How to Read a Motorcycle Tire

Is it time to buy new motorcycle tires? How do you even know when you need new tires? Unless you’re a pro racer who gets a fresh set of tires after every single race, you need to be aware of when it’s time to swap out your tires, and what you’re looking for in a new set of tires.
Many riders ignore the signals that their bike needs new tires. This is dangerous because the tires are the most important piece of equipment on your motorcycle, and the only thing standing between you and the asphalt (or track, or mud), so you want quality, and you want safety.

If you pay attention to the signals, you’ll be able to tell when it’s time for new tires. If the back end of your bike feels a little looser than normal, or something just doesn’t feel quite right, your first step is to check tread depth. Especially when riding in wet conditions, proper tread depth on your motorcycle tires is going to make the difference between a safe ride and a dangerous situation. You can visually inspect your tires to see if the tread is worn down to the built-in wear bars. If this is the case, there is only 1/32 inches of tread remaining, and your tires need to be replaced. Another easy way to test tread depth is to insert a penny into a groove in the center of your tire. You’re looking for 2/32 of an inch in tread depth, which is the distance from the edge of the penny to the top of Lincoln’s head. If your tread depth is less than that, it’s time to go tire shopping.

First, determine the size of tires you have on your bike. The owner’s manual should specify the tire size, whether they are radial or bias construction, tube-type or tubeless, the load range, and speed index. Did you know you can also find out most of this information by looking on the tire itself? The diagrams below will explain more.