mts Posted April 20, 2006 Report Share Posted April 20, 2006 Subject: New Tires Michelin, the company that invented the radial tire, has rolled out a radical new concept called the Tweel. As this prototype demonstrates, the traditional rubber tire and solid wheel duo is replaced by a tread bonded to a strong loop of composite material. The vehicle's weight hangs from a series of polymer plastic spokes that connect this loop to the hub. The flexible Tweel can bear the load of a pneumatic tire four times its size, it can cushion bumps five times better than a pneumatic tire, and the contact area can be nearly doubled for improved handling. Noise, mass, and rolling resistance have to be improved before this promising new technology is ready for high-speed, high-load passenger-car applications. Thought you might like to see the next generation of tires. They had a pair at the Philadelphia Car show. Attached are pictures of the new Michelin tires. These tires are airless and are scheduled to be out on the market very soon. The bad news for law enforcement is that spike strips will not work on these tires. This is what great R&D will do and just think of the impact on existing technology: a.. no more air valves. b.. no more air compressors at gas stations. c.. no more repair kits. Hmmmm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Synesthesia Posted April 20, 2006 Report Share Posted April 20, 2006 on the 1 hand due to my Formula 1 bridgestone contact, I buy NOTHING bridgestone tires. on the other hand I'm interested to see how they double the contact patch and cushion bumps, I mean those look like traditional say 265/20/20...personally, I would like them to change the look, the concept, while it may be in the name of technology, looks like a cheap ghetto trash, and besides, what will I do with all my tire shine -The Joker Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mts Posted April 20, 2006 Author Report Share Posted April 20, 2006 Typical... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
latinopikachu Posted April 21, 2006 Report Share Posted April 21, 2006 i agree with bhr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mts Posted April 21, 2006 Author Report Share Posted April 21, 2006 You don't buy tires... Mommy does... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arsonist Posted April 21, 2006 Report Share Posted April 21, 2006 they might come with some sort of cover on the sides to make it look at least a little more like a tire, and perhaps you can apply tire shine there, yeah. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
///BHRpowered Posted April 21, 2006 Report Share Posted April 21, 2006 if they came with a tire I would consider it, I'm still eager to see jsut how they cushion better with that much rubbr, or whatever it is, and how long they last Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mts Posted April 21, 2006 Author Report Share Posted April 21, 2006 It is intereesting technology, looking forward to where it goes... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arsonist Posted April 21, 2006 Report Share Posted April 21, 2006 I don't think you'll be able to have rims bigger than those 14" inches though...I believe the longer the flexible spokes are, the better cushioshing the tires will have. Unless they make the spokes shorter and populate the tire with more of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mts Posted April 21, 2006 Author Report Share Posted April 21, 2006 Remember it is in the infancy stages, hopefully the research goes forward... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
excluesiveonez Posted April 21, 2006 Report Share Posted April 21, 2006 i wouldnt mind having 12 inch wheels if i was the first on the block to have those tires! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
///BHRpowered Posted April 21, 2006 Report Share Posted April 21, 2006 I don't think I want spokes bending, maybe tires Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mts Posted April 21, 2006 Author Report Share Posted April 21, 2006 Now those would look better with black spoked rims.... continuity Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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