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.
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.
Continental has announced the reorganisation of various global specialist tyre activities into a single ‘Specialty Tyres’ business unit. Formed on 1 July, the company has combined its ‘Commercial Specialty Tires’, ‘Two Wheel Tires’ and ‘Hoosier Racing Tire’ business areas under the new umbrella unit. The result of the reorganisation means the entire Continental speciality tyre business will be developed, manufactured and distributed worldwide under the new unit. It brings together tyres for material handling, the agricultural, port, and construction sectors, bicycle and motorcycle tyres, and tyres for racing. The move continues the evolution of various specialist tyre segments within the company, begun at the start of 2013, when Conti renamed its industrial tyres business ‘Commercial Specialty Tires’.
Metzeler has launched the Roadtec Scooter, developed for all types of scooters with 10-16” wheels. Global scooter and moped markets are expected to increase, especially as pandemic lockdowns ease, and more people seek a cost-effective private alternative to public transport. The German motorcycle tyre manufacturer has chosen to extend its Roadtec brand into the scooter segment, consolidating its previous three lines for the segment. The new tyre takes inspiration from the award-winning Roadtec 01 sport touring tyre. It is designed for “adaptability and versatility,” capable of dealing with diverse weather conditions and types of asphalt in urban and suburban areas.
Metzeler has added the Racetec TD Slick to its racing tyre range, after unveiling the new tyre at EICMA in November. The new model is designed for motorcyclists and club racers for both competition and training. As such it has been manufactured primarily for ease of use. It does not require tyre warmers and does not require a particular bike set-up. It is also designed for consistent performance over multiple sessions, versatility on different asphalt types and operating temperatures, and high abrasion resistance. The rear tyre can also be reversed between sessions, useful on circuits which wear tyres more on one side.
Pirelli has developed a customised version of the Diablo Supercorsa SP to meet a new challenging performance target. The tyre will be the original fitment on the most powerful and technologically advanced production Ducati ever, the Superleggera V4. The tyre is designed to help riders get the most out of the significant aerodynamic load generated by the bike’s biplane wings, which characterise the aggressive design of the new motorcycle.
For the first time in the tyre manufacturer’s history, Turkish motorcycle specialists Anlas have entered the highly competitive hypersport market with their brand new Viento Sport, which is now available to UK dealer from exclusive importer Cambrian Tyres.
Kenda has signed up Jeff Ward as its latest brand ambassador. The British-American multi-time AMA Motocross, Supercross, Supermoto champion, 7-time international MX des Nations champion, X Games gold medallist and AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame inductee joins Motocross Hall of Famer and X Games Gold Medallist Doug Henry in this role.
Mitas
Bridgestone
Maxxis
Pirelli
Apollo
ETRMA
Dunlop
Continental
Metzeler
Metzeler
Pirelli
Anlas; Cambrian Tyres