Continental has released the Scooty, Traily and Classic scooter tyres which will run alongside the current Twist and K62 products in the range. According to the company, all are suitable for front or rear fitment. All three new tyres will be available from mid-September.
Transport hire specialist William Gilder has signed up Michelin to supply its X-Terminal T tyres for the firm’s fleet of terminal tractors; a move it says will reduce operating costs and increase uptime. The dedicated industrial tyre designed for shunting applications will be fitted to the Cheltenham-based company’s vehicles following a trial of Michelin’s tyre begun in August 2010. William Gilder runs a 76-strong transport and machinery hire fleet including the 51 Terberg and MOL tugs on which the X-Terminal will be fitted. The 20-year-old firm also runs its own waste management fleet, which moved to a 100 per cent Michelin policy last year.
Toyo Tires reports that its range of winter tyres are specifically designed to tackle even the most unpredictable of wintry driving condition. As average temperatures fall and road surfaces become more hazardous, Toyo Tires representatives say the firm’s winter range will “increase driver’s safety during the winter months and you don’t need snow to appreciate the spectacular benefits of Toyo Tires.” According to the company, their winter tyres cope with slush, ice, mud and even your average December downpour and will prove their worth in keeping drivers on the move, whatever the conditions. Featuring computer-optimised tread designs, Toyo Tires range of winter tyres come in a wide variety of sizes to suit all vehicles, from small compact cars to ultra high performance models to 4×4’s and SUV’s.
Alliance Tire Americas has launched the Primex LS Xtreme LS-2, a new radial forestry tyre, reports Tire Review. The new tyre features a variable-angle, tapered lug design for “exceptional performance in a wide array of terrain and soil conditions,” Alliance said. “It’s exceptionally stable on steep hillsides, delivering market-leading traction in virtually all soil conditions: sand, mud, clay and everything in between.”
In the US, Toyo Tires has introduced the M157 free-rolling axle tyre for long haul highway operations. The company reports that the M157 is EPA SmartWays verified and features Toyo Tires’ proprietary e-balance technology.
BKT Tire (USA) has added a number of new sizes to some several US and Canada market product line-up. The tyre maker’s FL 639 flotation radial has a size 560/45R22.5 added to its roster. The on/off-road agricultural implement and trailer tyre was designed for high load capacities at low inflation pressures for minimum soil compaction, and its wide footprint is ideal for soft soil conditions, BKT said.
In June Kraiburg Austria revealed details of its new revised Pattern Programme for 2011/2012. The current programme shows the availability of the individual product lines, K_base, K_plus or K_tech, at a glance.
A colour coding system also allows direct and rapid identification of the patterns – even if they are available in two different lines. As always, blue has been used for the all-round line K_base. Green indicates the technology line K_tech. And yellow is the colour of choice for the high-performance premium line K_plus.
Michelin Americas Truck Tires (MATT) is getting aggressive – the company is releasing two new tyres for on/off road applications, including what it calls “Michelin’s most aggressive drive axle tyre for extreme operating conditions, such as logging, oil fields and mining.” This tyre, the XDY-EX2, is complemented by the Michelin X Works XDY commercial truck tyre, a product designed for exceptional traction and wear in on/off road applications.
The Firenza brand has been established in the UK truck market for a number of years now and the range, which is produced by Sumo Tires, is steadily growing. Firenza commercial vehicle tyres are said to be backed by the latest production technology and include design features such as a solid shoulder area construction, a zero angle steel band that prevents irregular wear plus a tread groove to combat casing damage and stone retention.
TyreSafe has advised motorcyclists that the extra weight resulting from a pillion passenger or pannier loads – common in holiday season – means that tyre pressures should be checked and adjusted accordingly against the bike manufacturers’ recommended levels. Under-inflation (or overloading) over a long period may cause rapid shoulder wear, excessive flexing and deterioration of the casing, which can pose a serious safety risk for bikers. Conversely, over-inflation may result in a reduced contact patch on the road and accelerated wear in the centre of the tread. The tyre could also be more susceptible to impact damage, as well as providing an uncomfortable ride.
Nankang Rubber Tire has launched a new asymmetric winter tyre, the ESSN-1. The manufacturer says the tyre offers superior performance in “all extreme winter conditions, including curvy roads covered in ice, wet, and snow”. The tyre has zigzag 3D siping to optimise tread element stiffness and handling. The outside tread pattern strengthens cornering manoeuvrability, and the inside enhances straight-line stability with riding comfort. It also benefits from a patent tread compound with stiff natural kernel powder, promoting “ice-lodging ability to enhance traction”.
In the July 2011 edition of ‘Truck’, Pirelli’s in-house magazine for the commercial vehicle sector, the Italian tyre maker comments that the winter of 2010-11 was one of the most severe in recent memory. The UK experienced snowfalls as early as November, it notes, causing such traffic disruptions that the Automobile Association describes the period as the most active in its 100-year history – the motoring association answered 200,000 calls for assistance on November 29 alone. In December the lowest temperatures since 1890 were reached.
Promising up to 20 per cent higher removal miles compared with its predecessor tyre, Michelin Americas Truck Tires has introduced its “next generation” tyre for refuse applications. The Michelin XZUS2, which replaces the XZUS, has been released in both new and retread fitments, the second of these rounding out the XZUS Pre-Mold retread line for the most commonly used sizes in refuse applications.
Developed to provide a premium quality performance tyre at an affordable price, Atturo is a relatively recent addition to the world's ultra high performance tyre brands. "It was always our intention to pioneer and successfully market a true performance tyre that was within reach of every consumer," said company representative, Michael Mathis. "The performance segment has seen numerous and variable tyre sizes, especially staggered fitments, produced by the leading quality tyre manufacturers, or witnessed somewhat less efficient products from unfamiliar suppliers. Atturo sits in the middle of the price range without sacrificing the quality demanded by the performance tyre buyer. Manufactured in Taiwan, to the highest international standards, we are totally focused on providing the tyre sizes demanded of a niche market for speciality and staggered fitments.
Toyo is currently in the High Court answering a claim for damages by siblings Dharmendra Joshi and Joshi Divya, who were passengers in a car whose tyre blew out on the M4 in Wales on 25 June, 2006. One of their fellow passengers, 26 year-old Neha Bhatt, was killed in the accident after being thrown from the Mitsubishi Pajero jeep, which reports say “flipped at least ten times”. Mr Justice Mackay established that the “tyre tread separated from the rest of the tyre along about half of its circumference, resulting in the loss of control and causing this terrible accident”. The point of contention is whether the tyre was defective, as the six survivors of the crash claim, or whether there was an impact “that triggered some progressive rapid stripping of the tread”, as Toyo contends. The hearing is set to run well into next week.
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