Anlas Winter Grip 2, long test of winter scooter rubber

What about the Anlas winter range? The Turkish company has managed to surprise all those who have had the opportunity to test its products dedicated to the most extreme conditions, us first, who have recently tried the Winter Grip Plus on the occasion of the Elefantentreffen 2018 (here is the article with our impressions).

What we started immediately afterwards is a long test, aimed at understanding even better the characteristics of these products, on which Anlas is currently essentially without competition. We moved to the scooter sector, moving on from the BMW F800GS Adventure with which we discovered the Winter Grip Plus, a Honda SH300 from a few years ago, therefore without ABS and electronic aids, which we will use for a long-term test with the Winter Grip 2.

A few days after having mounted them and having already had confirmation of what had been highlighted with the first test of the Winter Grip range, in Milan we experienced the arrival of a wave of frost (in these parts we rarely see temperatures below zero, even day), accompanied by a fair amount of snow. Nothing worse (or better) for our test!

Let's start by telling you that just a few kilometers are enough to perceive the differences compared to a "conventional" tyre. Let's start from what, in our opinion, is the only flaw of the Winter Grip 2: the noise. In fact, it is a tire which, due to the shape of the carcass, but above all the tread, has an accentuated rolling noise, almost like that of knobby rubber. Having said that, acoustics aside, the problems end here. There are no particular differences in terms of shoulder stiffness, which was more evident with the F800GS, while the small size of the shoulder of scooter tires hides the differences in shoulder structure well, both when cornering and braking.

The presence of active silica, combined with the polymers of the tread compound allows the SC-500 "Winter Grip 2" to perform "magic", allow us to say it, linked to the exceptional grip of which they are capable, so much higher than the tires we were used to it (of a well-known premium brand and considered the best for the scooter in question), so much so that it took a while to get used to it. In fact, in winter it happens that we reduce the speed when cornering and calculate braking distances that are slightly longer than those in summer, while with these tires the sensation that we gradually perceive is that of having the same grip that we will have in summer on perfect asphalt, despite the thermometer indicates very low temperatures and the road surface is made slimy by the humidity and salt spread in anticipation of the arrival of the snow. Not bad really! The feeling of safety is such that it leads us to mainly use the scooter with the Anlas, preferring it to other vehicles being tested, especially in the presence of rain and wet asphalt.

An unexpected testing ground was the test on the day immediately after the most significant snowfall, the first of March. In all sincerity that day we would have used the car instead of the scooter, but a problem forced us to travel the route from Milan to Monza with the Anlas Winter Grip 2. Without having previously tested them and without knowing their characteristics we would have opted for a solution alternative and we would have respected the ban imposed by the highway code, which prevents all two-wheeled vehicles from moving on snowy or icy asphalt, even with M+S type tires (winter tires with the classic mountain symbol). Along the way we met a few other centaurs, who moved at a very slow pace and not at all safely, to the point of keeping both feet on the ground, almost as if they were skis with which to maintain balance.

After an initial apprenticeship phase, however, we moved decidedly differently, gradually the fears of ending up on the ground gave way to the feeling that, although there is no solution for moving on "real" snow with a motorbike or scooter , in the presence of a few centimeters of snow cover and also with a very slimy surface, the law should provide an exception for the use of covers like these.
For the moment the Anlas Winter Grip 2 therefore deserve full marks, with the increase in noise which can be classified as a very minimal sacrifice compared to the significantly higher grip on the slippery asphalt of the Milanese winter. What we will now discover, with the arrival of the hot season, is how they will behave, both in terms of grip and durability, when the sun brings the asphalt to scorching temperatures, even above 50 degrees. Anlas promises a very limited difference in grip compared to a conventional tyre, while the reduction in mileage would be around 20%. If this were the case, using it 12 months a year, without the inconvenience of changing tires between one season and another, could really be feasible without any problems. For those who want to use their motorbike or scooter all year round, this is truly important news, to the point that we wouldn't be surprised if other competitors entered this segment in the coming years.

Anlas Winter Grip 2 is available in over 30 sizes, for rims from 10 to 18". A growing number because, for example, the 130/70-R16 that we mounted on the rear of the Honda SH300 in our test is not yet indicated among the options available on the Turkish company's website and is new for 2018. As for the price, it is not there are big differences compared to a traditional "premium" tire, like the one we replaced for the test.