TVS Eurogrip, which was launched in 2019 as a rebranded version of TVS Tyres, has been the technical partner of the TVS One Make Championship for four years now. They invited us down to the Madras Motor Race Track in Chennai to experience their flagship Protorq Extreme radial tyres, which have been developed especially for sporty 150cc-400cc motorcycles.
The experience entailed a 20-minute track time onboard a lightly modified Apache RR 310. Right off the bat, the Protorq Extremes feel very grippy, while its rounded and extended shoulder profile felt natural at big lean angles. Even on the first lap, when they aren’t warm enough, the tyres have good grip around corners. And as you keep riding, we found that the grip level never drops off, which is confidence-inspiring. My time with the Protorq Extremes was brief, but Rishaad recently spent a track-day weekend on a track-spec RR 310 and he was equally impressed with the tyres, saying they always remained trustworthy even when pushed hard.
The Protorq Extremes are constructed using zero degree steel belts, which, as per the company, provide it with superior high-speed stability. As such, the Protorq Extremes are ‘W’ rated, which means they are rated for speeds up to 270kph. The tyres also have a sporty-looking tread pattern which not only look cool but also help displace water quickly, while maintaining optimum grip in the wet, as per the company. We didn’t get a chance to test the tyres in the wet, so we’ll have to take TVS’ word for it.
With this being a track ride only, we can’t tell you how they perform in the real world and how its relatively softer compound ages. Only a detailed long-term test will determine that.
Silvio Montanari, who’s from TVS Eurogrip’s Milan team, told us that the tyres have gone through an extensive testing programme. Testing for the Protorq Extremes was done on a Kawasaki Ninja 400 and KTM RC 390 for more than 20,000km on road. And this excludes the entire on-track testing programme that the team has undertaken, which also entails thousands of kilometres. While all TVS Eurogrip tyres are produced in India only, they are tested in European, Indian as well as Japanese road conditions to ensure that they perform as intended, despite various external factors.
Aside from letting us experience the Protorq Extreme on track, TVS Eurogrip also gave us a glimpse of what to expect from the brand in the future. The brand is currently working on revamping the Protorq line-up, which should be in the market by the year’s end, and it will soon launch its touring-biased Roadhound series of tyres too. TVS Eurogrip has also introduced its Climber series of off-road tyres and Bee connect scooter tyres in Europe and they’ll soon be offered in India as well. Going forward, the company is aiming to have a tyre available for every type of motorcycle in the next five years.
