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.
Ken is author of "Motorcycling the Right Way” and "Riding in the Zone" (book and blog). He is also the "Street Savvy" columnist for Motorcyclist Magazine, and former longtime author of the Proficient Motorcycling and Street Strategies columns for Motorcycle Consumer News. Ken is Lead Instructor for Tony's Track Days, a 20 year Motorcycle Safety Foundation instructor, and owner of Riding in the Zone Motorcyclist Training.
Make sure connector plug prongs and receptacles, light bulb sockets, wire splices, and ground connections are all clean and shielded from moisture. Then, lightly coat all electrical terminal connections with non conducting dielectric, light waterproof grease. MAKE SURE all running lights, brake lights, turn signals, and hazard lights are working. Above all, inspect the wiring for proper connections. You want it loose enough to make turns without disconnecting or damaging the wires, but not so loose that it’s dragging.
While all tires are (hopefully) circular in shape, there are a lot of differences, most of which being differences in design. A tire has four main parts, tread, bead, carcass, and the sidewall. The tread is the part that meets the road and has a lot of impact on the tire. Tires with smooth treads are best on dry and smooth surfaces. On the other hand, chunky treads, are best on off-road surfaces. There are other carefully designed treads, which make them great on variety of surfaces. The bead joins the tire to the wheel while the carcass is the backbone of the wheel.
Some people think that they need a dedicated track bike to do a track day. But, this simply isn’t true as long as you have a motorcycle that has a reasonable amount of cornering clearance. This includes most standard, sport, sport touring, adventure, and even touring machines. Cruiser motorcycles are probably the only machines that are not really appropriate for fast cornering and spirited riding.
The four different types of motorcycle tire styles perform differently on different surfaces. The best style depends on your riding style and the bike. Cruiser or touring wheels have a high mileage, which is why they’re made from hard rubber compounds. They’re not the best for high speeds, however, and are rather poor when riding on a road or path with numerous corners.
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.
For track day riders who want the highest performance in DOT-approved rubber, Pirelli is introducing a new compound for the Diablo Supercorsa tire. The Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa TD tire will be available from authorized trackside vendors at Chuckwalla Valley Raceway (March 29-31), MSR Houston (April 12-14) and Aprilia Racer Days at Circuit of the Americas (April 16).
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.
Ken is author of "Motorcycling the Right Way” and "Riding in the Zone" (book and blog). He is also the "Street Savvy" columnist for Motorcyclist Magazine, and former longtime author of the Proficient Motorcycling and Street Strategies columns for Motorcycle Consumer News. Ken is Lead Instructor for Tony's Track Days, a 20 year Motorcycle Safety Foundation instructor, and owner of Riding in the Zone Motorcyclist Training.
The Kruz K673’s 3+2 design on the case improves handling and adds to the carrying capacity of your ride. So, when you’re cruising for long distances, you'll fill your saddlebag without worrying about the added stress on the tires. You'll also love the way this tire handles any weather condition thanks to its wide grooves. The H-rating on this tire means it will perform excellently, even at a speed of 130 mph, with exceptional traction. Did we mention that the price of this tire is unimaginable when compared with other tires of similar performance?
