Following Goodyear’s takeover of Cooper and the integration of the German Cooper sales organization in Goodyear Germany, the German wing of Gooodyear EMEA has added two more logos to its product portfolio, those of the Cooper and of Avon brands. However, the German introduction of the latter is bringing with it significant changes in the Avon brand’s positioning.
A major name in UK car tyre distribution, Micheldever Tyre Services (MTS) is also active in the two-wheeler segment and carries a “full range” of more than 1,500 two-wheeler product lines. Motorcycle category manager Kevin Schmid recently shared that MTS is delighted to introduce Eurogrip, one of the fastest-growing names in the powered two-wheeler tyre segment, as a “strong house brand” that enables it to “target growth opportunities in the market.”
Dunlop has officially unveiled its 50/50 trail tyre, Trailmax Raid. Designed for 50 per cent on-road and 50 per cent off-road use, the new offering is the latest addition to the brand’s strong presence in the adventure and trail segment.
Mitas has launched a tubeless version of the SW-07 Speedway tyre, one of the world’s most-used tyres in speedway racing. The new tyre is specifically designed for tubeless rims at the highest level of the sport. The newly developed construction of the SW-07 Speedway delivers excellent start acceleration, outstanding traction throughout a race, and superior lap times. It is easily recognizable by two orange stripes on the tread pattern.
This year Dunlop is launching a new sports touring tyre, the Sportmax Q-Lite. It says this tyre “combines hypersport-style performance with a high-mileage tread and improved handling,” a mix that makes Dunlop Sportmax Q-Lite suitable to “tackle the demands of daily riding on lightweight bikes” such as the 125cc and 250cc categories.
When Continental talks ContiRoadAttack 4, it refers to it as the “undisputed leader in the sport touring tyre segment.” A year into its career, ContiRoadAttack 4 now has the opportunity to win friends in the heavy tourer and adventure bike class with the addition of GT fitments. Other new arrivals in the Continental two-wheeler line-up include further sizes for the ContiRoad sports touring tyre.
A new on-/off-road Dunlop motorcycle tyre for adventure bike riders who “don’t set limits to their riding possibilities” will debut in 2023. Full details of the Dunlop Trailmax Raid aren’t yet available, but the team from Dunlop promise they’ll have more to say about the tyre next month ahead of its introduction from March onwards.
Apollo Tyres has appointed Alexander Mai as Cluster Manager for its European Two Wheel Tyre division. Mai will succeed Thomas Mittendorff, who steps down at the end of January to take a position outside the company. Mai takes responsibility for a business that currently offers Vredestein bicycle tyres in Europe and is expected to introduce a range of Vredestein-branded tyres for motorcycles and mopeds in the not-too-distant future.
Bridgestone is in a buoyant mood ahead of an action-packed 12 months in the motorcycle world, with proven products, showstopping appearances and a motorsport title sponsorship all confirmed for the year.
Announcing a second partnership in as many weeks, Kenda and official UK importer Cambrian Tyres are pleased to confirm the brand’s status as official tyre of the Mick Extance Off-Road Experience Centre. As part of the new arrangement, Cambrian will supply the centre with Kenda motocross and enduro tyres.
MCE 6 Days Extreme, Metzeler’s tyre family for enduro competitions, has grown with the introduction of the new Extra Soft rear specification specially developed for extreme enduro races. The MCE 6 Days Extreme Extra Soft rear in size 140/80–18 70M NHS is a specialist tyre suitable for one-day competitions and special stages.
A positive first half of 2022 gave way to an increasingly bleak picture for replacement tyre sales according to overall figures published today by European Tyre and Rubber Manufacturers’ Association (ETRMA) members. Overall this meant replacement consumer tyre sales were 2 per cent down on 2021. Commercial replacement tyre sales remained largely flat, except for the agricultural tyre market, which was down more than a fifth (-22 per cent), having been in contraction all year. Quarter four saw double-digit percentage falls versus the fourth quarter of 2021 as the effects of war in Ukraine, including spiralling energy prices and a continental cost of living crisis, bit. The European replacement tyre segment’s first half of the year had been relatively buoyant, with double-digit growth in replacement truck and bus tyres the highlight.
Since launching in 2002, the Diablo name has represented Pirelli in the sports motorcycle tyre market, taking on the baton from luminaries such as the Mandrake, Phantom, Demon, Dragon and the wonderfully-named Gordon. Pirelli considers Diablo a tyre family that has “revolutionised global street tyre paradigms” over the years, creating a “proper brand” that has been “enriched year after year by technological innovations and the experience gained in the FIM World Superbike Championship,” where Pirelli has been sole tyre supplier since 2004.
Kenda and the brand’s official importer Cambrian Tyres tell us that they’ve started the year as they mean to go on, getting 2023 underway by announcing an exciting new partnership with the Lee Walters Off-Road Training School. Thanks to this new partnership, Walters will now be able to rely on Kenda’s wide range of enduro and trail tyres, which can be carefully matched to the type of riding or training he is undertaking.
Dunlop shares that its Geomax MX33, a “proven championship-winning tyre,” has once again been chosen as original equipment on the factory edition models from three of the most successful motocross racing brand’s.
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