Patent ID: 8490667

Claim:
A pneumatic tire comprising a carcass layer substantially toroidally extending between a pair of bead cores with its widthwise end portions being anchored by the respective bead cores, a belt layer disposed on a raidally outer side of the carcass layer and consisting of at least two belt plies embedded with belt cords inclined with respect to a tire equator, a belt reinforcing layer disposed on a raidally outer side of the belt layer and embedded with reinforcing elements extending substantially parallel to the tire equator, and a tread disposed on a radially outer side of the belt reinforcing layer, wherein a protecting layer embedded with reinforcing cords inclined at an angle from 45 degrees to 90 degrees with respect to the tire equator and coated with coating rubber having larger elasticity than that of rubber constituting the tread is disposed between the tread and the belt reinforcing layer in direct and close contact with the belt reinforcing layer, wherein the reinforcing cord embedded in the protecting layer is composed of organic fiber, and wherein a belt cord embedded in a belt ply disposed in a radially outermost side in the belt layer has a twist number per unit length that is larger than that of belt cords embedded in at least one remaining belt ply.