Not all tires are approved for all motorcycles. This means you're in danger of fitting a tire not recommended by your motorcycle or tire manufacturer. Although it's unlikely a qualified dealer would do this. But in Thailand many things are possible. Speed rating and different versions of the same original equipment (OE) tire are another potential trap. A sports 600cc will take almost any tire, while big nakedbikes can struggle due to stability issues. Check with the tire manufacturer to see if you have the correct tire fitment.
Sports Road Tires
The broadest remit of all tires falls to the Sport Road Tire. It has to cope with virtually any motorcycle, on any road and in all weather conditions. Generally speaking, the more road-oriented a tire, the smoother and more stable it'll be. Undulations in the road, and particularly catseyes. A sports road tire will also warm up faster than a track tire, and have a lower optimum operating temperature better suited to the road. A sports road tire will provide better wet weather grip, and better braking performance for the conditions.
Sports Touring Tires
Surely not? Well yes, strange as it may seem. Sports Touring tires may be designed for boring BMWs, but they're also designed for sportsbikes. We fitted a set of Bridgestone's new BT-023 to our Yamaha YZF-R6, and they proved to be far better than the sports road tires they replaced.
Tire Compound Interest
Tire technology has taken massive leaps forward over the past few years. Even the term 'rubber' has become misleading, as modern motorcycle tires n longer contain rubber! Each tire model is made up of a varying mix of chemicals to create the best grip for the conditions they're designed to work in. They also come in dual or triple compounds: i.e. harder in the middle to last those highway kilometers and softer round the edges for better corner grip. But, importantly, each tire has been developed for a specific use – misuse them and traction will suffer. And this could be a very expensive mistake indeed... Every tire manufacturer has a website, with most offering fitting advice. So get online and check it out, the tire on your friends motorcycle is maybe not the best choice for your ride...
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