5 Things to Know About Your Motorcycle’s Tires
When you ride your motorcycle, you love hearing the sound of your engine and feeling your tires cruise along the road. But how much do you actually know about your bike’s tires? Motorcycle tires affect the handling of your bike, along with running costs, so it’s important to have a good understanding of how they work. To help you out, Cycle Trader is breaking down five things you need to know about your motorcycle’s tires.
1. Components of a Tire
Motorcycle tires are so much more than just a rubber circle. Tires are made up of the following components:
- Bead – the part of the tire that adheres to the wheel.
- Tread – the part of the tire that comes in contact with the road.
- Carcass – the layer under the tire tread.
- Sidewall – the part of the tire that connects the tread to the bead.
The tread is often the part of the tire that most riders pay attention to, as it can indicate when a tire needs to be changed. As a general rule, smoother tread rides better on flat, dry surfaces, while hard tread works better for off-road riding. Choosing the right type of tire, with the appropriate components, can keep you safer on the road and help prevent premature wear and tear.
2. How to Choose Motorcycle Tires
When choosing a set of tires for your bike, you’ll have to know more than just the right size. You should have a clear understanding of the type of riding you do so you can find the tires that will work best for you.
Just as there are different types of motorcycles, there are different types of tires that perform better for different riding styles. For example, since cruisers and touring motorcycles are heavier, they require tires with stiffer sidewalls that allow them to handle bigger loads, such as two riders and gear. Sportbikes, on the other hand, should have tires that are designed to deliver nimble precision and handling. These tires are often lighter and can provide a strong grip from edge to edge.
3. How to Decode the Sidewall
Your tires have letters and numbers stamped into the sidewalls, but what do they mean? This series of letters and numbers indicate the size and specifications of the tire. Let’s use 180/55 17 67 R as an example.
In this case, 180 refers to the width of the tire in millimeters, from shoulder to shoulder. The number after the forward slash, 55 in this case, is the height of the sidewall as an aspect ratio to the width. This means that the height of the sidewall is 55% of the width. The next number, 17, tells you that the tire is best for a 17-inch diameter rim. The following number, 67, represents the load rating. A load rating of 67 can typically carry a 677-pound load. Finally, the letter refers to the speed ratings. In this example, R indicates that 170 mph is the maximum speed you can ride with the maximum load.
Follow this helpful speed index and load index next time you’re shopping for motorcycle tires.
4. Importance of Maintaining Tire Pressure
Maintaining proper tire pressure is one of the most important basics of routine motorcycle maintenance—it’s also one of the easiest to do yourself. You can ride your bike to any gas station with an air machine to fill your tire to the correct PSI.
Follow your bike’s owner’s manual for the best PSI to inflate your tires to, as opposed to the tire manufacturer’s recommendations. Improper tire pressure can affect your tire’s grip, your bike’s steering, and even the performance of your suspension. If your tires are under-inflated, your steering will feel heavy, while over-inflated tires can have reduced grip.
5. When It’s Time to Replace Your Tires
As we discussed above, riders often look at the tire’s tread to see when it’s time to replace worn tires. If your tires feature a wear indicator, you’ll know it’s time to replace them when the tread reaches the same height as the wear indicators.
Here are some other signs that it’s time to replace your motorcycle’s tires:
- Damage to the sidewall
- Irreparable damage
- Tires are older than 10 years
- UV and other weather-related damage
- Missing tread blocks
If you’re unsure about your tire’s condition, we recommend playing it safe. Either get your tires replaced or take your bike to a professional mechanic for an evaluation.
Your motorcycle’s tires keep you safely rolling down the road. Don’t wait until your tires are in poor condition to start paying attention to them. By knowing these five things about your motorcycle’s tires, you can keep them in good condition and avoid potentially dangerous situations. And, if you want a bike with brand-new tires, browse the nationwide inventory of new motorcycles for sale on CycleTrader.com.
Arielle Patterson
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