Type
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Sports. In this case, sports driving means high-speed driving on as smooth surfaces as possible. Accordingly, all such tires have a high speed rating - not lower than W (270 km/h). In addition, sports motorcycles are characterized by relatively low weight; As a result of this (as well as for some other reasons), the rubber of this direction is made radial (see “Design”). Note that such models are characterized by a shallow tread pattern. This provides excellent traction on quality, smooth surfaces, but on uneven, wet or muddy roads, driving on these tires requires caution. This is especially true for
track sports tires without any tread at all, the so-called slicks, which are placed in a separate section and are intended exclusively for driving in dry weather on the race track. It is strictly forbidden to use such tires on city roads, for your own safety.
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Road. Tires designed, as the name suggests, for driving on regular roads with a hard (but not necessarily perfectly smooth) surface. Such models can be produced for a wide variety of equipment - from heavy choppers and cruisers to small classics and retro bikes. However, in all cases, road tires are characterized by a fairly high load index, which allows them to easily carry quite a large weight of the motorcycle and contact with uneven roads. Most road tires are bias-ply, but radial tires are also available.
...The speed rating of such tires is lower than that of sports tires (although there are models for 270 km/h); In addition, even the most sleek models have a fairly deep tread pattern, which ensures effective moisture removal and reliable contact with uneven roads.
— Cross. A specialized type of motorcycle tire, created exclusively for off-road driving and intended, in accordance with the name, for use in motocross. The most noticeable external feature of these tires is their deep tread pattern with characteristic ridges that improve traction.
— Enduro. Initially, enduro was a type of motorcycle racing in which riders had to ride on different types of terrain - from smooth paved roads to complete off-road conditions. This determined the main features of tires for this purpose: they are a cross between road and cross-country tires (see above) and are suitable for both highways and rough terrain. Of course, in terms of speed characteristics, such tires are inferior to road ones, and in cross-country ability - to cross-country ones; However, in cases where versatility is more important than advanced performance, enduro tires are simply irreplaceable. Note that in appearance such models can be similar to both motocross models (with noticeable protrusions) and road models (relatively smooth, with a small number of grooves). In the first case, a special rubber composition is usually used, which ensures a sufficient level of grip on hard surfaces; in the second, various design tricks are used to increase cross-country ability.
- Adventure. This category includes all-terrain scrambler-type models and durable touring motorcycle tires that can withstand increased loads caused by a large number of things on the road. Adventure tires are suitable for driving on asphalt surfaces and conquering moderate off-road conditions. The tread pattern of the tires is quite aggressive - it is well suited for country roads, and at the same time it is quite smooth for prolonged driving on hard road surfaces. Adventure motorcycles began their journey as road models, converted by manufacturers or owners for off-road riding. The closest relatives of adventure-type motorcycle tires are enduro tires with a more “evil” tread pattern.
— Trial. Specialized tires for motorcycle trials competitions - overcoming difficult routes on rough terrain with many natural or artificial obstacles. During the races, touching obstacles with parts of the body is strictly prohibited - penalty points will be awarded for this. Motorcycle trial tires are omnivorous for various types of coatings under the bike's wheels, have improved grip properties, and a small pressure is inflated inside them, which is done for the sake of maintaining a wide contact patch.
— For scooters. Rubber for small motorcycle equipment. As a rule, scooters have narrow, relatively small wheels. Tires for them are available both in tubeless version and with a tube. Also, similar tires differ in tread pattern: for moving in the rhythm of life in a metropolis, tires with a shallow road pattern are well suited, and for mixed travel with frequent forays on dirt roads and off-road, tires with an aggressive tread are suitable.Season
The season (and, accordingly, the temperature regime) for which the tyre is designed.
"Seasonality" is primarily due to the fact that any composition used in the construction of motorcycle tyres has a certain temperature range in which it shows optimal performance. If the temperature is too low, the rubber will remain hard and will not provide the desired degree of grip, and if it is too high, it will soften, impair stability and be subject to increased wear. In addition, winter and all-season models often have specific design features that ensure efficient operation in difficult conditions — special-shaped grooves for effective moisture removal, massive protrusions for “biting” into the snow, etc. Therefore, it is highly undesirable to deviate from seasonal recommendations.
At the same time, it is worth noting that motorcycles themselves as a mode of transport are designed mainly for use in the warm season — by the word "season" most owners of motorcycles mean the period from approximately mid-spring to mid-autumn. Therefore, the vast majority of motorcycle tyres are
summer tyres,
all-season models are very rare, and winter tyres are even rarer, mainly among
cross -country rubber (see above).
Width
Nominal tyre width (section width) in millimetres. This is one of the notation options; in addition to it, there may also be a designation in inches, for more details, see "Width" above.
Width — whether in millimetres or inches — is one of the parameters that determine compatibility with a particular rim (the other parameter is the fit diameter, see above about it). The main criterion for choosing a tyre in width is the manufacturer's recommendations for a given motorcycle model. It is highly undesirable to deviate from these recommendations: although some types of motorcycles (for example, road bikes) allow a width deviation of +/— 10 mm on the rear wheel, such a wheel will still function in a mode that differs from the standard one. On the front wheel, no deviations are allowed at all.
Profile
Tyre profile height. This parameter is specified as a percentage of the profile width (see above).
The higher the profile, the better the motorcycle can carry heavy weight and increased loads when driving on rough roads and the lower its stability at high speeds. Therefore, for high-speed driving on high-quality flat tracks, hard-surface motorcycle tracks, etc. use ultra-low-profile rubber, with a profile height of up to 60%. For most east european roads, given their overall quality, rather low-profile tyres are recommended — 60 — 80%. And tyres with a profile height of more than 80% should be chosen when the key points are not speed, but cross-country ability and resistance to stress.
Now on the market there are tyres with the following profile height:
40%,
50%,
55%,
60%,
65%,
70%,
75%,
80%,
90%,
100%.
Load index
The load index indicates
the maximum weight load that the tyre can safely carry in normal operation. To shorten the marking, this parameter is denoted by a two-digit number; you can translate this designation into a specific weight in kilograms using special tables.
This value must not be exceeded — otherwise the tyre may burst at any time due to off-design loads. At the same time, when choosing motor tyres for this parameter, it is worth remembering that the load is distributed unevenly between the front and rear wheels. However, the task is facilitated by the fact that motorcycle manufacturers can indicate the minimum or recommended load indices for the front and rear axles in the documentation for their equipment.
Speed rating
The speed rating characterizes the maximum speed at which the tyre maintains performance, in other words, the highest speed at which you can safely drive when using this tyre in normal mode (on the “native” axle, with normal load, etc.). This parameter is indicated by Latin letters, each of which corresponds to its own maximum speed value — for example, a value of 210 km/h is denoted as H. The most modest modern tyres, used mainly for scooters and motocross motorcycles, have the index J (100 km/h), and in high-speed sports models there are models of the
W level (270 km/h).
You should choose a tyre for this parameter based on the recommendations of the motorcycle manufacturer, and if there are no such recommendations, then with a margin of at least 10-15 km/h in excess of the maximum speed with which you plan to ride; this will give an additional guarantee of safety in case of emergency situations. It is technically OK for most motorcycles to use tyres that are less fast than recommended, but in fact this should not be done. And the point is not only that the driver will have to limit the speed of movement — such tyres are generally less durable than high-speed ones and may not tolerate sharp accelerations well.
