Technomousse takes off-road Anti Puncture System tyre mousse tech to the street
Italian specialist Technomousse is internationally known for its range of off-road tyre mousse products, featuring the company's Anti Puncture System (APS).
At the heart of the technology is its use of advanced materials - tuned to varying riding conditions.
The 'Red' Series SOFT compound takes it up a level. Designed for Enduro and cross, 'Red' is a racing compound that is ideal for sports activities that require lower tyre pressures or better grip on particularly slippery terrains.
It is guaranteed to provide effective and reliable control of the motorcycle under adverse weather conditions, while at the same time offering the same top performance in milder temperatures for the entire duration of a race.
Both of these 100% Italian-made compounds are cut and crumble-resistant and have no expiration date - these are three primary problems that have held back a wider acceptance and adoption of the concept of the tyre mousse.
Problems that have also dissuaded the motorcycle industry (and other sectors) of viewing the tyre mousse as the ultimate answer to what has always been one of the 'Holy Grails' of the global tyre market - puncture resistance. If only somebody could take all these off-road tyre mousse advantages and incorporate them into a road-going equivalent!
Well, the BIG NEWS is that Technomousse has now done exactly that, and after years of Research and Development, is preparing to launch a motorbike road tyre mousse in the market.
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| Technomousse owner, Oscar Gnali |
Using a compound material that is in the same E.V.A. materials family (Ethylene-Vinyl Acetate) as the one that Technomousse uses for its Enduro/MX and MTB mousse, but, as with all the mousse products it produces, one that is designed specifically for the application. In this case, that means a compound that can withstand the high temperatures and higher speeds of a road bike.
Like all the company's products, it is made by Technomousse at its headquarters in Bione, in Brescia, Italy.
At the moment, the product has not yet been homologated. It has been patented, both in terms of design and material type. The company is in the process of carrying out all the necessary tests to obtain reliability in terms of both effectiveness and safety. Once the reliability of the product has been verified, the company will move on from the current testing phase to applying for homologation.
The primary advantage of a street tyre mousse is that it will allow riders to continue to ride for some 50 km, at low speeds, to get to a repair or replacement opportunity - much as the current generations of 'rescue' tyres and wheels do in the automotive industry.
It has been the issue of compound degradation at high temperatures that has so far stopped the tyre and wheel industry from offering a similar solution for PTW owners that sits inside the tyre permanently - thus getting around the issue of having to carry a spare.
The innovative, patented shape of the street tyre mousse that Technomousse has designed is specifically to prevent the issues of high-speed rubbing and degradation.
The melting point of E.V.A. is 90 degrees Centigrade (194 F), and such compounds typically contain between 10 to 50% acrylic, with the remainder being ethylene. Broadly speaking, there are three different types of E.V.A. copolymer, which differ in the vinyl acetate content and the way the materials are used. The higher the VA content, the more rubber-like the E.V.A. resin is. E.V.A. is a step up from straight polyethylene, but they are both in the same family of materials.
E.V.A. is an elastomeric polymer that produces materials which are “rubber-like” in softness and flexibility. The material has good low-temperature toughness, stress-crack resistance, hot temperature resistance and resistance to UV radiation.
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