Tire Sense
Common Sense Thoughts on Street Tires
Buying new tires for your motorcycle can be a
bit of an investment and it’s one we all need to deal with from time to time.
What kind of tires to select, how to take care of them and understanding all you
need to know about them before you buy is an area few of us delve into. Instead
we trust a dealer, an online newsgroup, or word of mouth. It’s time to take the
bull by the horns and educate yourself about your tires. to be our brain trust.
Air Pressure
Simply put, most people don’t maintain their
tire pressure with any regularity and typically run below the recommended p.s.i.
levels. Case in point was when a local dealer recently checked the tire pressure
of every street bike that came in for service over a two- week period. The
numbers were added up and divided and the outcome was that the average bike had
9 pounds of pressure per square inch. At that rate a tire is breaking down
internally and even if the p.s.i is finally increased, the damage has already
been done.
Online vs. Store Bought
Think you’ll save money by buying your tires
online? Think again. Unless you plan to mount those tires yourself, you won’t be
saving any money at all and in most cases you’ll end up paying more. Once you
arrive at a dealer or shop and ask to have your internet- bought tires mounted,
you’ll most likely be paying the hourly shop rate to have the mounting done
which negates your online savings. In addition, any reputable shop would decline
from honoring the manufacturer warranty and won’t sell you their own warranty if
they have one internally. The only thing they’re selling you is shop time.
Tire Warranties
There are two types of warranties for tires.
A manufacturer warranty and a store-bought warranty.
Some manufacturers warranty all their tires;,
others only cover some models. Find out before you buy and get the details about
what is covered and length of coverage.
Some shops offer a store-bought warranty
which can be a good way to go, but be sure you understand the details before you
buy. Is the warranty transferable to your next buyer? How much tread wear is
eligible before the warranty is nil, and so on.
What is Free Mounting?
Free mounting comes in two flavors. Off the
bike, or on the bike. If your shop offers free mounting be sure you know which
type. Off the bike simply means you remove the wheels from your bike and take
them to the shop to get the tires mounted. On the bike means bring the whole
bike in and they handle everything
Model Development
Some tires are designed before a model
actually hits the market, others after. For instance the Dunlop K491 was
developed for use on large touring bikes, the first such was Honda’s GL1500. It
wasn’t until later that Avon developed the Venom X as an optional replacement,
working with data that came from the wear on the Dunlop. Thus, in Avon’s mind
they’ve built a better tire. When selecting a tire consider this if you’re going
for the most advanced technology available.
Traction vs. Mileage
When it comes to choosing a tire, consider if
you want more traction or more mileage out of the tire. Sifter rubber provides
better traction, but won’t last as long. The opposite is true on a firmer rubber
compound.
Plugging a Blowout
At some point you have had, or will
experience a blow out. Often times the only way to get to a dealer to replace
the tire is to plug it. If you’re running steel belted tires, don’t expect the
plug to last long., You’ll be lucky if you get 50 miles from either a mushroom
or string plug, maybe longer with a bias-ply, maybe not. Bottom line is that
once your tire has been punctured, it needs to be replaced as soon as possible.
Unlike car tires, motorcycle tires don’t have the depth of tread to retain a
plug for any length of time.
Tire Age
Tire age plays a factor. As years go by,
rubber tends to harden and the traction that a new tire once had is gone. If
your bike was sitting for 5 years in the garage, you probably want to consider
tossing those treads, even if they only have a few miles on them.
Changing Air Pressure
Understanding air pressure is an art. More
pressure when you’ve got a load, less when you’re mixing off-road travel into
your adventures. Less pressure when it’s raining gives you more traction, use
more pressure when it’s dry. It varies greatly from bike to bike and tire to
tire as to just where you want your pressure each time you ride. Ask around,
talk to others, call the manufacturer and study up.
Three Wheel
If you’ve got a side car or trike, you’re
into another can of worms. That Venom X tire that’s so great on a Gold Wing is a
poor choice if you have a sidecar. The tread was never developed for flat-down
traction at all times. Instead, take the time to talk with side car
manufacturers, installers and tire manufacturers about the best rubber for your
rig.
Patrick Thomas/Spring 04
Photo courtesy of Seattle Cycle
Center and Mixed Media
|
