Motorcycle tires may
appear to be the same for you regardless of the brand or the make.
However, there are actually subtle differences that you should be
keyed to whenever you buy tires for your bike. Here are two.
Construction
First is that motorcycle
tires have different constructions. They are either bias-ply or
radial-ply. A bias-ply motorcycle tire has overlapping layers with
high sidewalls and round profiles. They often have better grip on
the road surface because they produce more heat. However, because
they give off more heat, the more easily they get worn out.
On the other hand,
radial-ply tires are meant to lower the heat being produced in the
tire. They have shorter sidewalls and flat profiles, and their plies
are angled at 90 degrees.
Durability
Second, the compounds used
on the motorcycle tire should be something we should look at because
they affect the durability of the tire. Tires made of softer
compounds generally produce more traction but are not as durable.
The opposite goes for tires with harder compounds – they give less
traction but last quite a while.
Not all motorcycle bikes
are made the same. Be sure to ask the seller or the dealer about the
tires you are thinking of buying before actually buying them.