Good quality motorcycle tires are one of the most vital and important pieces of equipment you can purchase for your bike; yet so many of us are unaware of what we should be looking for when choosing good tires, and how to properly care for and maintain them. Here we take a deeper look at those round black rubber things that are the only connection between your machine and the pavement.

Choosing a Motorcycle Tire:

With so many different brands of tires out there and such a variety of sizes, compounds, tread patterns and prices, choosing a new or replacement tire for your motorcycle can be a daunting task. One of the most important things to look at when purchasing new tires, is the type of motorcycle you have and the kind of riding you are planning on doing.

Types of Riding:

It’s a good idea to really evaluate your riding style and decide on tires accordingly. Obviously, a road-racer is going to require extremely different tires than someone heading out for a long distance, cross-country tour. But even two riders on the same or similar cruisers might have completely different riding styles. Think about whether you are a weekend canyon carver who likes to ride fairly aggressively on the street, or a long distance rider that is planning on covering a lot of miles. Do you ride off-road at all? What about the weather conditions? Are you a fair weather rider only, or do you ride regardless of weather? Do you want to be able to ride both on the track and the street, or are you hitting the racetrack for the first time? All these factors are important to consider when investing in new tires.

Most manufacturers will recommend a certain tire for a particular make and model of bike. Choosing a new tire could be as easy as going with the same tire that the bike originally came with, but if you want to try a different make and model, be sure to keep these simple considerations in mind.

Tire Size:

Check with the manufacturer to see what size of tire the bike and rim will accommodate. You can often put a wider or skinnier tire on your rim, but be aware that this will change the handling of your motorcycle, often drastically. A fatter rear tire may look cool, but it can make the bike more difficult to lean over and may affect handling throughout a corner.

Different tire shapes or profiles also play a huge role in handling and how the tire feels to the rider. A taller or sharper front tire profile can make the bike steer in quicker–almost falling into the turns initially–and once leaned over it can require more effort to steer it back up. A taller profile tire can also make the bike feel a bit more unstable, or skittish, while riding in a straight line where a shorter profile tire will offer more moderate steering input and a more stable feel overall.

Tire Compound:

Don’t forget to take a look at the compound of the tire you are planning to purchase. Tires usually range from super soft to hard, and what you choose will again depend on the type of riding you plan on doing. Generally speaking, the softer the compound, the stickier it is and better suited for more aggressive cornering. But a softer tire will wear much faster and need replacing more often. A tire with a harder compound is better for long distance riding and won’t need replacing as often. Some manufacturers also offer tires that have a harder compound on the tire’s apex and softer compound on the sidewalls, giving you the best of both worlds.

Also, do not mix and match front and rear tires of different construction, or from two different manufacturers as you don’t know what kind of handling will result from that particular combination.

Tire Tread:

A tire’s tread is the outer part of the tire that is pressing against the road, and the grooves in the tread are designed to channel water away from the contact patch to prevent hydroplaning. The whole tread affects cooling, stability, wear and traction.

The kinds of conditions you will be riding in determine the tire tread choice. For racing you can buy slicks that have no tread at all, and are only good for dry race conditions, or extremely grooved tires with deep tread patterns that are designed for rain riding only. There are street tires with minimal amount of tread that look great on customs, but wouldn’t be suitable for the dual sport rider that likes to ride gravel roads or tackle a bit of dirt once in a while.

Ask about what kind of conditions the tires are good for and pair that information with the riding you are planning on doing.

Tire Brand:

There are many different brands of tires out there and the advertising jargon around the tires (stickiest tire, best traction, best in the wet, longest lasting) can make your choice very confusing. Brand choice really comes down to personal preference, price or availability. Regardless of whether you choose to run Metzeler, Dunlop, Bridgestone, Michelin, Pirelli or other name brand tires, just make sure they fit with what you are looking for. It can be a good idea to check out some riding forums or ask other riders what their experiences of certain brands has been as well.

Tire Price:

Don’t make price the only consideration in your choice of tires. Remember to evaluate your riding style and carefully consider what you want out of a tire before looking at the price. The most expensive tires don’t always mean the best tires for you, and the cheapest are probably not what you want.

Inquire if the price of the tire quoted from your favourite bike shop includes mounting, or if mounting is extra.

You can sometimes buy tires from the internet at good discounts, just keep in mind that dealers often charge to mount tires that were not purchased from them, and shipping costs are sometimes not added to the advertised price. Be wary of internet buys.

Tire Maintenance:

Once you have your tires, it is important to take good care of them. Regular maintenance and tire care is easy if you follow these simple tips.

