Pirelli Announces New Angel City Tyres for 300cc below Motorcycle

Pirelli has announced the upcoming release of a new set of tyres aimed at the Asian and Australasian markets for motorcycles up to and around the 300cc range. That means that learners riding increasingly popular bikes like the Honda CBR300R, Yamaha R3 and Ninja 300 will have another option when replacing their first of tyres.

We’ve been highly critical of Honda and Kawasaki in the past for their use of IRC tyres on their learner bikes. In our opinion they offer poor levels of grip and inadequate wet weather performance too, so to have a company like Pirelli come into the market with new offerings is fantastic to see. Pirelli of course already offers the Diablo Rosso II tyres in this segment, although they are aimed more at performance whereas the Angel City tyres are designed more for commuters and to hit the sweet spot between longevity and grip.

According to Pirelli, their goal for the new Angel City is to increase the company’s presence in the Asian and Australasian market in this segment. The tyre offers all of the best characteristics of two existing Pirelli tyres, the Sport Demon and the Sport Dragon in one single product, taking advantage of the latest developments and cutting-edge technology to meet the modern requirements of bikes and riders.

The full press release is below and Pirelli Australia states the tyres should hit the market in early 2016. Given the similarities of European learner restrictions to Australia, we’d wouldn’t be surprised if the Angel City’s make their way to the UK and European Union as well. Let’s hope some of the manufacturers start using these as their OEM tyres in the future as well.

Subang, (Indonesia) 09 November 2015 – Pirelli is proud to present the new ANGEL™ CiTy, the first tyre produced by the Italian brand in the new Indonesian factory of Subang, near the capital, Jakarta.

Pirelli has developed the new ANGEL™ CiTy above all for the requirements and habits of riders who mainly prefer sporting bikes up to 300cc and other commuting bikes to get around the city, as well as for recreational use.

Thanks to features such as high durability and resistance, safety in any conditions and sporty handling, Pirelli’s goal for the new ANGEL™ CiTy is to increase the company’s presence in the Asian and Australasian market in this segment. The tyre offers all of the best characteristics of two legendary tyres, the SPORT DEMON™ and the SPORT DRAGON™ in one single product, taking advantage of the latest developments and cutting-edge technology to meet the modern requirements of bikes and riders.

ANGEL™ CiTy encapsulates the Italian soul and sporting nature of Pirelli, a prestigious and historic tyre manufacturer that has always been dedicated to technological development and motorsports. Pirelli is the exclusive supplier of tyres for the FIA Formula One World Championship® and the Motul FIM Superbike World Championship, as well as its important commitments to the World Championships for Rally, Motocross and Endurance, and all the most important two- and four-wheel motorsport competitions. This role demonstrates the passion and dedication that Pirelli has always had for motorsports, which forms an important part of the DNA of this Italian company.

The Sport Touring Segment 

The conventional Sport Touring tyre is the most widespread and common type of bike tyre in the world. The largest market for this segment is Asia, together with South America and Australia, but it has also shown steady growth in the West and Europe over the last few years.

Sturdiness, durability, grip on wet roads and consistent performance are the main aspects taken into consideration when selecting a tyre in this segment. This why the new ANGEL™ CiTy has been specially developed using the technology of the ANGEL™ GT as a starting point, the winner of multiple comparative tests, adjusting it for the conventional construction of bikes with engines up to 300cc.

The new Pirelli ANGEL™ CiTy was created with the intention of it becoming the benchmark tyre for this segment and the market leader for 300cc engine bikes.

Strengths of the ANGEL™ CiTy and advantages for riders

The new ANGEL™ CiTy is the first line of Pirelli tyres developed in the new Subang factory in Indonesia. All the developments and technical solutions adopted in terms of profiles, structure, compounds and tread design were created with three main objectives in mind:

High durability and resistance

Safety under all conditions (e.g. wet and bumpy roads)

Characteristic Pirelli handling

The new ANGEL™ CiTy represents state-of-the-art Pirelli technology for sporting bikes up to 300cc, including smaller capacity sport touring and other commuting bikes.

Who ANGEL™ CiTy is intended for

ANGEL™ CiTy was designed for all those who use their bike the entire year, either to go to work and move easily through city traffic or for leisure and with a passenger. These are riders who need a tyre which can offer excellent mileage, top quality in terms of braking and versatility, as well as sturdiness, comfort and safety on wet roads.

The tread design of ANGEL™ CiTy:

The tread design of the new ANGEL™ CiTy has been developed following the wear-line principle to guarantee optimum wear and improve water dispersal. A break in the compound, or cut, that passes these lines at a right angle, reduces the formation of these wave lines, giving the advantage of more uniform wear and a reduction in the stress to which the compound is subjected. All of this translates into a direct benefit for the end user, who can count on a tyre with more uniform wear, therefore able to guarantee better mileage.

There are some substantial differences between the tread design of the front and rear tyres, even though the size is sometimes the same. The main difference regards the quantity and orientation of the cuts, a necessary decision due to the fact that the front and rear wheels face different types of stresses. The main function of the rear tyre is to transmit the power of the vehicle to the ground and guarantee grip during acceleration, while the front is responsible for steering, braking and water dispersal.

Some competitors offer tyres that can be fitted on either front or rear wheel, merely by inverting the direction of rotation. However, Pirelli’s experience has lead them to the conclusion that this type of solution has notable negative impacts on performance.

The tread design of the ANGEL™ CiTy represents the evolution of the ANGEL™ GT, adapted to the smaller width and the structure of the ANGEL™ CiTy. Pirelli has favoured a technical approach to maintain efficiency and performance. Some tyre manufacturers’ focus on developing tyres just with a very attractive tread design, but Pirelli’s philosophy runs counter to this – aesthetics are important, but performance and safety must always take precedence.

The compounds used for the ANGEL™ CiTy

The new ANGEL™ CiTy uses an innovative compound, mainly based on carbon black with a calibrated percentage of silica, able to offer excellent grip on wet and dry surfaces, great tear resistance and high mileage. The advantages of carbon black derive from its ability to quickly get up to temperature, offering immediate traction in both dry and wet, while the silica components allow it to perform well in a wider range of temperatures and conditions. The ANGEL™ CiTy is therefore at home both on cold mornings and on hot afternoons, always able to offer high grip and an excellent feeling of safety in any riding conditions and on all road types.

The structure of the ANGEL™ CiTy

The new ANGEL™ CiTy has a nylon casing with excellent absorption properties and high resistance to stress and wear.

This is a well-known structure, widely used and tested in various applications. Its key characteristics are durability and resistance, as well as comfort and stability on all road types.

The advantages guaranteed by ANGEL™ CiTy can be clearly felt under all riding conditions but it is on rough roads that the qualities of this tyre are best appreciated. In fact, its robust construction guarantees high resistance to punctures and reliable performance throughout the entire life of the tyre.

Availability and sizes for ANGEL™ CiTy

The new ANGEL™ CiTy is available in a wide range of sizes able to satisfy the large majority of vehicles in the category to which it is dedicated, from commuters to sporty bikes up to 300cc. This new tyre is expected to be available to Australian riders in early 2016.