Its Classic Tyre Safety Season at Vintage Tyres!

We have launched a major campaign this spring in order to raise awareness of classic car tyre safety.
The issue was brought to a head when we analysed tyres recently replaced in our fitting bays and discovered that more than half the tyres removed were over 30 years old! Many also contained tubes of a similar age.

Following several reported incidents of fatalities related to the use of old tyres, the British Association of Rubber Manufacturers stated that “If a tyre is six years old and unused it should not be put into service; and in ideal conditions a tyre has a maximum lifespan of ten years.”
Old unused tyres can of course look like new - particularly if they are described as such; however the degrading process will continue unseen and once fitted the dynamic input often leads to sidewall cracking, delamination and ultimately catastrophic failure. Whilst a lot of the tyres in our survey appeared to be sound and some even had good tread depth, the performance of older tyres in terms of braking, grip and wet weather performance - or simply the ability to cope with the heat and stresses generated by running a tyre - is dangerously reduced.
As part of the campaign, we are carrying out free tyre inspections at our base in Beaulieu, open to any owners of classic vehicles. Our tyre experts will check the general tyre condition as well as the all important age of the tyre; and we will also be happy to fit and balance for free any tyres that need replacing.
For more information visit www.vintagetyres.com, email sales@vintagetyres.com or call Paul in our workshop on 01590 612261.
If you can’t get to Beaulieu for your free tyre inspection, we have also produced a leaflet covering classic tyre safety, which we will be happy to send you free of charge.

Vintage and Classic Tyres - Where are they made?

Chris, our MD, recently visited one of the world’s latest tyre factories. The hi-tech factory you see pictured here produces 15,000 tyres a day of all types, from motorcycle tyres, through crossply car tyres to high performance radials. The processes are computer controlled and the factory is laid out in the most ergonomic way to produce tyres efficiently – which is why it is over half a kilometre long! So where in the world would you find the latest tyre producing technology? In this case, Thailand!

Producing a tyre is a much more complex operation than most people assume; the old myth of pouring liquid rubber into a mould and popping out tyres every few minutes like wellington boots couldn’t be further from the truth. Tyres are assembled normally from about 20 different sub components all precisely positioned and guided by laser beams. Steel, Rayon, Nylon, Kevlar and some 30 different types of rubber can all go into just one tyre. It is amazing to think that all this technology and effort, and components shipped from the four corners of the globe go into the tyres on our classic cars!

When Vintage Tyres started 50 years ago, all the tyres we supplied were British made. Dunlop and Avon for example still produce their entire classic ranges in the original factories here in England and incredibly in many cases still in the original moulds. The difference in the tyres you buy today is that they are able to include all the advances in rubber compounding and technology in their classic designs. Even some Waymaster tyres are still made in the UK.

With the completion of our brand new “high tech” factory, we are confident having many of our Waymaster range produced for us in the Far East. Their lower manufacturing costs combined with rapid development in tyre production techniques have enabled the availability of quality tyres at a cost effective price.

Of Course many major manufacturers still produce classic tyres locally – Avon, Michelin, Dunlop, Pirelli and Vredestein all have factories in Europe. However, it is interesting to know that even in small volume classic ranges, production is common overseas in order to keep costs low; Ensign, Blockley, Excelsior, Waymaster and even Michelin all produce tyres in the far east.

So does it matter where your tyres are made? Well these days we as classic car owners are fortunate to have such a choice open to us. We are lucky that major manufacturer still continue to make small production runs of authentic tyres. The good news is that now it can also be less expensive to have good quality tyres on our cars.

Pictured here is a Riley fitted with Dunlop Triple Studs - the original triple stud tyre, and still made in England!

Ensign Tyres – Authentic Classic Motorcycle Tyres

From the beginning, the Ensign range of motorcycle tyres were conceived to offer authentic tread patterns, quality construction and cost effectiveness. Initially offering a range of beaded edge tyres for vintage and veteran bikes using the familiar two-stud pattern, we have since developed tyres for other areas of motorcycling.

Over the last couple of years we have overhauled the beaded edge tyres, improving the finish and up rating performance by increasing the ply content of the tyres. This makes them one of the best built beaded edge tyres on the market, and enables them to be fitted to light cars as well as motorcycles.

Realising the lack of quality classic trials tyres in several popular sizes, the Ensign Trials Universal came into being, and have been hugely popular. In fact, when Royal Enfield updated their popular Trials model with a new unit construction fuel-injected engine they selected Ensign 350-19 trials tyres as the original equipment fitment.

Two of these Trials bikes recently answered the call of duty, when they were enlisted by the Royal Air Force for emergency/escort/logistics duties at the Cosford Airshow, which attracts up to 50,000 visitors. Both machines were used for most of the day over rough ground in difficult conditions. "The RAF personnel were heaping praise on the machines all day, especially when the weather turned nasty in the afternoon and the vintage trials pattern Ensign tyres enabled them to get the large crowds away safely" reports Rob Jones, General Manager at Royal Enfield UK.

This year will see the arrival of the latest addition to the trials tyre range – the Ensign Trials Universal 400-19.

The need for a period style tread pattern for earlier bikes fitted with conventional wired-on tyres has been met with the new Ensign Universal. These offer a classic block pattern suitable for front or rear fitment, but are e-marked and speed tested to S, and enable classic motorcyclists to fit tyres which not only perform excellently, but now look the part as well. Originally available in 300S20 and 300S21, the range will shortly also include 325S19 and 350S19 tyres.

You can find more information on the whole range of Ensign motorcycle tyres here: Ensign Tyre Range