Knowing the tread depth number left on your tire gives you a mental reminder of how quickly that replacement time is coming. Ask your automotive maintenance shop, when you trade out your tires for the season, to measure the tread depth and give you their calculation of the time left. Tire manufacturers and safety regulatory bodies say a tire must be replaced when the tread depth reaches 1.6mm or 2/32 of an inch.
Summer tires should be replaced at 3mm tread depth and winter tires should be replaced at 4mm tread depth.
We Canadians love to drive our cars. Canada is the second largest country after Russia, meaning we have lots and lots of kilometres of highways and roads.You can use the number of kms you drive per year to give you an idea of how long your tires will last based on your driving habits: Divide the number of kms you’ve driven by the number of years you have driven the vehicle. Look up the tire’s make and model to see how many years of service you can expect the tires to give.
Does a particular choice of tire increase its longevity? How long should your tires last? Some tires are built to reflect a warranty of approximately 100,000 km while entry-level tires have a warranty of approximately 60,000 km.Specialty tires are built for different driving conditions; high-performance tires are engineered to heat up quickly to grip the road making their life expectancy shorter.
All-terrain tires are made with rubber compounds designed to withstand off-road conditions which means they must be changed more often than regular tires.
How the tire is driven. Running the sidewalls of your tires against curbs and hitting potholes can reduce a tire’s overall life. Pushing the limits of your high-performance tires will lessen their time on the roads.
Tire rotations and alignment. Change a tire’s position on your vehicle every year to lengthen the life of your tires. Tire rotations are normally done when you switch the tires seasonally.
Underinflated tires. Did you know that driving underinflated tires leads to more sidewall flexing which causes them to run hot? It is especially important to have properly inflated tires if you are driving on highways a lot because they run even hotter at high speeds.
Underinflated tires driven at highway speeds, can lead to tread separation or even blowouts, and we don’t mean the hairdo kind.
Summer and winter tires. Do you divide your tire-usage time between summer and winter tires? That too, will extend the life of each kind of tire.
The age of the tire. Have you ever pulled an old rubber-jar-sealer out of a box after a few years? It has given up its ability to remain in its original form. It sticks to the jar and pulls apart. In some cases, depending on the rubber’s composition, as with vehicle tires, it turns brittle and hard over time as the components degrade.
Even if a vehicle has been sitting quietly waiting for you in someone’s dusty garage, the rubber breaks down, and the reinforcing cords lose their strength, increasing the tire’s risk of failure.
The question, "How long does a tire last?" tends to be followed by several others like, “What causes a tire to wear? When should tires be replaced? What can be done to make tires last longer?” Fortunately, we can help provide clarity around these questions.
There is no exact answer to how long a particular tire will last, but there are things a driver can do to get the most out of their tire investment and avoid driving on unsafe tires. On average, people drive between 12,000 to 15,000 miles a year, which means the average good quality all-season tire will last somewhere between three and five years, depending on maintenance, driving style and conditions, etc.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA) states a driver is three times more likely to be involved in a crash caused by poor tire condition.
Safer is smarter when it comes to the health of tires, so if there is ever a question on tread wear or age, have the tires checked.
Multiple factors play a role in how long a tire may remain in service. Miles driven, road conditions, driving style, maintenance and age all affect how long a tire lasts.
Worn vs. Aged
Tires naturally wear the more they are driven and worn out tires provide reduced traction compared to those with adequate tread, especially in adverse weather conditions. Most drivers understand worn out tires (remaining tread depth at or below 2/32”) should be removed from service.
Many drivers are not aware that minimally used tires, like the ones on recreational vehicles, collectible cars, or even spare tires, tend to experience aging instead of wearing, due to a lack of driving. An aged tire has a substantial amount of tread; however, the structural integrity of the tire is weaker because the tire needs to be driven for the chemicals in the rubber to remain effective.
Curbs, Potholes, and Other Hazards
Hitting curbs or driving on roads in poor condition (potholes, broken pavement, poorly graded railroad crossings, unpaved roads, etc.) can cause misalignment, and suspension damage that affects tire wear. If your daily drive includes these challenges, be sure to schedule annual suspension, alignment and tire checks.
Weather Conditions
Driving in poor weather conditions like ice, snow, and rain can cause tires to wear quicker because they must work harder to maintain traction. Purchasing tires that are specially engineered to perform in specific weather conditions can provide drivers with an extra measure of traction and control (meaning greater safety) while delivering good treadwear.
Bridgestone offers different types of tires designed to keep you and your car safe during any weather or road condition. For example, Bridgestone's Blizzak tire series is built to perform in harsh winter weather conditions providing durable traction on snowy and icy roads, and the Dueler tire series is one of several that offer a secure grip on wet road conditions for areas that experience heavy rain.
