When does it tell you need to change your bike tires?
Riding on old, damaged or used motorcycle tires can affect your bike’s performance and even your safety. It often seems that bike tires that still have a lot of miles on them should really be replaced. Here are some things to help you know when you should replace your bike tires.
5 Tips for Changing Motorcycle Tires
1. Your tires are worn
Worn bike tires provide less grip, can adversely affect balance and handling, and can wear down more easily, resulting in a tire blowout. When the tread depth reaches 2/32 inch, it is time to consider installing new tires, and when the tread depth is 1/32 inch or less, the tire is considered worn and possibly unsafe. Should go. After this limit, there is no guarantee that your tires will keep you safe or provide grip and performance, especially on wet surfaces. Most tires have wear strips molded into the tread depth of the tire. There may also be a small triangular mark on the sidewall of the tire that indicates the location of the wear strips.
Tires should be replaced before the tread depth reaches the level of the wear strips. Off-road tires will lose grip as the tire wears in, and the rear tire typically wears out twice as fast as the front tire.
When does it tell you need to change your bike tires? (continued)
2. Your tires are old
Many factors can affect tire life, including weather conditions, storage and usage conditions, weight, speed, tire pressure, maintenance and riding style. Although older tires may appear to be in good condition, the rubber compound may begin to dry out over time, and the inner lining may deteriorate. All riders should spend some time regularly inspecting their tires for any external signs of aging or wear, such as dents or cracks in the tread, shoulders or sidewalls of the tire.
If the bike is usually parked outside, UV in the hot sun can make the tires prematurely old. Inspect your tire’s sidewalls for small cracks or discoloration that indicates the tire is drying out.
The date-of-manufacture code on the sidewall of each motorcycle tire will indicate the age of the tire. The code is preceded by DOT (Department of Transportation), followed by a series of numbers. The last four digits are the date code – the first two numbers represent the week, and the second pair indicate the year. For example, a tire with a code of 3522 was produced in the 35th week of 2022. This code is important to check if you are buying a used bike to check if the tires should be replaced.
Dunlop and Michelin, Harley-Davidson’s tire suppliers, recommend that tires be inspected by a professional mechanic annually after five or more years of use, and replaced 10 years after the date of manufacture. should be done, even if they do not reach the legal limit.
When does it tell you need to change your bike tires? (continued)
3. The tire is damaged
Hitting rough surfaces, potholes, and blunt objects can seriously damage tires. Any cracks, cuts or damage to the tire should be carefully inspected by a professional mechanic. Consider repairing a punctured tire with a plug as a temporary “homecoming” procedure. A repaired tire loses its speed rating and must be replaced. Harley-Davidson recommends that when riding on a repaired tire, the speed should not exceed 50 mph for the first 24 hours after the repair, and that the repaired tire never be used at speeds greater than 80 mph. should do.
4. The tire has uneven wear or cupping on the tire
An unevenly worn tire can affect handling and cause painful vibrations. It could also be a sign of another problem, such as an unbalanced wheel, a crooked or misaligned axle, a damaged wheel rim, a bad wheel bearing or riding with incorrect tire pressure. A professional technician can often diagnose other problems by noticing uneven tire wear.
5. You have the wrong tires on your bike
Motorcycle manufacturers carefully select tires for each model, and those tires are often integral to the bike’s performance. Harley-Davidson recommends only the use of tires of its original size, speed rating, load rating and composition as Original Equipment tires.