Introduction
Buying tyres for a big bike, especially above 600cc, has been an issue for some time now due to the government imposing a restriction on imported tyres. As collateral, prices of imported tyres which were the only option for superbikes, went through the roof, with a pair costing as much as upwards of Rs 40,000. That’s when Apollo tyres came in as saviours with their Vredestein range of tyres.
So Vredestein has got its Centauro range of tyres, and it comes in two guises, ST and NS. ST is basically for sports touring, and NS is their high-performance supersport radial. Since the tyres will be shod on my 2020 KTM 790 Duke, we opted for the NS range in stock sizes which is 180/55-17 for the rear and 120/70-17 for the front.
It’s got the looks
The tread pattern isn’t fancy, but the tyres have minimal tread and are almost like slicks. The sidewall also gets a chequered flag design courtesy of the famous Frascoli Design. Other than that, there aren’t too many details on the tyre, but even then, if the looks matter, it looks just as stylish or premium as any other international tyre from Pirelli or Michelin.
What makes it tick?
Giving it the edge in performance, it gets a dual compound technology which basically means softer sections on the side for better cornering performance and harder sections on the middle for better longevity. This, along with new silica-based compounds, zero degrees steel belt and a multi-radii profile, all come together aiming to provide an engaging riding experience.
We even weighed the tyres, and the results were pretty impressive. The front tyre number came in at 4.84 kg, and the rear at 6.36kg, which, when compared to 100 and 140-section Apollo Tramplr tyres, wasn’t a huge difference. The lightweight is sure to help with quick turn-in and amplify the Duke’s already sharp handling.
What’s next?
The stock Maxxis Supermaxx ST have done about 5000km and still has some life left on them. We will be weighing them, too, to get an idea of how they compare with the Centauro NS. That apart, we will be doing a fuel efficiency run, a highway run and hit the twisties to see how they handle. So stay tuned for the next update.
Photography by Kaustubh Gandhi
Gallery
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Front Tyre
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