Kenda started out making bicycle tyres back in the ’60s. By the ’70s, they’d branched out and started producing motorcycle tyres, meaning that this year marks Kenda’s 50th anniversary in motorcycling.
The firm has manufacturing facilities in Taiwan, Indonesia, China and Vietnam and they now make tyres for a wide range of vehicles from cars to trucks, golf buggies to lawn mowers. They have a large US operation and Kenda employs over 11,000 people worldwide.
Although they’re at the budget end of the market, Kenda produce a quality tyre. Their Motocross and Enduro ranges are very competitively priced and perform well too. They sponsor the Dawn to Dusk enduro, a 24-hour enduro race and one of the toughest in the UK.
Their Adventure and Dual-Sport tyres are also winning over the press and users alike and are genuinely good off-road capable tyres.
Kenda’s weakest category is the road sector but they’re producing a larger range each year. Most of the biking public probably haven’t heard of Kenda and therefore won’t be aware of their road-going tyres. However they are good quality.
Kenda’s leap into premium road tyres came with the Cataclysm, a range of tyres for Cruisers and Harley Davidsons. The Cataclysm offers great feel and grip at a sensible price.
