It is a well-known fact that most tire brands offer tires that look the same – regardless if they are for bicycles, motorcycles, or cars. However, these tires are radically different below the surface. This is the concept behind Kenda’s tires. Kenda has a history of an impressive expertise in manufacturing ATV tires, cars, motorcycles, and powersports tires. The company opened its doors in 1962 and started manufacturing bicycle tires. After 8 years, they introduced bias motorcycle tires and scooter tires. After another 8 years, they introduced lawn and garden tires. Finally, Kenda introduced trailer tires, golf cart tires, and passenger car radial tires.
No matter the type of motorcycle that you own, where you ride, and what type of rider you are, we can confidently predict that these brands have something for you. While we’re confident we found some of the best motorcycle tires out there, if none of them is a perfect fit for your ride, browse through everything else these brands offer and get the right tire for your motorcycle.
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.
Im an owner of a 98 Ninja ZX6R and a 03 GSXR 1000. Ive been riding for about 10 years and have always dreamed of racing and one day going to the Isle of Man TT races(where anyone can enter to race). So I am looking into getting into some track days and while its not what I had in mind, it will have to do because racing on the street is just stupid, even though Im guilty of that too. LoL anyways. thanks for the various articles, I enjoyed them very much. I also thought it might be worth mentioning somewhere in this article on the best track day bikes… Sometimes its more fun to have a smaller bike, like the saying goes, “Its funner to ride a slow bike fast than it is to ride a fast bike slow”. I believe that can have truth in it. Though dont get me wrong. My 1000 is my #1.
When looking at buying track tyres you no doubt want to buy the very best tyres for your money, but with each manufacturer spouting endless lines of marketing gumf it’s tough to know which is best. Keep in mind that each of the below tyres have been designed, tested and manufactured to an extremely high standard, so for 99% of track day riders any of the below tyres will more than perform to the level you would expect (and want) from this type of motorcycle tyre.
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.
Thankfully, you’re free to upgrade your tires at will which is what we suggest that you do as soon as you wear them out. The tire you choose to fit will be entirely up to you but clearly some perform better than others. As with most things in life, it’s a compromise between affordability and performance as well as taking into account exactly what you use your bike for.
R is a designation of the tires construction, in this case meaning radial ply. Apart from radial, the other carcass design is the bias, which is represented by ‘B.’ The ‘16’ value refers to the wheel size, which is the diameter. This tire is made for a wheel with 16 inches diameter. If there’s a specification that you must get right, it’s the wheel size rating. In the same example, ‘67’ denotes the load index. If you pick this tire, you can carry a load of up to 661 pounds. Another vital feature is the last letter, ‘H,’ which denotes the maximum speed that the wheel can support; in our example above the maximum speed is 130 MPH. Apart from the H rating, there are 14 other speed ratings.
These tires are a downright steal. If you race competitively we would suggest you purchase a few and keep them on hand for when you need a spare set. If you are a competitive racer than we also suggest that you look into the other models in the Bridgestone range to see whether there is a tire that may be a little more specifically tuned to your needs.
Not precious- Many new track day riders suffer undue stress over the anxiety of crashing their beautiful, high-dollar, chrome and carbon laden street bike. Thankfully, it’s easy not to crash at a track day if you ride within your ability. So, if all you have is your pride and joy, go ahead and bring it to the track, but at some point when you start pushing harder, you may want a dedicated track bike that has less sentimental value.
When shopping for motorcycle tires, there are several factors to consider. Some of these features are so specific that if you pick a tire with the wrong features and specifications, the tire may not be usable. The best starting point should be noting your bike specifications. Have your bike features in mind and your specific riding style to pick a tire with the right features.
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 ..
Yes, it’s the only thing that holds the two together. First, make sure the hitch, coupler, draw-bar, and other equipment that connect the trailer and the tow vehicle are properly secured and adjusted. Second, check the nuts, bolts, and other fasteners to ensure the hitch remains secured to the tow vehicle and the coupler remains secured to the trailer. Lubricate the connection point if necessary, to permit free movement of the coupler to the hitch ball. Last, inspect the coupler ball socket to ensure it is not bent or dented. Any indentations could cause the ball not to seat properly.
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.
