Choosing Motorcycle Tires
Deciding which is more important - choosing the right engine or picking the perfect tire - may be impossible. Both are critical. Getting the acceleration and handling you want is essential to having the kind of ride desired. But picking the right tire is just as important for those reasons and many others. Tires have to be matched with bikes, beyond simply getting the right size. Tread style, bias, materials and other common characteristics are all designed with the riding type - and therefore the bike category - in mind. Unlike car tires, motorcycle tires are different front and rear. Each tire is designed specifically for the location on the bike and with the different goals in mind. Acceleration is provided predominantly by the rear tire, while the front supplies more braking power than the rear - up to 80%. Since the front wheel turns left and right, while the back is subject only to lean, that too must be taken into consideration. The back carries more weight than the front and that alters the design. Racing Racing tires are, of course, a special category. Professionals all have their favorites, but good contact at steep angles is always an essential. The need for hard cornering, maximum acceleration from a stop or out of a turn, and continual stress at high speeds all produce special requirements for racing tires. These tires have to put up with hours of abuse on the track and need to be virtually puncture proof off-road. They often don't get the standard recommended 100-mile run-in period before use. They have to perform right out of the box. Sport Sport bias tires commonly have radial-style tread patterns to produce a larger footprint. Sport bikes are intended to be run hard around the streets, supplemented by some off-road riding. That means good contact with good cornering is essential. It also means they have to perform in all weather conditions. Increasing the tread-to-void ratio gives these tires better grip in both wet and dry conditions. At the same time, long life is important for sport bike riders. Special compounds developed over the last 20 years have greatly improved both features, increasing grip and wear resistance. Cruiser Yamaha, Honda, Kawasaki and others all vie to be the best in this category. Part of that competitive edge is the tire they select as standard for their cruiser models. Excellent grip on all road surfaces - asphalt, concrete, chip seal and others - is essential regardless of weather. Design is always a delicate balance between maximum tread life and superior grip. Several manufacturers have achieved that, including Dunlop who offer the standard for many of the leading bike makers. Front and rear tread patterns are designed for superior water evacuation. Bias-ply construction, with overlapping layers of synthetic rubber and composite mesh, provide a good balance between load-carrying capacity and comfort. Offset center grooves give the tire improved straight-line stability over designs from the past. This helps keep the bike upright with minimal input from the rider. Touring Racing tires have fewer grooves for maximum grip, and sport a high arch and high crown in order to steer quickly. But this makes the tire give less stability. By contrast, touring tires require the exact opposite. Touring bikes are built to provide a comfortable, stable ride over long distances in all kinds of weather. Having fewer grooves would make the tire perform poorly in wet conditions. Touring tires need to give maximum stability so that the rider can remain upright with minimal effort. Concentrating on staying up - by providing continual small adjustments to the center of balance - would quickly tire the rider. Racing tires also have an extra ply and tighter winding, but that makes them more rigid. This is an instance when fewer ply layers are actually safer and more comfortable. The lower count in touring tires provides a smoother ride over bumpy roads. As they bump less, they stay in contact with the road better, especially around turns. How those layers are put together is also a factor. Overlapping gives a good side grip, but a jointless belt construction gives more stability and a smoother ride. Temperature has to be taken into account in tire design. Racing tires are subject to high heat conditions, because of the continual high friction they encounter during rapid twists and decelerations. Touring tires can also see high temperatures from prolonged trips on hot asphalt. But the heating profile is different, and the tires are designed accordingly. A touring tire will be designed for longer wear, more stability, and a more secure ride in different weather conditions. It will retain those characteristics through more heat cycles and give a more comfortable ride over the expected road conditions. Be sure to match your type of bike and style of riding with the tire you select. It isn't just your budget that depends on it. It's your comfort and performance, and even your safety.