Buying tires for a motorcycle. What to watch out for?

The champagne corks that open the motorcycle season have long been fired upon. Until a few months ago, the streets were literally teeming with two-wheeled vehicles. Probably some avid motorcyclists are already worn out after the winter, so choosing the next ones is only a matter of time. And this choice is really important.

Buying the right tires for our car is first and foremost a matter of safety. It is also undeniable that without good wheels driving a car is not interesting. The clutch minimizes the chance of skidding, but also improves the performance of the bike. You should expect more from motorcycle tires than from car tires because they are the key to the machine. There, only two small points of contact between the tread and the road surface should ensure our safety. It is undeniable that a motorcyclist is more prone to loss of health than a car driver, and in the event of an accident, he is protected by seat belts, airbags and, most of all, the body of the car. The driver of a two-wheeled vehicle only needs a helmet and clothing, so good tires and common sense are the basis of safety.

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What to consider when choosing? They say there are as many characters as there are people. It's a bit like a motorcycle: there are as many different types of wear parts as there are machines and their applications. First of all, this, of course, is the choice of a two-wheeled vehicle that suits you. Once our instincts have told us what we really want and when we have finally bought the bike of our dreams, the next thing to do is read the owner's manual. There we will find, among other things, which tires are recommended for our miracles. In particular, these are size, speed and load capacity, and often also what specific tires (brand, tread pattern) are installed as the main equipment on a given model (example: Yamaha XJ6 N manual, page 91).

Returning to the diversity of characters and temperaments, our taste and driving style is also important when choosing tires. – Tires should be selected taking into account, first of all, the type of motorcycle, as well as your own preferences in terms of driving style and operating conditions. We do not use road bike tires, but off-road tires for typical sports and touring equipment. If we cover long distances on a sports touring motorcycle, the life of the tires and their driving performance in various weather conditions, including on wet surfaces, is an important issue. Then we do not choose tires designed for sporty driving on dry roads or tracks with a very soft compound and a sporty tread. If we ride an enduro bike and we like to ride off-road - we do not install tires with typical road parameters, but choose those that with a more aggressive tread pattern will cope with the task. There are many nuances in using radial or diagonal, tube or tubeless tires. From the point of view of optimally matching motorcycle tires to our needs, it is useful to consult a specialist before buying, because it is not as easy as some people think, advises Justyna Kachor, netcar.pl expert, private motorcyclist. and a Yamaha XJ6N user.

Buying tires and inspecting them

It is a myth that an unused new tire loses its properties after a year or two and is not worth buying. If it's appropriate during storage, i.e. away from sunlight, at appropriate temperature and conditions, such a tire may not lose its performance even for five years from the date of manufacture. Of course, even a few dozen zlotys will remain in your pocket if you decide to buy completely new and unused tires, but with a slightly more distant production date. These tires will be no less safe than “fresh” ones. Things get more complicated when we are going to buy used tires. Without knowing the history of the tire, even an experienced rider may not immediately notice that he has bought a dump. We usually get damaged tires from overseas. After a "delicate repair", often ineffective, they can make good money. This is widely used by unscrupulous sellers. At first glance, the tires may appear intact. Only when you try to assemble them or after you put them on, fill them with air and ride, it turns out that the motorcycle does not behave as you would like or the tire simply cannot be inflated. If you are worried about signals such as vibrations, unsteady driving, unusual noises, it is best to check the condition of the tires, even if they seemed “almost new”.

– Tire selection must be carried out in accordance with the rules and recommendations of the vehicle manufacturer. For best performance and stability, the same type of tires should be used on the front and rear wheels. Tires from different manufacturers with different tread patterns, textures and wear levels can adversely affect the handling and stability of the motorcycle. Unless recommended by the vehicle manufacturer, do not fit tires of different types (such as radial and diagonal) on the front and rear axles. Motorcycle tires are marked to indicate which axle they should be fitted to. It is not allowed to install front tires on the rear axle or rear tires on the front axle, says the owner of netcar.pl.

