Tire selection
- Street Tire :
Daily Commute/City, Shuttle Michelin Road 6, 8000-12000km
- Sport Tire:
Mountain cornering/aggressive driving , Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV , 5000-8000km
- All Terrain Tire (ADV):
Unpaved Road/Long Distance Motocross , Metzeler Tourance Next , 10000- 15000km
- Off-road tires :
Dirt/woods track competition , Dunlop Geomax MX34 , Depends on road conditions
- Track Hot Melt Tires:
Pro track days/extreme grip requirements , Bridgestone Battlax V02 ,1-3 track days
- Cruising tires:
Heavy duty cruiser/straight line comfort , Avon Cobra Chrome , 15000km+
- 180: tread width (mm) → too wide reduces steering agility
- 55: Flatness ratio (tire height ÷ tire width x 100%) → the lower the value, the sharper the road feel
- ZR: High-speed tire (Z class > 240km/h)
- 17: Wheel diameter (inches) → must be the same as original
- 73W: load index (73 = 365kg) + speed rating (W = 270km/h)
- Street Tires: Dense Drainage Grooves + Center Straight Wear Stripes → Anti-slip in the Rain
- Sport tires: reduced grooves + large camber blocks → improved cornering grounding area
- All Terrain Tire: Serrated blocks + deep grooves → double protection against mud and drainage
- Cold Tire Measurement: Tested after parking for more than 3 hours or driving <2km.
- Standard value: Refer to the fuel tank sticker/manual (Do not look at the sidewall MAX value!)
- Dynamic adjustment:
◦ Double riding: rear tire +5psi
◦ Rainy weather: reduce tire pressure by 5% (increase grounding area)
- Tools recommended: digital tire pressure gauge (mechanical gauge has large error)
- Tire tread depth:
◦ Legal limit: ≥0.8mm in most countries (measured with a depth gauge)
◦ Performance threshold: track tires <2mm grip loss
- Wear indicator block (TWI): raised rubber block in the groove, smoothed out = replace immediately!
- Bias wear treatment:
◦ Central flattening: high tire pressure/long periods of driving in a straight line.
◦ Unilateral wear tip: aggressive party in corners → regularly flip tires left and right (non-unidirectional tires only)
3. First aid for wounds - These injuries necessitate the replacement of motorcycle tires!
- Tread nails ≤3mm
✅ Patchable tire
Mushroom nails inside (no tape!)
- Tire wall scoring
❌ Replace immediately
Cord damage = time bomb for flat tire
- Bulge ≥5mm
❌ Replace immediately
Internal cord breakage
- Ageing and cracking
❌ Replace over 5 years even if tread is deep
Rubber hardens and loses elasticity
◦ Valve core deflation → lubricate the tire lip → pry bar inserted into the tire lip and gradually peel off the tire.
◦ Attention: Put protective film on the wheel hub to avoid scratches!
2. Install the new tire:
◦ Confirm the directional arrow on the tire (one-way tires are not reversible!).
◦ Valve tips aligned with wheel balance point (yellow dot light area to valve tips)
3. Dynamic balance:
◦ On-machine inspection → stick a lead block until the error is <5g (the culprit of high-speed shaking!)
4. break-in period:
◦ Avoid sharp braking/cornering for the first 100km → Tread release agent needs to be ground off
⚠️ DISCOURAGEMENT NOTICE: Do not try if you are inexperienced!
2. overdue for service: 6 years old tires (even if the tread depth) → rubber hardening crash rate ↑ 300%!
3. Tire pressure by feel: visual error is often more than 30%!
4. Patch tires mounted on the front wheel: front wheel flat tire mortality rate > 3 times the rear wheel!
5. Changing tires without re-balancing: shaking like a massage chair at 120km/hour!
