Abstract: A tread 2 for a pneumatic tire 1 has a central portion defining two circumferentially extending center ribs 22, 23 having an axial width RW, and RN2 ranging from 5% to 25% of the tread width TW. The centermost circumferentially extending groove 8 has on both sides a tapered groove wall edges which form with a plane parallel to the equational plane acute angles &agr;1 and &agr;2 ranging between 1 and 10°. The tread height near both edges of the centermost groove extend radially above the average tread height a maximum extra tread height of between 0.3 mm and 1.7 mm. The extra tread height diminishes progressively from the groove edges P0 P1 toward the respective shoulder 3,4 a distance not exceeding 10% of the treadwidth.