KENDA Europe has announced plans to expand its activities with the creation of a dedicated Powersports team, set to launch in January 2025. The initiative will be led by Shaun Jones, currently Segment Director for Trailer & Caravan, who will transition into his new role in the new year.

“I am honoured to take on this exciting challenge,” said Shaun Jones. “Expanding into the Powersports market presents incredible opportunities to serve our customers with an even broader product range. Motorcycles have been one of my passions for years, and I look forward to collaborating with our talented global teams to make a significant impact.”

Shaun will work closely with KENDA’s global Powersports teams based in Taiwan and the United States, alongside the European Specialty unit, to foster growth and innovation in this rapidly evolving market.

New leadership for trailer & caravan segment

In tandem with this development, KENDA Europe has named Peter van der Horn, the new leader of the Trailer and caravan segment. Peter, who will assume the role of Trailer and caravan OEM Regional Sales Manager, brings years of experience and a track record of dedication as Area Sales Manager for KENDA Europe’s Trailer and caravan operations.

“Taking on this new role is a privilege, and I look forward to continuing to serve KENDA’s trailer and caravan customers with the excellence they’ve come to expect,” said Peter van der Horn. “This is an exciting time for KENDA Europe, and I’m thrilled to take part in its growth.”

Strategic expansion

The formation of the Powersports team is part of KENDA’s broader strategy to strengthen its presence in Europe. KENDA offers innovative tyre and wheel solutions to meet diverse market needs.

KENDA Europe will provide further updates on its Powersports plans in early 2025.

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Yokohama India has introduced a locally manufactured variant of its GEOLANDAR A/T tyre featuring Outline White Letter sidewall styling for sports utility vehicles (SUVs). The 15-inch tyres are produced at the company's manufacturing plant in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, following a transition from importing the product line.

The GEOLANDAR A/T tyre in 15-inch size is designed for fitment on utility models including the Maruti Suzuki Jimny and Mahindra Bolero. The white-lettering option is currently available in two sizes, with Yokohama India planning to expand local production to include 16-inch to 18-inch tyre sizes in 2027.

Gaurav Mahajan, Head of Marketing and OE Sales, Yokohama India, said, "For today’s SUV owner, driving is increasingly part of a broader motoring lifestyle, where the vehicle reflects a sense of individuality, adventure and personal expression. The GEOLANDAR A/T is designed to complement that mindset, bringing a more distinctive and rugged character to the vehicle. It is for enthusiasts who see their SUV as more than a means of getting from one place to another, and want every element of it to reflect their passion for the road and the lifestyle that comes with it."

The introduction forms part of Yokohama's strategy to expand domestic manufacturing capabilities in India and cater to local demand for utility vehicle accessories and components.

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Citira, a Sweden-based company specialising in circular tyre management, has acquired Redpath Tyres Ltd, marking its first entry into the UK commercial and agricultural tyre segment and laying the foundation for a national UK footprint. The deal follows Citira’s earlier UK market entry this year through Tyrefix Group, combining Redpath’s local knowledge and strong reputation with Citira’s circular tyre management model, which covers retreading, rim refurbishment and fleet logistics and is already established in the Nordics and Poland. This acquisition represents a significant strategic step for Citira as it seeks to expand its presence across the United Kingdom.

Redpath Tyres, which has served Scottish customers for 52 years, operates from 11 locations and employs around 90 people. It will retain its own name and team, with Graham, Neil and Catriona continuing in the business and becoming shareholders in the Citira Group. The company’s longstanding local expertise and established customer relationships are expected to support Citira’s broader growth ambitions in the region.

Oliver Johnson, Head of UK, Citira, said, "Redpath Tyres has earned a strong reputation across Scotland through its reliability, service quality and close relationships with the fleets and farming community it supports. That reputation provides an excellent foundation for the next stage of growth. Following our entry into the UK earlier this year, this acquisition represents a deliberate first step into the Commercial (TBR) market and the beginning of our ambition to build a national network.”

