The performance of a tire depends on several things. First, there are different types of motorcycle tires made for different riders and bikes. This means that a tire will deliver what it’s meant for. For example, sport tires deliver an unmatched grip on diverse surfaces, but at the expense of the tread. If you’re looking for tires with the highest mileage, the best choice would be touring tires. On the other hand, if you’re looking for a compromise, the best option will be sport touring. First, identify where you will be riding; if it’s a commuting bike, go for tires with improved mileage and that performs well on diverse surfaces.
Let’s use a typical example of what you can find on a tire: 130/90 R 16 67 H. In this scenario, there are five things you can immediately deduce from this information. ‘130’ is the section width. This means that when the tire is installed, its widest width is 130mm. If you pick the wrong section width, the tire won’t fit. The code ‘90’ refers to a 90% aspect ratio, which technically refers to the tire’s height. A short sidewall means a low aspect ratio.
When you only have 2 tires, the choice is twice as important. The best motorcycle tires can not only make your machine handle the way the manufacturer intended, they can actually enhance the character of your motorcycle for your particular application and style of riding, inspiring more confidence, and ultimately more fun. And if you aren't seeing what you are looking for in the 2019 guide, you can always shop the best options from last year in the Best Motorcycle Tires of 2018 Gear Guide.
Take it from the experts, who’ve had the chance to try out all the latest rubber on a variety of bikes—there is no single best set of tires for any one motorcycle, only the best riding tires for YOUR motorcycle and how YOU use it. Have a sportbike that you use more for sport touring rather than the track? You’re going to want to look into the top-rated dual compound tires for the longest lasting reliability and best cornering performance. Ride a cruiser you use for commuting AND for long trips? You’ll need an all weather tire that performs in any conditions, and touts high mileage durability for consistent handling, mile after mile.
Dunlop’s Elite 3 has improved wear resistance, assuring increased mileage coupled with impressive traction. With this tire, you can hit up to 15,000 miles, regardless of whether you are an aggressive accelerator or not. This tire has an impressive tread pattern, which delivers reliable traction even in standing water puddles. For a confident and solid feel when cornering, this tire comes with an in sport-derived profile, so you'll enjoy each mile of your riding. If you’re looking for the best combination of stability, cornering, dry traction, wet traction and tread life, Elite 3 rear tire is a great deal.
What you are going to lose out on is four season suitability as these tires only work with lots of heat it them. If you consistently ride in cold temperatures then you’re going to find the performance of these tires to be much lower than a Roadtec 01 or a Pilot Road 4, and the reason is simple. In cold weather, it just isn’t possible to get the heat into this tire compound that it needs to really stick to the road which makes it suitable for only the hottest of climates.
ive owned/driven hundreds of motorcycles.. my favourite 2 bikes id recommend for trackday are the rc51 and the panigale 12s. the rc maybe a bit heavy, but amazingly solid and stable with stock suspension (properly adjusted).. totally fun to ride, sounds cool and is affordable for anyone starting off.. not to mention reliable .. cant go wrong on an rc51 honestly.. the pani awesome, not affordable really ..
Motorcycle tires come in different sizes and specifications. While it may be a hustle when you’re shopping for the first time, if you have the right information, you’ll get it right. In this guide, we’ll take you through the critical considerations when shopping for a tire. We shall also show you how to decode information displayed on tires, as it all you need when making a decision. We’ve also made it easier for you by identifying some of the best motorcycle tires. After you’ve gone through our review and found the right tire for your cruiser, all you need is a GPS system and you’ll be off on the road trip of your dreams!
Yes, they’re not as cutting edge as some of the other tires on test here but they’re also not as expensive. This particular model is coming up to a few years old now but can still hold its own against many newer offerings with many people swearing by them and fitting them to bikes such as the Honda CBR600RR. If that isn’t a testament of quality we don’t know what is.
Take it from the experts, who’ve had the chance to try out all the latest rubber on a variety of bikes—there is no single best set of tires for any one motorcycle, only the best riding tires for YOUR motorcycle and how YOU use it. Have a sportbike that you use more for sport touring rather than the track? You’re going to want to look into the top-rated dual compound tires for the longest lasting reliability and best cornering performance. Ride a cruiser you use for commuting AND for long trips? You’ll need an all weather tire that performs in any conditions, and touts high mileage durability for consistent handling, mile after mile.
