Not content to rest on their laurels, leading Taiwanese tire manufacturer, Kenda has spent a busy and successful R&D year developing two new technologies which raise the bar for tire performance. The company has also launched two new tires designed to take full use of these new technologies.
Kenda Vector Shield (KVS) – Innovative Gravity Casing
Developed in joint cooperation between Kenda’s North American and Taiwanese engineering teams at the Kenda America Technology Center. The KVS is a woven sheet of aramid fibers laid up across the sidewall of a tire which offers a light-weight casing shield with 285% higher cut resistance than standard protective materials. This allows for a reduction in the casing weight by up to 200 grams when compared to traditional 2-ply downhill casings.
RSR Compound – sticky compound for racing
Kenda developed a new compound for these new gravity tires - an evolution of the existing Race Stick-E Rubber (RSR) compound. Building on the impressive original, the new RSR compound is a dual layer tread rubber, with the soft RSR compound on top and the stiff SRC on bottom. This new dual layer compound offers better performance because the stiff bottom SRC layer serves as the hard foundation for the softer RSR layer to push against. The result is a compound that provides better control and lasts longer than previous versions.
Hellkat – downhill racing tire
The Hellkat Pro is an all-new Downhill racing tire, developed with professionals on the UR Team racing with decades of experience on the World Cup circuit. The Hellkat Pro is characterized by superior braking control and cornering traction, without sacrificing rolling resistance performance. Additional emphasis has been placed on the overall weight of the tire, the elimination of punctures and casing fractures, and construction all to yield the best results when run tubeless.
Helldiver - versatile, fast & lightweight gravity tire for dry conditions
The Helldiver is a modern take on the fast rolling, dry condition gravity tire with aggressive side knobs. Versatile, quick, and lightweight with great grip when cornering. Developed in conjunction with Kenda engineering teams in Taiwan and North America along with cooperation with the UCI World Cup downhill UR Team Racing.
