Introduction
Eurogrip has slowly and surely instilled a lot of faith within us when it comes to their tyres. I, for one, am a big fan of the Protorq Extreme tyres. They are grippy, feelsome and instill a lot of confidence in me. It goes without saying that when the opportunity to test their new Roadhound tyres presented itself, I was more than eager to grab them and test them out. The sizes we’ve got are a 120/70-ZR-17 at the front and 160/60-ZR17 at the rear. As the sizes suggest, these tyres are designed for most of the big bikes that are sold in India. They are also much easier to procure in India as most international tyre brands are not available easily. Not to mention that these are much lighter on the wallet but more on that later. For now, lets see what makes Eurogrip Roadhound a tyre to look forward to.
What’s special about the Roadhound tyre?
The Roadhound is a zero degree steel belted radial tyre. To put it in layman’s language, the carcass of the tyre is wrapped in steel belts that are laid out in a position that is at zero degrees to the direction of the tyre’s rotation. Such a layout ensures that there’s optimal traction, both while riding in a straight line as well as around corners.
Speaking of corners, the tyre construction constitutes different compounds for the edge of the tyre versus the centre. You see, the central portion of the tyre is always in more contact with the road surface than the edges, no matter where and how the motorcycle is being ridden. Which is why, the center has a harder compound for longevity than the edges where a softer compound will offer more grip and feel when the motorcycle is leaned over.
The company, in fact, says that they’ve used a high amount of silica while constructing the tyre to ensure maximum grip, even in the wet. While the monsoons are almost behind us, sporadic and surprise showers tend to happen in Mumbai. Perhaps I’ll get a chance to test the grip levels of the tyres in the wet. Or else, there’s more in store for the Roadhounds.
What is the plan?
The plan is to put the Eurogrip Roadhound tyres through a test that every owner will subject them to. So, be it office commutes, weekend rides to our favorite set of twisties or if everything aligns, a track visit too. A comprehensive test is what we have in mind and as I’ve mentioned before, I have high expectations from these tyres.
Photography by Kaustubh Gandhi
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Kawasaki Ninja 650 Front View
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