First peek at the Team TYREPAC Goodyear R32

Here is a sneak peek of the new TYREPAC R32 cars that will represent Team TYREPAC Goodyear at the 2009 Formula Drift Malaysia:







To get a first glance at the Team TYREPAC Goodyear car, head down to 1 Utama between 12pm – 8pm on Saturday 5 Dec and Sunday 6 Dec for the Goodyear Formula Drift Roadshow to catch our very own Team TYREPAC Goodyear driver Ee Yoong Chern and the R32 on display and win exclusive ESPN STAR Sports Merchandise!

About Team TYREPAC Goodyear
Team TYREPAC Goodyear was established in 2009 by Tyrepac - Asia’s First Tyre Portal, together with one of the world's largest tyre companies, Goodyear. In line with one of their key objectives about educating consumers about tyres, Tyrepac is utilizing drifting as a platform for education on tyre safety, as tyres can make or break a drift.

Drifting is recognised as the fastest growing motorsport in Asia, and Tyrepac is proud to bring that passion to the fore and encompass its commitment to demonstrate its product knowledge and professionalism by sponsoring their own team to take part in regional drift tournaments. Team TYREPAC Goodyear is yet another significant benchmark for Asia’s First Tyre Portal.

Team Tyrepac comprises of Ivan Lim from Singapore & Ee Yoong Cherng from Malaysia. Ivan drifts in a Nissan Silvia S13 while Yoong takes charge of a Nissan Skyline R32.

Tyrepac sponsors Goodyear Formula DRIFT Malaysia 2009

Singapore, 13 November 2009 – Tyrepac, Asia’s first and largest online tyre retailing site, today announced its sponsorship of the Goodyear Formula DRIFT Malaysia 2009, which will be held from the 19th to 20th of December, 2009, at the MAEPS (Malaysia Agro Exposition Park Serdang).

The Goodyear Formula DRIFT Malaysia is organized by ESPN STAR Sports (ESS) and supported by Goodyear as the Title Sponsor, Tyrepac as the Official Online Portal, Banana Boat as the Official Sunblock and Hypertune as the Official Magazine.

“The success of our tie-up with ESPN STAR Sports and Goodyear has proven successful in Formula DRIFT ProAm Singapore, and we are pleased to extend this relationship into Malaysia.” said Tyrepac Managing Director, Ler Hwee Tiong. “Tyrepac is again proud to be associated with the Formula DRIFT Series as one of the sponsors of this event.”

Tyrepac will be represented at Formula DRIFT with their very own drift team - Team TYREPAC Goodyear, being helmed by the experienced Ee Yoong Cherng from Malaysia & Ivan Lim from Singapore. They will come up against over 50 competitive drivers from across the Asia-Pacific region, with drivers hailing from as far as Japan, New Zealand, Philippines and Hong Kong, as well as Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, and Malaysia.

“Forming our own drift team came about naturally as part of our progression of sharing our tyre expertise, and we want to make use of this opportunity to educate consumers on the importance of tyre safety,” added Ler. “Drifting is the fastest growing motorsport in the region, and Tyrepac definitely wants to set another benchmark by being at the forefront of it.”

Why I try to drive with patience?

I drive, whenever I am working out of Singapore from West to East, Bukit Panjang to East Coast and return. The journey is about 55km both ways. The journey coincides particularly with motorcyclists from and to Malaysia along the BKE, PIE, KPE, ECP stretch of road (depending on route taken for the day).

It is a very stressful situation having to put up with these motorcyclists who take up the openings between cars, sometimes preventing overtaking. It is hair-tearing to have some of them taking up the fast going lanes- sometimes in “staggered formation”.

But each day I tell myself to practise patience since wedging anyone between cars, and pinning anyone under my car will be the last thing I want. And I don’t think I will sleep well ever again should something like these happen. So, this is a call to all drivers just to have a little patience while driving and much as I sometimes also feel they should be “put in place”, we don’t want to end up with murder.

Words: Ler Hwee Tiong.

TYREPAC Hong Kong launches mobile service

Tyrepac, Asia’s first tyre portal, today announced the launch of Tyrepac mobile service in Hong Kong. Consumers in Hong Kong can now have their tyres fitted in the comfort of their home or office after buying them online at www.tyrepac.com.hk.

