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Buying new tires can be a daunting experience. You face a bewildering array of brands, sizes and tire types to choose from, so it's easy to be confused. But don't worry: this guide will provide you with the essential facts you need to in order to make the right tire choice for your vehicle at the price you want to pay.
Before you buy, you'll need to know the answers to the following questions:
Already know about tires and just want our top picks? Our favorites in each category are listed below. Further down, you'll find more information about all-season, summer, and winter tires plus our top alternative picks in each category.
Best All-Season Tire
$127 at tirerack.com
Best Summer Tire
$241 at Tire Rack
Best Winter Tire
$104 at discounttire.com
Is our top pick unavailable in the size you need? Looking for a fast, easy way to sort through the dozens of alternatives? Then go to Tire Rack's Tire Decision Guide. The company says it'll have a list of appropriate alternative choices for you in two minutes or less. The tirerack.com site is also deep with important consumer data, including tire warranties, treadwear guarantees, and tire-test results.
$150 at Tire Rack
$138 at tirerack.
com
$235 at Tire Rack
The vast majority of vehicles today come with all-season tires, which are designed to provide acceptable all-around capability throughout the year and in all weather conditions. That means a reasonable ride and respectable handling, quiet running, good wet-weather grip, and some capability in snow. Given their all-season designation, most car owners leave them on in winter and expect that their tires will deliver all the traction they need on snowy, icy roads. But most all-season tires are marginal in snow; dedicated winter tires, also known as snow tires, provide far better traction when the snow falls.
There are now two main sub-categories of all-season tires: high-performance all-seasons and grand touring all-seasons. High-performance all-season tires provide sharper handling than "standard" all-season tires. They grip the road more confidently and feel more sporty to drive—usually at the expense of some winter-weather traction.
These tires are intended for sportier cars and more-aggressive drivers. Grand touring all-season tires have the lower-profile look of high-performance all-season tires but ride better at the price of some handling ability.
Recently, a subset of grand touring all-season tires has emerged that we call “all-weather” tires. These tires feature snow traction that almost comparable to that of pure winter tires while offering similar performance in other areas as conventional all-season tires. They are designated by a snowflake-within-a-mountain symbol on the tire's sidewall.
Summer Tires$160 at Tire Rack
$195 at Tire Rack
$211 at Tire Rack
This term is a misnomer, as this type of tire should rightly be called "three-season" rubber.
Summer tires are designed specifically to deliver dry- and wet-weather traction in moderate or warm weather. They sharpen steering response, increase cornering traction by an order of magnitude, and stop your vehicle in much less distance. But they do so at a cost: most summer tires only work well at temperatures of about 40 degrees Fahrenheit and above. As outside temps fall toward freezing, the tires can feel skittish and behave inconsistently; they lose a large portion of their grip to the point that they act like they are on a wet or even icy road. More than one driver of a powerful car, unaware of the temperature sensitivity of its summer tires, has lost control and crashed on a cold day.
As with all-season tires, summer rubber comes in several varieties. Tire Rack divides these tires into three main groups by escalating capability: ultra-high performance on the bottom rung, followed max performance and extreme performance. Summer tires come on cars such as Porsches, Corvettes, Mercedes-AMGs, and Mustangs.
$166 at Tire Rack
$180 at Tire Rack
$270 at Tire Rack
Called "snow tires" in the past, winter tires are designed to provide maximum traction in snow and in slippery winter conditions—and the traction they provide in those situations is not matched by any other category of tire. Even an all-wheel-drive vehicle on all-season tires cannot match the stopping or turning capability of a similar two-wheel drive vehicle fitted with four winter tires, a point we have proven in our own winter-tire testing.
Winter tires are designed to work well in the cold-weather months, but they don't handle or wear as well as all-season or summer tires once the weather warms up. They should be considered as a second set of tires for your vehicle if you live where snow flies annually.
We fit all of our long-term test vehicles with winter tires and they've proven their worth many times over.
