In a test reminiscent of a stunt pulled by Top Gear’s original Stig, but fortunately with a different end result, double Superbike World Champion and four-time 250cc World Champion Max Biaggi tested the braking qualities of Pirelli’s new Angel GT motorcycle tyre on the deck of an aircraft carrier.
Supertracker has been present as an exhibitor at Brityrex for a number of years now and this year – the Southampton-based firm’s 25th anniversary year – will be no different. Supertracker says it believes Brityrex to be an important stage for the company to further establish its presence in the UK as one of the most progressive and successful alignment experts in the market. Managing director Trevor Lovesy views Brityrex 2012 as representing a perfect opportunity to meet up with the company's growing customer base and look towards opening additional business opportunities with potential new customers.
Tyres, observes Michelin, are often seen as black, round objects that keep expensive alloy wheels off the ground – but not many drivers appreciate the benefits of choosing the right tyres for their car and style of driving. To address is, the tyre maker has interviewed several Audi Sport drivers and race engineers to find out why they choose to fit Michelin tyres and why fitting the correct tyres is important from a racing and road car point of view. A video of this interview can be found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82W_ROmr1JA.
HiQ will move “nearly all” of its promotion of the HiQ fast fit network away from traditional newspapers, radio and trade press to more online exposure, the network’s Wolverhampton PR agency Connect has revealed. The move follows the revamp of HiQ’s website for a new look and engagement strategy. Social media streams will be important to the brand’s new marketing strategy, with its website introducing a multi-media blogging channel from the end of March.
Alba Diagnostics has announced the launch of the firm’s new website. Designed for ease of use, this site allows the visitor to navigate freely around the complete Alba range. Some of the site’s new features include: a dedicated distributor area, giving access to online ordering, technical information, YouTube videos, special offers and promotions.
A minute’s too long to wait for an accurate wheel alignment. Just as well that those in the business understand the importance of getting the job done before the second hand can lap the dial. Southampton based alignment specialist Supertracker, who says its ongoing success is centred around a competitive mixture of wheel alignment speed and efficiency, reports that its latest STR410 unit is able to provide customers with an accurate alignment in just 59 seconds.
TRW Automotive Holdings has launched what it calls a next generation tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS). This system uses sensors that are fixed on the tyres for measuring the temperature and pressure inside the tyre.
The technology is based on a hybrid direct system which uses a combination of sensing technologies to provide automatic location of an under-inflated tyre. This data is then combined with the data from the vehicle’s ABS wheel speed sensors and the driver is notified about the location and about the tyres that may have low pressure.
For more than 165 years Schrader has sought to lead the design and manufacture of valve, mechanical and electronic system components and sensing technologies, now this taking on a YouTube channel as well!
The Tire Retread & Repair Information Bureau has launched two new video sites on the web, with a dedicated channel on YouTube and its own video section on TRIB's website. Each site contains three videos designed to educate the public, fleet managers, and truckers about the economic and environmental benefits of retreaded tyres as well as correct the misconception that retreaded tyres cause rubber on the road.
Federal has become the latest tyre maker to embrace social networking and has announced the launch of its Facebook and Twitter accounts. The Taiwanese manufacturer states it launched the sites after listening to what its customers want and it will use both popular platforms to share its latest news, press releases and photos. Federal’s Facebook and Twitter sites are complemented by the Federal YouTube channel, which features a wealth of motorsport-related content.
On 7 July tyre manufacturer Hankook announced the winner of the Motor Transport Fleet Engineer of the Year award which was presented to Paul Pinfold from Indesit at last night’s awards ceremony in London. Shortlisted candidates also included Dan Bauckham at Suckling Transport and Darren O’Donnell at Coca-Cola Enterprises. The award, sponsored by Hankook, was presented to Paul Pinfold by Barrie Horrocks, Hankook sales director, TV Personality Chris Tarrant and Sky Sports Presenter Millie Clode.
A new battery tester from Equipexpress offers technicians and fleet owners the chance to test batteries thoroughly, as well as alternators, starters and engine earthing, then store the results and print them out through a PC. The BESA (Battery Electrical System Analyser) offers a level of functionality normally found only in much more expensive equipment. It gives a detailed analysis of the state of a vehicle's battery, now more vital than ever as modern car systems and the growth of diesel continue to impose increasing demand on batteries.
A former Mettoys factory on the Fforestfach industrial estate in Swansea has been burning since at least lunchtime yesterday (16 June), and appears likely to continue to do so into the weekend, as 50 firefighters work to control the blaze. The reason for the fire’s resilience and size appears to be “several tonnes” of shredded tyres that were being stored on the site, according to the BBC’s local news report at the scene. The corporation quotes firefighter Richard Fry: “The product is quite a number of feet thick in places and it's a very deep seat burning and very slow burning. It's a rubber product from reused vehicle tyres and it's the by-product of the process that was used to recycle these tyres. There's quite a few tonnes in there. We expect this to continue for a number of days yet."
Online tyre retailer etyres has released a short online video showing motorists how changing a tyre is so easy that even a child can do it. Most motorists dread the idea of getting a puncture and being stranded at the roadside waiting for a breakdown truck. Now etyres has released a short online video which shows drivers how they can fit their spare wheel in a matter of minutes and be back on the road in no time. And to demonstrate just how easy it is, the entire procedure is filmed being carried out by 10-year-old William Stepney. This idea is similar to the YouTube video from TyreSafe, in which two seven-year-olds check tread depths with a 20p coin.
Michelin has released a YouTube video to highlight drivers’ lax attitudes to tyre pressure maintenance. The video uses puppets to highlight some of the worrying attitudes of people to tyre maintenance. It was created by the aptly-named Puppet Broadcasting Company.
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