Dunlop’s idea, which changed the way the world rides, was born in 1888, Ireland. Today, the brand has been on the market for over 120 years. Their passenger, performance, sport and SUV tires are an essential to motorsport heritage. The company understands that each bike has its unique specifications. They have created a wide range of tires so that you can pick one that fits your bike best. To give you an example of the type of motorcycle tires that Dunlop has, we picked the Elite 3 Radial Tire.
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 ..
CBR600RR, ZX6R, R6, GSXR600, 675 Daytona, 675 Street Triple, and other 600-class bikes– The 600 class of bikes are the most prevalent bikes at a track day. They offer a good balance of power with very good suspension and brakes out of the box. These bikes aren’t the cheapest thing to run. They can eat up tires and crashing them can get expensive. Older CBRs, R6s, GSXRs and ZX6s can be had cheaply. Note, that if you want a track-only bike with race bodywork, premium suspension and bike protection, it’s often cheaper to find a bike that is already prepared and outfitted for track use than to take a street bike and converting it to a track-only machine. Just be aware of their condition.
Continental Tires holds several records in the tire industry. First, the brand has been on the market for 145 years, which is no mean feat. Up to date, the brand still holds that they have the “Future in Motion”. The brand has seen it all and has a commitment to keeping pace with any tire tech changes. Secondly, the brands hold a record of consistently releasing tires that keep drivers in their seats. Continental Tires ensures that their tires are designed with consideration of every performance and safety aspect.
“I’m so excited for the new Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa compound for track days,” Zemke said. “I started on this project with Pirelli last year to help bring a further DOT tire to the market that is stable, safe and with extremely high grip levels for the track. It offers amazing grip and stability in a DOT-legal package.” Pirelli isn’t shy about the street legality of the Supercorsa TD and fully expects riders to put the tire on public roads, as well as racetracks. “We’re proud to offer this Diablo Supercorsa special compound for track day use,” Pirelli Tire North America Moto Road Race Manager Oscar Solis tells us, “as it’s designed to keep up with the performance and technology of today’s sport bikes. The solution is incredibly versatile, giving riders the ability to cover both street and racetrack in a DOT-legal package. It provides riders the opportunity to competitively log laps at their local track day and hop on the street to ride a scenic canyon route back home.”
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.
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.
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.
Consider yourselves informed! Tires are updated every three years or so but the tires reviewed here currently represent the pinnacle of motoring. If you can’t afford the more expensive tires on test, go for one of the budget options. Whatever you do, stay away from lesser known manufacturers who really don’t have anything to offer. Continental, Michelin, Metzeler, Dunlop and even Yokohama should be at the top of your list.
Another important part of a wheel is the sidewall, where important information about the wheel is displayed. Apart from being a board, the sidewall determines the bike handling and the load support. To make the correct decision, you must be in a position to decode the sidewall information. By just looking at the sidewall you can tell if the tire will fit on your bike and if it’ll meet your riding demands.
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.
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).
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.
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.
Which motorcycle racing tires do you want to outfit your track bike with? We carry motorcycle race tires from all the industry leaders, including Pirelli, Bridgestone, Shinko, Dunlop and many more. Racing tires are a critical component in giving you that extra edge on the track, and if you have any questions picking out the right motorcycle tires for your bike, please don't hesitate to call us or shoot us an email.
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.
“I’m so excited for the new Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa compound for track days,” Zemke said. “I started on this project with Pirelli last year to help bring a further DOT tire to the market that is stable, safe and with extremely high grip levels for the track. It offers amazing grip and stability in a DOT-legal package.” Pirelli isn’t shy about the street legality of the Supercorsa TD and fully expects riders to put the tire on public roads, as well as racetracks. “We’re proud to offer this Diablo Supercorsa special compound for track day use,” Pirelli Tire North America Moto Road Race Manager Oscar Solis tells us, “as it’s designed to keep up with the performance and technology of today’s sport bikes. The solution is incredibly versatile, giving riders the ability to cover both street and racetrack in a DOT-legal package. It provides riders the opportunity to competitively log laps at their local track day and hop on the street to ride a scenic canyon route back home.”
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.
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.
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.
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 ..