Poor Driving Habits
Poor driving habits like hard cornering, quick acceleration, and sudden braking can increase the stress on tires tremendously, causing them to wear rapidly. Drivers can extend the life of their tires significantly by avoiding aggressive driving.
Neglected Maintenance
It is important to regularly have tires checked for damage, to maintain air pressure levels, and to keep tires aligned and rotated. Without proper maintenance, tire life can be reduced by as much as half - even more, in some cases.
If the below signs are evident with your tires, it may be time to have them replaced.
Low Tread Depth
Tread loss is a significant sign a tire needs to be replaced. Low tread is a sign driver can physically see happening on their tire. Depending on the part of the tire that is wearing, there may be other problems with the vehicle.
Pronounced inner or outer shoulder wear: tires are misaligned
Edge of the shoulder wear: tires are under-inflated, need to be rotated or both.
Center wear: tires may be overinflated or have been subjected to extremely hard acceleration.
Cupped wear: the vehicle is experiencing suspension problems
All tires have tread wear indicators built-in, but if the tread looks low take time to do the penny test on the tires.
Rough Drive
If you’re experiencing a vibration (particularly if it just started), or high (and increasing) levels of tire noise it may be a sign your tires are out of balance, not wearing properly or have a structural issue. In some cases, this may affect safety, so have your tires checked by a qualified professional asap.
DOT Number
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) number on the tire’s sidewall is another way to help keep track of when they need to be replaced. It’s easy to identify - look for the letters “DOT” followed by eleven or twelve letters and numbers. On tires made after the year 2000 the final four digits signify the week and year of manufacture.
So, a tire with “3618” would have been made in the 36th week or 2018. A tire that has a 3-digit week-and-year code means the tire was made before the year 2000 and should be replaced due to age.
Bridgestone recommends that its Bridgestone or Firestone brand tires be removed from service after ten years regardless of their remaining tread depth. They also recommend periodic inspections by a qualified technician for damage such as punctures, impact damage, signs of improper inflation or overloading, or other conditions resulting from the use or misuse of the tire.
Tires are both one of the largest maintenance expenses a vehicle owner is likely to face, and one of the most critical in terms of driving safety and performance. For both reasons it’s important to care for them properly. Bottom line: good maintenance and driving habits help keep drivers safe, and it saves them money by extending tire life.
Easy Does It
Tire life can be reduced by as much as half when they’re subjected to a lot of hard braking and aggressive acceleration from a standstill.
Avoiding tailgating to reduce the need for frequent hard braking will increase tire life. Easing into the throttle when pulling away from a stop reduces strain on the tires and improves wear. Slowing before sharp corners also reduces stress on tires, as does avoiding potholes and broken pavement when possible. If you’re interested in spending less on tires, following these steps can help.
Regular Maintenance
Another way to extend tire life is to keep up with the proper maintenance of a vehicle and its tires. A couple of things you can do yourself are to check the air pressure and tread depth. You should have a qualified technician periodically check their balance and alignment and be sure to have tires rotated at regular intervals. maintenance is essential for your tires to perform their best and last their longest.
Text: Andrey Rodionov, Dmitry Kolchugin
Photo: Nikita Kolobanov, Andrey Rodionov, rubber manufacturers
The tasks facing motorcycle tire developers are extremely complex and contradictory.
On the one hand, tires must effectively transmit engine power, prevent stalls and slips, provide feedback and allow the rider to “feel the road”. On the other hand, to ensure a minimum tire wear rate, and make it uniform across the entire width of the working surface. Therefore, when choosing a tire for certain operating conditions, we will inevitably have to sacrifice something.
Our task is greatly facilitated by the experience of global motor rubber manufacturers. Based on the collected data, they have already calculated the optimal ratio of tire characteristics for different conditions, and are ready to offer us ready-made solutions.
There is a great variety of motor rubber models designed for a variety of operating conditions. In this article we will consider its main types. Naturally, the focus will be on road models. We will touch on tires for motocross and enduro only in passing, since in order to fully cover this topic, we will need to write a separate voluminous material.
So, let's get started...
Motor rubber classification.
First, some boring theory.
Any reference book will tell you that motorcycle tires are Diagonal and Radial. The frame of the diagonal motor rubber is made of cross layers of cord, which are directed diagonally from one side of the tire to the other. Each subsequent layer of cord is located at an angle of 90 degrees to the previous one. In some tire models, another layer is applied over the cross plies of the cord, directed in the direction of rotation of the tire. Such a layer is called a Belt, and the design of such a tire is Diagonally Belted. In a radial tire, the plies of the cord are located “radially”, at an angle of 90 degrees to the direction of tire rotation.
Cruiser and custom tires.
Bias tires are well suited for cruiser class motorcycles. Their sidewalls resist loads and impacts much better, so a heavily loaded motorcycle with a passenger on board is not a problem for such tires.
