If you have an existing set of motorcycle tires or looking to replace them, you need to know how long certain brands last before paying for them.
Unlike car tires, motorcycle tires have a different life span and are designed for the best performance and durability. But, how long exactly do motorcycle tires last? Here’s what I discovered.
Motorcycle tires will typically last between 3,000 to 25,000 miles (4,800 to 40,000 km) depending on the tire type, riding style, weight, and performance of the motorcycle. Rear tires wear out three times much faster than the front ones; therefore, the front tires last longer. On average, motorcycle tires should last for five years.
Read on for more information about motorcycle tires, how long they last, when to replace them, and why they wear out fast!
On average, motorcycle tires last about 3,000 miles to 25,000 miles depending on different factors.
While this is a common question among motorcycle owners, very few motorcycle tires go beyond 25,000 miles, according to a riders’ poll.
Compared to car tires that can last up to 80,000 miles, motorcycle tires wear out faster because they are engineered differently.
Additionally, the variation in mileage depends on the tire brand, road conditions, performance of the motorbike, riding habits, and the total weight on the bike.
You could easily destroy your sport motorcycle tires in 100 miles on a track day; therefore, there’s no definite mileage.
For instance, lighter touring bikes can last about 9,000 to 15,000 miles, while the sports tires on a high-performance street bike wear out faster and typically last between 1,500 to 5,000 miles.
Keep in mind that you can get fewer or more miles depending on the different circumstances.
As a first-time motorbike owner, you might be surprised at how fast the tires wear out, especially if you also own a car.
Many riders also raise concerns about why the rear tire wears out faster than the front tire.
Motorcycle tires wear out faster because they are engineered differently. They are made from stickier and softer rubber compounds, which tend to wear out faster.
When comparing the different motorcycle tires, the touring ones are much harder; therefore, they will wear out more slowly than the softer sport motorcycle tires.
Here are some factors that affect how fast motorcycle tires wear out
Tire Design and Compounds
Compared to car tires, motorcycle tires will wear out faster because of their design. Manufacturers design them with a curved profile which allows the motorcycle to lean when it turns.
Because of this, the tires have a smaller contact area with the road than a car, which translates to less traction and grip.
Additionally, the ride will be less stable because you are moving on two wheels rather than four wheels.
However, motorcycle tires are still made from rubber that allows the bike to move without any problems. Because the tires are softer and stickier around the rims, they are safe for a motorcycle.
Type and Performance Of The Motorcycle
More powerful motorcycles are heavier and will eat up the tires much faster than light touring tires.
If your motorcycle carries heavy objects or passengers all the time, the weight will make the tires wear out much faster.
Since most of the weight is usually on the rear tire, it explains why it wears out faster than the front one.
Riding Habits
Typically, your driving habits will affect how many miles you get out of your tires. If you are more aggressive, the fewer miles you get.
The tires will not last for long if you are constantly doing burnouts, wheelies, and swerving at high speeds.
Long highway drives that are quiet and smooth will have you using your tires for much longer.
Road And Weather Conditions
If you mostly drive on concrete roads and rough terrain, your tires will go down much faster; however, you’ll get more miles out of your tire if you are on smooth highways.
In warmer climates, the hot temperatures heat up the tires and could lead to a shorter lifespan.
Age Of Tire
Motorcycle tires are expected to last five years; therefore, if you use your set past this period, you might start experiencing issues with the rubber compounds, which become hard and brittle with time.
Tire Maintenance And Care
Your tires will wear out depending on the way you maintain them. If you leave your tires idle for too long, they could develop flat spots or become exposed to harmful substances that can cause the tire to dry rot.
To take care of the tire, you should maintain the correct air pressure, conduct visual checks, take them for wheel alignment, and store them properly.
Motorcycle tire manufacturers recommend that tires should be replaced after five years because the rubber compounds are damaged at this point.
However, with proper storage and maintenance, some riders have used their tires beyond this period, but they should not go beyond ten years for safety purposes.
Companies such as Dunlop recommend that if your tire has been in use for more than five years, it needs to be constantly inspected by a professional annually.
After ten years, the tires need to be replaced even if they look serviceable or are within the legal limit.
Age is not the only determinant when replacing tires. You should also constantly inspect the tire for cuts, cracks, holes, tread depth, and tire pressure.
