Motorcycles come in many forms for various purposes. One element that leaves riders confused is when it comes to changing tyres, especially given the choice available. However, if you are one of them, you are at the right place, as we tell you how to choose the right tyre for your motorcycle and its use.
Adventure tyres
Adventure tyres usually have a block pattern tread, designed to grip loose surfaces better, while also offering good traction on smooth tarmac. Adventure tyres are broadly divided into two subcategories — road-biased and off-road-biased. If your motorcycle usage is primarily on the road, choose the road-biased adventure tyres as they last longer, and offer better grip in the wet.
These tyres generally suit adventure travel motorcycles such as the KTM Adventure, Triumph Tigers, Triumph Scramblers, Ducati Scramblers, etc. These tyres generally don’t suit naked street bikes as they are tuned to deliver power differently and don’t offer the same traction levels.
Street and touring tyres
These are the most widely sold tyres globally for motorcycles across the segment. Touring or street tyres are designed to offer good traction on the tarmac, be it dry or wet. They are usually made from slightly harder compounds to offer better life as well.
Street/touring tyres are primarily found on street bikes ranging from the KTM Duke series to larger displacement street nakeds, as they are designed to be used on good tarmac and the city.
Supersport tyres
Supersport tyres are made from soft compound materials and are generally found on high-performance motorcycles such as the BMW S1000RR, R1, RSV4, and so on. Their primary good is to offer better grip, be it in the city or on track days.
While these tyres may seem to make more sense than the street or touring tyres, they have a few disadvantages. For one, they have a short life, making tyre swaps more frequent, and that added to their cost (usually much more than touring tyres), doesn’t make sense.
Slicks
Everybody motorcycle fan loves to have a set of slicks and head out on track days, however, they’re not for everyone. Slicks perform the best under certain conditions only, and without meeting these, there is no advantage at all. It’s best left to the professionals.
However, if you do want to have a fun track day, supersport tyres perform equally well for an average rider. Also, SLicks are expensive, much more than what supersport tyres cost.
