I have been getting a lot of phone calls, PMs, and emails about tires lately and thought I would throw out some common misconceptions about tires. This will be kind of long, but well worth the read if you are newer into the sport bikes….
There are MANY different levels of tires that one can buy, touring, sport touring, sport, hyper sport, and then you step into track day tires, and then race tires, then slicks. Most of us here wont need much after the hyper sport for normal street riding.
• Common Questions
First off , I have been asked if you should replace tires together?
No, you don’t have to, HOWEVER I would keep the same BRAND and STYLE of tire if you were to switch. Tires are supposed to work together, the front takes all the braking load, and the rear is acceleration, mismatching tires that are supposed to work together is not a good idea could throw off that balance. Tires are the first thing to hit the road and they tell the suspension how to work, If you have tires giving different feed back bad things could happen.
Next, What is a Dual Compound tire?
This is a tricky question, Some people think that a Dual Compound is better for commuting, but really all the Dual Compound means on today’s tires is, the sides are softer to offer better corner grip, the center of the tire is the same compound as a non Dual compound, Case in point being the Pilot Power 2ct, yes they are a dual compound, but the center of that tire is the same compound as the normal Pilot Power, it just offers better side grip.
• Types of tires
Touring Tires - tires are usually made of harder rubber for greater durability. They may last longer, but they tend to provide less outright grip than sports tires at optimal operating temperature. The tradeoff is that touring tires typically offer more grip at lower temperatures, meaning they can be more suitable for riding in cold or winter conditions whereas a sport tires may never reach the optimal operating temperature.
Sport Touring - Are a step down from a sport tire, they offer good life but don’t have the grip of a sport tire, They get to a operating temperature quickly and offer better grip for warm weather than a touring tire.
Sport Tire - tires are for aggressive street riders that spend most of their time carving corners on public roadways. These tires do not have a long life, but in turn have better traction in high speed cornering. Street and sport street tires have good traction even when cold, but when warmed too much, can actually lose traction as their internal temperature increases.
Hyper Sport - tires provide amazing grip but may last 1,000 miles (1,600 km) or less. Cruiser and "sport touring" tires try to find the best compromise between grip and durability. These offer the best corner grip of any of the other street tires.
Track Day Tires - These are a step above a hyper sport, they offer great grip, and like a hyper sport trade that with longevity, these are tires that do not require Tire warmers, but they could be used. They are not meant to be put on the road, as they do take longer than a sport or hyper sport tire to warm up.
Race DOT - I can go on for days, so if you truly have to know please come find me track side and I can explain all the details of a Race DOT and Slicks.
For more questions please ask, I am here to help, and if no one would have helped me understand I would not be where I am today
This is the post from over there..
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