game is over: the Hanover people have now fulfilled their promise in the form of the ContiForce Max, recently introduced to the trade press on the Ricardo Tomo track in Valencia, Spain. This new tyre is available in the dimensions 120/70 ZR17 (58W) for the front wheel, and 180/55 ZR17 (73W) and 190/50 ZR17 (73W) for the back wheel, and Continental wishes it to be known that some two years of research and development have been invested here, which goes to underline Continental’s new and growing interest in this market segment. And, the introduction of the ContiForce Max is by no means the end of Continental’s involvement in the motorcycle tyre segment. Already last year, at the presentation of the ContiForce, Essiger hinted at what was to come and stated :”Our new products are already in the pipeline!” He did not, however, reveal what Continental was hiding behind these remarks. Now, after all, the Motorcycle Exhibition Intermot will be taking place in Munich this autumn, and perhaps some of Continental’s plans for the coming season will be revealed there!
Focus On Motorbike Tyres
NewsThe German market for motorcycle tyres is on the move. Bridgestone has tried several times to capture the number one position traditionally held by Metzeler. Whether the Japanese manufacturer attained this target last year will be just one question we will answer in the next issue of NEUE REIFENZEITUNG. Additionally, we will be looking at this season’s new products in this sector, and examine the market performance in this specialised segment.
Four New Motorcycle Tyres From Bridgestone
Product NewsBridgestone has launched four new motorcycle tyres. The first is the Battlax BT-090 an ultra-high performance tyre for mid-sized motorcycles. The tyre uses cutting edge technologies to create an ideal sporting on-road and race tyre. The second, the Battlax BT 012SS, is designed to give uncompromising performance for motorcycles over 600cc. Also announced are two new motocross tyres for medium and medium to hard circuits, the M401 (front) and M402 (rear) for medium terrain, and the M601 (front) and M602 (rear) for hard terrain.
Internet Motorcycle Tyre Guide Launched By Dunlop
Product NewsDunlop Online has launched what it says is “the most sophisticated guide to motorcycle tyres on the net”. It gives surfers tyre fitment and pressure data for their motorcycles, along with the recommended Dunlop tyre for their machine. Details are on ww.dunloptyres.co.uk/motorcycle
With Reifen Gundlach to the Homeland of GT-Radial
Product NewsIn February Reifen Gundlach GmbH organised the “GT-Radial Tour 2000”, a trip to GT-Radial’s country of origin. The name is a brand of radial tyres (car summer/winter, van, light truck, off-road) produced by the Indonesian tyre manufacturer Gajah Tunggal. Under the brand name “Gajah Tunggal” the company also produces cross-ply tyres for trucks and buses as well as industrial tyres and motorcycle tyres under brand names “Nitto Tyre” and “IRC”. In Germany GT-Radial tyres have been sold exclusively by wholesaler Reifen Gundlach (part of the Japanese Itochu group) for about six years. During the event the tyre manufacturer presented (among others) two new tyres, “Preciro” (available from May, eleven sizes, series 60 and 65) and “Classiro” (QIII/2000, seven sizes, series 70). The current range of products has also been enlarged by new sizes/versions and the Indonesians also become increasingly interested in the small transporter and van segment. When Gajah Tunggal speaks of the intention to enter the radial truck tyre business, the company is probably taking the long view. Further volume growth in the winter car tyre segment is targeted, too. Especially in Germany, one of the most important markets for the company anyway. The export business (80 to 90 p.c.) in GT-Radial tyres is (more than) vital for the manufacturer, since sales figures in the non-radial tyre segment have fallen sharply due to the Asian crisis.
Award for Bridgestone’s Superbike Tyre “Battlax 010”
Product NewsThe British magazine Motorcycle News has tested motorcycle tyres for machines over 600 cc. Bridgestone’s “BT 010” has won the title “Product of the Year” in its class due to its extraordinarily good performance. The editor of the magazine underlined in particular the durability and the price-performance relation.
