READ MORE ON » rubber | CeatAccording to industry executives, tyre companies such as MRF, CEAT and Apollo Tyres have all introduced price cuts.Panneerselvam vs Sasikala:Who will lead Jayalalithaa's party? Track the turmoil in Tamil Nadu here MUMBAI: A fter holding on to "pricing discipline" for almost a year, Indian tyre makers appear to be relenting finally. Last month - for the first time in over one-and-half years - tyre companies cut prices across segments by as much as 4%. A majority of companies have cut prices in the bias (nylon) tyre segment; the extent of cuts has also been higher in this space. They have been resisting to price cuts despite the price of natural rubber, their main raw material, falling to half over the past year. "As major input costs like rubber and crude oil prices have declined, there was mounting pressure from fleet operators to bring down the prices of our products. This played a pivotal role in recent price correction," said Arnab Banerjee, executive director-operations, at CEAT.

According to industry executives, tyre companies such as MRF, CEAT and Apollo Tyres have all introduced price cuts. MRF has reduced prices for its commercial tyres by 1-2%, while Apollo Tyres has cut them by 2-3% across categories. JK Tyres has reduced prices by 1-2% in the truck and tractor segment and the lead tyre manufacturer, CEAT, cut prices twice, by as much as 1-1.5%, mainly in the truck segment. "Our prices have been re-calibrated downwards in small dosages on several occasions, in tune with the changing raw material prices and competitive nature of the market where we operate," said Satish Sharma, president at Apollo Tyres. "It may be noted that, when raw material prices increase, the entire increase is not passed on to the customers. The same principle applies when raw material softens, as we are not selling commodities but brands." Over the past year, the price of natural rubber has halved to Rs 120 per kg. Stay on top of business news with The Economic Times App. Download it Now!

Your motorcycle has a thousand pieces. All of them work together in their own way. All of them do their part. But only two of them actually touch the ground. No matter how much power  your bike produces or how much style it majestically exudes, it is your motorcycle tires, and your motorcycle tires alone, that keep you in contact with the road. With that in mind, it is ultra-important that when selecting the best motorcycle tires for your ride, you know not only what is available, but also the benefits, possibilities, and limitations of each. In looking at motorcycle tires, there are a ton of terms to consider. For new riders, or seasoned ones with little tire experience, the plethora of options and info can at first seem overwhelming. Once you break it down to the basics, however, the search for the best motorcycle tires for your bike and riding style gets a bit easier. This is the part that is at the forefront of most people’s minds. In short, tread is a general term that denotes the surface of your motorcycle tires that comes in contact with the road.

Tread patterns can vary greatly. From zero tread on race slicks to aggressive knobby ?tread for motocross, tread patterns help denote the tire’s specific application.  They can also give an indication of the tire’s handling characteristics, as well as how well dirt and water are evacuated.motorcycles for sale daventry Less well-known than tread, the bead of a motorcycle tire is the portion that is directly touching the wheel. best freestyle mx moviesConsisting of a steel “bead wire” and a section of “bead filler,” the tire bead provides a stiff foundation for the sidewall and prevents your tires from slipping off of the rim.honda cbx 1000 motorcycle for sale

The carcass of a motorcycle tire can be seen as the foundation, skeleton , or HTML code upon which the rest of the tire is built. Basically, the carcass will come in one of two forms: radial or bias-ply. Each of these terms simply refers to how the guts of the tire are constructed. Radial motorcycle tires utilize steel reinforcing belts placed perpendicular to the bead and underneath the carcass, while bias-ply employ cords of fiber running diagonally from bead to bead.ls2 motorcycle helmet size chart The sidewall is a portion of the tire that doesn’t get credit where credit is due, but it is integrally important to performance, handling and longevity. motorcycle shops blenheimThe sidewall of your motorcycle tire is the portion between the bead and the tread that supports the tire carcass and dictates how much weight the tire can hold, the tire’s lean-angle, and it can even help add a bit of style to your ride. harley davidson for sale in brunswick ga

Options from classic white walls, raised white lettering and vintage profiles are just a few of the ways a tire’s sidewall can jazz up your rubber. From sizing (height, profile, or aspect ratio), to the way your motorcycle receives feedback from the road itself, the sidewall is not to be overlooked. In looking at sportbike tires, the focus is generally on one of two things: track performance, or a balance between grip and longevity on the streets. Due to the nature of sportbikes, the right tires are relatively smooth and are geared for optimum mechanical and chemical grip on asphalt. While high-grip motorcycle tires offer better performance and allow for these high-performance motorcycles to better make use of their speedy capabilities, such tires are often more prone to lower overall mileage numbers due to the softer compounds used to construct them. Going both off-road and on requires a special set of motorcycle tires. When it comes to ADV / Dual Sport options, riders need to consider the amount of time that they intend to spend riding on the tarmac vs. the trail.

Adventure and Dual Sport motorcycle tires are all constructed with a “street to trail” ratio in mind which  determines aspects such as the tread pattern and carcass construction. Dual-sport and ADV tires run the gamut from 90% street and 10% trail to 90% dirt and 10% tarmac. Generally speaking, tires that are built for more of an off-road usage will have a more pronounced tread pattern with deeper grooves for gripping loose soil or gravel. Conversely, motorcycle tires that are designed to spend more time on the road will have smoother, shallower tread patterns and be constructed for longer miles on the tarmac. When it comes to the right tires for your Harley or V-twin cruiser, it all comes down to longevity. These heavy-weights are designed to devour  highway miles, and these tires are specially constructed to bear the wear and tear that comes with long hauls and heavy payloads. Depending on the year, make, and model of your ride, there is a wide variety of motorcycle tire options to keep in mind.

From tubed vs. tubeless, a variety of load/speed ratings and the plethora of sizing options between bikes, the right motorcycle tires for your V-twin cruiser or Harley-Davidson all comes down to putting rubber to road and seeing what works best for you and your hog The focus of dirt motorcycle tires is simple: grip, and grip hard. When looking at tires for motocross bikes, they will prominently feature high “blocked” tread and low valleys that are designed to provide increased grip and evacuate debris. Another consideration that sets dirt motorcycle tires apart is that, due to the standard dirtbike wheel style and the nature of riding, they tend to be tube-type in construction. Basically, that means that there is an inner tube that creates an air-tight seal between it  and the wheel itself. Dirt tires (like street tires) are available in a variety of tread patterns and compounds to maximize handling and performance across a wide variety of terrain. From deep sand to hard packed dirt and rock, there is a tire out there to get you over the river and through the woods.