To check the age of the tire, look for the DOT serial code on the tire sidewall. This code has the week and the year manufacture, which tells you how old your tires are.
Additionally, it would help to carry out a tread depth to confirm that it’s within the legal limit. You can use the penny test for this; if the depth is below 2/32”, it means the tire is worn out and needs to be replaced.
As stated, the rear tires tend to wear out faster than the front tires. Therefore, most riders always ask whether one needs to replace both or just the one that’s worn out.
You should only replace the tires that are worn out, or the tread depth is below the legal limit. However, if you notice any damages to the other tire, it’s advisable to replace them both.
Additionally, if both tires are over five years, it’s better to change them both so that your bike can be stable.
On the other hand, if you switch brands, change both of them because different brands will not perform the same and make riding pretty difficult.
Dunlop tires are known for their high mileage and can go up to 25,000 miles. However, some riders report that they got lower mileages than this.
According to the company, the tires should be replaced and constantly checked after being in use for five years.
Continental designs tires to be used by motorcycles such as Continental ContiMotion. With this sport touring tire, you can get about 20,000 miles.
Just like other motorcycle tires, these require proper care and maintenance to reduce the wear-out rate. They should also be replaced after five years or before if the tires start wearing out.
According to Michelin themselves, their motorcycle tires should be checked by a professional mechanic after being in use for five years and replaced if worn out. Additionally, after ten years, they should not be used again on the motorbike.
On average, these tires last about 25,000 miles if properly taken care of.
To know more about motorcycle tires, you can also read our posts on how long do Harley tires last, if you can plug motorcycle tires, and flat spots on tires.
Motorcycle tires can last an average of 3,000 to 25,000 miles. This wide range in mileage results from the different factors that affect how fast these tires wear out.
Tire manufacturers recommend that a tire professional should constantly check your motorcycle tire to determine whether it should be used further after five years. However, after ten years, it should be replaced because the rubber compounds have reached their limit.
Your tires will last for longer depending on your riding habits, road and weather conditions, type and performance of tires, and age. Therefore, you should ensure you maintain your tires properly if you want them to last longer.
As you might suspect, there’s no single answer as to how long do motorcycle tires last. The amount of mileage you can expect to get out of a single tire depends on several factors - from the construction of the tire to the type of riding you do, to the weight and power of the motorcycle you ride.
In this article we will dive into what sort of mileage you can expect to get from the most popular types of tires on the market, as well as how long you can expect motorcycles tire to last in storage.
Every motorcycle tire comes with a recommended pressure from the manufacturer which is designed to give the optimal balance of performance and longevity.
Any departure from the recommended standard pressure can adversely affect the life of your tire. But that doesn’t mean that you should never play around with your tire pressures to find the best setting to suit your riding.
The tire pressure you’ll find listed on the sidewall is the maximum pressure recommended by the manufacturer and is intended to be used in conjunction with the maximum load rating for the motorcycle – which you’ll find in your owner’s manual and often printed on a tag somewhere around the swingarm as well.
However, many sport and off-road/dual-sport tires will benefit enormously by dropping a few pounds of pressure before being taken into situations that require higher grip, like tight canyon roads, race tracks, or dirt trails.
They’ll wear down faster due to the lower pressures (which generate higher temperatures), but they’ll also give you the performance you need for the type of riding you’re doing, which – in cases like these two – it is probably your main reason for purchasing them in the first place.
On the other end of the spectrum, tires on heavier bikes that do long stretches on the interstate will benefit from running closer to the maximum pressure listed on the tire, especially if you’re carrying extra weight like a passenger and touring luggage.
Wondering how long cruiser motorcycle tires last or touring tires? Tires built for use on big cruisers and touring bikes are intended to withstand both the heavy weight of these machines and the long miles they’re built to ride.
That means that they have sturdier sidewalls and deeper tread, which both play a role in extending the reliable life of the tire.
When well maintained and used with the recommended tire pressure, many cruiser and touring tires have been known to last well beyond the 10k mile mark, with some touring owners claiming to have gotten over 12k miles out of the rear and even more out of the front tires of modern sport touring rubber like the Michelin Pilot Road 5.
Of course, if you’re prone to riding at a more aggressive pace, say on a sport-oriented touring machine like KTM’s 1290 Super Adventure, that number could easily be cut in half depending on how often you like to tempt fate by grabbing a handful of throttle on its 1,301cc engine.