Why use winter tires? If you live in the northern states, we recommend purchasing a set of winter tires. Their deep treads are engineered to deliver a significant traction improvement, and do they ever work. You'll feel safer and be safer, not to mention more relaxed when driving in snow. Retailers such as Tire Rack will sell you a set of snows mounted on steel wheels that you can swap on when winter rolls around. Here at Car and Driver, we swear by them.
Tire Size and Other Factors
Most consumers choose to replace the worn tires on their vehicle with something equivalent in size and capability. This makes a lot of sense; your car was engineered to work well on the type and size of tires it came on, so fitting an identical or similar replacement set would maintain the performance and safety your vehicle was designed to deliver.
(We'll get to upgrading later on).
To inform your decision process, you'll need to know your vehicle's tire size and speed rating, and you'll also want to consider how many miles you'll get out of any new tires you are considering (this is called tread wear). Much of that information is printed on the sidewalls of the tires that are on your car right now. It's also available in most owner's manuals, online, and at tire dealers. (We suggest cross-checking those sources to make sure you've got the right information.)
Here's how to read the most important data imprinted on your tires' sidewalls. (For an in-depth look at how to read all of the information on a tire sidewall, click here.)
KEY: 1) Tire width; 2) Aspect ratio; 3) Radial-tire designation; 4) diameter; 5) Load rating with speed rating; 6) Heaviest spot on tire; 7) Tread-wear rating; 8-9) Traction and temperature ratings; 10-11) Mud-and-snow or three-peak-mountain rating; 12) Vehicle-specific marking; 13) Tire-materials list and manufacturing information
Tire SizeIf you're going to replace your tires with something equivalent, you will need to know the proper size.
The size of car and light truck tires is usually expressed in a short series of numbers and letters that read like this (as seen in the above illustration): 245/40-R18. The first number indicates the width of the tire at its widest point in millimeters. The number after the slash is what's called the aspect ratio, which indicates how tall the sidewall is as a percentage of the width. The higher the number, the taller the sidewall. The squat tires fitted to sports cars and muscle cars, called low-profile tires, have aspect ratios of 30–40. Family sedans and SUVs are in the 45-60 range or taller. The final number in the series is the diameter of the wheel in inches that the tire must mount to. The "R" indicates it's a radial tire, which virtually all of today's tires are.
Tires also carry a speed rating, which indicates not only how fast they can safely go for an extended period of time, but also the overall performance potential of the tires.
Tires for high-performance cars have a higher speed rating than those for mainstream family sedans and SUVs. The speed rating of the original tires that came on your car were matched to the maximum speed the car could attain—plus a significant built-in safety margin. This speed rating is expressed as a letter in the alpha-numeric code that immediately follows the tire size. Letters range from L to Y, and cover maximum speed ranges from 75 mph to more than 186 mph.
The are two pieces of data that will help you estimate how many miles you can expect from a set of tires: the tread-wear rating and the tire mileage warranty. The tread wear rating is listed as a number on the tire sidewall after the word "treadwear". The higher this number, the more likely the tire will last longer. But the tests that are used to determine treadwear aren't precise, so there is a lot of variability in this number.
A better way to gauge potential tire life, and to compare the expected longevity of different tires you might be considering, is to look at the manufacturers' tread-life warranties.
Many but not all tires carry a tread-life warranty in addition to manufacturing-quality/defect warranties. This information can be found online (like this example from tirerack.com), or in the tire maker's marketing materials. The industry's general rule is that about three-quarters of all drivers will find that their tires last at least last as long as the mileage listed in the tread life warranty. Generally, if your tires wear out before the guaranteed mileage bogey, you can get a credit for the percentage of miles you came up short, which you can then apply to the purchase of a new tire. (Tire dealers routinely handle this transaction.)
Numerous automakers fit their cars with run-flat tires from the factory. These tires are capable of driving for short distances at low speeds even after a puncture has left them without air, allowing you to reach home or a repair facility without needing to change a flat on the side of the road.
