The Michelin Acorus wheel is a product that will revolutionize the way we dealt with potholes.
Let us admit we all hate tire punctures and wheels cracking. Firstly repairing them consumes time, money and at the same time their lifetime decreases. Let’s also not forget the inconvenience that is caused. One of the very reasons of this problem is harsh road conditions. Uneven surfaces, road imperfections and the notorious potholes is something your tires and wheels are always afraid of and why blame them?
At speeds wheels and tires can only take a certain amount of load. A sudden impact or shock weakens the wheels and tires and sometimes causes cracks in the former.
Lucky for us, the good folks at Michelin already have a solution. It’s called the Michelin Acorus and no, it’s not a tire, it is a wheel. The ‘Acorus’ was patented and was then developed in partnership with Maxion Wheels, a global tire specialist. Unlike certain previous attempts where companies launched tires with special compound to absorb the impact of potholes, Michelin worked on a completely new wheel design.
The Acorus features a normal wheel rim that is surrounded by two rubber flanges on either side. The wheels can be had with an optional wheel cover that can be customised according to the customer. The tire is mounted on the wheel with the flanges in between them. Whenever the wheel hits a pothole, the flanges deform thus absorbing the impact. In case of sharp impacts, the flanges distribute the load evenly therefore significantly reducing the risk of wheels cracking and tire damage. As you might have already guessed it, the tires too deform to a certain extent.
Major advantage of having such a design is much need stability at high speeds. What you will also like is the fact that the Acorus wheel can house low profile tires. Worrying about cracking your pricey wheels is now a thing of past with the Acorus.
So does it affect handling? Michelin claims that the Acorus will feel completely natural when driving enthusiastically on your favourite mountain road. The Acorus wheel can fit all sizes of tires and can be had in various wheel cover designs to hike its aesthetics.
