8 Tips to Keep Your Tires in Good Health

Tires are the only thing between you and the road. You can also say that tires are what separates your bike from the road. That’s why it is so important for every motorcyclist to inspect their bike tires before every ride. On the contrary, many riders don’t give much thought to tire health. They believe that tires are only rubber and don’t need much attention. But the truth is tires are a lot more than black rubber hoops. In fact, tires consist of various compounds and it is very costly to design and manufacture a motorcycle tire.

Tips to Keep Your Tires in Good Health

Here, we will show you 8 of the best tips to keep your tires in good health. These tips can actually extend tire, and more importantly, your life.

• Whenever you are ready to ride your motorcycle, ensure you check that your tires have the correct pressure. This habit can extend the life of the tire. Low pressure causes the tires to flex, which can affect the construction of the tire. Tires wear more quickly when they are not inflated properly. Make sure to inspect the tires for punctures while checking for pressure. Regular inspection can help you to find any small, tiny nail or obstacle on the tires which are not possible to see while riding on the road.
• Many tire pressure gauges are not accurate enough to check for correct tire pressure. Most of the gauge, such as the foot pump types and the plastic-type gauges that are sold at car accessory shops are not suitable for checking tire pressure. These gauges are generally out of calibration. You should only use these types in emergency situations. Otherwise, use only digital gauges, which are quite expensive but known as the best quality. Unlike, other manual gauges the digital gauges can be re-calibrated.
• If you are carrying luggage that is quite heavy, make sure to add 3 psi to both tires or check your manual to see how much additional PSI you should add to the tires. Although it is not recommended to carry extra luggage on a motorcycle, if you really have to, then we would suggest you add some more pressure in your tires.
• If you are buying a second-hand motorcycle, then make sure one of the first things you check is the tires. Many people only care about the bigger engine but I can assure you, the rubber tires are as important as an engine of a motorcycle.
• If you ever encounter a situation in which you need to repair a small puncture (not too big) on the threaded area (NEVER, EVER on the tire’s sidewalls), make sure it is only a temporary repair and replace the tire ASAP.
• A leaking Schrader tire valve core can be detected by putting saliva on top of the valve. If the bubble raises then you have a leaking valve core. It can be repaired by tightening the valve key. If it is still leaking, you must replace the core of the valve.
• In my opinion, valve caps have as much value as the fuel tank cap of a motorcycle. It holds the air inside the tire and stops air from escaping if the core valve is damaged. A valve cap with rubber sealing rings inside prevents the dust from entering the core area of the tire.
• If you are planning to buy a new tire for your motorcycle, ensure it fits with the original rim of your motorcycle. In most cases, new tires and original rim have some imbalance, which can cause vibration and accelerate tire wear. So, if you are in this type of situation, make sure you balance the tire with dynamic machine balancers, which are capable of detecting the fault.

I hope this article helps you to understand the importance of rubber tires and how valuable they are. Make sure you follow these tips and if you know of any others, please don’t forget to share them in the comment section below.