1. Tire Pressure:

The most important thing you can do for your own safety and for the longevity of your tires is to keep them inflated to the proper pressure. This is an easy, simple and quick procedure that is often neglected by riders and can make a huge difference in the safety of your ride.

Check your tire pressures regularly. Use a good quality gauge and check the pressures when your tires are cold, ideally just before you head out for a ride. Look for a sticker somewhere on the bike, or in the owner’s manual stating the recommended tire pressures. Dropping your tire pressure can provide more traction but it can also compromise stability and increase tire wear. Low tire pressure will also increase the operating temperature of the tire carcass and too much heat can cause a tire to malfunction. Increasing tire pressure can decrease traction and compromise stability, but can decrease wear. Because of different tread compounds, tire pressure can vary greatly from tire to tire so if you are in doubt, check the tire manufacturer’s website.

At higher speeds, centrifugal force can open the valve inside the stem so always ensure that the valve stem cap is securely fastened to the stem. It is an important part of the tire’s sealing system and can give you added security.

Remember, the tires are the only thing keeping you and your bike off of the pavement.

2. Tire Wear:

Check your tires often for tread depth and wear. Look carefully at the grooves (especially on the sides) to make sure there is still sufficient tread and that they are not worn flat. Lack of tread can affect the wear, stability, traction and cooling of the tire when in use and can cause hydroplaning on wet roads. Look also for flat spots or a lot of wear in the centre of the tire, which is caused by riding mostly in a straight line with little leaning of the bike from side to side. This causes a ridge at the edge of the tire and a flat middle and can make the bike unstable while leaning in a turn. The tire may still show lots of tread depth on the sides but if the middle is worn, it will need to be replaced. It’s recommended that you change both the front and rear tire at the same time even if they are showing slightly different amounts of wear.

Make sure tire balance weights are firmly fixed to the rim or spoke and that there is no chance that they could fly off. If they do, this could throw your tires out of balance and cause uneven wear and a rough ride. Also check the integrity of your rims for dents or dings, which can also cause poor tire wear and instability while riding. While inspecting your tires, keep an eye out for things like nails, staples, glass etc, imbedded in the tires, or any cracks or slashes that could end up causing a blowout while riding.

3. Tire Repair:

A good habit to get into is to carry a roadside tire repair kit if you have tubeless tires. Stop & Go, for instance, makes a compact motorcycle kit that works very well. They are easy to use and provide a temporary fix so you are then able to ride to the nearest bike shop and have a new tire installed. If your bike uses tubes in the tires, your choices are drastically reduced for repair options. There is a tire repair product that comes in a can that might get you out of a bind. By attaching the can to the valve stem and inserting the contents into the tire, the tire is blown up and hopefully sealed enough to get you to a shop for tire repair.

Remember that any type of plug or repair on a motorcycle tire is only temporary and the sooner you can replace the tire, the better.

4. Tire Age:

The age of the tire plays a factor in the life of our tires, because, as years go by, rubber, which is organic tends to decompose and harden. Therefore, generally speaking, the fresher the tire the better. You can find the age of the tire by looking carefully at the sidewall of the tire where the manufacture date has been stamped. There you will see a four-digit number that reads something like 3807 or 2202. 3807 means that the tire was manufactured during the 38th week of 2007 while 2202 means it was made during the 22nd week of 2002.

While it isn’t scientific, pushing your thumbnail into the tread will give you some indication if the rubber is soft or not. You should never buy or use a tire that is more than 5-7 years old.

5. Cleaning Your Tires:

Most tire manufacturers recommend that only plain soap and water be used to clean and shine up your rubber. Many alleged tire protectors actually promote premature cracking and finish deterioration. Make sure you wipe off any lube, brake fluid or gas spills immediately as well and whatever you do, do not put Armor-all on your tires!

6. Scuffing in and Warming up Tires:

All too often I have seen riders with brand new tires mounted on their bikes, lose it while pulling out of the dealership because they didn’t take the time to ‘scuff in’, and/or warm up, the tires. New tires are very slippery and need to be scuffed in. Ride at a slow speed when first starting off and be careful when leaning the bike over. Progressively build up speed and lean the bike over further and further, ensuring you have fully scuffed and warmed your tires before riding aggressively. Also, it’s a good idea to check your tire pressures after your tires have been replaced to ensure they are at the recommended psi.

Remember that spending a little bit of time researching the type of tire that best fits with your riding style and type of bike, as well as putting in some effort to maintain your tires properly will be a huge benefit in the long run. MMM

Love your ride! Misti

Misti Hurst is a motorcycle racer, an instructor and a freelance writer.

Visit her website www.mistihurst.com