Graham Redpath, speaking on behalf of the Redpath family, said, "We as a family have spent 52 years building this business and wanted to find a long-term stewardship that would continue to look after our people and customers. Citira’s plans for the business, and their track record with businesses like Tyrefix, gave me the confidence that this is the right home for the team and everything we’ve built. I’m glad our family gets to stay involved and invested as shareholders in Citira as the business grows as part of a bigger group.”

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Pirelli is preparing for the FIM Grand Prix World Championship's next round at the Pertamina Mandalika International Circuit in Lombok, Indonesia, for the Grand Prix of Indonesia. The circuit's aggressively textured surface delivers strong mechanical grip, but track temperatures exceeding 60°C can render it slippery, placing tyres under severe thermal stress. These conditions make Mandalika an ideal proving ground for new solutions.

For Moto2, Pirelli will offer two soft-compound rear tyres: the standard SC0, used by nearly the entire field in 2025 as development specification E0125, and the new F0515. The latter shares the SC0's compound but pairs it with a newly developed structure for greater stability and more consistent performance. To aid evaluation, each rider's maximum rear tyre allocation rises from eight to nine.

Front options for Moto2 comprise the standard soft SC1 and medium SC2. Over the past two seasons, every rider has selected the soft tyre for the race, as it provides superior grip in high temperatures. In the entry-level class, the soft SC1 and medium SC2 are available for both front and rear, with both solutions proving competitive throughout the season. Last year's Mandalika results reinforced this: Honda's Adrian Fernandez claimed pole on SC1s front and rear, while KTM's José Antonio Rueda won both the race and the title on SC2s.

Giorgio Barbier, Pirelli Motorcycle Racing Director, said, “As at several rounds this year, also in Indonesia we will continue our Moto2 development work. After focusing on front tyre specifications at the most recent Grands Prix, we will introduce a new soft rear solution at Mandalika. With its highly macro-rough asphalt and temperatures that can exceed 60°C, the circuit places the tyres under severe thermal stress, making it a particularly valuable proving ground for testing new solutions.

“The F0515 development specification, which will make its debut this weekend, uses the same compound as the standard SC0 but pairs it with a newly developed structure designed to deliver greater stability and more consistent performance. Completing the rear allocation will be the standard SC0, successfully used by almost the entire field in 2025, when it was introduced as development specification E0125. Having both solutions available will allow a direct comparison over the course of the weekend and enable us to gather valuable data to support the next stages of development.”

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Webfleet, Bridgestone's advanced fleet management solution, has expanded its partnership with Mobito, a connected vehicle data intelligence platform. The agreement positions Mobito as a commercial partner and exclusive reseller for selected Webfleet connected vehicle datasets.

Mobito aggregates and transforms vehicle data into actionable intelligence for businesses, cities, road authorities, infrastructure operators and technology providers. Through this collaboration, organisations gain easier access to data supporting applications such as transport and traffic analysis, urban planning, mapping and road condition monitoring.

Jan-Maarten de Vries, President of Fleet Management Solutions at Bridgestone, with George Cambanis, CEO and Co-Founder of Mobito

The shared datasets are aggregated and anonymised in compliance with applicable data protection laws. Governance measures protect privacy and prevent identification of individual drivers, vehicles or fleet customers. Existing Webfleet Data Solutions customers will experience uninterrupted service, with Webfleet continuing to provide underlying datasets and support delivery while account management transitions progressively to Mobito.

Jan-Maarten de Vries, President – Fleet Management Solutions, Bridgestone, said, “Connected vehicle data has the potential to provide valuable insights beyond the individual fleet, helping organisations better understand how transport networks are being used. Mobito brings specialist expertise in applying mobility data to real-world challenges, helping organisations make more informed mobility decisions.”

George Cambanis, CEO and Co-Founder, Mobito, said, “Through this expanded relationship, we can leverage the high-quality data from Webfleet across a growing range of enterprise and public-sector location intelligence applications. Our ambition is not only to make the data more accessible but to embed it more deeply into customer workflows and combine it with other mobility datasets. This way we can generate new intelligence around areas such as EV performance, road safety and strategic delivery corridors.”

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