How long do motorcycle tires last and how often should they be changed?

As a general rule, motorcycle tires should be changed every 40,000 kilometers or every 10 years.

The importance of keeping our motorcycle tires in good condition is essential to avoid punctures, slips, problems when traction or braking… and even to avoid having an accident. And the chances of us having some more or less serious scare on our motorcycle can multiply significantly if our tires are worn or have some type of damage.

It is because of that In this article we are going to review how long motorcycle tires generally last and how often they should be changed. to avoid episodes like those detailed in the previous paragraph.

Of course: we must emphasize that All the data we give in this article are a theoretical approximation, so they should be taken as an estimate or reference, not as an immovable argument. This means that, if we notice something strange in our driving and observe that our tires need to be replaced with new ones, we should change the tires as soon as possible.

How to know the wear of our tires

According to the General Vehicle Regulations, the tires of all cars and all motorcycles that circulate on the roads of our country They must have a depth of at least 1.6 millimeters in the tread grooves.

The way to measure said groove can be done thanks to a device that we can find in any workshop or tire replacement establishment or, otherwise, We can do it in a much more rudimentary but everyday way, such as using a coin.

The TWI (Tread Wear Indicator)

This coin will allow us to know the groove present in the tread of our rubber and, If we see with the naked eye the indicator called TWI (tread wear indicator) then we will find ourselves facing excessive wear on our tires..

Said TWI is a witness that is positioned on one of the sides of the tread to measure tire wear.so if we see this witness on any of our tires, it will be a unmistakable sign that their useful life is coming to an end.

The kilometers traveled

We can also be guided by the kilometers traveled by our tires, since If we keep an exact count of the kilometers that these tires have been in operation, we can establish an estimate of the useful life they have left. in front.

As a general rule, road motorcycle tires usually last around 40,000 kilometers.which is the distance that most tire manufacturers recommend for replacing tires.

Instead, If the tires are of low quality or are not new, it is recommended to change them every 5,000 kilometers on the rear wheel and every 10,000 on the front wheel.. This is because the front wheel supports less weight and wears more on the flanks than by the directional, causing its wear to be more regular than that of the rear wheel, which supports more weight, is wider and suffers from the traction of the engine.

So how long does a motorcycle tire last?

The answer will always be that It depends on the driving style of the person driving it., the terrain on which it has been driven, the frequency of maintenance and inspections that we carry out on the motorcycle, the humidity of the place and other factors such as punctures, knocks or luck or chance. However, as a general rule, Motorcycle tires should last around 10 years..

Besides, if our motorcycle receives sporadic use and usually spends a lot of time standing, It is recommended to take into account the followingbecause following these tips we will not extend the useful life of the tires but we will prevent it from being shortened:

• Use blocks or stools to support them if we do not have sawhorses.. This way we will prevent the motorcycle from spending a lot of time resting on the same two anchor points, causing an obvious loss of pressure in the tires.

If we do not use our motorcycle regularly, we must park it on stands to prevent the tires from losing pressure.

• Keep the motorcycle away from cleaning products such as bleach, ammonia or solventsas these could damage the rubber surface of the tires.
• Keep the motorcycle parked in a garage or, instead, in a location where it is not too cold or too hot and, in addition, where the humidity of the place is constant. This is because the simple fact of Variation in temperature and humidity can degrade tires. Furthermore, if the sun shines directly on the wheels, as well as rain, wind or snow, it can be highly damaging.

Factors that cause us to change tires

Once we have seen how often motorcycle tires should be changed, immediately after knowing how long these tires usually last – as a general rule – we must end the article by listing some of the factors that cause the life of the tires to be considerably shortened compared to the estimated.

Wear

The main factor in tire wear is, mainly, the number of kilometers they travel. Beyond the number of kilometers traveled, we must look at if the color of the tire is more grayish than black, if it has unusual bumps or cracks on it or if it also feels especially soft or hard to the touch with the groundsince they are unequivocal signs that we must go through the workshop.

If we see that the internal faces of the wheels have scratches as a result of driving with insufficient pressure compared to that stated by the manufacturer, also The time has come to replace the old tires with new ones..

Punctures

If the puncture occurs on a flank or if the inner plies of the wheel are torn we will have to change our tire; instead, if we are faced with a moderate puncture which can be repaired without the need to change the rubber, we can continue with the same tire but being fully aware that it will directly affect the life of our rubber.

Hits

Colliding with curbs, bumps or potholes can cause tire deformation and damage its internal structure.manifesting outwardly in the form of bulges on the sides that will affect stability of the motorcycle while driving.

Indirectly, our security will be reducedso if we reach this point, we will have to change the tires.

Bad habits

Some mechanical problems in the anchors, transmissions or shock absorbers can cause excessive wear in the center of the wheel. This unusual wear can also be related to poor wheel balancing that causes some parts of the tire to wear much more than others.

Pressure loss

Driving with low pressure tires can cause not only excessive wear on our tires. Due to the effort to which we are subjecting them, but we may also be putting our safety at risk.because the chances of having an accident multiply.

It is because of that It is recommended to air the wheels at least once a month since otherwise we could be wearing our tires excessively due to their low pressure.

Tires with different tread

To achieve optimal and adequate performance from our motorcycle we must ride with appropriate tires; that is to say. that adjust to the properties of the motorcycle and that comply with a very simple premise: having the same design on both the front and rear.

A different pattern on the wheels of our motorcycle can cause irregular wear on them, directly affecting balance and stability. of our motorcycle.