But for powerful and fast power cruisers such as the Yamaha V-MAX II and Harley Davidson V-Rod, radial tires are more suitable. Their sidewalls are not as strong, so the height of such tires, as a rule, is much less. But they are less subject to internal heating and wear during movement, especially at high speeds.
Tires for vintage motorcycles.
There are many different types. Starting from vintage tires with a classic look for some Royal Enfield and old school custom, and ending with the high-tech Pirelli Phantom Sportscomp, which differs from most modern tires only in an elaborate tread pattern.
Small displacement tires.
Another class of tires that includes both radial and bias-ply tires is the small displacement tire. The popularity of checks and three hundred among young people forced the designers to produce tires for the most varied use of these motorcycles. Starting from "diagonals" for lovers of leisurely travel around Moscow (sometimes together), and ending with sports radial tires for those who do not get out of the karting track.
After all, radial tires are much better suited for fast and accurate aerobatics. Their advantages are especially relevant in motorsport.
Racing slicks
A highly specialized product designed for competition and training of professional and amateur athletes, exclusively on sports tracks. Not approved for use on public roads. Most often they have a smooth surface without grooves and patterns, in order to achieve the maximum area of the wheel contact patch. The type of tire without grooves is commonly called - Slick. The sidewall shape of the racing tires is also optimized to maintain traction in extreme lean angles of the motorcycle when cornering not only with the knees, but also with the elbows. They have an extremely limited resource. As a rule, they are subject to replacement after a race or practice session. Provides unparalleled traction.
In addition to their appearance, these tires are characterized by a special temperature regime.
Operating temperature: 80-100°C An unheated tire of this type differs significantly in its properties from the same wheel brought to operating temperature. Accordingly, all its high characteristics appear only after warming up to the specified parameters. That is why in sports competitions so much attention is paid to warming up the rubber with the help of special “warmers”, and during the so-called warm-up lap preceding the combat race.
Racing slicing
In some racing series, the use of smooth tires - slicks - is prohibited for marketing reasons, etc. Therefore, most manufacturers produce racing tires with the minimum number of grooves necessary to comply with the regulations of these competitions. Otherwise, these are, as a rule, the same uncompromising racing tires that are not intended for public roads. The formal exception is the Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa SC. The Pirelli website states that this model is suitable for driving on public roads.
But those who have experience with this rubber know that this is an exclusively racing product, not much different from classmates. Caution for newbies. If you decide to use such tires in the city, counting on an unprecedented grip, you will be bitterly disappointed. It is almost impossible to warm them up to operating temperature on public roads. Even after a series of accelerations and decelerations, the sidewalls will remain cold, and you will be indescribably surprised to go into slippery with a completely childish tilt of the motorcycle. For this reason, you should not buy Dunlop D212 and Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa SC for next to nothing with a still “live” middle from riders after the track. Especially if you have never encountered this rubber model before, even on a karting track.
Street legal racing cut
The main difference from the previous class is in the temperature regime. These tires hold up much better when cold and don't run as hot.
As a rule, it is: 60-80°C. Accordingly, their maximum grip properties are slightly lower. But the best grip in a cold state allows them to be allowed on public roads. And if you get to the training track on your own, then these tires are the best choice. These are the fastest tires allowed on city streets.
The presence of this class of tires is primarily due to the specific requirements of amateur competitions. In such races, for reasons of economy, the use of heating pads is often prohibited. And so that novice racers do not get killed in the very first turn due to cold tires, the regulations require the use of road tires approved for operation at the DOP.
Racing rain tires
A separate class of racing tires is rain racing tires. Their task is to completely remove water from the contact patch, including when the motorcycle is tilted, as well as the maximum level of grip on wet asphalt. When driving on dry roads, such tires are subject to rapid wear, as they have a very soft composition.
Supersport tires
Designed for more aggressive driving than conventional road racing tires. But in terms of grip, they still fall short of street legal racing “cutting”.
Sport road tires
Designed primarily for powerful sports and urban motorcycles. Fully suitable for operation on public roads. The available grooves, most often, are enough to drain water from the contact patch in case of light rain. At the same time, such tires retain most of the positive qualities of their brutal racing relatives on the sports track. What's more, the amateur rider who trains once a week doesn't have to worry about reaching the optimum operating temperature and pressure.
Sports tires go into operating mode much faster than racing tires, and their parameters in a warm state and “cold” differ not so significantly. But you should not be under any illusions about the ultimate capabilities of such tires in a race, even an amateur one.
The fantastic traction properties of racing tires brought to operating temperature are unattainable for sports tires. Therefore, in extreme conditions, be careful and keep your sobriety of mind.
But the resource of such tires is not limited to a couple of races on the highway, and ranges from 4000 km. up to 7000 km., depending on the engine power, the owner's piloting style, and his love to burn rubber, performing rolling burnout. So, sports tires are a reasonable choice for the owner of a sports or fast road bike, looking at the track or karting track 1-2 times a month to brush up on the relevant skills.
