Bergougnan pneus motos

pm member maynah recently posted thread with pic of parked german WWII military vehicles
what caught my eye is tire tread pattern on kfz 221 armored car---NDT or non-directional tread which I attributed -wrongly--to american origin

actual facts are more interesting--NDT or bar grip tires are french--Bergougnan rubber firm in 1921

Bergougnan and Michelin both share the same birthplace--Clermont-Ferrand
in central France

so--at least two war material communalities were shared by Allied and Axis
powers--love of Bofors 40 mm guns and bar grip tires
russian vehicles were fitted with bar grip-probably Firestone-but their home cooked tread pattern looks to offer the greatest traction fielded by any of the second war combatants

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Michelin and Bergougnan one hundred years ago were equals in the market place

but Michelin had the clearer vision of the future--pneumatic tires--while
Bergougnan staked bets on solid pressed on rubber--ok for lift trucks and footwear but not so good in potholes

Bergougnan was absorbed by swedish firm in 1988
Michelin was awarded design and manufacture of the NATO standard military tire--the XZL series

Could someone say a word about the non-directional tire design -- what its special properties were and how it differed from alternative designs?

-Marty-

Marty Feldman said:

Could someone say a word about the non-directional tire design -- what its special properties were and how it differed from alternative designs?

-Marty-

Click to expand...

None AFAIK, the none directional being self explanatory. Back in the day (late 70's) when I ran a Series 1 Land Rover (SWB 86'') on Ex Brit military 7.50 x 16 bar treads because they were cheap (with 1/2'' depth of tread left £5 ea or £20.00 for 5 , and a BN tube £1

The puncture rate was exceptionally low, and they lasted well, the only 2 snags were ;-

1 - Noise, at 40mph you could hear the tyre howl from 1/2 mile.

2 - Wet grip when empty - there wasn't much butit was very controllable ...mind you the sight of a Landy in a powerslide on full opposite lock with a plume of black diesel smoke coming from a tractor style silencer on corners and roundabouts got me plenty of road space ...............it scared the crap out of other drivers

Still think the best tread pattern ever was that Firestone one made up of the repeated words NON SKID

http://www.practicalmachinist.com/v...her-traction-devices-automobile-sleds-259685/