Avon says its new hypersport and touring tyre is good for up to 10,000 miles on a single set. But what’s it like to ride on? We went to Portugal to find out...
The new rubber is full of tech: the Advanced Tread Arc Combination, Enhanced Stability system and Lifetime Profile Engineering on the tyre work collectively to create consistent stability with stress distributed evenly throughout the carcass. This means that the varied tread profile can work to its full potential while keeping the tyre temperature down to give the maximum mileage possible. New 3D sipes offer a quick warm up time, and wet grip has been improved with a combination of Super Rich Silica and a clever tread pattern.
SO HOW DOES THE NEW TECH HOLD UP?
First up was testing the Spirit ST’s wet weather braking performance – an aspect of the tyre which improved massively from the previous Storm 3D X-M. With a tread pattern looking like almost a solid wet weather tyre it was incredibly exciting to fire down the sprinkler-covered tarmac patch; cranking up to about 35mph on a big old Suzuki Bandit before jumping on the front brake as hard as possible with absolutely no trouble at all.
Those inverted grooves on the front tyre really do displace the water incredibly well, and no matter how hard you hit the brakes (even with an ancient ABS system), the Spirit STs give an incredible amount of confidence and grip – perhaps the best in their class. So in the little wet weather test they excel, but how do they hold up when ridden on in the dry?
Denne historien er fra August 2017-utgaven av Motorcycle Sport & Leisure.
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Denne historien er fra August 2017-utgaven av Motorcycle Sport & Leisure.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Honda CRF1100L ES Africa Twin
Without panniers he was adventuring nowhere - so at least Bertie's got something sorted now
BMW R 12 nineT
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Test fleet: VOGE 525 DSX
After testing the Voge's abilities on a long ride, it was time to take it to the Cotswolds and see how it would manage on the rougher stuff
Portuguese Perambulations
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Highway to Heaven
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Battlaxes at the ready!
We tend to take tyres for granted, never really looking at them in any detail, or at how they work, just hoping that they keep us shiny side up at all times. Even in the wet
Ducati Riding Experience
When I rode the Ducati DesertX to France last year, I did have a bit of an explore on some easy fire roads and gentle green lanes in the wilds of the Médoc area, but was left with the feeling that, had I the experience, the DesertX would have been capable of taking me along some more extreme trails to some even more exciting places. If only there was a way of finding out just how well the Italian adventure bike could cope with some more extreme terrain...
Four pot flyer
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It's ironic that the first all-new MV Agusta model to hit the marketplace right after Italy's No.1 trophy brand was acquired by Austrian giant Pierer Mobility, owner of off-road titans KTM, should be the company's first dual-purpose model of the modern era, powered by MV's all-new 931cc three-cylinder engine that's destined to form the basis of a whole series of new models in coming months and years.
