KTM North America is having to recall 17 models of KTM and Husqvarna motorcycles (model years 2019-2023) because their Continental TKC 80 dual-sport tires may develop cracks in their tread, which could lead to tread separation and a lack of traction.
Motorcyclists probably recognize the name Continental for its work in the tire industry, but the company has its fingers in a number of key elements in the motorcycle industry.
Continental is the third largest automotive parts supplier worldwide, and there is a good chance that more than a few parts on your motorcycle (ABS, dash, suspension, etc) comes from the German brand.
So, we shouldn’t be too surprised to hear that Continental is developing what it calls “swarm intelligence” for motorcycles, through the Continental eHorizon platform. If you have no idea what that means, it’s cool. More simply put, Continental is trying to make Waze for motorcyclists.
The Bosch MSC system isn’t the only game in town when it comes to cornering ABS systems and anti-lowside technology, as another German company has entered the fray, Continental.
The Continental Optimized Curve Braking system factors into account roll, pitch, lateral acceleration, and lean angle and then modulates the brakes accordingly to slow the motorcycle down when the brakes are applied, while keeping the motorcycle upright.
The BMW S1000XR is the first production motorcycle to use the Continental Optimized Curve Braking, and we can expect other BMW models to follow.
If you have some Continental tires on your motorcycle, you might want to take note of the latest recall to hit our newswires. Affecting 170,000 tires worldwide, Continental says the recall is because some tires have had the tread and belt separate, which could result in the loss of air, and thus cause a crash.
Continental has begun a voluntary recall for its ContiMotion line of sport-touring tires. Affecting 1,700 units in the market, Continental says the tires in question are sized at 180/60R16 and under certain conditions these tires may have uneven wear, groove cracking, and in some cases even belt lift.
It goes without saying that these circumstances would leave the tires unsafe for use, though Continental has not received any reports about accidents resulting from these conditions. Most affected by the situation are Honda Gold Wing 1800 owners, especially in cases where there has been over-loading and under-inflating of the tire.