Road touring tires
For this type of rubber, its resource is of particular importance, since it is such rubber that is most often used by motorcycle travelers in their many thousands of runs around cities and countries. In addition to long routes with different quality of coverage, on which the tourist tire must be equally predictable and safe, long trips are usually associated with a large mass of transported belongings, without which the life of a motorcycle tourist becomes dull and bleak.
And the tourist motorcycles themselves, in terms of their curb weight, are increasingly approaching diesel locomotives.
Therefore, a road touring tire must not only withstand long runs, but also withstand high loads well. At the same time, the requirements for the quality of adhesion give way to high predictability and "motorcycle feel" that allows even an inexperienced motorcyclist to feel and stop the development of slips and drifts at an early stage. The main task is not to pass the route at the highest speed, but to reach the final destination in the safest possible mode, while maintaining control over the motorcycle in any weather.
Accordingly, the water drainage grooves in such tires are more developed. And some models are specially optimized to maintain performance on wet roads. The resource of such tires, as a rule, ranges from 10,000 to 20,000 km. Best of all road-touring tires are suitable for city and travel on road and tourist motorcycles. Moreover, for the latter, given their large mass, special “reinforced” versions of tires are sometimes produced.
Dual purpose tires
The high popularity of enduro motorcycles in Europe is beyond the understanding of domestic brains. Especially if you take into account the average European quality of the road surface. But the fruits of this popularity can be enjoyed by our compatriots who operate all-terrain vehicles.
Tires for "parquet" crossovers
The real heyday of this class of tires happened immediately after the appearance in 2010 of the Ducati Multistrada motorcycle, as well as many of its followers. Just like the Porsche Cayenne and BMW X5 crossovers, these bikes are only nightmares for serious off-road use. But nothing prevents them from amusing the pride of the owners on a trampled primer.
But back to tires. In terms of its composition and parameters, this is, as a rule, a specialized tourist rubber capable of withstanding long distances, having a tread that provides the minimum necessary “hook” on unpaved areas.
It is designed for large and powerful motorcycles, has a high load capacity and speed index, is comfortable, provides good handling at high speeds and wet roads.
The resource of such tires, as a rule, reaches 20,000 km. And also, due to the obligatory presence of exclusively road dimensions in such models, every city madman can put them on his blue Drozd and rush off towards Magadan.
All-terrain tires
But, unlike in the automotive industry, the rise of the parquet crossover motorcycle class hasn't dampened the popularity of true touring enduros like the Bavarian Great Goose. Such motorcycles can travel on roads with any surface, as well as without it.
Therefore, tires designed for driving on asphalt and dirt in a ratio of 50/50 (as an option: 60/40) are produced by every world-class motor rubber manufacturer. Their task is to provide an acceptable grip on both dirt and asphalt roads.
The resource of such tires, as a rule, ranges from 13,000 to 15,000 km.
It should be noted that the higher the rubber resource, the larger the contact patch of the tread with the coating. Therefore, with the growth of off-road characteristics of tires, the resource decreases. Also, the harder the composition of the rubber, the higher its survivability. But grip on wet roads with hard rubber will be noticeably worse.
Off-road tires
The most off-road, among the “civilian” tires, designed for the most desperate travelers and rally marathon participants. They allow you not to think about the presence of any road under the wheels.
These tires have a very strong carcass that provides the necessary margin of safety, which allows you to move on some models even on a punctured wheel. Often, a slight reduction in pressure will achieve more even wear and improve traction on wet pavement.
The resource of such tires is approximately 6000 - 12000 km.
Off-Road Sport Tires
Not for highway use only are not certified and do not have an OTP approval.
These are special tires for motocross and enduro, not designed for high speeds. True, there are separate models from this category that are approved for use on the roads, but this is more of a nod to consumers. The resource on the roads of these tires is small, road characteristics, such as handling and braking, also leave much to be desired.
Therefore, we can rather talk only about the possibility of driving on these tires to real off-road without changing shoes. They have a diagonal design and are designed for use with chambers or mousses. They are mainly produced in dimensions R21, R19 and R18 and very rarely - R17. These tires can be divided into motocross tires and enduro tires.
In each of these segments there are sports-oriented models, and amateur formats are more versatile (usually these are old models that no longer satisfy athletes, but are in demand). Unlike many other types of motor tires, motocross and enduro tires are consumables. They must work out their task with maximum effect and, by and large, the residual resource is not of interest to manufacturers.
Motocross tires
Motocross is a very intense, short ride with high shock and alternating loads from acceleration to braking on a pre-prepared track with relatively uniform soil. To do this, the cross tire has a hard cord, high and aggressive lugs and a relatively hard rubber compound.
