Different Types of Motorcycle Tyres

Listed below are the available types of tyres for motorcycles.

• Street Tyres

Most motorcycles have these types of bike tyres as standard equipment. Durable and reliable, these tyres are not the grippiest, but they are affordable and last long.

These tyres are adequate for most commuting needs and can also handle occasional intercity trips. You just have to use them softly around corners or in excessively wet or slippery conditions.

Generally made from complex or medium rubber compounds, the design of these tyres mostly meets all the requirements of low-powered motorcycles.

These tyres should serve you well unless you have extreme or specialised needs.

• Touring Tyres

Touring motorcycles are generally heavy since they carry the rider's weight, the pillion and all their luggage. An example of a touring bike is a heavy cruiser. Touring tyres feature deep tread patterns that dispel water effectively.

Due to the additional weight, touring motorcycle tyres have a reinforced sidewall to last a long time.

Due to the powerful engines of these motorcycles, the tyres must provide good traction and durability.

• Dual Sport or ADV Tyres

Although motorcycles spend 90 per cent of their time on the blacktop, the design of some motorcycles handles rough and smooth surfaces.

These bikes often called adventure or dual-sport motorcycles, are suited to harsh, unpaved surfaces and tarmac. They are big, powerful, rugged bikes designed for riders who enjoy venturing into the unknown and often travel long distances.

ADV or dual-sport tyres are usually fitted to motorcycles, sometimes called all-terrain tyres.

Because of their block tread pattern on their surface, these tyres offer good traction on roads, particularly on gravelly, rough, muddy, or rocky surfaces.

These types of tyres for motorcycles can have a different on or off-road bias based on the user's requirements. For example, motorcycles that will spend most of their time on the road but occasionally off-road can have a 70:30 on-road or off-road bias.

Also, motorcycles that spend equal time on and off the tar tend to have a 50:50 split.

• The performance or Sport Tyres

These tyres offer the best grip and performance in dry conditions for most street-legal motorcycles. With high-quality, soft compound rubber, these tyres keep the motorcycle's unsprung weight as low as possible. A bike with these tyres is usually geared toward aggressive riding and produces crazy amounts of power.

The soft compound rubber on these tyres wears out quickly, requiring frequent replacement. Water does not disperse nicely on these tyres because their tread lines are not very prominent. In wet weather conditions, these sports tyres have more profound and specialised tread patterns that dispel water and provide maximum grip.

• Off-Road Tyres

Motorcycles made of these tyres spend most of their time off-road. Suitable for rough surfaces, including mud, gravel, dirt, and sand, they are ideal for use on unpaved terrains.

A reinforced sidewall minimises the chances of a puncture on these tyres. These tyres have pronounced protrusions on their surfaces to ensure they dig deep into gravelly surfaces, making it possible for the motorcycle to travel forward.

Unlike narrow road tyres, which do not have deep treads, these have intense tracks. When the projections contact rough surfaces, the complex compound rubber protects them from being cut. Despite their rugged construction, the tyres wear out quickly when used on the road.

Tar erodes tyre tread much more rapidly than on dirt, especially for high-performance off-road tyres. Rather than riding their dirt bikes off-road, serious off-roaders often load them into trucks and transport them.

• Sport Touring Tyres

Sport Touring is a touring variation with a comfier riding position and cushier suspension. Sport touring bikes also offer comfortable seating for a pillion.

And in some cases, they have provision for locking luggage for long-distance trips. Despite being very sporty, these motorcycles can still carry the rider long distances without exerting too much pressure.

Sport touring tyres are available for such motorcycles from the tyre industry. Tyres like these combine the performance and grip of sports tyres with the improved durability and ruggedness of touring tyres.

Despite their excellent grip around bends, good sports or performance tyres wear out very quickly. Generally, sports touring tyres feature a more complex spine compound for extended life and relatively softer sides for perfect cornering performance.

Streetfighters, sportbikes, and sports tourers often use these tyres to provide a good mixture of durability, handling, and traction.

• Racing Tyres or Slicks

Professional motorcycle racing requires these tyres, which are unavailable on roadgoing motorcycles but provide the ultimate grip.

Racers can lean their motorcycles taking sharp turns on the race track with the highest-quality racing tyres of soft compound rubber that offer incredible grip.

Due to their focus on always maximising contact patches, these tyres have no tread lines. Aggressive track use tends to raise tyre temperatures quickly, so racing tyres offer exceptional grip at high temperatures.

This tyre usually lasts only a few races because its ultra-soft compound wears out rapidly.