Motorcycle tires are oftentimes misunderstood. This
is a saddening fact. They must be well-taken care of
because they affect comfort, safety, handling as well
as the entire ride.
We riders must be aware of the two types of tire
construction – the bias-ply and the radial. Cruisers,
usually use bias-ply tires. On the other hand, sport
bikes use radials. Bias-ply has a round profile and
high sidewalls while a radial tire has a flatter profile
and shorter sidewalls.
In bias-ply, the carcass is made up of overlapping
layers of nylon or rayon cords. The flexing action
generates heat to result to a good grip. The disadvantage
though of this construction is that it decreases performance
and accelerates tire wear when too much heat is generated.
Radial tire construction, however, got its name
because its plies are running at a 90-degree angle.
As opposed to the bias-ply, this construction reduces
heat generation. As a result, tires are cooler. The
adverse effect though is that the sidewalls are easily
flexed. Thus, the sidewalls are given a shorter profile.
Tire pressure really matters to the tires. Therefore,
it has to be checked regularly.
Aside from tire construction, we must also be knowledgeable
about tire wear in relation to choosing tires. Softer
compounds are good in producing more traction however,
they wear out quickly. Harder compounds have better
wear but they may not cause a good grip. Moreover,
OEM or aftermarket motorcycle parts manufacturers
and distributors must consider dealing with effective
grip coupled with longer mileage when it comes to
tires. This is of course to prolong the life of motorcycle
tires.
One factor that can affect tire wear is the rider’s
riding style. Aggressive riders usually have their
front tire to wear out faster than the rear. This
is because they tend to brake late with mostly the
front brake. In contrast, cruiser riders, normally
wear out the rear tire first. The reason is that they
have more weight at the back of the bike.
In order to know, when to change your tires, you
can do the ‘penny test’. To do this, put a penny into
a tire groove with its head pointing down if you can
see the top of the head of the person in the coin,
well, its time to change tires. It can be an indication
that the tread depth has already reached 1/32 of an
inch. Remember, new tires will have a very different
contact patch and lean-over edge.
Have a feel of your new tires. Yield a better and
optimum road grip and find your edge in the riding
community!
Maricon Williams
Please visit Aftermarket Motorcycle Parts Custom
site at Aftermarket Custom Motorcycle Parts
for comments and inquiries regarding this article.
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