Product News

BF Goodrich All Terrain T/A Now Available in 18"
Bridgestone Develops new Battlax BT-01 for Ducati Desmosedici Racing Replica
Continental Develops Tyre Pressure Monitoring System for Trucks and Buses
New Battlax BT-016 Advanced Hypersport Tyre

BF Goodrich All Terrain T/A Now Available in 18"

BF Goodrich have announced that their All Terrain t/A tyre is now available in two new sizes to fit 18-inch diameter wheels. The addition of the 265/65 R 18 and 285/65 R 18 sizes is expected to be particularly popular with 4x4 owners wishing to fit 18-inch diameter rims in place of the standard 16-inch wheels, whilst maintaining the off-road capabilities of the All Terrain tyre.

As an example, it is now possible to fit the 265/65 R 18 All Terrain T/A tyres in place of the standard 7.50 R 16 on the Land Rover Defender. The availability of this size also means that the tyre's superior off-road capability is now available as a direct replacement for the OE tyres on vehicles such as the Mercedes G-Wagen, Hummer H3 and Land Rover Defender.

The 285/65 R 18 BF Goodrich All-Terrain T/A will also fit modified off-road Toyota Land Cruisers and Land Rover Defenders and is a suitable conversion size for 285/75 R 16, 33x10.50 R 15, 32x11.50 R 15 fitments.

Bridgestone Develops new Battlax BT-01 for Ducati Desmosedici Racing Replica

Bridgestone has developed a new-generation hypersport tyre exclusively for the stunning Ducati Desmosedici Racing Replica, demonstrated at Misano earlier in September and on display at the 2007 Milan International Motorcycle Exhibition. Named after Bridgestone's first Battlax motorcycle radial launched back in 1983, the new BT-01 brings extreme performance to a thrilling street machine. The motorcycle is a true replica of the Desmosedici GP6 which Loris Capirossi rode so successfully on Bridgestone tyres to 8 podiums and 3 victories in 2006.

Unsurprisingly, the specifications from Ducati were particularly demanding when the project started in 2005, Bridgestone's first year as tyre supplier to the Italian MotoGP team. The first thing Ducati wanted was a tyre with dimensions and aspect ratio as close as possible to the MotoGP race tyre, in addition to a unique new pattern design, soft compound, ZR speed rating and the level of wet performance demanded by hypersport tyres.

Since the 16.5" profile of MotoGP tyres is not homologated by ETRTO for road use, Bridgestone engineers opted for 17" front tyres (120/70ZR 17M/C) and 16" on the rear (200/55ZR 16M/C) with a lower 55 aspect ratio, after conducting studies on chassis clearance to determine the most suitable sizes. Riding stability and comfort - with good contact feel and linear but light handling - are provided by Bridgestone's proven mono-spiral belt construction in the front tyre.

The rear tyre, with Kevlar steel mono-spiral belt and single nylon ply provides the necessary controllability, with light handling and plenty of feedback to the rider. The special tread compound developed from Bridgestone MotoGP technology uses new chemicals that produce higher grip than other compounds used for street tyres, while maintaining the required light handling. The groove placement and void ratio of the BT-01 tread have been optimized to produce maximum grip in dry and wet conditions.

The front pattern design with shoulder grooves that run parallel to the direction of the input force ensures plenty of cornering grip, while the large contact area of the rear tread gives strong grip in a horizontal direction. The high rigidity of the centre area in the circumferential direction effectively transfers the braking force to the road on the front tyre, and the tremendous acceleration and power of the V4 engine to the road via the rear tyre.

Complementing the fantastic good-looks of the Desmosedici RR, this Bridgestone Battlax carries a "UNO" logo - referring to BT-01 - and dynamic graphics on the sidewall symbolising the wind rushing over the fairing and driver's shoulder. On display to the public for the first time at the Paris show.

Continental Develops Tyre Pressure Monitoring System for Trucks and Buses

One of the latest products from Continental scheduled for customer trials at the end of this year is a tyre pressure monitoring system which not only improves safety and reduces emissions for commercial vehicles but also provides considerable cost savings if the driver responds correctly. Continuous improvements have been made in the past to reduce the amount of energy consumed by vehicles - for example by reducing the rolling resistance of tyres.

In addition, electronic brake systems, foundation brakes, fan modules, electronic control units, belt drive systems, hybrid drives and tyre pressure control systems from Continental help, on the one hand, to save raw materials, and, on the other hand, to improve safety. The new tyre pressure monitoring system displays the precise pressure measurement for all wheel positions and can, if the driver takes proper action, ensure that buses and truck-trailers are much safer on the road, use less fuel and, at the same time, emit less pollution.

The system consists of a battery powered transmitter - about the size of a hazelnut - fitted to the inside of the tyre, a receiver attached to the vehicle chassis frame and a display on the dashboard of new vehicles, or a separate display if the vehicle is retrofitted with the system.

