Motorcycle Tires: It's About More Than Size
Tires are tires, right? So long as you get the right size tires on your motorcycle you're good to go, right?
No.
The fact of the matter is that with cars, you really are good to go as long as you have the right size tires. Sure, some will last longer, and some will get better grip in different conditions, but other than that it's not that big a deal.
Motorcycles are not cars. Our tires really are different, in a variety of ways. First and foremost is speed rating. Car tires do have speed ratings, too, but let's face it, most cars are driven most of the time between 0 and perhaps 85 miles per hour. Just about any car tire you can buy is good for those speeds.
Of course, most drivers don't take their cars down to the racetrack occasionally to open them up and let them fly. If you ride a Suzuki GSX-R750, on the other hand, you may well do that. Or maybe you ride a Yamaha YZF-R1 and have that same predilection. It doesn't matter what street legal superbike you have, if you do hit the track at times, you'd darn well better not be doing it on just any tires. You almost certainly need Z-rated tires.
Here are the speed ratings for motorcycle tires, showing the rating and the maximum speed those tires are certified for:
J -- 62 mph
N -- 87 mph
P -- 94 mph
S -- 112 mph
H -- 130 mph
V -- 149 mph
Z -- over 149 mph
So what would happen if you were hitting 150 mph and had some N-rated tires on the bike? Take three guesses, and the first two don't count. Your track day will be very short, although in truth, they wouldn't let you on the track with those tires.
Beyond Speed
Speed ratings are not the only thing you need to pay attention to when you put tires on your bike. Tires are not like a can of beans that can be produced and then left to sit on the shelf for years and years. If you buy an old motorcycle and see that the tread is still good and deep that does not mean you should ride on those tires. You want to check to see how old they are. Dry rot will eat away at tires and make them unsafe even with deep tread.
Take a look at the sidewalls on the tires your mechanic is proposing to put on your bike. There will be a lot of big print that gives the brand and model of the tire, some smaller print that gives the size, and then, in even smaller print, a bit of text that reads something like this: WADM4310. It's those four numbers at the end that you care about. A tire with that marker was manufactured in the 43rd week of the year 2010. So in this case that means the latter part of October 2010. In the middle of 2011 that's still a good, fresh tire. Let him go ahead and mount it.
On the other hand, if that reading was WADM1706, you would definitely want to point out to your mechanic that he's made a "mistake" selecting this tire--even if he has offered them to you at a great discount. And then next time you need tires, go somewhere else.
And what about those size numbers? What do they mean?
Let's consider a tire marked 120/70R18. The first number, 120, indicates that the tire width at its broadest point is 120mm. The 70 indicates that the height of the tire is equal to 70 percent of its width, and the R means it is a radial tire. The 18 indicates that this tire fits an 18-inch wheel.
Nothing to it, right? Be sure you get the tires you need because they are definitely not all the same.
For New York Motorcycles, visit Island Powersports at http://www.IslandPowersports.com or call 516-795-4400. We have rock bottom pricing, outstanding customer service, and knowledgeable staff to satisfy your thirst for fun. Schedule an appointment today to get out and ride!
03 Aug, 2011
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Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6462305
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