Motocross tires are available in different types for different types of terrain. They differ in the tread pattern and the composition of the rubber used. The main pattern: on hard ground, tires with wide lugs and more elastic rubber are used, on soft ground - with rare tread blocks and harder rubber. The tire pressure used is 1.2-0.8 kPa: the softer the ground, the higher the pressure.
Enduro competition tires
Enduro competitions include other additional types of obstacles: logs, fords, stones, rocks. To effectively overcome them, tires are used that combine the properties of tires for motocross - for overcoming unpaved areas, and trial - for other obstacles.
For this, a very soft tire carcass is used, the maximum width and elasticity of the rubber compound for better grip.
The FIM European Enduro regulation provides for a limitation on the height of the tread used, so the block height on these tires is lower than on motocross tires. These tires are used with mousses instead of tubes to maximize the effect of low pressure inside the tire without the fear of blowing or spinning the tire.
All-terrain tires
Also, most manufacturers produce all-round types of tires, amateur format, combining cross-country and enduro characteristics. (Usually these are old models that no longer satisfy athletes, but are in demand.) Among the tires for enduro, there are also models of a universal format that are suitable for use in both cartri-cross and enduro, can be used with tubes and mousse.
Running in road tires
Having bought and installed new tires on a motorcycle, do not rush to check its adhesion at maximum speeds and angles of inclination.
Each new tire must undergo a run-in, during which its carcass, bandage and rubber layer are run in and reach the design characteristics. It is believed that the distance is 100 km. enough to break in a new wheel. After passing it, do not forget to check the pressure in the wheel, as well as inspect it for proper fit and possible geometry violations. If there are no problems, the wheel is ready for full operation.
It must be remembered that most of the motor rubber models are coated with a special compound before use, which prevents it from drying out and aging during storage. It is believed that rubber coated with this composition retains its properties for five years. After installing a new wheel, you must carefully erase this layer during break-in, gradually increasing the angle of the motorcycle to the maximum values \u200b\u200bthat you use during operation. But remember that by erasing the protective composition, you start the process of drying the rubber compound.
And after 2 years, regardless of the mileage, the wheel will need to be changed.
It must be remembered that tires require running-in not only before operation, but also after winter storage. A layer of dried rubber forms on the surface of the wheel, which must be carefully wiped off during the first rides of the new season.
Tire pressure
If you bought your motorcycle new from an authorized dealer, it must have a sticker indicating the recommended pressure for the front and rear wheels. As a rule, this information is placed on the rear swingarm of the motorcycle. In the future, most motorcyclists are guided precisely by the numbers indicated in it, naively believing that they have optimal pressure for all occasions. In fact, the values indicated on the pendulum, at best, are suitable for rubber, which the motorcycle is equipped with at the factory.
In reality, in order to find the optimal tire pressure, we need to take into account not only the motorcycle model, but also the tire model, the weight of passengers and luggage, as well as the conditions of this particular trip.
And the first thing you need to build on is the rubber model installed on the motorcycle. Each motorcycle manufacturer posts on its website information about the recommended pressure in each of its tire models.
These data take into account not only the features of the type of motor rubber we are interested in (tourist, sports, etc.), but also the design features of each model and the technologies used in it. This is especially true when the motorcycle is used "not for its intended purpose."
For example, when a sportbike is fitted with touring tires and set off on a journey; or when a road builder is used for kart training with uncompromising racing slicks. Remember, in such cases, you need to focus not on the recommendations of the motorcycle manufacturers, but on the information of the engineers who developed your tire model.
But that's not all! If we return to the ground and look at the real operating conditions of motor tires, we will see that on the same tires someone goes to work and to a party place, someone travels to neighboring regions and countries, and someone does not get out from the karting track.
How to adjust the pressure in each of these cases?
General recommendations will be quite simple. Let's say you have a road bike with the recommended pressure on the swingarm: 2.25 BAR at the front and 2.5 BAR at the rear. If you have road or road-sport tires, then this pressure is more suitable for touring on a lightly loaded motorcycle. In this case, the contact patch will be smaller, the tire will dent less, and, accordingly, its wear will be slower. If you are traveling with a passenger and several cases for very long distances and at high speeds, it is better to increase the pressure in the rear wheel to 2.8 - 3.0 BAR.
After running several thousand kilometers in this mode, the rear wheel will most likely form a flat ground. But the carcass of the tire will not suffer, and there will be no danger of its destruction. The pressure in the front wheel should not be raised above 2.5 BAR on powerful heavy motorcycles, and 2.3 BAR on medium-sized vehicles. If you increase the pressure in the front wheel even more, then the tire life will not increase from this, and the likelihood of losing grip during braking will increase.
