Kenda rubberizes the tire market

The tire manufacturer Kenda wants to strengthen its position in the high-end market and is presenting two new tires. These are the "Honey Badger DH" and the "Nevegal X Pro". Both tires are downhill-oriented, but should also appeal to demanding touring bikers.

Kenda is the world's second largest bicycle tire manufacturer. Despite this, the Taiwanese rubber is usually found as original equipment on mountain bikes. To change this, Kenda wants to gain more weight in the specialist trade with the "Honey Badger DH" and the "Nevegal X Pro". With the "Honey Badger DH", the Taiwanese are launching a very interesting downhill tire that will be particularly popular in the enduro sector. Weighing less than a kilogram, the tire with the "Tribite Knobs" should offer excellent grip in almost any terrain. Despite the low weight, the aim of the Kenda engineers is to make the tubeless-ready tire just as puncture-proof as its heavy counterparts thanks to "Flatprotection".

The "Honey Badger DH" is characterized by its profile and rubber compound. Where the outer lugs with the soft 42 shore A rubber compound ensure the best grip when leaning, a harder 50 shore A rubber compound is used for the center lug. Thanks to this, the best balance between low rolling resistance and high grip should be achieved. The center lugs are also arranged individually. This allows each individual lug to adapt better to the surface when braking, which should ensure better braking performance. The tire is available in 26- and 27.5-inch and 2.4-inch widths. No 29-inchers are planned for the time being.

Nevegal with a new face
The Nevegal is an old acquaintance in the Kenda portfolio. Now comes the new Nevegal - the "Nevegal X Pro". Around ten percent lighter than the original Nevegal tire, the X-Pro has newly shaped center lugs, which should generate less rolling resistance with more traction. The harder 60 shore A rubber compound is used for this purpose. The side lugs have the softer Stick-E compound with 50 shore A for good cornering grip. Like the "Honey Badger DH", the "Nevegal X Pro" is also used on the rear and front wheels. The latter is also used by enduro racers as a rear tire in combination with the Honey Badger.

The "Nevegal X Pro" is available for all three wheel sizes and covers the enduro sector. In a lighter version, however, it is also predestined for cross-country use. Both tires should be available between July and August 2014.