If your vehicle came on run-flats you have the option of replacing them with conventional tires and carrying a spare (but beware that some cars fitted with run-flats actually do not have a trunk compartment for a spare). Or, you can replace your worn run-flats with another set of run-flats. And now that tire-pressure monitoring systems are compulsory equipment in new cars, you could even fit run-flats on a car that didn’t originally come with them.
Run-flat tires do have downsides. Their stiff sidewalls, which are required to hold the tire up when deflated, tend to make the car ride noticeably harder over rough pavement, but tire tech is continually improving and run-flats aren’t nearly the penalty they were a decade ago. Choice is also more limited than with conventional tires and run-flats are premium-priced.
In general, we'd recommend swapping to conventional tires and carrying a spare or mini-spare if possible.
There's one more decision you need to make: do you simply replace the tires on your vehicle with something equivalent, or upgrade?
If you're going to replace what came on the car with something equivalent, you're ready to go. Peruse the online resources like Tire Rack to compare tires, and then either buy from one of them or head to a local tire store. The advantage of buying online is that you can get the exact tires you want; different brick-and-mortar tire stores sell different brands of tires. The online retailers have relationships with the chain tire stores, which will mount the tires you bought on the internet on your wheels (for a small fee) even though you didn't buy them there.
Tire Rack has a decision guide to help you find the tires that fit your car.
This is more complicated than simply replacing your tires, as you have several ways to go. You can choose a higher-performance tire of the same size on your current set of wheels by substituting, say, a high-performance all-season tire for a standard all-season—if you can find one that fits exactly. Or you can choose a set of wider, lower-profile summer or high-performance all-season tires, but this is trickier. You need to know if the tires will fit without rubbing on the suspension or body parts—a definite safety issue. Here, consulting one of the experts at Tire Rack is a must, as they have this information for many cars. You can also try checking an online forum for your make and model of car (if one exists).
Many vehicles can be had from the factory with several different tire sizes—Honda Civics, for example, come with tires ranging from 215/55-R16 to 245/30ZR-20—so going to a larger-diameter wheel might work.
But know that fitting lower-profile rubber will almost always require a larger-diameter wheel. The outside diameter of your tires needs to remain constant; everything from your vehicle's suspension to its ground clearance to its gearing is affected by the overall size of the tires. As the sidewall gets slimmer, the wheel must grow to compensate. Use this size guide to see how switching to a lower-profile tire affects wheel diameter.
Wider, lower-profile higher-performance tires can also make the car ride rougher, wear faster, be noisier, and influence the steering, possibly causing you to have to make more steering corrections on the Interstate. Low-profile tires will also probably be more prone to damage from potholes, something we experienced with one of our long-term cars, which blew out a dozen of its low-profile tires in the course of 40,000 miles on our rutted Michigan roads. And they'll almost definitely be more expensive, plus you'll have to buy a new set of wheels.
You'll need to consider all of these issues carefully before you make the leap.
For everything you need to know about buying and maintaining tires, click here.
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A tire’s speed rating indicates the optimal speed that the tire can safely maintain over time. In short, it’s the fastest speed a tire can handle before it no longer performs as designed. The higher the speed rating, the better control and handling you’ll have at higher speeds.
The speed rating system was developed to help control the safe performance of tires at standardized speeds. A tire’s certified speed rating is given a letter from A to Z, ranging from 5km/h (3mph) to above 300 km/h (186 mph).
This rating system (see below) shows the top speed for which a tire is certified. It does not indicate the total performance capability of a tire.
The speed rating system used today was developed in Europe in response to the need to control the safe performance of tires at standardized speeds. When the rating system was originally developed, the "Unlimited V" category of over 210 km/h (130 mph) was the top speed rating possible.
