Motorcycle Tyre Advice – Your Tyres and Your Safety!
See also: Motorcycle Tyre Guide & Safety Information
Motorcycle Tyres and Your Safety (PDF Leaflet – 172KB)
Tyres are the only parts of the motorcycle which are in contact with the road. Safety in acceleration, braking, steering and cornering all depend on a relatively small area of road contact. Go to TyreSafe.org for more tyre safety leaflets
Bike Safety Month: http://www.tyresafe.org/bikesafety-intro
TyreSafe’s (TyreSafe.org) tips for checking motorcycle tyres
- Check your tyre pressures from cold at least once a week using an accurate gauge
- Inflate tyres to the pressure recommended in the manufacturer’s handbook
- Inspect tyres for cuts, bulges, uneven wear or objects embedded in the tread
- Check that your tread depth is not below the legal minimum of 1mm (for bikes over 50cc)
- If your rims are cracked or bent they should be replaced immediately
- Replace old or damaged valve stems
- Select the correct type of tyre for your machine and riding style
- Check that both tyres fitted to the bike are made by the same manufacturer and have the same tread pattern
- Make sure that your tyre has been fitted the right way round by checking the directional arrows on the sidewall
- When replacing tube type tyres always use a new inner tube
- Make sure your tyre/wheel assembly is balanced correctly
- Use dust caps to keep dirt away from the valve core and to act as a secondary air seal
- Keep oil and grease off your tyres using detergent if necessary
- If you are unsure on any aspect of tyre pressure or tyre condition take your motorcycle to an approved fitting centre and speak to a qualified professional
Motorcyclists ignoring tyre safety warnings
As April’s bike tyre safety month speeds along, TyreSafe has warned that motorcyclists are taking dangerous and unnecessary risks with their lives by failing to look after their tyres properly. Latest Department for Transport figures show that in 2008 there was a 28 percent jump in the number of motorcycles involved in an accident where illegal, defective or under-inflated tyres were a contributory factor. Data from VOSA backs up the scale of problem. In 2008/9 tyre related defects contributed to more than 26,000 motorcycle MoT tests being failed, equivalent to nearly 75 failures every day. Read More (full article on tyresafe.org)
Other information / more resources
Motorcycle Tyre Safety (Continental Motorcycle tyres)