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.
Whatever is most important to you in a set of tires, trust that we’ve ridden and reviewed the best to report back to you in our 2019 Motorcycle Tires Gear Guide! Find our top selections in every category, and then keep those insights in mind as you Shop All Motorcycle Tires on RevZilla.com. And if you need a refresher on the difference between bias ply & radial or metric sizing vs. alpha sizing, click on over to Common Tread’s Motorcycle Tires 101.
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 ..
Of course, it doesn’t take a hundred-fifty horses to get into trouble. A well setup 70 hp bike like an SV650 can corner just as fast as a literbike, but the nature of the Gixxer liter bike often begs riders to unleash all the available horses. However, if what you have is a liter bike, don’t shy away from a track day. Just be extra aware of the temptation you can feel when piloting a hyper-superbike and keep the throttle in check.
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.
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.
You just spent all winter getting your bike ready for the season. New brakes, oil change, new fairings and a paint job. You spend all week loading everything into the trailer. All track essentials like a canopy, cooler, chair and ibuprofen are stocked. Do you want to be that person scurrying around with a flashlight in the wee hours wondering why your trailer has a flat? Now is the time to inspect your trailer. You know trailers need a little love too.
If you’re planning to replace a tire, you can easily check the ratings and order exactly like that. On the other hand, if you’d like to upgrade, there’s a lot of room for you to experiment and have something different for a potentially better riding experience. With the help of a professional, you can easily upgrade your tires to conform to your riding style.
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.
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.
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.
The Roadtec 01 is what Metzeler describe as their Sports Touring Tyre and we wouldn’t disagree. The name of the game here is fast and dependable performance. A Ducati Multistrada 1200 has 160 bhp on tap and we know how they’re ridden – their owners want a tire that can keep up when the throttle is pulled back and maximum power is applied as well as when the rain comes. This tyre excels at both.
Not very powerful- A moderately powerful bike is one of the most important criteria for novice and intermediate track day riders. Even advanced riders will benefit from a low horsepower machine. I raced a 48hp MZ Scorpion as an expert and had a blast. And it cost me $2500.00. Just sayin’. See the article on the detriment of too much horsepower. See more below.
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.
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 ..