“We are extremely pleased to now offer, the same convenience consumers in Singapore have been enjoying, to the consumers in Hong Kong.” said Tyrepac Managing Director & co-founder, Ler Hwee Tiong. “Consumers can soon also look forward to battery change and a host of other services on top of the tyre changing services offered.”

Funded by Spring Singapore, Tyrepac announced its official launch in February 2009. Now also operating in Malaysia, Hong Kong, China, and South Korea - Tyrepac is the pioneer of online retailing concept for tyres in Asia. Less than a year since its inception, Tyrepac is already creating ripples in the regional automotive industry with its comprehensive product data and price transparency.

With fitting locations strategically located throughout Hong Kong, the mobile service provides house call service for tyre change and servicing. Tyrepac has brought tyre servicing to an entirely new level of convenience for automotive customers. Backed by a team of professional tyre consultants, consumers can call Tyrepac’s hotline, 2419 0009 for any queries.

Run-Flat Tyres

In recent years, run-flat tyres (RFT) have been gaining in popularity. In fact, the development of RFT has been around for some time. Nowadays, brands such as Michelin, Continental, Goodyear, Bridgestone, Dunlop, Firestone, Pirelli, Yokohama has a range of products, otherwise indicated as the RFT (Run Flat Tyre), SSR (Self Supporting Run-flat) or ZP (Zero Pressure), and so forth.

Run Flat Tyres (RFT) are also commonly known as "puncture-proof tyres," however, that tagline is a bit untrue as RFT are not entirely immune to punctures. RFT at the punctured state (low pressure or the tyre pressure of zero state) can maintain travelling speeds of up to 80km/h for up to 80km or so.

Automakers pitch run-flats as a safety feature because they let drivers avoid stopping on busy highways and other dangerous locations. They also say they like the design flexibility they get by eliminating the space-consuming spare tyre. Even though run-flats are heavier, the lack of a spare tyre can save vehicle weight overall, helping fuel efficiency. Below we analyze the structure and principle of RFT, and its advantages & disadvantages.


Construction and Principle:

Above shows the construction of a run-flat tyre.


The main ingredient of tyre is rubber, but rubber itself is unable to cope with any load, thus the load of tyres mainly depend on layers of a reinforced fibre and steel wire. Rubber elasticity is much lower than fibre and steel wire, thus adequate tyre pressure ensures the process of deformation of rubber tyres will be minimal. However, if the tyre is travelling at low tyre pressure condition, the rubber will be deformed, stretching more than the strength of the fibres and elasticity limit of the steel wire. This could cause significant damage to the tyre, as the pressure will eventually destroy the interface between the different raw materials, and in more serious cases, result in tyre failure (Figure 1).



The Advantage with Run flat tyres is that they can operate without air in them, for a relatively short distance and low speeds, as their basic shape is kept by rigid components. This rigidity helps a driver maintain control of the vehicle if the tyre loses pressure (Figure 2), and allows the driver to continue driving, the pressurised air contained within the tyre supports the weight of the car. (Figure 3) However, recently tyres have been developed which are able to support the weight of the car by themselves, for a short period of time. New cars are also equipped with tyre pressure monitoring devices which warn the driver of a tyre pressure loss.

Benefits:
• Eliminate the need to change a tyre in bad weather or in dangerous roadside areas.
• Safety and reduced risk of accident - blowouts and tyre deflation can be serious driving risks for drivers.
• Tyres can be driven on for 80 kilometres or more with no air in them enable drivers to get to a mechanic without having to change the tyre after a puncture.
• Car need not be equipped with a spare tyre, resulting in more trunk space.
• The absence of a spare wheel contributes to lower vehicle weight which will in turn reduce fuel consumption, reduce harmful exhaust emissions, improve performance, handling and braking characteristics.
• Tyre pressure monitoring devices warn the driver of a tyre pressure loss.