Dual-sport tires can be a mixed bag in terms of longevity, depending on the compound of their rubber and how aggressive the knobs on the tire are.
The Continental TKC80, for instance, is widely considered to be one of the best performing dual-sport tires on the market, but it also has a reputation for being completely roasted before the 5k mile mark.
Other less-aggressive tread options like the Metzler Tourance have been known to get over 10k miles on the rear tire on a mixture of paved and unpaid roads.
Choosing a dual-sport tire, like many other performance-oriented tires, is always going to be a trade-off between longevity, performance, and price. Pick two, as they say.
Without a doubt, sport and hyper-sport tires have the shortest lifespan of any tire on the market.
They’re manufactured with the softest compounds on the market to provide the maximum grip possible in high-speed turns and hard braking, so mileage is often an afterthought at best.
But when only the best will do for performance (and safety), you don’t really have a whole lot of options.
Many sport tire manufacturers have adopted “dual-compound” technology on tires like the Dunlop Q3+, using a longer-wearing rubber in the center of the tire for highway duty and a super-soft compound on the sides for extra grip when the motorcycle is leaned over.
Still, you shouldn’t expect to get more than around three thousand miles out of any hardcore performance tire. Although the front tire will often outlast the rear, most riders choose to replace both at the same time for safety’s sake.
Good news for folks with a set or two of tires living in their garage, motorcycle tires benefit from an exceptionally long shelf life.
As long as they’re kept out of the sun, extreme heat, and weather, motorcycle tires should last a decent amount of time without sacrificing performance or safety.
That being said, they don’t last forever.
Manufacturers stamp a standardized “date code” onto the sidewall of every tire they sell to let the buyer know just how long a tire sat in storage before it was installed.
This is a four-digit number found on your sidewall, with the first two digits signifying the week a tire was manufactured, and the second two digits identifying the year.
So, for example, if the four-digit code on your tire is “0720,” your tire was born sometime in early February of 2020.
As a general rule of thumb, no tire should be used longer than 10 years from the date it was made and should spend no more than five of those years on your bike before being replaced.
As you can see, there are a lot of factors that play into how long motorcycle tires last.
The common thread that all motorcycle tires share, regardless of what you ride and how you ride it, is that they don’t last nearly as long as their four-wheeled counterparts.
Regularly replacing tires is an inevitable part of motorcycle ownership. Take advantage of this fact by trying out different brands and tread patterns each time you swap out a set and you’ll find your sweet spot between value and performance in no time.
Check out our other motorcycle blog posts for more expert tips!
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However, in general terms, we can say that the approximate life of the tire is about 40.000 kilometers. This figure is a good frame of reference if the tires are of good quality.
Properly stored, the tire will remain in optimum condition for up to 6 years after the date of manufacture, according to the manufacturer's statement and general recommendation, it can be sold and used unconditionally as a new product.
Tires are recommended to be changed when they have already covered approximately 40.000 km in the case of a good quality model. This figure may be lower depending on the type of motorcycle, use, and the type of road it is normally ridden on.
Normally, good tires need to be changed at about 40,000 km and poor quality tires need to be replaced at about 10,000 km for rear tires and 5,000 km for front tires, but there are some signs that your tires should be replaced even earlier. what...
As a general rule, some tires have a life span of 40.000 to 50.000 km if they are of good quality. Some tires of the worst range usually have a lifespan of around 1,000,000 miles.
Tires have a date of manufacture, but no expiration date. This is a product with a useful life cycle, but the exact number of kilometers or time of use cannot be determined.
It's simple, you just have to look at the information it offers on the side of the tire. This is the ellipse that surrounds the 4 on car tires, on motorcycles it usually doesn't have this eclipse but comes after DOT which offers this information.
On a motorcycle, the steering wheel will be in the front and the drive wheel, which provides power to the vehicle, will usually be in the rear. This is why the rear tire wears the most.
Whether front wheel drive or rear wheel drive, tires in the best condition should always be placed on the rear axle, this is the safest.
Tire life really depends on a combination of variables, but it is recommended to change tires after driving between 10,000 and 50,000 kilometers. Here are some of the factors that can shorten the life of your tire: Physical factors.
