"Airless" Tires Claim to be Flat-Free
By: Fox News
Updated: March 7, 2013
All-terrain vehicle riders, the pain will soon be over.
For years, pneumatic tires -- the kind you fill with air -- have been a burr in the side of the ATV industry. Even on short excursions over rocky terrain a popped tire is not unexpected, and they often occur far from home.
Now, off-road vehicle specialist Polaris plans to debut a consumer version of an "airless" Non-Pneumatic Tire (NPT) by early next year.
Made from a proprietary plastic, the NPT replaces the conventional tire carcass with a flexible web.
"The tire works very similar to a bicycle wheel, where the load is carried in tension across the top of the wheel," says Polaris spokesperson Jason Difuccia. "The bottom of the wheel is designed to give in to obstacles like rocks, curbs, and other terrain."
That means: no punctures in the wilderness, and no need to carry a tire repair kit.
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