In recent years, domestic motorcycle groups and industries have developed rapidly, and many peripheral products are aimed at our domestic market, such as Michelin today. On April 10th, Michelin’s high-end motorcycle tire products officially entered the China market, and its lineup covers sports, leisure sports, cruising and other types.
The tires released this time are divided into four series. Let’s learn more about the functions of these four tires and the suitable vehicle types.
This tire is a tire that focuses on sports performance, and it provides excellent grip. Let’s take a look at the following technical highlights.
1. Michelin adaptive carcass technology +(ACT+ technology)
This technology adopts a carcass layer with a weaving angle of 90 degrees at the crown, which not only ensures elasticity, but also ensures the stability of linear acceleration. On the sidewall and shoulder, the carcass layer is woven at a large angle to ensure the supporting force and good corner stability.
2. Variable groove ratio
When the vehicle bends or turns 45 degrees, the groove ratio of 3.5% provides reassuring cornering grip.
3. Michelin double formula technology (2CT technology)
The front and rear wheels are equipped with different proportions of rubber formula, thus providing excellent wet and dry road grip for sports vehicles.
This tire is mainly used for long-distance motorcycles. It is suitable for various environments, whether it is cold, wet or other harsh road conditions, or on paved or low-friction roads, Michelin Pilot Road 4 can adapt.
1. Michelin X- groove technology +(XST+ technology)
The transverse groove design ensures excellent wetland grip; At the same time, it helps the front tire to cut the water film on the road surface during driving, and provides excellent braking force in wet weather.
2, chamfer groove design
Relieves abnormal tire wear caused by extreme conditions or sudden braking.
3. Variable groove ratio
Regardless of the inclination angle, the variable groove ratio provides a reliable guarantee for grip and drainage.
In fact, many riders are familiar with this tire. It is the original tire of various BMW models. This tire is mainly suitable for pulling models, and its tire life and pattern can make it have good performance on paved and unpaved roads.
1, chamfer groove design
A certain proportion of grooves are chamfered to form a "shovel" shape, which helps tires to quickly discharge mud when driving on unclosed roads. When the depth of tire tread becomes shallow, the ground contact area increases, providing stronger grip.
2, serrated groove design
The serrated groove with 3D design can help the tire improve the wet grip.
The Michelin Scorcher series developed and produced jointly with Harley, as the original tires of Harley’s various models, is printed with Michelin and Harley-Davidson logos.
1. Michelin Scorcher 11 (original tire of Harley Street, Sportster, Softail and V-Rod)
Excellent grip: the semi-bald tire design ensures the grounding area of the trunk road, and the optimized groove design can help effectively drain water, both of which are solid foundations for excellent grip.
Precise control: Michelin meridian technology ensures the accuracy and flexibility of control.
Excellent tire service life: Michelin racing technology and brand-new rubber formula guarantee durability and high performance.
2. Michelin Scorcher 31 (original tires of Harley Dyna, Sportster and cruise models)
Excellent comfort and handling: the flexible carcass and tire characteristics help the car to move flexibly on winding roads.
Long mileage: The application of carbon black reinforced formula technology helps tires to run a satisfactory mileage on the basis of giving consideration to performance.
3. Michelin Scorcher 32 (original tire of Harley Fat Bob model)
Innovative "reverse" pattern design: ensure uniform tire pattern wear.
Reliable grip: the design of large flower pattern has achieved excellent grip on dry and wet ground, allowing riders to enjoy flexible control and smooth riding experience.
Finally, after the press conference, we interviewed Mr. Liu Peng, vice president and commercial director of Michelin (China) Investment Co., Ltd., and the plans and strategies of Michelin motorcycle tires were all involved. The following is the interview record.
2018 Michelin motorcycle tires stationed in China product launch conference
Group interview shorthand
Interviewee: Mr. Liu Peng, Vice President and Commercial Director of Michelin (China) Investment Co., Ltd.
Time: April 10, 2018
Venue: Beijing Jingang Automobile Park International Circuit
Reporter: As a high-end brand of tires, Michelin has been participating in the sport of motorcycle GT. What will be the future of motorcycle tires from your point of view? Or there will be black technology that we don’t know about?
Liu Peng: Actually, the most typical black technology of motorcycles is dual formula, and different tire formulas are used to achieve different performances. For example, the tread is harder and the sidewall is slightly softer to provide (better) grip. This is the most important embodiment of bringing motorcycle racing formula into civilian tires. For example, some chips will be used for civilian purposes, such as tire tracking. Michelin’s investment in motorcycle racing is not only to win several championships, but also to turn the track into a testing ground and put the accumulated experience into civilian production. Therefore, Michelin’s future "black technology" will definitely be more and more, so stay tuned. Thank you.
Reporter: We see that manufacturers like BMW and Harley all have vehicle cooperation. After Michelin enters the China market, will it consider cooperating with domestic vehicles on motorcycles? Now that new retail is particularly hot, will our marketing channel consider the network in the future, and is there any possibility of such development?
Liu Peng: That’s a good question. First of all, Michelin’s original motorcycles, such as Harley and BMW, are actually cooperated all over the world. Because the whole motorcycle circle is not so big compared with cars, we will bring this car to the China market once we have made the original match in other parts of the world. Will there be opportunities for cooperation with domestic motorcycle manufacturers? I’m sure there will be. In the past few years, the domestic motorcycle and travel culture are booming. We have seen many people like motorcycles gradually, including young people, and even people my age who used to be jokingly called "uncle greasy" have begun to like motorcycles. So we think there are many opportunities.
