Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126785
Whl motorclcle tires don't make sense A look at the motorcycle tire marketplace By Jim Wolcott Every few months some magazine seems to publish another article about motorcycle tires. Untold thousands of words describe tires in great detail, accompanied by complex charts and graphs. Exploded diagrams depict the inner workings of the rubber compounds and components which 16 form modern tires. Every month. the tire manufacturers place advertisements to extol the virtues of their products. New Lire designs fall in and out of vogue: thi year's favorite tire may well be an al o-ran in six months. Things are going to become even more complex; in a few .. ,. \ months radial motorcycle tires will be introduced to the market. If you've attempted to understand these articles about motorcycle tires, made an effort to wade through the manufacturer's specifications and product bulletins ... and still don't have any idea as to which tire you should buy for your bike; you're not alone. I began researching this article because I didn't know how to choose a tire for my motorcycle. In the course of this research I've chatted with tire , " engineers, advertising people, manufacturer's representatives, magazine editors, dealers, distributors and racers. You know what? I haven't come across anybody - not one person on the face of this planet - who can intelligently choose a motorcycle tire from what's available on the market. That's a pretty strong statement. After all, what's so tough about choosing a motorcycle tire? Before we go any further, some explanation is in order. Starting at the outside of a modern motorcycle tire, the most recognizable component is the tread pattern. The configuration of this pattern determines how the tire behaves in wet weather conditions. The tread pattern is molded from a special compound of rubber; one formulated to provide either mileage or traction (or a com, • I , promise thereof). The tread ru bber is bonded onto the carcass of the tire, a framework composed of criss-cross layers of cords. Angles within these cord layers are adjusted to provide the strength and re il iency desired for the tire's application. These layers of cords are anchored onto two wire hoops, which form the bead of the tire. The bead is the foundation of the tire, and seaLS the tire onto the rim of Lh,e wheel. Tires are constructed in varying heights and widths, and the relationship of height to width is described in a percentage ratio, called the "aspect ratio." As you might imagine, changing just one of these components will al ter the characteristics of the tire. Tire engineers take advantage of this by designing different tires for different types of riding. Unfortunately, for