Tips for picking up the right tires for your motorcycle
All over the world, people go craze over the vehicles they own. Young people love to explore the world with the vehicle they own. Travel is their passion; they spend heaps of money on their favorite motorcycle or car. Bikers call themselves motorcycle enthusiasts as they believe riding motorcycles give them the freedom they long for. If you are someone who carefully spends their assets on various parts of their motorcycle, replace them regularly to maintain it for a longer time. Replacing tires or buying motorcycle tires can be confusing as there are myriad options available in the market. This article helps you pick up the right kind of tire for your motorcycle and lets you know the tiniest detail you need to pay attention to before investing.
Why is it essential to choose the right kind of tire?
Your manufacturer will recommend the right tire for your motorcycle. It would be the right decision to go with their recommendation. Refusing to abide by the recommendation may even lead to disastrous accidents. You also would need to know every information about the tire you buy. All the tire information will be printed on the sides with an array of alphabets and numerical. You would be excited to learn how to read that information.
Before you decide to buy motorcycle tires, you might want to know about the numerical and alphabets printed on the tires. You may see information like 195/55 R 16 87 V on the side of your tire. Each stands for different attributes of the tire. You would like to carefully refer to the tire’s attributes recommended by the manufacturer of your motorcycle with the tires that you are about to buy.
- Tire width: The first numerical stands for tire width in millimeters (here 195).
- Aspect ratio: The next number stands for the aspect ratio in percentage. The height of the tire is 55% of the width (here).
- Type of the tire: R stands for Radical; if B is mentioned, the construction type is cross-ply.
- Rim diameter: This numerical stands for the inner diameter of the tire and is measured in inches.
- Load index: The final number stands for the maximum weight limit that the tire can carry at the maximum speed limit. Here the number 87 depicts that the tire can carry a load up to 545Kgs. You must buy both tires with the same load index that would help distribute the weight equally.
- Speed rating: This alphabet denotes the maximum speed that the tire can handle. V indicates the tire is capable of reaching 240km/h. Again, you may look at the manual that comes with the product to know the various capacities. Buying motorcycle tires that are a lower speed rating than required can also cause serious accidents.
Two distinct types of tires play their respective roles. They are Radical and cross-ply tires. Their varied internal structure highly affects the performance and life of the tire.
- Radical construction: Radial ply tires are widely used across the world. The cord plies if the tire is arranged in a manner that is 90 degrees to the direction of the travel. This is the advanced innovation in the business, specially manufactured to combat the jerks and impact produced due to improper roads. They absorb shocks efficiently. The flexibility of the sidewalls is higher, and hence they produce greater stability. Stability is the one factor that keeps the vehicle on the road without skidding.
- Cross-ply: They are the traditional tires; they are sensitive to overheating and do not absorb shocks effectively. You may find this option suitable if you want to prevent sidewall damage. The initial cost is considerably cheaper when compared to radial ones.
Conclusion:
Do you know that around eleven thousand motorcycle accidents that occur annually are due to low-quality tires? You can never compromise on high-quality tires. Tires play an important role in making the ride comfortable and prolong the life of the vehicle. Hence it would be inappropriate to ignore these important pointers while buying motorcycle tires. You would never want to pull down the performance of your motorcycle by buying low-quality tires.