What to look for when buying motorcycle tires?

Tire MaintenanceCheck the air pressure each month when the tires are cold (before they’ve been driven more than a couple of miles). …Look for cracks,cuts,or bulges in the sidewall or tread,and replace tires that have them.Check for uneven treadwear,which typically denotes poor wheel alignment or worn suspension components,and have both checked by a shop. …More items…

What is the best tire for a motorcycle?

The Best Motorcycle TireMichelin Commander II Front Tire. We start out with a tire from Michelin. …Pirelli Diablo Rosso III Set. This pair of Pirelli tires is from a heavyweight tire manufacturer with a worldwide reputation for producing high-quality equipment.Continental Motion Tire Set. …Shinko 712 Front Motorcycle Tire. …Shinko 712 Rear Motorcycle Tire. …More items…

How to choose the best motorcycle tire?

Choose the Right Tire Size. To go about choosing the right tire size for your bike, you need to take a look at the tires that are already on your bike. On the tires that you have, you’ll see a manufacturers code that breaks down the tire width, aspect ratio, speed rating, radial construction, and rim diameter!

How to tell if motorcycle tires are good?

When To Replace Motorcycle Tiresa) Tread Depth. To ensure that you don’t guess the expected lifespan of your motorcycle tires,manufacturers often add wear bar running across the tire tread.b) Age. As a general rule,the lifespan of your motorcycle tires should not go over and beyond five years. …c) Cracking. …d) Punctures and Cuts. …e) Loss of Pressure. …f) Odd Feeling. …g) Inflation. …

Why don’t spoked rims work?

That’s why spoked rims wouldn’t work well with this application because they would most likely develop air leakage problems with a tubeless ones mounted on them. Hence, combining it with an inner tube is recommended for such rims, but in all cases make sure you pick the correct tube stem type and size.

Why did spoked wheels come out in the 1970s?

Getting a flat used to be a major problem in those early days due to the poor road conditions. To mitigate this, spoked wheels were used with open-ended inner tubes to allow for easy repairs out on the open road. However, as solid alloyed wheels started to become the new standard in the 1970s, the industry started moving towards more tubeless models instead.

What is a motorcycle tire?

Motorcycle Tires are essentially the exterior part of motorcycle wheels that are attached to the outer side of the motorcycle’s rims to allow for better acceleration, braking, gripping, stability, handling, and comfort.

What type of tires are used for cruisers?

For Cruisers and V-Twins, you typically want tires that will support a heavy load while still providing a good grip and comfortable ride. Touring and Sport Touring forms are usually geared towards the long haul and are typically made of harder rubber for a high load that are also all-season rated and engineered for providing longer tread life. They often tend to provide more grip at lower temperatures. Sport touring tires are primarily used for long-distance capabilities and of concerning high loads. With Sportbike tires, you want to pick one that is designed to handle speed and horsepower while still delivering a high level of mechanical and chemical gripping for cornering and steering. Race Tires are typically engineered various racing and riding conditions with an emphasis on maximizing traction to give you an edge in getting faster lap times and more competitive performance.

What are tires made of?

These early tires used to be made of real rubber, but nowadays, newer manufacturing technologies are being implemented and the manufacturers are now using such things as synthetic rubbers, nylon, silicone, carbon fibers, and other high tech compounds to make them even more flexible, safe, durable and reliable.

How to choose a tire pattern?

Hence choosing the right one is essential. Make your pattern choices based on the kind of road you regularly ride on. If riding only involves street roads then choose a pattern that is smooth and less groovy, this will give a nice grip on a street ride. Similarly, for the dual-sport rider that routinely switched between on and off roads, you should choose a groovier pattern for a better grip. However, if you are riding majorly in an off-road setting, then you would want to pick a tread that has a more open block pattern which helps in braking on of road terrains.

What is dirt tire?

Dirt and Off-Road Tires come in many different options that you can select to maximize the traction and performance for most any depends on your off-roading preferences such as competitive motocross to leisure trail riding and on upon almost any imaginable terrain such as in rocky, gravel, loose soil, sandy, or muddy surfaces.

