Now, Hankook has completed initial testing on its fifth-generation airless tire, dubbed the iFlex. The tires do not require any air pressure, instead relying on a new type of eco-friendly material (Hancook demurs when asked for details). Geometric shapes built into the material provide the bounce and springiness normally provided by air pressure. But, unlike the previous iFlex, this version's designed to mount onto a traditional rim, making it compatible with current vehicles.
Hankook ran the iFlex through a battery of tests to compare it to more conventional rubber, measuring durability, hardness, stability, slalom and speed, at up to 80 mph. The company says the tires matched conventional tires in terms of performance.
Anyone who got a flat from the epidemic of potholes this Spring or who is plagued by nails and other road debris that cause slow leaks will welcome this development. Naturally, the real question is whether it's spelled, "tire" or "tyre."
(Score: 2) by urza9814 on Thursday July 16 2015, @02:52PM
Man, my bike needs maintenance more often from just *sitting indoors not even being used* than my car does driving an hour or two every day and being parked outside and never even being washed. And that's comparing a brand new bike (got it less than a year ago) to a car that I bought used five years ago!
The car maintenance costs about as much as a brand new bike each time though, so there's that...
(Score: 2) by CRCulver on Thursday July 16 2015, @04:13PM
(Score: 2) by urza9814 on Thursday July 16 2015, @04:40PM
Well, that just changes the location of the problem slightly. Because you can get a decent car by just showing up to the lot and picking something that seems alright...but you're saying I need to be an expert and build the entire damn thing myself to get a decent bike?
(Score: 3, Informative) by CRCulver on Thursday July 16 2015, @04:46PM