Motorbikes: the Way to a Great Ride Is Paved with Great Tyres

Roy Jenkinson — Fri, 02 Dec 2016 09:14:00 +0000

Whether you’re looking to replace a set of worn out motorbike tyres or want to upgrade to better ones, as a motorbike owner you need to understand the importance of buying the best possible tyres for your bike in order to experience the best possible riding experience. They enhance the quality of the ride and increase your safety and the safety of everyone on the road.

When shopping for the right motorbike tyres it’s important to know the basics of all available types, including off-road, cruising, sport, track and touring. Moreover, knowing the right size of the tyres your bike needs and becoming familiar with the different numbering systems is also of utmost importance. Knowing all of this will save you a lot of money and time, not to mention that will keep you safer while on the road. Here are in brief the features of all motorcycle tyre types available.

Race Tyres

Allow you to corner tight angles
Accelerate quickly from a standing position
Are durable on the track use
Speed when coming out of turns

Off-road Tyres

Best for off-road (dirt) riding
Knobby design
Secured with rim locks, preventing tyre from spinning on the rim in rough terrain

Sport Tyres

Radial pattern for better road grip
Made for fast action on roads
Extremely durable
Offer great handling in wet and dry conditions

Touring Tyres

Long distance use for all seasons and weather conditions
Incredible stability and driver control

Cruising Tyres

Superior grip on different road surfaces
Improved stability control
Great grip for wet weather uses

Once you decide which type you want to go with, the next thing to consider is the size. Things to think about are aspect ratio, rim diameter and width. The first number represents the width. The width is the measurement in a straight line, from the outside of one to the outside of the other sidewall. The tyre aspect ratio shows the tyre’s cross section profile in relation to the height. The number given on the tyre represents the percentage of the height to the tyre’s width. And lastly, the rim diameter is the measurement of the rim upon which the tyre sits. It’s usually measured in inches and it can be found by measuring the insides of the rim lip on one side to the inside of the rim lip on the other side of the rim.

And lastly, consider the manufacturer of the tyres – the most popular ones at the moment are Michelin, Pirelli, Dunlop, Avon and Bridgestone, choose a good one.