For athletes in most land sports (basketball, running, etc.), the most important piece of equipment will always be shoes. In the same way, for motorcycles, the most important consumables/modifications are also tires that are in direct contact with the ground. Especially in the field of modification, car modification should start with things that are closer to the ground. According to this concept, tires are also the most important/should be modified first. Unfortunately, not every rider is very familiar with tires. Don't worry, Helmet King will use an article today to tell you everything you should know, everything you need to know about tires! After reading it, when should you change tires and whether the tire gas is sufficient, you will never be troubled again!

Tire Types and Selection

At the beginning, I want to introduce the types of tires. Although the tires are all made of black rubber and look the same, there are still a lot of knowledge and differences in them. According to the rubber composition of tire manufacturing, tires can be simply divided into: hot-melt tires, semi- hot-melt tires and ordinary tires. Many riders who pursue performance will praise the grip of hot-melt tires, but does this mean that every rider should install hot-melt tires? No. Because the grip of the tire is often related to the usable mileage of the tire. Among hot-melt tires, semi-hot-melt tires and ordinary tires, hot-melt tires have the strongest grip and the shortest mileage. Ordinary tires have the most common grip, but the longest mileage. Therefore, blindly choosing the hot melt tire with the best performance may result in damage to the purse (because the tire needs to be changed frequently). Therefore, each rider should actually choose the correct tire type according to his own needs.

For the riders whose main purpose of the car at home is to enjoy performance and pleasure on mountain roads during holidays, hot melt tires are of course the best choice. But if you are not such a passionate rider, or a rider who regards a motorcycle as a mobile tool, ordinary tires may actually be more suitable for your needs. It is related to the hot-melt tires to achieve good grip, need a certain working temperature, if the hot-melt tires fail to reach the working temperature, such as winter, rainy days, it will be difficult for the hot-melt tires to reach the working temperature, and the hot-melt tires that have not reached the working temperature On the contrary, the tire grip is worse than that of ordinary tires. Among ordinary tires, major brands also launch tires with different performance/performance for different purposes, such as: travel tires suitable for long-term use and balanced performance to achieve the longest service life, which is very suitable for commuting vehicles Wear-resistant tires, etc. Or if you are a commuter on weekdays and a hot-blooded knight on holidays, you can also consider semi-heated tires. All in all, the most powerful heat-melt tires are not necessarily suitable for everyone because of their poor durability and ability to cope with wet conditions. The next time you want to change a tire, you might as well ask the garage technician for advice, maybe you can find a tire that is more suitable for your usage habits.

Tire age check and limit

The type of tire itself will affect the life of the tire, and each tire itself has its service life and mileage limit, and it must be replaced if it reaches the limit. Generally speaking, there are 4 numbers engraved on the sidewall next to the tire. The last two numbers indicate the year the tire was manufactured, and the first two numbers represent the week of the year. For example, the number on the tire is: 0122, which means that this tire was shipped in the first week of 2022. The life limit of a tire is about five to six years after leaving the factory. If you find that the tires on your car have not been changed for five years or more, you should replace them immediately.

Tread

In addition to the type and age of the tire are factors that determine the life of the tire, the tread pattern is also a key criterion for judging. The tread of a road tire is worn out, which also means that its lifespan is over. The function of the tread pattern is actually to make the tire have better water drainage performance, so that the motorcycle can still maintain stability in rainy days. There are indicator lines on most tires to remind the owner of the wear condition of the tire tread, and all riders should check it regularly. If the tire wear has reached the indicator line, it is to remind you that the tire should be replaced. Whether the tread pattern of a tire is easy to wear out is not only related to the type of tire, but also closely related to the usage habits. Generally speaking, because the rear wheel of a motorcycle is the driving wheel (the wheel that receives the power of the engine), the wear of the rear wheel will be consumed faster. If the back seat is often filled with people, the habit of opening the accelerator when starting, etc., will make the wear more obvious. Therefore, motorcyclists should pay more attention to the wear condition of the rear wheels.

Tire gas (tire pressure)

Most of the inspections of tires can basically be checked and determined by naked eyes, but the tire gas (tire pressure) part may be a bit difficult. Some old drivers may check whether the tire inflation is sufficient by touching or other methods, but in fact, a more scientific way is to check the tire pressure gauge to check the current accurate tire pressure. In recent years, the electronic equipment used in vehicles has been innovated, and the price of the very convenient wireless tire pressure gauge is not untouchable. A convenient and accurate tire pressure gauge not only allows you to accurately monitor whether the tire gas is normal, but also allows you to find the most suitable tire gas value more easily.

Generally speaking, many car owners will use the value in the original manual to inflate their car, but in fact, the climate and road quality of each country are different; in addition, different car owners have different road usage, car habits and load conditions, so Not suitable for everyone, just a reference value. To find the ideal and most suitable tire pressure for your car, you need to rely on the owner to constantly try, observe and adjust to find the most suitable tire pressure value for you. As for the value to be adjusted for the first time, after referring to the value suggested by the original factory, increase it by about 3-4psi, and then go on the road for actual measurement, fine-tuning every 1-2psi. If it is a rider with a lighter weight, or a rider with less load/cargo requirements, the tire pressure can also be slightly lowered, and vice versa.

It should be noted that tire pressure will not only affect the life of the tire and riding comfort, but also affect the safety of driving. If the tire pressure is too high, it will deform the tire, so that the contact area between the bead and the ground cannot be used effectively, and it will also increase the wear in the center of the tread. As the contact area between the tire and the ground is reduced, the frictional force per unit contact area will further increase, and the tire is more likely to lose grip due to the tire exceeding the limit, or a tire blowout, resulting in an accident. On the contrary, if the tire pressure is too low, the contact area of ​​the tire will increase abnormally, which will increase the wear of the tire and shorten the life of the tire. In addition, the abnormal ground contact area will cause the tire temperature to rise rapidly when the tire is driving at high speed or braking, and it is more likely to blow out than normal tire pressure, or even when the tire pressure is too high! The tire pressure will also be affected by the physical effects of thermal contraction and cold expansion due to the weather . Therefore, installing a wireless tire pressure gauge to facilitate long-term monitoring and adjustment of tire gas is indeed the most once-and-for-all choice.

Tire deformation/ cracking

In addition to the different conditions and factors mentioned above, the last thing you should pay attention to and check is whether the tire is deformed or cracked. Deformation refers to the deformation of the tire tilted to the left or right. If you find that the tire of your car is not a perfect and ideal oval when viewed from the front/rear, it is likely that the deformation has already occurred. The deformed tires will make the driving of the motorcycle unstable, especially when cornering, which will affect driving safety. In addition to the shape, you should also pay attention to whether there are cracks in the tread. Whether it is deformation or cracks, as long as the tires have the above two conditions, it means that your tires must be replaced immediately.

Summarize

The biggest difference between a motorcycle and a private car is that a motorcycle has only two tires, so no matter which tire loses its grip, it may cause a very serious driving accident, and the parts on a motorcycle that are most likely to cause loss of grip are It's the tires. Therefore, tires are the most important part of a motorcycle. Helmet King here fully shares all tire-related inspection items with you, hoping that every car owner can pay more attention to whether the tire status of his car is healthy. If you find any problems or have doubts, welcome to visit Helmet King’s store and garage for inspection and consult our professional team. Helmet King will always be the best partner who cares about your driving safety and road safety!