As manufacturers developed bigger and better tires, it became necessary to regulate performance at standardized speeds to ensure safety. The "Limited V" category of 250 km/h (149 mph) was then created, and eventually the "Z" speed rating was added as the top speed rating. (Always consult the manufacturer for the maximum speed of Unlimited Z tires.)
You can find your tire speed rating in a number of places, typically in the owner’s manual, driver’s side doorjamb, glove box door, and gas tank hatch.
Recent standardization has changed so all ratings except "Unlimited ZR" incorporate the speed symbol and load index as part of every tire’s service description on the tire’s sidewall. If you’re reading your tire sidewall, the speed rating will be the last item in the character sequence in the tire’s size code. Below is an example of a the description on a tire’s sidewall: 2015/60R15 91V. Here, the tire would have a speed rating of V. V-rated tires can be driven at 149 MPH.
TIRE DESCRIPTION
| 205/60R15 91V | |
|---|---|
| 205 = Section Width in Millimeters | |
| 60 = Aspect Ration | |
| R = Radial Construction | |
| 15 = Rim diameter in Inches | |
| 91 = Load Index | Service Description |
| V = Speed Symbol | |
Tires having a maximum speed capability over 149 MPH may have “ZR” in the size designation.
Tires with a maximum speed capability over 186 MPH are required to include “ZR” in the designation. Below are examples of tire sizes with a “ZR” speed rating.
ZR DESIGNATION
| EXAMPLES | |
|---|---|
| Tire Designation | Maximum Speed |
| P275/40ZR17 93W | 270 km/h (168 mph) |
| P275/40ZR17 93Y | 300 km/h (186 mph) |
For tires with a maximum speed capability higher than 240 km/h (149 mph), a "ZR" may appear in the size designation. Tires with a maximum speed capability higher than 300 km/h (186 mph), require a "ZR" in the size designation. Consult the tire manufacturer for maximum speed when there is no service description.
TIRE SPEED CAPABILITIES
| SPEED SYMBOLS | ||
|---|---|---|
| Symbol Speed | Speed (km/h) | Speed (mph) |
| A1 | 5 | 3 |
| A2 | 10 | 6 |
| A3 | 15 | 9 |
| A4 | 20 | 12 |
| A5 | 25 | 16 |
| A6 | 30 | 19 |
| A8 | 40 | 25 |
| B | 50 | 31 |
| C | 60 | 37 |
| D | 65 | 40 |
| E | 70 | 43 |
| F | 80 | 50 |
| G | 90 | 56 |
| J | 100 | 62 |
| K | 110 | 68 |
| L | 120 | 75 |
| M | 130 | 81 |
| N | 140 | 87 |
| P | 150 | 94 |
| Q | 160 | 100 |
| R | 170 | 106 |
| S | 180 | 112 |
| T | 190 | 118 |
| U | 200 | 124 |
| H | 210 | 130 |
| V | 240 | 149 |
| W | 270 | 168 |
| Y | 300 | 186 |
Need help understanding the speed rating on tires? Our technicians have got you covered.
Bring your vehicle by your local Tires Plus and we’ll help you understand your tire numbers, tire size, and more!
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The European Tire Label was introduced in 2012 and provides basic information on fuel economy, safety, noise levels, rolling resistance, wet grip and outside tire rolling noise. Through the use of a harmonized scoring scale, the EU Tire Label allows consumers to make more informed choices when purchasing new tyres. The updated tire marking comes into effect on May 1, 2021.
1. What is a tire label?
With the updated tire regulation, the European Commission intends to improve the safety, economic and environmental performance of road transport by promoting fuel efficient and safe tires with low noise levels. The new label also contains new consumer information that indicates whether the tire is suitable for extreme snow or ice conditions.
2.
Why is the European Commission changing the existing tire label?
Goodyear supports the changes to tire labels and is committed to honoring all obligations associated with these changes. We believe that the new EU Tire Label will provide consumers with more up-to-date and accurate tire performance information and enable end users to make informed choices when purchasing new tyres. It will also allow the promotion of tires that provide the best safety and are less harmful to the environment. In addition, the registration of all tires sold within Europe in the EU Energy Labeling Product Database (EPREL) will improve the exchange of information between manufacturers and authorities and facilitate market monitoring.
