Motorcycle & Scooter Wheels, Tyres & Parts

Motorcycle Wheels, Tyres and Tubes

The motorcycle tyre is the only point of contact with ground when you are riding. Therefore, you should really not overlook these critical components. The tyres fit around the metallic part, the wheel that could be either cast alloy or spoked. The tyres may or may not have tubes inside them. Learn more about these crucial parts of your bike and know when to change them to ensure a safe ride.

The motorcycle tyres are the part that you are most likely to replace at one point. All the necessary information about the tyre is usually on its sidewall. This could be either alphanumeric or metric. The former starts with 'M' for motorcycle, followed by tyre width code, aspect ratio, rim diameter in inches and load rating. The metric tyres include information in the following order: section width in mm, aspect ratio, rim diameter in inches, load rating and speed rating.

Motorcycle wheels cope with axial and radial forces and provide a mounting spot for parts like brakes, suspension and final drive. Cast wheels are typically from aluminium or some alloy, while spoke wheels have aluminium or steel rims and steel spokes. The different materials provide different advantages, such as light weight. You could also change both the wheels and tyres by purchasing special motorcycle wheel and tyre packages. Their main benefit is that the parts fit together. You only have to make sure that the set is also compatible with your bike.

Motorcycle tyres and tubes may or may not go together as the tyres are either with tubes or tubeless. Using a tubeless tyre with a tube in it is fine, but not including a tube where it is required is not a good idea. It is possible, but you would have to make some extra effort to make the rim airtight.

Knowing when to replace your tyre is crucial for ensuring safety. Repairs are only temporary fixes and if your tyre suffers damage, it is better to acquire a new one. Start thinking of new tyres when the sidewall is punctured, damage is unrepairable, tread blocks are missing, tyres are more than ten years old, tyres have cuts and slices, tyres are worn or you can spot treadwear indicators.