A tire does not only have advantages, as we have noticed all the motorcyclists who have one day suffered a puncture in the pouring rain. In addition, it is porous and you have to repress the pressure quite often.
It is to solve these disadvantages that Bridgestone is working on a tire that does not contain air, but still has grip and cushioning qualities. The tread (also called “rubber”) would be almost identical to those used today.
The air contained in the tire would be replaced by flexible spokes made of recyclable thermoplastic resin and rubber. This technology, called “ Air free concept », initially concerns bicycle tires.
Bridgestone is currently developing this technique first for bicycle wheels, which is somewhat in line with the historical evolution of the tire, since the Scottish veterinarian John Boyd Dunlop invented a rubber tire for the wheels of his son's tricycle .
The first airless tires, initially for bicycles, should be commercially available in 2019.
Illustrations © Bridgestone
