Michelin Tweel Airless Radial Tires Now Available for Utility Vehicles

One main concern when it comes to tires is getting a puncture. Getting a flat can ruin your day, especially if you are driving in a remote area without easy access to expert help. With Michelin now launching a range of tweel airless radial tires for utility vehicles, this will no longer be a concern. The Tweels literally have no air to lose and there will be no need to worry about spare tires, tools, air pressure, pumps or tire repair kits.
The 26-inch Michelin X Tweel UTV 26 x 9 x 14 airless radial tire can be bolted directly onto a standard UTV 4-bolt hub. The Tweel is a single component which can be used instead of tires, wheels, and valve assemblies, and can be used on any kind of terrain without any worries about flat tires.

Initially, Michelin Tweel Technologies had developed the Tweel for light-tactical vehicles which are used by military special operations. Now at its factory in Greenville, South Carolina, Michelin is making the X Tweel UTV which can be used for regular utility vehicles that are used by people who handle challenging terrain on a regular basis like emergency service responders, hunters, farmers and construction workers.

Olivier Brauen, vice president of Michelin Tweel Technologies said that people use UTVs in difficult environments and extreme conditions and the vehicles are exposed to rugged roads, jagged terrain and other hostile elements.

Brauen added, “The Michelin X Tweel UTV airless radial tire is a solution that will provide unmatched traction and uninterrupted vehicle mobility during long journeys or in remote areas where a flat tire can be problematic.”

One problem with Tweel wheels is that they cannot be used in vehicles which are driven on highways, in view of the speed restrictions. The X Tweel UTVs can support a maximum gross vehicle weight of 2,860 pounds while the maximum speed allowed is only 37 miles per hour.

According to Michelin, the Tweel has been designed with operator comfort in mind. The lateral stiffness of the Tweel contributes to the comfort and traction that it provides while cornering and with side-hill stability. The Tweel is highly useful for those who work on tough terrain with a lot of debris, jagged rocks or
fallen trees.

The X Tweel UTV is available in three standard hub configuration. These patterns can easily fit the 4 x 137 and 4 x 156 bolt patterns on vehicles like BRP Can-Am Defenders, Kawasaki Mules, and Polaris Rangers. Later on in 2018, Michelin has plans to release the hub configurations for John Deere, Honda, Kubota, and Argo UTVs.