Bridgestone’s Pulse Groove Technology: What’s It All About?
Recently, Bridgestone have been pushing their proprietary Pulse Groove Technology, as featured on the T32 Sport Touring and S23 Hypersport Battlax tyres. The motorcycle tyre giant describes Pulse Groove Technology as the “next big thing after the umbrella.” But what is Pulse Groove technology, exactly?
The science of tyre treads
To get a better grip of how Pulse Groove Technology (PGT) works, let’s learn a bit about tyre treads.
Motorcycle tyres are your bike’s primary point of contact with the road and their ability to stay connected to the tar seal without slipping is called grip or traction. The factors which determine grip are road texture (asphalt, cement, etc), the tyre’s compound, and its contact patch, which refers to the amount of tyre that actually touches the road surface.
The measurement of grip
Grip can be expressed as a number — the coefficient of friction (μ). In a dry setting, the coefficient of friction between rubber and the road is 1. However, in wet conditions, the coefficient can go as low as 0.3. This means that it is 70% more difficult to keep your tyre on the ground when the road is wet.
Most tyres have treads to improve grip. Grooves enable more of the tyre’s surface area to stick to the ground, thus minimising slippage. There are many kinds of tread patterns, each of them designed according to specific road conditions (e.g., snow, off-road, all-season, etc).
You may notice that race tyres have no tread patterns at all. This is because they are made specially for consistent track surfaces which ensure that most of the tyre surface is on the ground.
What’s special about Pulse Groove Technology
Most tyre treads are in a straight groove pattern. In a straight groove, waterflow primarily happens in the centre of the groove and the speed of the water flow is not uniform across the groove.
Meanwhile, Bridgestone’s Battlax tyres have pulse-shaped grooves. In the middle of these grooves, there are small bumps called deflectors which divide the waterflow into smaller channels. This enables the tyre to remove water quickly and more consistently from the grooves.
Tests have shown the tyres that use the Pulse Groove Technology have 7% better wet weather stopping distance. Moreover, they have a 13% better rear contact patch, which means that more of the tyre’s surface sticks to the ground, improving grip.
Pulse Groove Technology one of many innovations
Bridgestone has made a name for its relentless innovations, and Pulse Groove Technology is just one of them. Still, its claims of improved water drainage and better grip and adhesion in wet conditions are best tested in action.
Check out the range of Pulse Groove-equipped tyres and make the verdict yourself.