Regarding the purchase method, 80% of consumers will search online when buying products like motorcycles, and then buy them online or offline. We are constantly exploring which way is the most economical and effective for consumers and can provide accurate choices. You may see that for many products today, if consumers are not clear about their car conditions and routes, they need detailed professional consultation. The purchase behavior is only the final result, and the previous decision-making consultation process is also very important for us. Therefore, we first put motorcycle tires into the China market, and now we are also studying the future online sales to make some channel preparations for the future.
Reporter: At the press conference, Michelin always emphasized the word "responsibility", and we saw a big company’s concern about riding safety. We know that there are still many shortcomings in motorcycle riding safety in China. So after Michelin entered China, did it take any measures related to driving safety?
Liu Peng: Sure. For motorcycles, we advocate freedom, but it doesn’t mean freedom to do whatever we want. We must be related to safety. Including Michelin’s partners, they are not just doing business. In fact, many of them have their own driving experience and training arrangements. Michelin works with them to bring safe driving-to their own safety, to the safety of pedestrians or other vehicles, and to the safety of society. We also talk about "chivalry". In fact, this group of China Motorsports has made great contributions to the sense of social responsibility. We hope to continue to carry it forward, and work with these consumers and partners to promote the progress of social responsibility and safety responsibility.
Reporter: In China, does Michelin have a development plan for the event sponsors?
Liu Peng: You have seen a lot of pictures of Michelin on the track. In the past weekend, Michelin sponsored the grassroots motorcycle race in the GPGP Golden Harbor Grand Prix. We hope that more people will join in motorcycle sports to promote the culture of motorcycle travel. We have been paying attention to the future motorcycle racing activities in China. Because motorcycle is a passionate sport, we hope to bring passion into the market. Of course, motorcycle sport is the best means.
Reporter: The image of Mr. Michelin Tire is very famous, and many people around us also know this brand. But at present, we rarely see Michelin-authorized motorcycle shops providing us with tire or tire changing services. Many of our members buy tires from WeChat, third parties and even foreign channels. What kind of measures or development plans are there in the channel in the future?
Liu Peng: Michelin has been in China for 29 years, and I am an early employee. At that time, we promoted Michelin, and many stores didn’t know the image and brand. Today, as a brand known to drivers and motorcycle enthusiasts, we have spent a lot of energy. Brand promotion is on the one hand, and landing channels are on the other. Today, we just started to bring the motorcycle brand into the China market, and we also started to have partners in China. The next step is to choose stores and retailers in China, and then build the retailers around riders. Because buying online or abroad can’t guarantee the source, we hope consumers can buy regular products. In addition to products, there are more technical contents in the whole installation and balance. We hope that riders can not only buy genuine tires, but also get regular maintenance services, which can make riding safer.
Reporter: Tires can last for several years from production, and it is not recommended to use them after several years.
Liu Peng: Tires are not fruits and vegetables. They are not steamed today. They must be eaten in the afternoon and will be broken tomorrow. Rubber has a long shelf life. Under normal circumstances, tires that are about five years old can actually be used. But there may be some misunderstanding now. If you buy the tires produced this week, you will feel a lot of losses. But in fact, it is the same as shoes. No one has ever asked which year the shoes were produced and before which they were worn.
Reporter: Hello, why did Michelin choose this time to enter the China market for motorcycle tires?
Liu Peng: Actually, we have been studying the motorcycle market for many years. Every year, we study the market capacity, the classification of the whole market and the classification of riders. After 2013, we saw that the motorcycle industry has changed very quickly, especially with more and more heavy locomotives, and our target group has gradually increased. We feel that the main purpose of putting it on the market at this time point is to meet the demand of fast-growing heavy-duty locomotives and high-displacement locomotives. In the past few years, we have been doing internal research, because as an international enterprise, motorcycle tires are not only a business, but also a sense of social responsibility. If you want to bring the products to the China market, you must have sufficient technical certification, after-sales service system construction and brand promotion, not simply bringing the tires in, so the preparation time for our premise is very long. In fact, including team building, import process and certification process, we have made full preparations for a long time. Now, we think it is time to enter this market.
Reporter: You just talked about the motorcycle culture and the motorcycle market in China. I would like to ask if this conference means that high-end brands have officially entered China. Will there be any market behavior to promote China motorcycle culture in the next two or three years or longer?
Liu Peng: There must be, including yesterday, discussing what kind of promotion activities we can participate in. Many of our activities are under planning, and I hope you can participate in them in the future. Thank you.
Reporter: Hello, because our country has many policies against motorcycles, how much impact does this have on Michelin’s market in China? If there is no such policy, what will happen?
Liu Peng: The most basic thing for an enterprise to do a business is to abide by the laws and regulations of the local country. Some areas are called limited motorcycles, some areas are called no motorcycles, and some areas have no such regulations. We fully respect national laws and regulations, not only for restrictions, but also for example, drivers themselves must have normal licenses, and the requirements of retail stores, including environmental protection requirements.
We believe that with the development of the tourism culture, it will also help the construction of national laws and regulations. As a manufacturer, we need to do our job well, meet more opportunities in the future, and promote good motorcycle culture to more enthusiasts.
Reporter: After Michelin motorcycle tires enter China this time, what are the expectations for the market in the future?
Expectations for the market are better than we thought. In the next three years’ development plan, we hope to occupy more sales share in China market. We didn’t come up with this by patting our heads, but when we visited the retail store, they told me that you had finally arrived and waited for you for a long time. Therefore, we have reason to believe that the future sales situation will get better and better.
Liu Peng: Motorcycle products are not a particularly large number of products for us. As we said just now, it is a passionate product that brings brand value. Therefore, we don’t have particularly high requirements for the sales in the early stage. We hope that our partners will lay a good foundation and establish a good retail network and service network in the first two or three years, just like planting-there is good soil, and a seed will be put in, and a result will come out slowly. We don’t want to ask for a quick result in a short time. The market needs to be cultivated and maintained slowly. Michelin has the confidence and strength.