In the city, motorcyclists most often ride without a passenger, make more maneuvers, accelerate and brake. The importance of the tire resource in this case gives way to grip properties. The cost of a mistake, loss of traction and unplanned slipping can be unreasonably high. Under these conditions, on an average motorcycle weighing about 200 kg, in road and sport tires, it makes sense to maintain a pressure of about 2.2 BAR in both tires. Thus, we increase the contact patch and help the rubber warm up faster for better grip. Naturally, the life of the tire decreases with decreasing pressure. But you need to be aware of what is more important: the durability of the rubber or the traction reserve.
On powerful liter motorcycles, the load on the rear wheel - and therefore wear - is even higher. And only the owner himself chooses the balance between road grip and the wear rate of the rear wheel.
Finally, a go-kart or racing track. A place where tire resource does not play any role.
Only the coupling parameters of the rubber with the canvas of the race track are important. Numerous experiments and experiments undertaken by people who regularly test motorcycles on karts and racing tracks - motorcycle journalists, experts and athletes - show that most sports, road and road-touring tires provide the best traction at a pressure of 2.1 BAR - on the front wheel , and 1.9BAR - on the back, on cold tires. For some rubber models, this value may differ slightly, but in most cases its difference fits into the error of a conventional pressure gauge manufactured in the People's Republic of China.
Lowering the pressure further does not add traction and only worsens the handling of the motorcycle. When the pressure in the front wheel drops below 1.9 BAR, when cornering, the bike's handlebars begin to bend, that is, it tries to turn in the direction of the turn. If the rear tire loses pressure to 1.6 BAR, then in corners the rear of the motorcycle begins to float on the pavement, there is a feeling that is best described by the word “squish”.
Considering that the pressure applied on sports tracks allows for the greatest traction properties of motor tires, many people use it when driving in the city, where the margin of the handle can be a great help when making detours or during emergency braking. But you need to understand that tire wear at such a pressure will be higher, and its resource will be less.
Special mention should be made of powerful sport bikes, which often have a recommended pressure of 2.5 - 3.0 BAR on the swingarms. It must be understood that such motorcycles wear tires much more intensively. And the resource of the same rear wheel model on a road bike and on some Eradin will differ by 2 times. Partly recommended high pressure allows you to slightly extend the difficult life of the “cylinders” on such motorcycles. But don't be under any illusions. When you try to go through a "knee" turn, such a high pressure in the wheel can easily send you into a slippery.
If, on the other hand, you regularly train on sports tracks, then, most likely, special racing tires are already installed on your motorcycle.
As already mentioned, this rubber has a special thermal regime. And if for ordinary sports rubber the working temperature is considered to be 50 ° C - 60 ° C, then the temperature of racing rubber in a warm state reaches 100 ° C. Naturally, the pressure in such rubber in the last laps of the race and in the cold state is seriously different.
As a rule, the pressure in the rear wheel "cold" in such tires ranges from 1.4 BAR to 1.6 BAR, and in the front - from 1.5 BAR to 2.1 BAR. Such low numbers are often shocking to beginners who see the 2.9 on the swingarm of their new "liter" sportbike.BAR. But it is these indicators that allow the tires to quickly warm up to the design temperature and increase the pressure in the wheels to operating values.
In this case, if you are not an experienced road rider who plays with tire pressure, adjusting the behavior of the motorcycle to the characteristics of different tracks, we recommend that you strictly adhere to the values recommended for your particular racing tire by its manufacturer.
Cross tire pressure
Motocross tire pressure is 1.2-0.8 BAR. The main rule: the softer the soil, the higher the pressure. In this case, it is necessary to take into account both the properties of a particular track and the style of the rider.
In classic enduro, mousses with different pressures are used instead of chambers: 0.4-0.9 BAR, depending on the type of tracks.
Selection of tires of non-standard size
On various forums, you can often find questions from novice motorcyclists regarding the possibility of installing a rear wheel wider than the stock motorcycle. Most often this is due to the fact that in their eyes a wide rear wheel looks more sporty and attractive compared to a narrow one. Often, some draw analogies with car wheels of a larger diameter and width. We will not argue that no matter how wide the wheel is on the old Super Truck, in the eyes of beautiful strangers, it still will not compete with the shiny and illuminated Golda. And just try to understand the physics of the process.
So, what can we expect if we firmly decided to install a non-standard rear wheel with a wider width on the motorcycle.
The first problem we face is that the rim remains the same width as before. That is, a wheel of greater width, stretched on a narrow rim, does not become wider. It flattens and becomes higher than stock. Its diameter grows, the speedometer starts to lie, the back of the motorcycle rises a little. But most importantly, the tire profile carefully calculated by the manufacturer is violated.
In 2012, in the Russian championship SHKMG, a single type and size of rubber was approved for all classes and types of motorcycles - 190/55/17. Given that the rear wheel disc of 600cc sportbikes is designed for size 180/55/17. Such a replacement did not bring big changes to the behavior of the motorcycle. Although some athletes, for example, Ilona Sergeeva, noted the worst grip on non-standard rubber in the extreme angles of inclination.