3. How does Goodyear feel about changes to tire labeling regulations?
The new tire marking comes into effect on May 1, 2021. Until then, the current marking option will continue to be used.
4. When does the new EU tire label come into effect?
The new tire marking applies only to new passenger car tires (C1 tyres), light truck tires (C2 tyres) and heavy vehicle tires (C3 tyres).
5. Are all tires subject to the new tire label?
The new tire marking applies only to new passenger car tires (C1 tyres), light truck tires (C2 tyres) and heavy vehicle tires (C3 tyres). The following categories of tires are currently excluded from the new regulations: retreaded tires, off-road tires, racing tires, studded tires, temporary use spare wheels, tires that are intended for installation on vehicles registered before October 1 1990 years, tires with a speed index of less than 80 km/h, tires with a nominal rim diameter of less than 254 mm or equal to 635 mm or more.
6. Which tires are not covered by the new marking?
Tires suitable for snow conditions carry the three mountain peaks and snowflake symbol (3PMSF) on the sidewall. C1 (passenger car) tires that meet the new ISO standard for ice grip will receive a new ice stalagmite symbol. 7. What is changing in the EU tire label?
All C1, C2 and C3 tires manufactured after May 1, 2021 and placed on the market after that date must be relabeled. However, after May 1, 2021, dealers will not be required to relabel their existing tires if those tires were placed on the market prior to the effective date of the new label. In other words, tires that entered the market before May 1 may be sold with the old label. Thus, after May 1, 2021, tires with the old and new markings may be available at the points of sale at the same time, depending on the date the tires enter the market.
8. Are dealers required to relabel their existing tires that were on the market prior to May 1, 2021?
Tire manufacturers may attach a sticker to the tire tread or apply a printed label to each batch of identical tires supplied to the dealer. Goodyear warrants that all tires shipped to dealers will carry the branded stickers. For all tires, the marking information must also be indicated on the manufacturer's web pages and in the technical and marketing documentation provided to the buyer. Starting May 1, 2021, tire manufacturers are also required by new labeling regulations to enter the required information into the product database (EPREL) before tires are placed on the market.
9. What obligations are imposed on tire manufacturers due to the introduction of new regulatory requirements for labeling?
EPREL is the EU Energy Label Product Database, which aims to provide consumers with important energy efficiency information. This database facilitates compliance monitoring in the EU market. Uploading product information to the database before placing products on the EU market is a legal requirement for suppliers (manufacturers, importers or authorized representatives) of products listed in EU energy label regulations. As of May 1, 2021, new tire labeling regulations require tire manufacturers to also enter information into the product database before launching tires on the EU market.
10. What is EPREL?
The label contains basic information about the tire's three key performance characteristics (fuel efficiency, wet grip and external rolling noise). This helps consumers make informed purchase choices.
However, the marking does not contain information about all the operating parameters of the tire. In comparison, independent reviews by automotive magazines use an average of 15 tire performance parameters, while Goodyear analyzes more than 50 criteria, including hydroplaning resistance, dry handling, dry braking, high speed stability, mileage. and many others. Therefore, the label cannot replace quality test results from specialized laboratories or information from manufacturers that contains a wider range of tire performance.
11. Does the tire label contain full performance information?
Well, for starters, we ignore the advertising descriptions of a wonderful “hold” on any surface (“universality” of rubber is a myth, and a highway declared as such holds much worse than a special one in difficult conditions). The principle of “taking the most expensive and popular one” is also not suitable for choosing motorcycle tires: if you choose the wrong type or profile, the same advantages can turn into a serious problem, therefore, we carefully study the characteristics.
And here it is important that you know about the types, tire design, features of the choice of operation (oddly enough) and the timing of changing tires. Let's fill in the thematic gaps together.
