Tires are the essential components of a motorbike that allow it to be driven onto a surface without the use of a stand. For maximum efficiency, performance, and handling, you’ll need the correct tires.
When buying a tire for your motorcycle, you should be able to tell the difference between different types of tires. Moto tires are, after all, your motorcycle’s only point of contact with the road.
The following factors must be considered before choosing tires for your motorcycle.
Type of tire
Tube type, tubeless, bias-ply, and radial are the four major types of tires. The tire and tube, as well as the valve and rim, make up tube-type tires. Tubeless tires are becoming more popular as air finds a path between the tube, the tire, and the rim hole in the event of a puncture.
Radial vs. Bias-Ply Tires
Bias-ply tires last longer and ride “softer” at the cost of less grip, whereas radials are stiffer and provide more traction but don’t last as long. Bias-ply tires don’t dissipate heat quickly and have a strong sidewall. Radial tires, on the other hand, provide superior heat dissipation and can flex more due to the fewer layers of cords on the sidewall. As a result, bias-ply tires are most commonly used on touring bikes due to their load-carrying ability and lifespan, but radials are preferred for superior grip on supersport or streetfighter motorcycles
Tyre Code
You must be able to crack the tire code before purchasing a tire because this will allow you to grasp crucial facts about the tire such as its size, aspect ratio or profile, speed rating, load index, construction type, and so on. All of these components should be compatible with the replacement tire you’ll eventually install on your motorcycle
Motorcycle format
Manufacturers employ three alternative techniques to designate tire information: alphanumeric, standard inch, and metric, however, the metric approach is now the industry standard. The traditional inch system is no longer used, and the alphanumeric method is rarely used. The metric system is used by the vast majority of tire manufacturers.
Motorcycle format of metric tires
The first value represents the tire’s width in millimeters. The aspect ratio which is the height of the sidewall is the second value.
The rim size is determined by the third number. You can identify if the tire is Bias Ply or Radial by the letter between the second and third digits, which is either R or B. The tire is Bias if there is no letter.
Compound and tread pattern
The entire tire is made up of compounds. The rubber around the circle of the tire that makes contact with the road is referred to as tread. The tire’s crown and shoulders make up the tread. Tread pattern, on the other hand, is a tire design that includes channels and grooves that direct water away from the contact patch. In rainy situations, this keeps the tire from losing traction on the road.