Additionally, the matter is complicated by the fact that there are tubeless and tubeless tires. Not everyone knows that you cannot mount tubular tires (TT-Tube Type tire designation) on rims adapted to tubeless tires (TL - Tubeless Tire designation), but vice versa: tubeless tires are often used with an inner tube on tubeless rims. tires .

Another thing is the control of the tires that we use. Checking pressure is the most important tire monitoring activity. Too low can lead to incorrect cornering, uneven tread wear in contact areas, excessive loads and damage to the tire carcass, cracking due to wear of the material, excessive heat and, as a result, overheating of the tire. , which permanently damages it and makes it impossible to use it again. Excessive pressure, in turn, affects the premature wear of the tire in the central part of the tread, and also worsens driving performance, since the contact area of ​​\uXNUMXb\uXNUMXbthe tread with the road decreases. Tire pressure should always be adjusted to the tire manufacturer's recommendations for the make and model of motorcycle.

If we are driving with a full load (cargo, passenger), the recommended values ​​\u0,3b\uXNUMXbare increased by XNUMX bar. It is important that the pressure, as in the case of cars, be checked on cold tires. The second most important point, which is easiest to check on your own, is the appearance of the tread and its depth. The TWI indicators, visible in several places, will help us check if the tires are suitable for driving. If they are equal to the thickness of the tread, such a tire can only be disposed of. TWI readings should also be checked throughout the season. If we drive intensively or use more sporty tires, they can wear out after only a few thousand kilometers.

It's also important to take a good look at the tires before we travel further, because we can drive with a nail in place for several days without even knowing that something like this happened to us. It is also worth checking if, in addition to foreign objects, there are mechanical damages on the tire caused by hitting a curb, driving into a pit or overheating. If the structure of the rubber has changed, the ride will also change and we have no choice but to get rid of the tire. Similarly, if we notice cracks or losses in the tread, damage to the tire beads, swelling (so-called "bubbles"). The damage is most often seen where the tire meets the rim. If the tire is punctured, it is better to choose a new one than to repair it. Most experts advise against repairing motorcycle tires. Some allow, but only one-time damage, no larger than 6 mm, perpendicular to the tire carcass and only on the tread surface, never to the side. This is due to the greater stresses that tires are subjected to in service, the much more delicate construction than car tires, and the greater risk of improper repairs or overly optimistic damage estimates.

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Tire fitting remains in the hands of specialists, but there are much more pitfalls than with car tires. Therefore, we should carefully choose the workshop in which we want to meet. After purchasing and successfully assembling new tires, do not forget to come to them. Each new tire is coated with a layer of wax that must be washed off while driving. This means that the first kilometers will have to be overcome at a lower speed, especially on wet surfaces and in corners, which will avoid an unpleasant surprise in the form of a skid. We must not forget this when buying a new motorcycle in a car dealership.

Summary

Summarizing the considerations for choosing the right tires and caring for them, you should know that following a few proven rules will certainly minimize the risk of hurting yourself on the road. This will minimize it, because nothing can replace common sense. But you need to use your common sense, so when buying tires you need to carefully look at them and adjust the purchase to the parameters of your motorcycle. It is also worth checking the production date: for tires older than 2 years, the price should be more attractive. It's best to avoid buying from dubious or "special occasions!" sources. New tires purchased from a trusted dealer will have a manufacturer's warranty, which is also important. Remember to check the pressure regularly on a monthly basis without exposing the tires to excessive sunlight, high or low temperatures. After larger or smaller “charges”, it is good to carefully inspect the tires in order to react in time if they are damaged. We will not be original, summing up all these recommendations in one short saying, repeated once again - like a mantra! Because there is only one reason - our safety.

Technical advice was provided by Justyna Kachor, owner of NetCar sc. Materials provided by NetCar.pl.