MICHELIN wins three world titles in off-road disciplines

In 2011, MICHELIN won six World Champion titles in the three flagship disciplines of all-terrain motorcycle competition: Enduro, Motocross and Trials.

MICHELIN crowned World Champion in the Enduro E1 and Enduro E2 category

MICHELIN and the Husqvarna CH Racing-Monster Energy team brought home a second title in the eighth and last event of the 2011 World Enduro Championship, held in Mende, France, the discipline’s home base.

In Enduro E1, Swedish rider Juha Salminen turned in the best performance to win his eighth World Champion title. With his victory in the Grand Prix of Andorra, France’s Antoine Meo had already wrapped up the World Champion title in the Enduro E2 category, his second world crown following his E1 title in 2010.

Off-road racing enables MICHELIN to test its tires in the most extreme conditions of use and validate its technological advances. Both the Enduro IV front tires and the Enduro III rear tires were designed to meet the needs of riders in this demanding discipline while also enabling amateur riders to get the most out of their bikes.

MICHELIN World Champion in MX3 Motocross racing

In Motocross racing, MICHELIN won the World Champion title in the MX3 category with Switzerland’s Julien Bill on a Honda CRS 450cc equipped with MICHELIN MS3 and MH3 tires. The first Swiss rider to win the World Championship in this discipline, Julien won the title on August 7 in Ukraine. With his latest win, he capped a nearly perfect season (haivng lost only one race) thanks in large part to MICHELIN tires and their outstanding traction, a key performance feature for starts and accelerations. In addition, the MICHELIN MS3 and MH3 are made with special foam that provides the best balance between comfort and shock absorption when under extreme mechanical stress.

MICHELIN World Trials Indoor and Outdoor Champion

On March 20, rider Tony Bou on his Honda Montesa won the World Trials Indoor Championship for the fifth year in a row. Then on September 4, after winning every race in the season, he was also crowned World Trials Outdoor Champion. The undisputed leader in the discipline, Tony rides on MICHELIN Trial X Light tires, which in addition to their low weight offer superior grip and comfort in extreme doncitions of use – on wet terrain, at low temperatures and on low-traction surfaces.

In addition, the Gas Gas team with driver Jack Sheppard won the Youth Trial World Championship and the Junior Trial European Championship on MICHELIN Trial X Light tires.

What’s more, the MICHELIN Desert Race tire opened the 2011 season with a win in the Dakar Rally with Marc Coma riding a KTM motorcycle. The MICHELIN tire was developed to deliver better handling, enhanced grip and excellent longevity on 450cc motorcycles that are smaller and lighter than those used in previous years.