2Wheeltips

Here is something many riders don't know about. The age of your motorcycle tires is just as important as the depth of the tread.

Why? Because motorcycle tire rubber is soft....much softer than the rubber in your car tires. And it has to be....soft rubber grips the road very well and lets you ride those twisty roads with confidence. It is also why motorcycle tires wear much faster than car tires.

Because they are softer, they will dry out and crack as they get old. Once this happens it doesn't matter if it is a brand new tire or one with a few hundred miles, it is dangerous to use because old motorcycle tires are slippery. They have less grip and increased braking distance which could get you into a crash.




If you ride 2000 miles a year (the estimated average for bikers in the U.S.) or more, you will wear your tires out before they "age" out. If all you do is ride to the local bike night and back a few times a month, you will have hard cracked tires with plenty of tread.

How do you tell the age of the tire? That's simple. It is right on the sidewall....but it is encoded.

The first 2 numbers are the week of the year the tire was made and the last 2 numbers are the year.  So this tire was made the 13th week of 2004.....sometime around the 1st week of April 2004.

Knowing the tire age has a few uses:

Buying used bikes
When buying a used bike, you definitely want to check the tire age. If the tires are over 5 years old, use the tire age to negotiate a better price. You will need to replace those tires soon.

Dealers with leftover bikes
Due to the economy, many motorcycle dealers have brand new 2007 - 2009 bikes.......with old tires. Even brand new bikes have tires that are at least 1 year old on them. So a "new" 2007 bike could have tires made in 2005. Here is a chance for you to ask for a price break or have the dealer put newer tires on the bike as part of the deal.

Websites that sell discount tires
Why do you think some websites (I won't name any here) sell motorcycle tires for 65% - 75% off? Because they are old. Some of them have been sitting around in storage for 6 or 7 years. If you order from a discount tire website, let them know up front you will not accept any tires that are over 18 months old. If they ship them anyway, refuse the order.

I hope this helps.

I took my Yamaha fjr 1300 out for a spin yesterday. I haven't been on it much because it needs tires.....soon. I figure I have 500 miles before the only riding I can safely do will be in a straight line.

Anyway, while riding I noticed the bike didn't have much cornering traction and I could not lean it hot and heavy through the curves without it "drifting." In some curves I could feel the back tire slide out a bit. Even when making quick lane changes, I felt like I was riding on bubble gum or some other gooey substance. I knew immediately it was the tires. I decided to ride less aggressively and finish up the ride at a moderate pace.

So what happens when motorcycle tires need to be replaced? Well...cornering traction suffers...a lot! If you are used to leaning your bike hard and fast through curves, doing it on worn tires may land you in a ditch on the side of the road.  Also you may notice the bike drifting around when changing lanes. And finally, your stopping distance is impacted.

Will I try to get the final 500 miles in? Probably. But I know that I can not ride the bike like I normally do until I replace the tires.

FYI. We also have motorcycle Tire recall data too. It is also in the news tab.
Let me know what you think.

Here is an excellent overview of of motorcycle tires.

http://www.maxxis.com/MotorcycleATV/Motorcycle-Tire-School.aspx

Last week I dropped my bike while turning onto the street in front of my place. It wasn't anything major but it was definitely a shock. I've been riding since 2005, have 3 bikes and the worst that has happened was a tipover when the bike was warming up in the driveway.

So what happened? Well I decided to take out my Yamaha FJR 1300 sport tourer which I hadn't been on in over a month. I did my regular pre-ride inspection including checking the tire pressure. Afterwards, I rode up to the main street and prepared to make a left turn. After checking traffic, I eased into the friction zone, rolled on the gas and halfway through the turn the rear wheel kicked out and down I went. The bike slid 6 feet and I was fortunate that I was able to get off and didn't get hurt. I ran over to pick up the bike. No major damage....just a few scrapes on the hard bag and no damage to the clutch.

I've made that turn too many times to count and couldn't help but wonder what happened? Did I hit the gas too hard? Were the tires cold? Since I hadn't been on the bike in a while, did I forget how powerful the bike is? After getting the bike up and moving it to the side of the road, I decided to check the tires again to see if I missed anything. Sure enough there was some oily residue on the tires! I did have oil on my garage floor and some of it must have gotten on the tires. The combination of oil and cold tires was enough to cause the rear wheel to slide out.

I waited a few minutes, started the bike and was able to ride 100 miles that day. I was initally reluctant to lean the bike hard through curves but after the tires warmed up I could feel them gripping the road. Near the end of the ride, I was going around my favorite curves with confidence.

Next time I will make sure to double check my tires for any oil or grease and take it extra slow until my tires warm up.

You need to modify your riding style when riding on new tires.,

New tires are very very slippery. There are conflicting reasons for this (mold release compound, chemicals used in the molding process etc.) but one thing is for sure, hard leaning and quick braking on new tires is a quick way to crash your bike.

Although some people will tell you to use  sandpaper, degreaser or do a "burn out", the only way to get rid of the slippery surface is through the friction caused by riding.  75 miles is usually enough to get it off.

The first 5 - 10 miles are the most dangerous. The tires have limited grip and will drift from even the slightest lean.  So take it nice and slow. As you get closer to 30 miles you can begin leaning a bit more to wear the tires closer to the edges. As you get closer to 75 miles, you will feel the tires grip more.

One final tip. Even after you have passed 75 miles, remember your tires are still new. Save the hard leans and braking for when you have a few hundred miles on the tires.

One of the simplest bike maintenance things you can do is making sure your tires are properly inflated.

Not only will your bike handle better with properly inflated tires, but you will get better gas milage and your tires will last longer.

You should check your tires when they are cold as the internal pressure increases when the tires heat up. For this reason, you should buy a pump and tire gauge and perform this basic maintenance before you take the bike out for a ride.

Motorcycle tires are small enough to inflate with a hand pump, but a foot pump is easier. Even better, many portable battery chargers come with electric pumps and can inflate a tire to the proper level within minutes.

Finally, do not over inflate your tires. The proper PSI is in your motorcycle manual and on the sidewall of the tire.

When you first take off on your bike, remember that tires need time to warm up.  Motorcycle tires are softer than automobile tires because they need to grip the road better.  The gripping power of your tires is enhanced when they are warm; they become stickier and adhere to the road surface better.  So when starting out, remember to take it easy going around curves; your tires need time to reach the temperature at which they can grip they way you want (and need) them to. 8 miles or so of riding on a warm day will do the trick.

It is important to keep your tires properly inflated, and checking the tire pressure should be done when the tires are cold. For this reason, you need to have a tire pump and not drive to the local gas station for air. Below are a few tips we have encountered along the way.


Hand Pumps

A good hand pump can do the job of adding 1 - 3 PSI to a tire. Not very good if you need to add 8 or more PSI. Our high pressure hand pump required between 20 - 25  "pumps" to add 1 PSI.


Foot Pump

A good foot pump can quickly add a good amount of pressure without wearing yourself out. A good one will have a gauge so you can check the pressure as you pump.


Electric Pump

The best option I have come across is an electric pump. Most of the portable battery chargers come with a pump and a built in gauge. They can quicky add 10 or more PSI to a tire in a few minutes.