Disadvantages:
• RFT's sidewall is harder than ordinary tyres, so comfort is compromised.
• To improve this problem, Bridgestone introduced a new RFT tyres with sidewall texture similar to ordinary tyres, thereby enhancing the comfort of the tyre.
• High replacement costs; and limited replacement choices.
• If the material that penetrated the RFT tyres is not removed, continuous driving will result in the hole getting deeper. Once the hole reaches a depth of more than 5mm, there is no way to remedy them.

While the RFT is not so popular in Singapore, increased advances in technology and maintenance of tyres translate to lower prices for them. Do not be surprised by the eventual rise in popularity of RFT that could one day put the history of roadside punctures to bed.

Run Flat Tyre abbreviations:
RFT: Run flat tyre
ZP: Zero pressure
EMT: Extended mobility technology
ROF: Run on flat
DSST: Dunlop self supporting technology
SSR: Self supporting runflat

One of Tyrepac’s four key objectives is to ensure consumers are educated about tyres, and get the product best suited to their needs . Read more about Tyres @ Tyrepac - Tyre Education

Tyrepac soft launch China Operations

Tyrepac China conducted a soft launch for selected media on 23rd September 2009. Held at 廣東人家 in Guangzhou, China, media guests from newspapers, car magazines and other established websites gathered to gain a better understanding on the working principles of Tyrepac.




The media were given an introduction on Tyrepac’s background, and they were truly impressed by how Tyrepac had managed the convergence of the Internet and a traditional industry in the Asia Pacific region – tyre retailing and expanded this across Asia.





At the end of the day, each representative brought home more than Tyrepac’s achievements, but more significantly, the potential and impact that Tyrepac would have on the China tyre industry. A tough challenge lies ahead in establishing Tyrepac in China, but all the groundwork have been laid, and with enthusiastic personnel for support, Tyrepac is set to make waves in China.

Tyrepac Malaysia Official Launch 18th August 2009

Tyrepac Malaysia officially launched their portal on 18th August 2009, bringing the convenience and benefits of buying tyres online to consumers in Malaysia. For the first time, consumers in Malaysia are able to choose and compare prices across various tyre brands and patterns, just by a click of their mouse.

The launch was held at The Sanctuary at The Curve, Mutiara Damansara. “It is indeed a pleasure and great honor to have such a fantastic turnout of friends from the media, as well as within the tyre industry as well,” says Adrian Thio, General Manager (S.E.A).



The event was attended by representatives from the major manufacturers in Malaysia, and the mainstream media as well. A memorable quote from a guest, “Finally we know how much a tyre really cost now!”



The event started at 4.30pm with Mr Jacob Chen, Manager Director of Tyrepac Malaysia, giving his views on the local tyre market, and how Tyrepac Malaysia will revolutionize the tyre retailing landscape of Malaysia. “Since its launch in Singapore 6 months ago, Tyrepac has grown in leaps and bounds and continuously created new benchmarks in the tyre retail market. I am confident that the response here will be just as good, if not better, considering Malaysia is the largest sedan market in South East Asia,” says Jacob.



Following Jacob’s speech, Adrian presented to the media and guests on the milestones of Tyrepac, the importance of tyre safety and how easy it is to purchase and change a new set of tyres using Tyrepac Malaysia’s portal, www.tyrepac.com.my. “Being comprehensive in product offering, transparent in prices, easy to use website, and educational to motorist are the 4 key objectives when constructing the website,” says Adrian. These objectives laid out by Tyrepac clearly indicate the benefits motorists can have when it comes to their next tyre change.

With such a new concept of changing tyres in Malaysia, many questions were asked by the media after the presentation. “How to fit the tyres?” “How do I know which one to choose?” were some of the questions raised. “Our aim is to make tyre changing simple and convenient to everyone. With over 60 fitting outlets to choose from, customers can now buy any tyre available and get it fitted at a tyre shop located conveniently to them. And if all else fails, our customer service personnel is always there to provide advice and assistance,” says Adrian.



The launch in Malaysia is the 1st outside of Tyrepac’s headquarters in Singapore. Tyrepac is currently operating in Hong Kong, South Korea, China (Guangzhuo) and Singapore. “Our launch in Malaysia is the beginning of a long journey, a journey to finally bring the purchase of an unglamorous product - tyres into the comfort of everyone’s home.”