04
June
2018
|
07:41 AM
Europe/Amsterdam

Goodyear Advises Coach Operators as Vacation Season Hots Up

Dedicated coach tires for high mileage, comfort and low cost per km

As the European summer vacation season gets underway, Goodyear is advising operators of tourist and inter-city coaches in particular to ensure they use only tires developed specifically for these vehicles, such as the Goodyear Marathon Coach, to ensure high mileage, low fuel consumption and maximum passenger comfort.

Reduced tire life due to uneven tire wear has been a serious problem for tires on modern coaches.  To overcome this, Goodyear has developed tires specifically to suit the latest generation of passenger vehicles.  The asymmetric design of the Marathon Coach tire provides high mileage, all season performance and a high level of comfort for the driver and passengers.

“Modern coaches are incredibly sophisticated with powerful engines and high cruising speeds, and their passengers have very strict demands for comfort and low noise.  The Goodyear Marathon Coach tire is specifically developed to meet those challenges,” said Benjamin Willot, Director Marketing Commercial Tires Europe at Goodyear.  “With innovative features and technologies, Marathon Coach has been designed and developed specifically for these vehicles as well as offering the low cost per kilometer that operators demand.”

The main features of the Marathon Coach’s tread are its solid shoulders and asymmetric design, with even wear and high mileage being the main benefits.  The tread has five ribs with Flexomatic sipes in four of them to enhance traction and braking.  The solid shoulders, which have sipes only in the outside one (rib five), resist the forces caused by cornering and the vehicles’ high center of gravity. They also have more wearable rubber to cope with the effects of independent suspension.  The stiffer tread on the outsides of the tire also copes with forces caused by the high center of gravity.  The sipes in rib two have a steep angle, preventing irregular wear in this area, and contributing more to the steering and tracking.  The radial sipes in ribs three and four have a lesser angle, contributing mainly to the grip/traction of the tire and giving a balanced performance.  A further feature of the tread design is the grooving, which is designed to avoid stone catching and stone drilling.

Goodyear Marathon Coach tires carry both the M+S and Three Peak Mountain and Snowflake (3PMSF) markings confirming the tires meet the snow tire requirements demanded by an increasing number of European countries at certain times of year and when conditions demand.

To optimize the performance of the tires they must be mounted in a special way.  Single mounted tires (on the steer and tag non-driven axles) are mounted with the outside shoulder (the one with sipes) to the outside of the vehicle.  Twin mounted tires on the drive axle are mounted with the outside shoulders on opposite sides of the pairs i.e. with the inside shoulder of one tire adjacent to the inside shoulder of the other tire in the pair. 

The benefits of the Marathon Coach tire are reflected in the tire label grades which are B for fuel efficiency and wet grip as well as a very low single bar external noise figure of 69dB.

The Goodyear Marathon Coach tire is manufactured in size 315/80R22.5 and has a load index of 156/150 (154/150) relating to axle loads of 8,000 kg (13,400 kg).  

Goodyear Ultra Grip Coach winter tire
While the Goodyear Marathon Coach is an all season tire, Goodyear also produces the Ultra Grip Coach tire.  This is a specific winter drive tire for coaches also carrying both M+S and 3PMSF markings and providing excellent snow traction.  It is of particular benefit to coaches operating in the Nordic Countries, Alpine regions and areas where snow and ice can be expected.  Its tread design and width give it not only excellent grip and traction in winter conditions but also low noise levels for great comfort.  It has 3D waffle sipes for traction in all conditions and a directional design to limit noise and high mileage.  The Goodyear Ultra Grip Coach tire is available in sizes 295/80R22.5 and 315/80R22.5. 

Goodyear TravelMax technologies
Goodyear Coach tires feature a combination of technologies, called TravelMax, which are dedicated for long haul and intercity coach applications.  These reduce the cost per km and improve the overall performance of the tires.  Amongst the technologies is Silefex tread compound, the asymmetric design and latest carcass designs. Silefex is a fuel-efficient tread compound comprising a blend of silica fillers and premium natural rubber, which results in an improvement in rolling resistance.