Top 5 scooter tires
product | note | |
---|---|---|
1 | Michelin City Grip 2 Rear Front | 4.60 |
2 | Front Bridgestone Battlax TH01 | 4.43 |
3 | Heidenau K58 M+S Snowtex | 4.36 |
4 | Dunlop TT 93GP | 4.34 |
But this figure can fall below 10.000 40 km if the one who sits in the team is constantly pushing the limits of the car. Therefore, although the tires are designed to last between 50.000 and 50.000 km, the reality hides many important surprises.
Tires must not be stored outdoors in summer or winter, even in a protective case. Think of a cool, dry, slightly ventilated area and of course out of direct sunlight. A basement or other controlled environment is ideal.
Expired tires can cause an accident because, with less grip, they make the car slip or skid easily, not to mention they are more likely to break at any time.
The DOT tire code or label is the code required by the US Department of Transportation to sell tires. Although it is not needed in Europe, it also appears in general. In this code, we can find the date of manufacture of the tire.
Approximately 100.000 kilometers driven by the motorcycle suggest that its use has already turned a profit, but again, we are dependent on use and maintenance and therefore it is important to follow the advice we have mentioned.
WHAT SPEED CAN THE 125CC SCOOTER GO? The maximum speed you can drive on motorways is 120 km/h. The rules of the road also provide for a minimum speed you must drive, which is 60 kilometers per hour.
Tips for caring for your motorcycle and extending its life
A motorcycle tachometer is a device that is placed on the dashboard of a motorcycle and is used to count the rpm at which the engine is running. In appearance, it is similar to an odometer, except that it does not measure speed, but engine speed.
Driving with tires of different sizes, designs, load capacities or speeds can be dangerous for you and other road users. It is best to always follow the manufacturer's specifications or consult with a tire specialist.
Thin tires provide better maneuverability for your Italic while driving, but unlike wide tires they are less stable as they have less grip. Wide.
What is lost in comfort is gained in safety. In addition, the driving resistance will be lower and fuel consumption will be reduced. The pressure must be measured cold, as it rises to more than 0. 5 bar when hot.
To make it clearer, we will clarify this in a very effective but easy to understand way: if the area where you are going to travel is above 7ºC, you will need hard tires. If the area where you are going to travel is below 7ºC, you will need soft tires.
How long does a tire last?
130 | This is a tire width measurement expressed in millimeters. 70 | Indicates the relationship between the height and width of the tire; it is also known as a flank. 17 | This is the inner diameter of the tire, it refers to the size of the rim, and the size is expressed in inches.
The quality of Kenda tires is based on the experience and use of the highest technology rubber on the market. Thousands of athletes use Kenda tires for their wide range and versatility in choosing a tire that delivers quality and reliability at a competitive price.
Top 3 ranking of Chinese tires
The maximum recommended shelf life is five years from date of manufacture (see DOT code). Important: Do not store tires directly on the floor as they may stain.
In principle, they can be stored by placing them on top of each other. However, stack no more than four tires.
Exposure to extreme weather conditions, misuse and high levels of ozone in the atmosphere wear rubber quickly and cause tire cracking.
Tires do not actually have an exact expiration date, this is due to the condition of the outer coating and the internal structure of the wheel, that is, with the use of tires.
As of September 1, 2006, all new tires fresh from the factory must have the DOT (Date of Manufacture) marking on the sidewall. DOT consists of 4 digits.
The depth of the new discs varies from 8 to 9 mm. In Ecuador, the legal minimum is 1.6mm, but inclement weather and terrain can make this minimum unsafe, exposing you to crashes and tire damage.
How to check a used motorcycle before buying it
Therefore, the nominal autonomy will be approximately 300 km.
Premature engine wear. Noises caused by lack of engine lubrication: metallic noises, tappets and other metal parts. Broken connecting rod bushings that need oil to reduce friction as much as possible. Also, and this is a little more serious, cam sparking can occur.
Among other things, the condition of the motorcycle, the purpose of the trip itself, the chosen roads or the desire and skill of the rider. In any case, in order to calculate a suitable route for your first motorcycle trip, we believe that a range of 400 to 500 kilometers per day may be sufficient.
Yes, it is legal as long as the minimum requirements for cylinder capacity, speed and license are met. Motorcycles with a displacement of 125cc or more are allowed, such as the Yamaha YS125, Yamaha MT-125 or Yamaha NMAX 125.
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