Each class of motorcycle has its own type of “shoe”, designed for efficient transmission of torque, better grip, stability when maneuvering in the conditions in which a particular bike is most of its life. Conventionally, motorcycle tires can be divided into road, off-road and racing. Within the class, tires are divided according to tasks: road, slick, rain, cross (endur), mud, studded, and dual-use. Diameter and width - depend on the class and dimensions of the equipment. By class, we will consider it.
In this category, most of the products are designed for limited use and have an extremely small resource - just one race or training session. Provides the best grip on asphalt. Their profile allows you to lay the bike almost parallel to the ground in the turn, however, only after warming up.
They start to “work” at lower temperatures than slick or cut, but do not “catch up” with them in tenacity, cope with water quite effectively, and are less susceptible to wear. Used for everyday riding with infrequent trips to the track "on their own". These motorcycles mostly "live" on the track, observing the primer only from a distance, from the height of the main road, so their "shoes" are designed for asphalt: the most durable, designed for the heavy weight of the motorcycle (passenger + luggage), and "all-weather".
The resource, depending on the pace, is 10-20 thousand km. The scatter of equipment in this category is very large - from "evil" tuned fifty dollars for mini-cross to light enduro for travel, so there are a lot of models here. You can combine them into classes according to their purpose: purely sports, amateur and rally:
For medium-sized classics, small-capacity, retro and custom motorcycles, various road tires are produced with a low semicircular profile, moderately developed tread, revealing working properties at temperatures below 80 about C. There are a lot of options, as well as specifics (all-season, rain, universal).
Motor tires are designed for high side loads. Its profile - even for the widest models - is more rounded than that of an automobile, consists of a working part responsible for traction, and a side part that “works” only when tilted in a turn.
Parts not in contact with asphalt are also very important. It depends on them how much the tire will weigh, how much it will be washed under the weight of the bike, how long it will last.
Hidden part between the inner and outer layers of rubber, which gives rigidity and takes on the load. The structure of the cord is multi-layered. Steel wire, or threads made of polyamide, aramid fibers (Kevlar), or polyamide are arranged in dense rows either across the tire, or - intersect at an angle of 30–40 degrees in the direction of its rotation.
The edge of the tire, going inward, into the grooves of the edges of the rim, having an annular metal (internal) reinforcement. The reliability of its fixation in the rim determines the life of a motorcycle tire, and sometimes a motorcycle with a driver.
The working part, covered with an intricate pattern, the size, shape and depth of the grooves of which depend on the purpose of the product.
A larger high tread is typical for off-road and cross-country motor tires, a lower, smooth one - for road and racing.
A zone connecting the tread and the bead that is not inferior to them in strength, but does not work with either the road surface or the rim. It is on it that “letters” are applied that reveal the properties and characteristics of the tire.
The three main indicators of motor rubber - width, profile (height), seat diameter (internal) - are measured in millimeters and inches. There are about a dozen markings adopted in different countries, but only four systems are widely used: Metric, Alpha, Standard (inch), Low profile (inch). For each of them, corresponding tables are available. For our market, more characteristically - Metric.
The name of the manufacturer (brand) and the name of the model are written in the largest letters on the product.
The next in size is a "sausage" of numbers and Latin letters, indicating the width, height of the profile, the diameter of the rim for which the tire is intended, the weight limit per axle (rear / front), and the speed to which you can accelerate on this rubber. A little smaller - the country of origin, certificate, information about the material, design. Further, “small print” indicates no less important properties, which we will also consider separately.
I’ll immediately note the most common mistake in reading the rubber size index: the letter R is not a “radius”, as some motorcycle and car owners believe. This letter means "radial" model and indicates the radial direction of the inner carcass reinforcing layers of this tire. There are two main designs - radial - when the cord layers run across the tire, and diagonal - when they cross.