"Transmitter power supply comes from a battery which lasts for seven years", explains Dr. Jörg Lehmann, project manager for the system's development at Continental AG in Hanover. "It sends frequent short signals at a high baud rate to the receiver, providing information on the tyre pressure and temperature," he adds.

Assembly of the system is very straightforward. The component, which weighs less than 20 grams, can be removed during a tyre change from its rubber holder by means of a special pair of pliers, and re-used as required. The receiver is frame-mounted, and the system can be fitted to all types of vehicle - cars or trucks.

"Continental AG has carried out product life cycle assessments for car and truck tyres in accordance with the DIN ISO 14040 group of standards. According to those assessments, 95 percent of all emissions are generated during actual use of the tyre", reports Dr. Hans-Joachim Nikolin, member of Continental's Executive Board in charge of the Commercial Vehicle Tires division. "The remaining five percent are created during raw materials procurement, tire production, transportation and recycling." For the tyre engineer, the results of these life cycle assessments mean seeking ways and means of reducing emissions during the tyre utilisation phase. In addition to the reduction of tyre abrasion, one of the most highly recognised ways is to reduce the tyre's rolling resistance. The drag of a tyre when it rolls on the road, costs energy and a heavy commercial vehicle draws that energy from the fuel tank. Consequently, tyre engineers have for years been making continuous improvements to tyre rolling resistance by incorporating new construction related features and changing the rubber compounds, reducing tyre weight and increasing mileage performance. However, it should be clear to every cost-conscious driver, haulage company manager and fleet operator that inadequate tyre pressure causes energy wastage and, ultimately, unnecessarily high running costs.

In the U.S.A. alone, under inflation has been measured at an average of 12 percent, generating an added fuel consumption of approximately four billion litres of diesel, which is in turn equivalent to some nine million tons of CO2 emissions.

Measurements taken with the Conti Fleet Check Tool in Germany led to similar results. By not regularly monitoring tyre inflation pressure is costly and moreover, environmentally unfriendly. Regular monitoring and adjustment of tyre inflation pressure can lead to other cost-saving factors because tyres wear down more slowly if correctly inflated.

Last but not least, road safety also benefits from driving with correct tyre pressure: tire failures occur more seldom and braking distances are shorter. Continental sees good market opportunities for the new system, and these are due not only to rising fuel prices as well as a forecasted growth in road transportation. When a recommendation is introduced by the U.S. Department of Transport, specifying the use of bus tyre pressure monitoring systems, it will most certainly help the system be successful.

New Battlax BT-016 Advanced Hypersport Tyre

Bridgestone has launched the Battlax BT-016, an advanced hypersport tyre seen for the first time at the EICMA 2007 in Milan. It is designed to give maximum sporty performance to riders who are passionate about sport bikes - with the chance to enjoy the exciting grip performance of Bridgestone's MotoGP multi-layer compound technology.

Compared to the BT-014 it will progressively replace, the new BT-016 provides total handling improvement in all riding modes - with noticeably better contact feel, feedback, stability and grip - as well as longer wear life and lower noise levels. Bridgestone has combined its top MotoGP construction technology with its latest multi-compound technology from SACT (Straight And Cornering Technology) to produce a sport tyre that gives high-level grip performance in braking, cornering and acceleration.

The BT-016 front tyre has a new 3-Layer Compound (3LC): a centre compound for linear handling and longer wear life, flanked by a shoulder compound to secure high grip and a strong contact feeling. The rear BT-016 tyre features Bridgestone's new 5-Layer Compound (5LC) technology, used for the first time on a street tyre.

The centre compound gives good stability and higher mileage; the shoulder compound transfers the engine power to the road with strong traction; while the edge compound provides strong side grip and a massive contact feeling at deep lean angles. The line holding feels almost like riding on a rail. Front and rear construction is based on Bridgestone's proven HTSPC platform (High Tensile Super Penetrated Cord) with steel MSB (Mono Spiral Belt). This one-piece construction enhances slide controllability and line-holding through corners, while providing good shock absorption. The increased compression stiffness it produces helps to maintain a uniform contact patch and stability at high speeds.

The front pattern features S-shaped cross diagonal grooves in the centre tread area, for light handling, rich feedback and good wet performance. The rear pattern has L-shaped grooves without cross grooves in the centre, giving stronger traction and lower pattern noise - especially noticeable in the 80 km/h to 110 km/h cruising speed range. Both tyre treads give plenty of grip, with a lower 6% void ratio versus 11% on BT-014 front and 10% on BT-014 rear.

Motorcyclists in Europe will find Battlax BT-016 available in the replacement market in 4 front-wheel sizes and 7 rear-wheel sizes from early 2008.