Tires are a fundamental component of the bike, the most important feature of which is grip on the ground.
As is well known, the safety of your motorcycle depends largely on the type of tire chosen, which affects the ability to brake, to tackle curves and changes of direction without slipping, etc.
Content index
Tire grip depends on two important factors:
- Chemical composition, the exact components of which are a trade secret.
- Temperature: the degree of adhesion of is functional to its temperature, which increases proportionally to the mechanical stresses to which it is subjected.
For the purposes of proper maintenance of these components it is advisable to keep some tips in mind:
- The pressure should be checked regularly at least every 500-1000 km, as it affects the footprint, ensuring adherence. The correct pressure is that which is indicated in the booklet supplied with the vehicle and can be easily measured with a portable digital pressure gauge that can be purchased for a few euros.
- Tire wear should be checked regularly; most of them have grooves inside with small steps indicating the wear limit. When you reach them you need to replace the tires as soon as possible.
- Used tires: better not. The appearance of used tires, especially those found on offer on the internet, can often be deceiving and what appeared to be a bargain can turn out to be a bad deal.
- For proper maintenance of tires, it is advisable not to leave them exposed to the sun or in environments exposed to humidity for too long. Furthermore, they should not stay in the same position for a long time.
Buying Guide
When purchasing tires, it is also necessary to choose the model that best suits the performance required of the motorcycle. One of the most common mistakes is for example that of buying track tires when mostly the motorcycle on the road.
This type of tires, suitable for a motorcycle track where high speeds can be reached, are not suitable for road circulation, often subject to speed limits not present on a track. For this reason, you risk traveling with constantly cold tires and with poor grip on the ground.
Types of tires
For the sake of clarity, an overview of the different tire categories is provided:
- Track, with a smooth tread, which guarantees greater adherence to the asphalt.
- Track / road approved for use both on the road and on the track, characterized by a variable number of grooves on the tread.
- Sport touring with a high number of grooves on the tread, recommended for those who travel annually many kilometers.
- Custom-cruiser, think of the heavier motorcycles, whose performance has been improved thanks to specific grooves for the flow of water.
- On / Off are ideal for those who use their bike both on and off the road. For this reason these tires have a high number of grooves to ensure better grip in both cases.
- Off road characterized by a knobbly tread, suitable for softer terrains.