You don’t see the letter “R” in the index, but you see a gap, or “B” - it means the rubber is diagonal, and if “reinforced” or “reinf” is written nearby, it is also reinforced with an additional layer of cord.
"Sausage of letters and numbers", for example, 120/70 ZR17 (73W) TL, stands for:
The arrow with the words "wheel rotation" strictly regulates where the tire should rotate during operation. If there are letters ND (non directional) on board, it can be placed in any direction.
If the manufacturer clearly limits the installation location of the tire, he writes “Front” on it for the front or “Rear” for the rear.
Without this marking, rubber can be placed on either side.
TL or tube less - as we have already deciphered earlier - tubeless. TT stands for tube type, or "suitable for camera use."
All manufacturers unanimously recommend “not wearing” rubber for more than five years, and if the equipment has been “shod” in it for ten years, even mothballed, urgently change the “bagels” without hesitation. A couple of decades ago, the resource of tires was regulated only by their external condition and the courage of the driver, but this was even before the mass “epidemic of planned obsolescence of goods”.
Now, two years are taken into account in the calculation of the service life, and five years is the allowable storage period for rubber in a warehouse, as a result of which it should not be sold, but disposed of. The release date is marked with two two-digit numbers enclosed in a circle or oval. The first is the week number from the beginning of the year, the second is the year of production itself.
It is a common practice to buy lightly worn race slicks or cuts - only makes sense for training on the "ring" or karting track, but not on the DOP. In addition to poor handling, longer stopping distances on slippery surfaces, and increased risk of blown tires at high speeds, riding old tires carries legal risks. When passing a technical inspection, a cracked or worn protector (hypothetically) can cause a refusal to issue a diagnostic card. In fact, this is the same malfunction as badly worn brake pads. Also, in the event of an accident, due to the unsatisfactory condition of the rubber, the insurance company may refuse to pay you, referring to your favorite excuse - speeding (based on the increased stopping distance).
"From the factory" modern motorcycle tires are covered with a preservative silicone impregnation that prevents drying out during storage. It is slippery and penetrates deep into the pores of the rubber. Until you wipe it on the asphalt - do not count on a good "hold" and "sharp" brakes. It is not necessary to wash off the grease with gasoline or other solvent (it is useless), just ride measuredly for the first couple of hundred kilometers. By the way, after long-term storage of used road motor rubber, it is also recommended to “run in” it in order to remove a layer of coarsened material from the surface.
Even if you provide ideal storage conditions, motor rubber still ages over time, becoming covered with microcracks. If the "age" of tires has exceeded 10 years or more - do not buy them, despite their attractive appearance.
Signs of critical wear:
The principle of evaluating the residual depth of the tread grooves is now outdated - most manufacturers add an integrated tire wear indicator to the options, which is worth focusing on.
Let's start with what happens if you put a wider tire back without changing the "native" rim. This question worries many inexperienced motorcyclists who want to look more "sporty".
Firstly, you will not wait for the expected increase in traction due to the increased area of \u200b\u200b"support". Wider rubber, squeezed by the edges of the rim not in size, will tend to “up”, so the calculated wheel profile will be violated. It will be higher, respectively, the contact patch will not increase. Secondly, the controllability in corners will worsen, the speedometer will “lie”, the weight distribution will change due to the rear of the motorcycle raised.
This is highly discouraged for most modern sportbikes that hit the track, but many classic models, nakeds and cruisers are often fitted from the factory with a combination of radial front and diagonal rear tires. Unlike the radial, the diagonal one is a little “softer”, allows for moderate overload, is sold a little cheaper, so why not?
The choice of how much to inflate the wheels to is a constant compromise between the loads on the rubber and its capabilities.
On most motorcycles, the recommended pressure for each axle is indicated on a sticker (on the fork and swingarm), but this value is only relevant for the rubber model that was supplied from the factory. On a new model, look for a designation on the tire (next to the max load load) indicating the maximum allowable cold pressure. Do not take a tire if this value is lower than recommended for your motorcycle.
