TVS Eurogrip is known for catering all kinds of tyres to 88 countries and our Indian market, which includes but not limited to high-speed tyres, touring tyres, off-road tyres, and commuting tyres for motorcycles and scooters.
I was invited by TVS Eurogrip in Chennai to attend TREAD TALKS (Racetrack edition) to experience their race-spec tyres, fitted on race-spec Apache RTR 200 4V and Apache RR310. I got a chance to interact with Sivaramakrishnan Viswanathan, Chief Technology Officer, TVS Srichakra Ltd and Mr. Silvio Montanari, Milan Design Centre about the upcoming and current product line-up.
The TVS Eurogrip is set to launch a fresh line-up of updated high-speed tyres – Protorq Extreme REVAMP which will have zero-degree steel cords with which riders will experience faster lap times with perfect stability and cornering control.
The second product that TVS Eurogrip is set to bring in is the ROADHOUND tyres which are made for sports touring considering the bigger capacity bikes (600cc+) TVS Eurogrip be offering them in radial as well as X-Ply construction. The third important product for off-road enthusiasts will be CLIMBER XC, which will be purely off-road knobby tyres made for serious off-road and dirt rallying.
I also got a chance to ride the race-spec line-up of the new TVS Apache series (fitted with Protorq Extreme) just after the product brief. The track session only lasted 4 laps each with the Protorq Extreme, but it was fun indeed. The tyres performed way beyond expectations as I was new on the race bike but I became more and more confident as I kept on riding. The TVS Eurogrip Protorq Extreme tyres felt at home, the cornering speeds were higher, and I could undoubtedly manoeuvre the bike, keep a faster pace, and carry higher speeds on the exit of every corner with a huge amount of confidence. The 310RR had 110/70 front and 150/60 rear which were almost as good as the racing slicks. The Apache RTR 200 4V was running 90/90 front 110/70 rear configuration but it was still gripping the tarmac even on maximum lean angles. The Protorq Extreme tyres are W rated, which means it can do 270 KMPH without sweat. It has special apex compounds which makes it proficient in corners. The tyre also has a rounder and extended large shoulder profile which makes it faster on the straights as well as the corners. The groove pattern is also made considering the wet conditions and has quicker water evacuation.
Surprisingly, as these tyres are made in India, the price for the Protorq Extreme tyre goes Rs 4765/- for the front and Rs. 6024/- for the rear. At this price point getting a W rated tyre is unbelievable.
Overall, the track experience was great, sadly I could not set any lap times as the sessions were a bit short. But it was fun and aspirational to see an Indian tyre manufacturer setting benchmarks which were unimaginable a few years back.
The TVS Eurogrip is one of the largest tyre suppliers to 2-wheeler manufacturers in India and the product range is above 1000 products. TVS Eurogrip is set to launch premium adventure bike tyres and race tyres by 2023. The Protorq Extreme will get an update of a REVAMP version which is apparently 4 seconds faster at MMRT than the current one. Their design centre is based in Milan, Italy and they have manufacturing facilities in Madurai and Rudrapur. TVS Eurogrip is also the Technical Partner of TVS Racing for the past four years.
We will get access to the TVS Eurogrip Revamp and Roadhound in the coming days. I cannot wait to evaluate these tyres in real world situations in India. Remember, these tyres have been designed with European conditions in mind. The diverse northern cold temperatures (-4 degrees) and southern Mediterranean temperatures (40 degrees) present there, it has influenced the tyre development. When it comes to Indian conditions, Will one tyre do it all? We shall see.Protorq Extreme :FR TYRE: 110/70 ZR17 M/C 54W TL | RR TYRE: 150/60 ZR17 M/C 66W TL
Rs 4765/- for the front and Rs. 6024/- for the rear