Motorcycle Tires

Every motorcyclist understands how important it is that their riding experience and even their survival are heavily dependent on high-quality and suitable motorcycle tires. Specifically, they are the only component that contacts with the road surface that not only keeps the motorcycle wheels from grinding against the road surface but also enhances traction with the road reducing the probabilities of encountering accidents during poor weather conditions.

Moreover, they enforce the power of the motorcycle and sustain the shocks caused by the varying road conditions, ensuring performance of cornering, braking and turning.

CHOOSING THE RIGHT MOTORCYCLE TIRES

There are plenty of types of motorcycle tires for sale on the market ranging from tread designs, height, and width based on the intended purposes. Thus, not all motorcycle tires are built the same and not all of the motorcycle tires on the market perform the same. Different compounds combined with different production processes make a diverse line of choices that you could choose from.

When you are looking for a new set of motorcycle tires you often need to consider what is most important to you. Are you looking for performance or do you prefer longevity? Ultimately, the best choice is a good combination of both. The style of tire should be the last consideration.

Not all tread patterns are the same, and a vintage bike with modern tread patterns just doesn't retain that vintage motorcycle appeal. Picking the right motorcycle tire for the build takes a little thought.

Besides, there are three criterias that you should take into account when buying motorcycle tires:

• Motorcycle tire size: Before buying a new set of motorbike tires, it is necessary to also consider the motorcycle wheels’ size. For instance, a 16-inch motorcycle wheel should be equipped with the 16-inch motorcycle tire to optimize the performance as well as the balance and the capabilities of supporting the weight to ensure the safety for the driver.
• Manufacture date: Motorcycles’ tire manufacture date of the rubber is also worth consideration. One of the valuable tips is to opt for tires that are manufactured less than a year. To look for the manufacture date, you could just simply look for the 4 digits on the rubber edge, these digits will display the week of what year it was manufactured.
• Riding styles: Whether riding purpose is for daily transport or you opt for riding on sporadic routes or whether you carry a lot of cargo on your bike. Depending on the purpose of using the motorbike, the choice of motorcycle tires could also vary. In this case, you could consult with the manufacturers to opt for the most suited tires based on the purpose you will use it.

WHAT ARE THE TYPES OF MOTORCYCLE TIRES?

Motorcycle tires could be broken down into many categories depending on the specific uses that you are opting for as aforementioned. Hence, for simplicity, motorcycle tires types mainly are: Streets, ADV/ Dual Sport, Off-road tires.

Street tires

These are the tires that are common for Cruisers, V-Twin, Chopper, Bobber, Roadster, Sport Bike, etc. For Cruisers and V-Twin owners, these are the ideal tires for you, which supports sustaining heavy loads but still offering great grips and comfortable riding experience.

Regarding touring and sport touring types, their abilities are to provide longevity as well as good handling since most of them are commonly made of hard rubber aiming to support high load.

In terms of Sportbikes tires, you should opt for the ones that could handle the speed as well as the horsepower but still offer good mechanical gripping for cornering and steering.

ADV/ Dual Sports

Since these types of bikes are meant for long-distance travel; hence, the choice of these tires should be based on the smoothness of the tires against the highway and adequate amount of tread pattern for off-road usage.

Noticeably, if you are opting for being more frequently off-road you should choose the ADV tire that has the indication of percentages 70% off-road - 30% on-road.

Off-road/ Dirt tires

Tires for off-road drivers or dirt bikes are mainly committed to the dirt usage. These tires commonly have extremely knobby construction that offer great traction in soft terrain, and their tread extends as much as wrapping the sides of tire to the central knobs which benefits the riders to maintain the grip as they lean.

HOW TO READ A MOTORCYCLE TIRE

Here is how to read a motorcycle tire, with these examples we will break down the main elements of the parameters on the side of the tires.

Metric designations

Format example: 130/90 - 16 67 H. This is a common appearance of the tire size on its side.

• 130: refers to the tire width (millimeters)
• 90: Aspect ratio (percentage)
• 16: Rim diameter (16 inch tall)
• 67: Load bearing capacity
• H: Speed rating

Alphabetical Designation

Format example: MT 90 - 16 Load Range B

• M: Motorcycle Code
• T: Tire Width Code
• 90: Aspect Ratio (percentage)
• 16: Rim Diameter (inches)
• Load range B: Load rating

Inch Designation

Format sample: 5.00 H 16 4PR

• 5.00: Section Width
• H: Speed Rating
• 16: Rim Diameter (Inches)
• 4PR: Casing Strength (ply rating)

Table of Speed Ratings

HOW OFTEN SHOULD I REPLACE MY MOTORCYCLE TIRES?

Commonly, motorcycle tires recommend that even if the tire still has a lot of treads remaining, it should be replaced every 5-6 years due to the drying out of the tire’s multiple rubber compounds. As aforementioned on how to read the manufacture date of the motorcycle tires, you can look for this information on your current tire to make up the new tire purchase decision.

Besides, you should keep in mind that drying out could not be obvious immediately, but it could potentially and gradually cause deterioration of thread and cracks in sidewall. Despite the remaining threads, old tires could become brittle and fail spectacularly even in the right conditions.

Aside from the aforementioned technique, you could also apply the rule of thumb method where you should replace the motorcycle tire as they reach the tread-wear indicator bars.

UNIQUE MOTORCYCLE TIRES FOR SALE AT LOWBROW CUSTOM

We carry front and rear motorcycle tires from a variety of brands from around the world namely Avon Tires, Bates, Coker Tire, Dunlop Tires, Duro Tires, Kenda Tires, Michelin and Shinko Motorcycle Tires. Our selection is honed in on vintage style tread patterns from unique brands with unique offerings.

If you are building a dirt tracker check out our Bates Baja Tires. These new motorcycle tires are the ideal choice for street or dirt tracker motorcycles. A low-profile knobby tread provides great traction on and off the road. We also carry classic chopper motorcycle tires for sale like the Avon Speedmaster 19 and 21 inch. This motorcycle tire has a classic straight-line tread pattern with a sleek profile look.

Lowbrow Customs also carries Coker tires. Coker tires are replica vintage tires that look authentic down to the smallest details. Available in black walls and white walls in a variety of sizes, these motorcycle tires offer a classic look with modern performance. 

When you are looking to buy motorcycle tires for your bike be sure to check out the selection at Lowbrow Customs. Our motorcycle road tires are unique enough to set you apart from the crowd. And while you are at it, why don’t take a look at our guide to learn more about tire sizes and their marking.