Bridgestone Corp. (TYO:5108) recently announced that its Battlecross X30 tires have been adopted by Suzuki Motor Corp. (TYO:7269) for the company’s new 2018 RM-Z450 motocross motorcycle. The RM-Z450 will be the flagship motorcycle for the RM-Z series, and Bridgestone’s Battlecross X30 tires will contribute to boosting the new motorcycle’s driving performance. The Battlecross X30 is a specialized high-performance race tire...
Tires
NKNK Drafts S-SBR Production Plan for Fuel-Saving Tires, ETIC to Provide Support
Major Russian oil refining and petrochemical company PJSC Nizhnekamskneftekhim, also known as NKNK, is considering the commercialization of solution styrene butadiene rubber (S-SBR) for use in fuel-saving tires. The company aims to begin operations at some point beyond 2020. Production capacity will total at 60,000 tons per annum, with plans to increase this to 120,000 tons in the future. Japanese...

New President at Yokohama Rubber Discusses Market Trends, Growth Strategies
The new president of Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd. (TYO:5101), Masataka Yamaishi, assumed office on March 30. This year is a milestone for Yokohama Rubber, marking the 100th anniversary of the company’s founding. President Yamaishi recently sat down with Japan Rubber Weekly to discuss his thoughts on being named president of Yokohama Rubber and a variety of other topics. On being...

New Seat Ibiza Comes With Falken Tires
Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd. (TYO:5110) said that Spanish auto manufacturer Seat S.A. has again chosen Falken as its OEM tire supplier for the fifth generation of its best-selling Seat Ibiza launched last month. The new model offers superb driving dynamics and quality, impressive stability and extreme reliability on the road. The Falken tires fitted as standard further enhance the benefits...

Nippon Goodyear Holds Test Drive Event on Ice Rink
Nippon Goodyear Ltd. will launch its Ice Navi 7 premium studless tire, developed specifically for Japanese snowy and icy road surfaces, on August 1. The company held a test drive event at the Kanagawa Skating Rink in Yokohama on June 29 for members of the press to try the Ice Navi 7 before launch. Company President Yujiro Kanahara said that...
Bridgestone to Raise Winter Tire Prices 6%
Bridgestone Corp. (TYO:5108) will raise the prices of its winter tires for passenger cars and vans by 6 percent beginning on September 1. A Bridgestone spokesperson cited higher prices for the natural rubber used to make the company’s tires, as well as synthetic rubber and other petrochemical ingredients. The spokesperson says that the decision to raise prices was taken only...