March 19, 2016 | BFGoodrich
Visitors at the Brisbane 4X4 Show to be the first to see new tyre.
BFGoodrich Tires, the company that created the first all-terrain tyre in 1976, is set to welcome its most advanced tyre ever with the new All -Terrain T/A® KO2 tyre. From April the tyre will begin to be delivered to BFGoodrich Tires’ authorised dealerships across Australia.
The new BFGoodrich All Terrain T/A KO2 will be available in stages, with the full range expected to be available progressively over the next 12 months. Visitors to this weekend’s Brisbane 4×4 Outdoors Show, Fishing & Boating Expo (20 – 22 March) will have the opportunity to be amongst the first in the country to see the new tyre.
BFGoodrich Tires Australian Managing Director, Cedric Binoit, welcomed the arrival. “Thirty eight years ago, BFGoodrich launched a tyre that created the all-terrain category. Just a year later, the company launched the original KO, which defined the all-terrain tyre category for decades,” said Mr Binoit.
“BFGoodrich is once again unleashing a game-changer that will take on anything ‘Playground Earth’ has to dish out. It grips better on mud, while lasting longer on gravel and asphalt. The KO2 is designed as a tyre that will pose no boundaries for drivers taking on a new world of adventures.”
Engineered from BFGoodrich Tires’ championship off-road motorsports racing technology, the KO2 delivers exceptional toughness, durability and traction for traversing harsh conditions, including gravel, dirt, rock, mud and snow. The new KO2 will give consumers the confidence to take on the toughest challenges for work or play.
The BFGoodrich® All-Terrain T/A® KO2 tyre is the first consumer tyre to incorporate the company’s race-proven and race-winning CoreGard™ technology that gives it unmatched toughness against sidewall splitting. Compared to the already formidable current KO tyre, the new KO2 is 20 percent stronger in this critical off-road performance area1.
The rugged KO2 is also durable, lasting twice as long on gravel roads and 15 percent longer on asphalt2, allowing off-road enthusiasts to extend their adventures and working professionals to get more use out of the tyre.
In addition, the KO2 improves its already legendary tradition of all-terrain performance with 10 percent greater traction in the mud3 compared to the previous-generation KO tyre.
Key features of the KO2 include:
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Tougher Sidewalls: The KO2 uses CoreGard technology developed in the off road racing tyre, the Baja T/A KR2, for split and bruise-resistant sidewall rubber and a thicker, extended shoulder to prevent sidewall failures. Computer modeling was used to predict object paths and create a sidewall design most likely to deflect protruding objects, reducing the chances of splits and snags. The result is a tougher tyre as consumers take on trails of various conditions.
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Longer Treadlife: The KO2 has a new tread design and rubber formulation that helps it last twice as long on gravel and 15 percent longer on asphalt than the previous tyre. The tread rubber has been optimally blended to reduce chips and tears on gravel. A new footprint shape and interlocking tread design provide more uniform wear over the long haul. Special stone ejectors push objects out of the tread to reduce drilling into the tyre.
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Aggressive Traction: The KO2 also has a range of tread features for better mud and snow traction. Side-Biter lugs in the sidewall improve traction in mud, snow and rocks. Raised bars in the shoulder help release compacted mud for better traction in soft soil. 3-D sipes create biting edges for better snow traction.
1 BASED ON INTERNAL SIDEWALL SPLITTING TEST VS. BFGOODRICH® ALL-TERRAIN T/A KO TYRE IN SIZE LT265/70R17. SIDEWALL SPLITTING TEST RESULTS WERE DERIVED FROM A SIMULATED SIDEWALL AGGRESSION TESTING MACHINE (PATENT PENDING US20120245859A1).
2 OFF-ROAD RESULTS BASED ON COMMISSIONED THIRD-PARTY GRAVEL ENDURANCE TESTS VS. BFGOODRICH® ALL-TERRAIN T/A KO TIRE SIZE LT265/70R17. ON-ROAD RESULTS BASED ON INTERNAL WEAR TESTS VS. BFGOODRICH® ALL-TERRAIN T/A KO TIRE SIZE LT265/70R17
3 BASED ON INTERNAL SUBJECTIVE MUD CONDITION TRACTION TESTS USING SAE RATINGS AND CONVERTED TO PERCENTAGE BY COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS PROGRAMS VS. BFGOODRICH® ALL-TERRAIN T/A KO TIRE IN SIZE LT 265/70R17.