Another example of using a narrow rim and wide tire is the KTM RC 390 and KTM Duke 390. They come stock with a 150/60-17 rear wheel. This means that we will not be able to use the entire surface area of the tire, and the contact patch will be lower than calculated for this model in this size. All this raises questions regarding the optimality of the selected rubber size. We noticed this nuance back in May 2014, during the KTM Duke 39 test.0. And in July 2015, while shooting the RC 390 at the Firsanovka karting track, MotoRRika team rider Ivan Gorev did not take into account this feature of the motorcycle and sent KTM into slippery conditions, missing the rear wheel.
If we're not happy with a simple tire change while keeping the stock rim, and we decide to go further with a wider rear rim on our bike, then other problems stand in our way. It is necessary that the disk and the wheel are normally located in the pendulum and do not touch it when moving. The driven star of a non-standard disk can be shifted to the side relative to the leading star, which will quickly "finish" the chain of the motorcycle. If we managed to get around all these problems, then, as planned, we get a motorcycle with a rear wheel wider than the original.
If we try to ride such a motorcycle, we will notice that its handling has noticeably deteriorated. And now it takes more effort to "put" the bike in a turn. Why did it happen? The fact is that a motorcycle with a wide rear wheel has to lean at a greater angle, applying more effort, to pass the same turn at the same speed. That is why engineers and experts are well aware of the rule: the more wheels already installed on a motorcycle, the more willingly it “dives” into a turn and steers easier.
Therefore, even on powerful "liter" sportbikes, for which every square millimeter of wheel grip with asphalt is worth its weight in gold, you rarely see rear tires wider than 190mm. or 200mm.
Wheel marking
180/55 ZR 17
Profile width in mm, 180.
Profile height in percent of width, 55.
Tire design radial, ZR.
Rim diameter in inches, 17.
M/C is an abbreviation for motorcycle (found on tires that have car sizes).
73 - load index.
W - speed index.
Radial - radial tire construction.
Tubeless - tubeless (sometimes referred to as TL), TT (Tube Type) - chambered.
Continental is the name of the manufacturer.
ContiRoadAttac2 GT is the name of the model.
<=Rear - the arrow indicates the direction of rotation of the wheel
www.conti-moto.ru - the manufacturer's website.
The DOT abbreviation indicates that the tire complies with the safety regulations of the US Department of Transportation.
The letter “B” in a circle is the approval mark according to the test results under UNECE regulations, the number next to it is the country where the test was carried out.
Date of manufacture of the tire - the last four digits in an oval, for example 3811 38th week of 2011.
According to manufacturers, car tires should last up to 10 years, but this is the maximum period. The recommended service life of tires is no more than 5-6 years - in practice, after such a time, it is necessary to change the rubber, since it loses its consumer properties. This is very important, as is seasonal replacement, as worn tires greatly increase the risk of an accident, especially on wet or icy roads. Where you can confidently drive at a speed of 70–80 km/h on new tires, it is easy to lose control on worn tires already at 55–60 km/h. Therefore, every motorist needs to know about the service life of tires so that the operation of the car is not only comfortable, but also safe.
The specified service life of 5–6 years is rather arbitrary. More important is not the date of issue of rubber, but the degree of daily wear and mileage .
The main factor influencing tire life is vehicle type , which determines its load capacity. We are talking about what the maximum load a car can carry and whether its tires can withstand, which can be understood by their load capacity index.
Overloading the machine by 20% reduces the life of the machine by 30%, so the vehicle must not be allowed to carry loads that exceed its carrying capacity.
In addition to the type of car, the list of factors that affect the life of tires of any type includes:
It is necessary to control the optimal pressure in the tires of your car during all seasons.![]()
Regarding the correct rearrangement of tires, we prepared a separate and detailed material, which you can read at the link.
Based on the list of influencing factors, we can conclude that reduces the life of tires:
Critical tire wear can be determined by special indicators that are carried out during tire production. These are transverse protrusions (lintels), reaching a height of 1. 6 mm.
When the indicators become visible, the tire has begun to wear out.
The location of the indicators is indicated on the sidewall of the tire using the symbols in the shape of a triangle or the letters TWI meaning Tread Wear Indicator.
Critical tire wear is indicated by:
Summer and winter, passenger and truck tires have their own minimum residual tread depth, which is determined by wear indicators. You can measure this value with a special depth gauge: if it is below the set limit, then the rubber needs to be replaced.
Measuring is difficult due to uneven wear. In this case, it is necessary to determine the suitability of rubber in the area where wear is most pronounced . When the tread edge wears out on one side, we can talk about a violation of the camber-toe angle . In this case, you need to contact the service station.
Tires also have numbers that are erased as they wear out, which also helps to determine its degree.