Let's say your bike has a sticker with the recommended 2.25 bar for the front and 2.5 bar for the rear wheel. If you ride mainly with a passenger, with luggage, making long “flights” along the track, your motorcycle weighs 200 or more kilograms, and its volume is close to a liter, keep the pressure in the rear wheel at least 2.8–3.0 bar, and in the front 2.5 bar. If you ride around the city, alone, with almost no luggage, and are not fond of “flights”, it would be optimal to set equal pressure in both wheels at 2.2 bar.
For lightly loaded medium-sized engines, the interval varies from 2.
0 to 2.3 bar, and for slender "Chinese" 2.1 bar - in the front, 1.9 bar - in the rear cylinder (especially if the tires are also Chinese). The pressure in road tires must not be lowered below 1.9 so that the motorcycle does not start to “float” in corners or on bumps - this is dangerous.
The more we inflate the closed volume of the wheel, the more “round” it becomes and the smaller the area in contact with the asphalt. A larger contact patch means greater rolling resistance and accelerated tire wear, a smaller one means worse stability, lower braking and acceleration efficiency. Up to a certain point, these nuances are compensated by the tread, so on motocross and enduro bikes, the wheels can be lowered to 1.2 bar - front and 0.8 bar - rear. However, air is an unreliable business, therefore, in hard enduro and trials, a gel filler is now more often used, which allows maintaining a pressure of 0.4 and 0.9bar. Such a set will not live long, but this is a sport in which, as we remember, rubber consumption is not considered.
Definitely yes. The older the cylinder, the harder its surface and the lower the residual tread height, the worse the bike “holds” the road. Bald or improperly matched tires increase the braking distance, and can cause an unexpected “leaving” the track into a ditch. On an over-inflated tire, the fork or pendulum will “beat” hard, and on a flat tire, the motorcycle will become less predictable in corners and “gobble up” more gasoline than in a normal ride.
No, because their rims are not sealed and you simply cannot inflate the tire. Not all alloy wheels are suitable for tubeless, so always check what type of rubber was on the bike before. In addition, the hole in the rim designed for the camera nipple may not match the size of the new nipple.
Only if the damage to the wheel does not allow you to inflate the tire, and you still need to get to the “repair”.
In all other cases, the idea is controversial. The inner surface of a tubeless rim is not designed for other rubber to constantly rub against it, creating additional heating, and the inner part of a tubeless rim may have protrusions that injure the chamber. It is possible to get a “beautiful” wheel by putting a tubeless tube on a spoked rim, but objectively, this will increase its weight (remember the unsprung masses), and reduce the life of the camera. About when it frays to break - you will know already on a flat tire. You can repair a puncture of a tubeless tire without removing the wheel, but you will have to remove and patch the tube with its disassembly.
Undesirable. Even if it does not look worn yet, its resource is already less, from frequent “heating-cooling” cycles, it becomes rougher than new, frays or cracks faster. The old tube may not fully expand and fold if the new rubber has a lower profile (and internal volume) than the previous one.
If it belongs to the Racing Street or Street Legal class, this is a completely justified choice for the owner of a sport, street, naked or classic with claims to “aggressiveness”. In other cases, it is not recommended. Firstly, the use of racing slicks or cross-country tires is not allowed on the DOP. Secondly, sports tires are designed for intensive work with a certain warm-up. At competitions, before the race, they are warmed up in special covers, and then they are “given” one warm-up lap so that from the first seconds of the test race they can provide the bike with good contact with the asphalt (sticking).
In the city, even if you ride aggressively, the slick simply does not have time to warm up to operating temperature (more than 80 about C). Or even before it does not heat up for the whole trip, given the ragged rhythm of traffic lights and possible "toffees". Accordingly, it will not give adequate grip when trying to “give a corner”, the wheels will be demolished during braking, and instead of an energetic start, the bike will “grind” on the spot.
