How Long Do Motorcycle Tires Last? (With 10 Examples)


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How long do motorcycle tires last?

If you’ve ever had this question in mind, then this is the right guide for you.

Unluckily, this question is not asked by every rider. Even, most individuals believe that the tires of their bikes are as great as those of a brand new car. But that’s not always the case.

In this post, you will get all you need to know about motorcycle tires — most importantly, regarding their lifespan:

How Long Do Motorcycle Tires Last?

In order to answer this “how long do motorcycle tires last?” question, you need to initially understand the factors which affect the longevity of motorcycle tires.

There is a wide variety of factors to consider, which include:

1. Tread

motorcycle tire tread

Initially, you need to check for the presence of thread in your tires. Federal and state regulations stated that the tread depth on your tires must be anywhere around 1/32 and 2/32.

With that being said, the middle of your tire gets into the most contact with the surfaces of your road. With that, this part of the tire will most likely wear out before all other parts of the tire.

2. Defects

The second thing you need to do is check for defects in your motorcycle tires. Though there might be the presence of the required tread, there might be a crack in the sidewalks.

This type of cracking is normally called dry rot, and this is an evident sign that this is the time you need to get your tire replaced.

An alternative is that there might have been wearing out in the tire.

In a situation whereby your motorcycled is leaned into a turn, that particular tire would not feel as great as it was when you newly bought it. This denotes uneven wear and means you need a tire replacement.

3. Age

The motorcycle’s tires’ age should also be considered anytime you think about the longevity of your motorcycle tires.

With this, it’s an imperative thing for you to learn about how you can check your tire to detect its durability level recommended by the maker.

On average, the tires at the front of a typical bike need to last for about 3,700 miles. On the other hand, the rear tires need to last for about 1,800 miles prior to you needing to change the tire.

Definitely, the maintenance of your tires will be the determining factor in their longevity. And you are required to check them regularly.

Even though you are required to know that they’re no fatal and hard rules where the pair of bikes tires durability is concerned.

When to Replace the Tires of the Motorcycles

In order to have a further understanding of the answers to the question “how long do motorcycle tires last,” you are also required to have more knowledge on what signs to check out to tell if you need to replace your tires.

Admittedly, there are many factors that are to be considered when there is a requirement to change your motorcycle tires or chain. I wrote an article on how to change motorcycle chains last week.

These factors are the suspension setup, the rider’s pace, the care level you give your tires, and the pressure you make use of. Additionally, the wear pattern is one other factor you need to include.

Though you’ll be tempted to use the treads in judging your tires, this is greatly discouraged by important players in the biking market like the manufacturers, experts, and mechanics.

Here are important things to consider, instead:

a). Tread Depth

source

To make sure that you do not guess the motorcycle’s lifespan you expect, makers normally add a wear bar that runs across the thread of the tire.

When there is an alignment of the wear bars with the tread, your tires should be replaced.

A good trick you can attempt would actually be the penny technique. Put a penny in the tread, and then check for how deep the head of Abraham Lincoln is submerged. If it is not, then you can still make use of your tires prior to you replacing them.

b). Age

Generally, your motorcycle tire’s lifespan must not go beyond 5 years. It is suggested by some expert that your tires are out rightly dear five years after the day they were manufactured. Nevertheless, this can be extended to 10 years by you.

c). Cracking

Similar to every other part of your bike, there is no complete immunity of your tires to the ravage of continuous exposure to the sun.

Even, if a substantial amount of sunlight has been seen by your tires, you may see some cracking along the tread sidewalls.

d). Cuts and Punctures

tire puncture

Regularly check the tires of your motorcycle to check if there are any cuts or punctures.

e). Loss of Pressure

Since the pressure on your motorcycle tires is checked by you sometimes, you’re going to notice if there is a reduction in the pressure of your bike too soon.

There is a high probability that the bead has worn out if this has actually been happening.

f). Odd Feeling

One best way you can check if there has been wearing out of your motorcycle tires is to make use of your hand.

If any abnormal sensation is noticed by you — like pushing, vibrating, or pulsating — as you’re riding, these could be from the tires.

g). Inflation

tire inflation

Under and over-inflation causes uneven wearing of the tire. You should check your tires to observe if there’s any excessive wear at the center or on the sides of the tire if they’re not aired up adequately.

How to Read Motorcycle Sizes

If you know how to read the tire sizes of motorcycles, it will assist you in answering the question, “what size are my tires.”

However, to understand the process of checking to know if there is a replacement of your tires needed, you are required to learn how bike tire sizes are being read.

Most of the things you need to understand will be molded on the tire’s sidewall — either in metric or alphanumeric. Consider the metric number 130/90 R 16 67 H. In the example:

  • 130 indicates the tire’s width. This denotes that the broadest width of the tire is 130mm after it has been installed, and the bike is ready to be ridden.
  • 90 indicates the tire’s height.  It shows that the tire is ninety percent as tall as one width measured. With these given examples, the height of the tire is 117mm.
  • R indicates the tire’s construction. In this example, it denotes radial ply.
  • 16 refer to the wheel’s diameter/size in inches. With this, the tire will perfectly fit into a wheel of 16-inches.
  • 67 refers to the load index, which informs the owner that the load capacity of the motorcycle’s tire is 661 pounds.
  • H indicates the load index designated rating, which means that this tire is usable for speeds up to 130 miles per hour.

We have made a list of some bike tires and their lifespans, check them out below!

Tires Lifespan
Metzeler M7RR 5000+ miles
Michelin Commander II 25000+ miles
Bridgestone Exedra G702 20000+ miles
Michelin Pilot Power 2CT 18000+ miles
Metzeler ME 888 Marathon Ultra 30000+ miles
Michelin Pilot Road 4 26000+ miles
Bridgestone Exedra G704R 30000+ miles
Metzeler 180/55ZR17 Sportec M7RR R 28000+ miles
Continental ContiMotion 20000+ miles
Dunlop Tires D404 25000+ miles

Maintaining your Motorcycle tire

The best way to maintain your tires is by inspecting them before embarking on a road trip or when you arrive at your destination.

I’m sure this guide and tips have given you a direction on determining how long a motorcycle tire lasts.

The provided information will make a significant impact in making sure you ride on track continuously, maximizing the great things you get out of your tires while also maximizing the chances you’ll ever ride on the road with a tire that is outdated.

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