Selecting the right tires for your motorcycle to replace worn or damaged tires is a critical decision.
But, many riders go as long as three or four or even more riding seasons before they must replace worn tires. So choosing new tires that best suit your motorcycle as well as your riding style can be an unfamiliar process.
Here are three key points to help you choose tires that support your motorcycle's performance capabilities and meet your riding demands...
1) What tires came with your bike?
The folks who built your motorcycle equipped it with tires that enable it to meet its full design and performance potential.
So the best place to start -- and possibly finish -- your tire selection process, is to consider replacing your worn tires with the same make and model tires the motorcycle manufacturer used in the first place.
At least you can use the current tires as your baseline when determining the most appropriate tires for your bike and for the way you ride.
2) Don't mix bias ply and radial tires
Radial tires have layers of internal support material running side to side from one bead (tire edge) to the other at a right angle to each bead.
Bias ply tires have plies of internal support material running from one bead to the other at about a 30 degree angle. One ply is set on a bias in one direction as succeeding plies are layered alternately in opposing directions.
With both radial and bias ply tires, the underlying support layers are covered with rubber to form the tire tread.
Bias ply and radial motorcycle tires react to and manage your motorcycle's steering, braking and acceleration forces differently.
Your motorcycle was designed to perform best with a specific type of tires. That's why you'll be on target by selecting make and model tires similar to those fitted originally to your motorcycle -- radial or bias ply.
Your front and rear tires should be the same brand and model. Two tires with mismatched tread patterns will not perform properly together.
3) Match your tire's tread pattern and rubber compound to your riding style
What kind of rider are you?
- Do you ride fast and corner deep?
- Do you log on many miles during long tours?
- Do you ride year-round, rain or shine?
A tire's tread pattern and rubber compound determine a tire's capabilities and potential regarding speed, mileage and ability to hold the road. They determine what you can get out of a tire.
Touring and cruising tires use relatively hard rubber compounds. They are designed to give you high tire mileage and good gas mileage. But they're not the best for the highest speeds and aggressive cornering.
Sport bike and racing tires use relatively soft and "sticky" rubber compounds. They provide good traction for deep cornering. But you give up long tire life and extended gas mileage for "knee-dragging" cornering capabilities.
A tire's tread design determines the best road and weather conditions for that tire.
A slick racing tire will give you great high-speed traction. But you don't want such a tire for touring and riding in the rain.
For wet weather you need a tire with a deep water-dispersing tread for the best wet-road traction.
General-use tires are made from a medium-hard rubber compound and feature a light tread. This combination gives you high mileage and a stable ride on a wide variety of roads during all sorts of weather.
Give some thought to...
- Where and when you like to ride...
- Your abilities as a motorcycle rider...
- Your motorcycle's design capabilities...
...and use your results to determine which motorcycle tires will best suit you and your motorcycle.
