Everything you should know about motorcycle tires
We will review the generalities about the tires. Although at the performance level we usually look at other aspects of the motorcycle, the tires are critical, since all other components (including the driver and the passenger) maintain contact with the asphalt thanks to a few square centimeters of surface rubber.
Tire functions
Current motorcycle tires are a high -tech product, since they have to fulfill different functions, some of them contradictory:
-They have to be flexible since they are the first element of the damping system, and at the same time the housing must have sufficient stiffness to support the tremendous acceleration forces, braking, lateral ...
-They must be able to transmit the traction and at the same time direct the vehicle in the proper direction.
-They have to provide stability in a straight line and at the same time favor the inclination in the curves.
-The rolling band must be as soft as possible to improve the grip and on the other hand it has to be as lasting as possible to extend the lifetime of the tire to the maximum.
-They have allowed to evacuate the water in case of rain, while maintaining as much rubber surface possible in contact with the ground.
All this is achieved by applying the most modern manufacturing techniques and always adopting some type of commitment, which is why there are more suitable or specific tires for sports driving, for wet, for terrain in poor condition, for more or less heavy motorcycles. ..
Composition of a tire
Without going into too many technicalities I will briefly explain the parts of the tire:
1. Rolling band: It is the part that maintains contact with the asphalt, in the motorcycle tires is usually used tougher rubber in the central part that improves the traction and softer on the sides, to facilitate the inclination and grip .
2. The housing is a flexible structure formed by steel threads in rubber, its function is to support the load and participate in the stability of the vehicle.
3. Heel ring: It is formed by an inextensible steel cable, fixes the tire to the tire, providing pond and transmits the torque and braking of the tire to the tire.
4. Inner rubber coating: Synthetic rubber lay
5. Internal canvases and layers: they make up the type of tire (radial or longitudinal) and provide its main operating characteristics.
Letter soup ... and numbers
On the flanks of the tires manufacturers indicate a lot of information related to them, surely you have wondered what all those numbers mean ...
1. Manufacturer's brand
2. Type of drawing and/or model
3. "Width" or nominal, metric or inches section
4. Proportion between width and tire height
5. Type of construction of the interior layers
6. Tire diameter in inches
7. Indicates that it is a tire for motorcycle use
8. Speed code
9. Indicates whether it should be used with (TT) or without (TL) inner chamber
10. Maximum load you can support
11. MANUFACTURE COUNTRY
12. Use approval code
13. Rotation address (you can also indicate whether you are front (front) or rear (rear)
14. Number of layers and material of the same
15. I wear indicator, when its surface is aligned with that of the rolling band, it must be replaced
16. European approval code
Final conclusions
After knowing our tires a little more, I simply want to remind you that their choice should be based on the type of motorcycle we have and the use we are going to make of it more than on a purely economic issue, so there are no tires Better or worse, but more or less appropriate to our specific needs.
They are also the main component related to safety in our vehicle, so we must always monitor their wear and check the cold pressure once a week, which must always be indicated by the manufacturer, in this way our tires will last more and will give us the maximum benefits.
Frank Burguera