MICHELIN TRACKER
LAUNCHED IN NZ
T
he wind had whipped up at Awhitu when we
gathered for an introduction to the Michelin
Tracker tyres, which was a bit of a challenge
when it came time to head out to the testing
track to see how the Trackers… umm... tracked. Ben ‘BT’ Townley was on hand to talk about
how he is using them on his Ben Townley Tour
bikes, and also showed us how they work
at speed – the kind of speed which most of
us can aspire to, but will never attain.
Steven Croad, the Michelin NZ importer, took us
through the new tyre. The Michelin Tracker is a tyre
that takes its inspiration directly from tyres used in
top flight racing, and have been engineered to suit
the needs of riders seeking a top tracking tyre that
will allow them to enjoy their off-road forays to the
max. The Tracker replaces the AC10 range, which
has been around for many a year, and is a fully DOT
approved knobbly that works in all conditions. BT had a few of his own bikes there, some were
fitted with the Trackers and some were fitted with
Starcross models. There was a great little catch here,
as some were over inflated and some were under
inflated… the challenge from Michelin was for us to
ride and see if the riders could notice the difference.
Michelin has developed a new tread pattern
design which is resilient and grippy, and that
showed. It comes down to a tread blocks/
geometry ratio, with the sharp edges on
each tread block working together to deliver
superior traction as well as top braking.
The 36-block tread pattern, and the ditch
radius, also creates a resistance to wear and the
Tracker has a two-ply crown to encourage ride
comfort as well as keep the weight down.
Among those introducing the Tracker line-up was
a familiar face… a face familiar to Kiwi dirt riders
and those familiar to the off-road landscape.
18 KIWI RIDER
So the testing began in the wind and across
the wilds, and nods of approval emerged.
Suffice to say everyone was impressed hugely
by the end of the day with the Trackers,
for they did indeed track superbly.
They work well through dirt, sand and mud,
and are approved for road use which makes
them an ideal fit for road legal enduro bikes.
There is a good range of Trackers to suit a large
range of dirt bikes. Prices range from $109-$129 per
tyre. We’ll bring you a full test once we’ve managed
to wear through a set. In the meantime, you can
check them out at your nearest Michelin stockist.