A Few Questions About Motorcycle Tires That You Did Not Know About

Motorcycle tires differ from car tires in the size of the contact patch, see the motorcycle tire conversion chart. It says that these are the points at which the tire comes into contact with the coating - and its location.

When driving, a car tire is always perpendicular to the plane of the road, resting against it with the entire width of its tread. If deviations are possible, for example, in tight turns, then they are very small - compared to a motorcycle, of course.

The motorcycle, on the other hand, goes straight, then leans in a turn, and with it, the angle of inclination and its tires change. Therefore, motorcycle tires should cling equally well to the road, regardless of the angle of inclination, and therefore their transverse profile is initially made rounded, and not rectangular, as on cars.

Because of this feature, motorcycle tires are practically not subject to hydroplaning. Unless, of course, they are heavily worn out. The contact patch of a motorcycle tire with the surface is very small, so the “wedge” of water that lifts a car wheel above the road simply cannot form. The only problem is that as it wears out, the profile of a motorcycle tire tends to become "automobile".

How long does a motorcycle tire last?

About the same as a car. But there is one subtlety: if you have a heavy motorcycle and you ride a lot in a straight line, then the central part of the tire wears out faster than its edges. In such cases, the tire is said to "become square" or "square".

  In especially neglected cases, this can be seen even with the naked eye. And if you run your finger across the tire in the transverse direction, you can even feel a sharp step between the central flat and rounded side parts of the tread.

On the move, it feels like this: at first, when entering a corner, the bike refuses to lean and you have to apply extra effort to get it to change its trajectory. And when you literally “pushed through” this step, it, already on the round part of the tread, unexpectedly sharply leans more than you expect.

How else do you know when it's time to change your tires?

Tires should be changed immediately in case of mechanical damage: hernias on the sidewall, cuts or cracks. With hernias and cuts, everything is clear. But where do cracks come from? They are most often seen on used motorcycles from America or Japan, which have stood for many months under the scorching sun on the auction site.

The tire dries out and cracks. At first glance, this does not have a special effect on its properties, but it is better not to risk it and change the tire to a new one. Also, an unambiguous signal for replacement is the manifestation on the surface of the structure of the inner cord or its threads. If this happens, then the power carcass of the tire is worn out and close to destruction.

Is it true that motorcycle tires have an expiration date?

It is believed that yes. Experienced motorcyclists, when purchasing new tires, always look at when they were made - this can be determined by a special stamp on the sidewall, like the Greenline 33.

They say that it dries up, loses its elasticity and begins to cling worse to the asphalt. But it's not. No noticeable differences in the behavior of two identical tires released this year and eight years ago (both, of course, with zero mileage) were found.

Therefore, whether to believe in talk about the expiration date is up to you.