Patent ID: 8371348

Claim:
A pneumatic tire having a tread portion embedding belt layer therein, wherein the tread portion has plural rows of lug grooves extending from the tread end to a tire equatorial plane and a narrow groove connecting corresponding ends of two lug grooves on both sides of the tire equatorial plane, wherein the narrow groove will be closed when contacting the road surface, wherein: said lug groove is composed of a first lug groove portion located on the outer side in the tire widthwise direction and a second lug groove portion located on the inner side in the tire widthwise direction, wherein the maximum depth of the second lug groove portion is larger than the maximum depth of the first lug groove portion; said second lug groove portion, in a sectional view in the tire circumferential direction, is composed of a shallow groove portion, and a deep groove portion having a larger depth than the shallow groove portion and notching a part of the shallow groove portion; said deep groove portion further having a length in the tire circumferential direction, said length being smaller than the length in the tire circumferential direction of the shallow groove portion; and in a sectional view in the tire widthwise direction, a stepped portion extending in the depth direction of the lug groove is provided between the first lug groove portion and each of the deep groove portion and the shallow groove portion.