What kind of tires do you need for a motorcycle?

Everyone has a riding style all their own and need the right style of tire to fit their needs. Some guys enjoy the long rides and need touring motorcycle tires that will hold up to all the miles that get stacked on. Other guys like to get a little more creative when they ride and need dual sport motorcycle tires that will let them go wherever they want. For those riders that crave speed, the sport bike tires have to be able to hold up to the high speeds and hold the bike to the pavement going through the twisties. Of course, we also have the best Harley tires available too.

What is the aspect ratio of a tire?

The aspect ratio is the height of the tire sidewall. A smaller number means a lower profile, and the height-to-width ratio is shown as a percent.

How to measure width of tire?

Width is measured in a straight line from the furthest point on one sidewall, across the tread, to the furthest point on the opposite sidewall. The aspect ratio is the height of the tire sidewall. A smaller number means a lower profile, and the height-to-width ratio is shown as a percent.

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What is a high mileage tire?

Looking for long-lasting tires can save you some cash in certain scenarios. A high-mileage tire is just another way of describing touring tires which , as the name suggests, are meant to last the greatest number of miles.

Can you use tubeless tires on dirt bikes?

While not always immediately apparent from looking at the tire alone, tubeless motorcycle tires are a widespread option for most riders today. A typical spoked rim seen on dirt bikes is unlikely to employ a tubeless tire, as air will leak from the spoke nipples. This means there’s probably a tube hiding in there.

Can you put cast rims on tubeless tires?

However, cast rims are a perfect match for the car-like tubeless tires. What’s more, it’s straightforward to plug a puncture compared to popping the tires off the bead to replace an entire tube. You’ve found the best motorcycle tires near you, read up on the reviews and are ready to put them on.

How long are used motorcycle tires good for?

At the used motorcycle tires near me, they sell brand new tires almost right at the 5 year mark. They look great but are dangerous.

How much tread depth is left on a bike tire?

This is a tough question to answer, because it matters how you ride your bike and how much tread is left on the tire. If there is 40 to 70% of the tread depth left, that is pretty promising for some decent mileage. If you want a more scientific approach to estimating the mileage you will need to do some research.

How to find out the mileage of a car?

You need to find out the manufacturers original tread depth and estimated mileage. Then subtract the current tread depth and calculate the percentage that remains from the original. Then take the percentage and multiple it against the estimated manufacturers mileage.

Why are used motorcycle tires important?

Used Motorcycle Tires Near Me. Your tires are the most important components of your motorcycle. Getting used tires is great for saving money , as long as you aren’t sacrificing your safety. Unlike a car, your motorcycle has just two points of contact with the road so size, shape, compound, and condition are critical.

What does chicken strip mean on a bike?

Chicken strips indicate the tires weren’t leaned on too much. The rules above apply generally to motorcycles, street bikes, dirt bikes, and track or race bikes. If the tire requires a tube, often on spoke rim tires, replace the tubes at the same time that you replace your tires.

Where can I find used motorcycle tires?

Not many places sell used motorbike tires. When you do find them they are at motorcycle salvage yards, re-treaders, or local used tire shops. I find the quality at salvos to be really poor and hard to find a matched set. This is because the best tires go quickly and the rest sit and age in a pile.

What is pattern groove depth?

This is what makes pattern groove depth a critical indicator of how much life is left in a tire.

Key considerations

There are a bunch of numbers on the sidewall of your tire to tell you the size. Some online suppliers offer charts to check if the tire fits a particular make and model of motorcycle, but errors are not unknown. If you check the sidewall against the specifications, you know you’re getting it right.

Tips for changing your tires

Obviously, you need to change them when they’re worn out, and wear limits are mentioned in one of the questions below. However, there are several other reasons to change your tires.

Motorcycle tire prices

Inexpensive: The cheapest motorcycle tires are those made for off-road use only. You’ll probably find individual tires for around $30, but you can often save money by buying them in pairs, which run anywhere from $40 to $100. You’re unlikely to find a street tire under $70.