Learn more about the types of wear and what it can threaten to learn in the article.
The average carrying capacity of passenger cars is 2 tons , and the tire mileage is about 45 thousand km. Depending on the driving style, the characteristics of the car itself and the season, you can drive on passenger tires from 40 up to 70 thousand km .
Summer tires tend to last longer than winter tires because the operating conditions are less severe. All that summer tires can face on the road is high temperatures, hot or wet asphalt. The last to be determined is the safe value of the residual tread depth - for summer tires it is 1.6 mm . With a shallower groove depth, water drainage becomes impossible. Although the behavior of the tire on the road becomes unsafe already at a tread depth of about 3 mm.
Summer tires are more rigid than soft and elastic winter tires. The peculiarity of the composition and less difficult operating conditions explain the longer service life: an average of 5-6 years with careful driving on a flat roadway.
Winter tires are given much less time and almost always fail due to tread wear, because the tread of a new tire is 7-8 mm, and only 3-4 mm of working height remains.
In the case of studded tires, very few metal elements are retained with such wear, so it can no longer provide proper road safety.
Friction (not studded) tires with similar wear also lose most of their performance.
In reality, winter tires have an average mileage of not exceeding 30 thousand km .
Some motorists decide to re-roll "bald" tires in the summer, but this is dangerous, because the grip on the heated road surface will be very low.
So, the service life of winter tires differs depending on their type:
You can find detailed recommendations on choosing winter tires for your car here.
The remaining tread depth for winter passenger tires is 4 mm . The value has been chosen to ensure safe driving on winter roads: snow-covered, icy, covered with wet snow. In the latter case, a phenomenon akin to aquaplaning occurs - slashplaning, i.e. sliding on snow slush (slush), which occurs at speeds above 50 km / h. The wheels seem to "float" over the road at high speed.
The tread must have sufficient height to ensure that the slush is quickly removed from the contact area with the road. This is due to the fact that the thickness of the layer of wet snow can be several centimeters. Grooves that are too shallow just won't do the job.
It has also been proven that directional tread tires resist slashplaning better. The direction of rotation is usually indicated by an arrow and the word Rotation.
Light truck tires are designed for light trucks, pickups, buses and light commercial vehicles, which have load capacity from 2 to 4 tons . The average mileage of tires used on them is 60 thousand km . This is due to the fact that such tires belong to the category of commercial tires with a reinforced structure.
To prolong the life of light truck tires, it is recommended to check the pressure at least once a week, and preferably every morning before driving. Measurements must be made on cold tires , i.e. not less than 3 hours after the end of the trip.
The choice of the correct size of tires depending on the season also helps to increase the resource: appropriate wide models are more suitable for summer, and winter and narrower ones are better in winter.
Trucks have the largest load capacity - more than 4 tons . Accordingly, their rubber has the greatest resource, which is 65–70 thousand km . In this case, the residual tread depth is 1 mm .
Increased wear resistance is due to the fact that truck tires are primarily intended for intensive use, often daily throughout the year. The decisive role in the service life of such tires is played by:
The issue of service life for such tires is also important because it affects the cost per kilometer (CPC), which is important for assessing the effectiveness of rubber, optimizing fleet costs and determining the profitability of freight transportation. Recall that the indicator is calculated according to the following formula:
UPC = (Tire cost + Maintenance costs - Carcass price) ÷ Mileage (km).![]()
From the formula it becomes clear: the greater the mileage of tires, the lower the UPC, which means more profitable freight transportation. Therefore, companies conducting such activities seek to increase the resource of tires. This is possible by following the basic recommendations that are suitable for all tires:
When choosing truck tires, you need to take into account the operating conditions of the truck and the category of goods transported, depending on what they buy:
It also matters the type of axle where the tires will be installed: trailer tires cannot be placed on the steering axle due to the incorrect operation model and the load calculated by the manufacturer. These actions can not only significantly reduce the life of the tires, but also be dangerous for driving on the roads.
It is equally important to follow the recommendations for driving, in particular, do not drive at high speed with a heavily loaded car, move smoothly, without accelerating too quickly.
For agricultural machinery, tire life is just as important as for trucks.
The cost of operating rubber here reaches 20% of the total cost of per car. And during the service life of equipment , rubber has to be renewed 3-4 times .
Due to the operation in difficult field conditions, tires for agricultural and special equipment have an increased resource. High wear resistance is provided by a multi-layer construction (6–24 layers) of the sole and sidewalls, reinforced reinforcement, a special tread compound and stiffeners.
But even with a special design, tires for agricultural machinery usually last less than for passenger cars - sometimes is less than 5 seasons , which is explained by difficult operating conditions. To extend the service life, you must follow a number of rules:
When driving, pay attention to whether the vehicle is pulling to one side. If this happens, then a swap is required.
