Eventually tires wear out, and needreplaced. Typically the rear tires start to square up, losing their roundedprofile, as the center of the tread wears away faster than the shoulders. Fronttires generally wear more evenly across their tread, but may begin to developscalloped wear known as cupping. Knobby tires are more obvious as the knobs startto wear, tear or break-off over time.Inspect your tir...

The design of a decent motorcycle tyre is all about itsconstruction, compound and tread pattern. Advances in the materials used havedeveloped dramatically, with new elements offering manufacturers multipleoptions for both carcass design and compound variation. The traditional balanceof a hard compound for mileage and a soft compound for grip has been modifiedby additional elements that make the ru...

Crossply (or bias) tyres have a relatively simplestructure with sturdy sidewalls and are particularly suited to off-road use asthey resist impact well. They can’t be used at speeds over 150mph (240kmh)Radial tyres – which have an ‘R’ in the designation onthe side – have a casing that sits at 90° to the rolling direction, and a beltthat’s between around 0 and 25° off it. This belt, which sits under...

The legal tread depth limit for motorcycles, mopeds and scootersover 50cc in the UK is 1mm across three quarters of the width of the treadpattern, and with visible tread still remaining on the other quarter. At thispoint though, the ability of your tyre to disperse water will be limited, andit will be performing far from its best in the dry.For anything under 50cc, the law simply states that you m...

It sounds obvious, but the most important point is thatthe tyre must be the right size for your motorcycle, with the correct speed andload ratings. Then, be honest with yourself, and choose rubber that’srecommended by the tyre manufacturers to suit your needs.A good example is sports tyres – many people think theyshould buy the stickiest race rubber they can, but unless you’re riding hard ontrack,...