To most people, the numbers and letters on the side of their tires are cryptic and indecipherable. These motorcycle tire sizes comparison charts below will help you understand the codes on the side of your tires to be sure you know which tires you are currently using, and which others will fit your motorcycle.
The motorcycle tire size will also indicate what size rim strip and motorcycle inner tube is needed. Rim strips are rubber strips that go around the rim, covering the inside edges of the spokes, before the tire is mounted. They help protect the inner tube from a potential puncture from continual wear against the spokes. Inner tubes are common, though tires are also run without tubes on many modern motorcycles with mag wheels.
How to Read Motorcycle Tire Sizes?
Typical Tire Markings
A- Tire width
B- Aspect Ratio. The smaller the number the lower profile of the tire. In metric this is a ratio between height and width. ex. A 170/80 means the width is 170mm, and the height would be 80% of that. )
C- Rim diameter
D- Load capacity
E- Tire speed rating (ex. S=112mph, H=130mph, V=149mph, W=168mph)
F- Tubeless (TL) or Tube Type (TT) tire.
Explaining Motorcycle Tire Sizes
Size may be indicated in inches, metric, or by letters (alpha). It is helpful to know how these compare with each other so you can compare different brands of tires and see which might be the best fit for your bike. This chart shows the approximate comparison of the different size indicators.
Motorcycle Street Tire Sizes Conversion Chart
| Inch | 2.75 / 3.00 | 3.25 | 3.50 | 3.75 / 4.00 | 4.25 / 4.50 | 5.00 / 5.10 | 5.50 | 6.00 |
| Metric | 80 | 90 | 100 | 110 | 120 | 130 | 140 | 150 |
| Alpha | MH | MJ | MM | MN/MP | MR | MT | MU | MV |
Motorcycle Tire Sizes Rim Width Chart
British motorcycle rims (Triumph, BSA, Norton etc.) are marked with a letter and number designation. This is helpful to know what tires you can mount on your rim based on the manufacturer's specs.
| WM0 | WM1 | WM2 | WM3 |
| 1.50 inches | 1.60 inches | 1.85 inches | 2.10 inches |
Common Motorcycle Tire Sizes Chart
The following chart shows some common tire sizes, including their width and the diameter. Very handy when choosing which tire will fit your bike, or which motorcycle rear fender to buy to fit the tire you want to run on your new build!
This is just a small selection of the wide array of cool motorcycle tires we stock and ship daily.
| Brand | Size | Width (inches) | Diameter (inches) |
| Avon Safety Mileage MKII | 5.00-16 | 5.2 | 26.3 |
| Avon Safety Mileage MKII | 4.00-18 | 4.4 | 26.7 |
| Avon Safety Mileage MKII | 4.00-19 | 4.3 | 27.6 |
| Dunlop D401 | 130/90-16 | 5.1 | 25.4 |
| Dunlop D404 | 130/90-16 | 5.1 | 25.4 |
| Dunlop K70 | 4.00-18 | 4.17 | 26.73 |
| Duro HF302 | 5.10-16 | 5.3 | 25 |
| Firestone Deluxe Champion | 4.00-18 | 4.25 | 26.6 |
| Firestone Deluxe Champion | 4.00-19 | 4.25 | 27.6 |
| Firestone Deluxe Champion | 4.50-18 | 4.84 | 27.4 |
| Firestone Deluxe Champion | 5.00-16 | 5.35 | 26.4 |
Here are real-world photo examples of motorcycle tire markings:
Firestone Deluxe Champion 5.00-16
Duro Tire 3.50-19 57H Tube Type
Duro 3.50-18 56P Tube Type Motorcycle Tire
Dunlop Gold Seal K70 4.00-18 Tube Type Motorcycle Tire
Avon Speed Master II 3.00-21 R Tube Type Motorcycle Tire
Coker Motorcycle Tire 4.00-18 64P Tubed Type
Shinko 3.00-21 M/C 57S Tube Type Motorcycle Tire
Avon AM7 Safety Milege MKII 4.00-18 M/C 64S Tube Type Motorcycle Tire
Coker Tires Firestone Champion Deluxe 5.00-16 71P Motorcycle Tire
