Almost nothing is more important when riding a motorcycle than putting on the right type of tire with chic rims for your own machine. When assembling motorcycle tires, you will quickly realize that there are not only seasonal tires but also the perfect tires for your riding style and vehicle type. For example, according to motorcycle tire tests, you can buy racing tires, sports tires, touring tires, and off-road tires.
If you buy motorcycle tyres, then you should first familiarize yourself with the load capacity class (number/kg). The load capacity class describes the maximum load capacity of a tyre, taking into account the speed. This information is important because the tyre must bear the weight of the vehicle and the weight of the driver and, under these conditions, must also withstand the braking and driving force. The load capacity class can be read directly on the motorcycle tyre itself.
Select motorcycle tires in suitable sizes
If you want to buy motorcycle tires from Dunlop, motorcycle tires from Continental, motorcycle tires from Harley Davidson or motorcycle tires from Michelin, there are important purchase criteria to consider according to motorcycle tire tests. At AUTO BILD you can read what is meant by the diameter in inches, the nominal width in mm and the height-width ratio of the tire cross-section in %.
Observe tyre sizes
The diameter of a motorcycle tire is measured in inches just like car tires and other tires. The most common tire diameters vary between a diameter of 10 inches for small motorcycles such as scooters and a diameter of 21 inches for off-road machines such as an Enduro.
The nominal width of a motorcycle tire, on the other hand, is given in millimeters. However, this value changes when the tire is mounted on a rim, as rims increase the actual tire width again. It is important to know that narrow tires generally make a motorcycle handier, and wider tires generally make the machine appear bulkier.
The minimum tread depth of motorcycle tyres is also measured in millimeters. New tires usually have a tread depth between 8 and 9 mm, which has a strong difference to the minimum tread depth. The legally defined tread depth of motorcycle tires and other tires, which must be fulfilled at least, is a value of 1.6 mm.
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Pay attention to the height-width ratio
The ratio of height and width of a motorcycle tire indicates how high or flat a tire is. The lower the numerical value of a motorcycle tire, the flatter the tire. Since the rear tires of a motorcycle usually have a larger nominal width than front tires, they also have a greater height-to-width ratio than front tires. This additionally stabilizes the machines, which usually have rear-wheel drive.
What you should know about the maximum speed class (class/km/h)
The maximum speed class refers to the maximum speed that can be driven with the motorcycle tyres. In addition, this value depends on the above-mentioned load capacity of a tire. In winter, the weather conditions usually do not allow the machine to extend, so this value is less important for winter tires than for summer tires. In the case of summer tyres, the maximum speed class and the load capacity of the motorcycle tyre must be precisely matched.
