The tires need time to wear-in (get scuffed and tacky). Index Rating = Carrying Capacity in PoundsĪll manufacturers warn that during the first 60 to 100 miles after new tire installation, the bike should be ridden cautiously with no sudden acceleration, hard braking or cornering. Not all tire manufacturers make tires in all load indices. It includes the weight of the bike and rider(s). This refers to how much weight a tire can safely transport. In addition to the information listed above, tires can contain Load Index or Rating info on the sidewall. They describe the look or another feature of the tire. These have nothing to do with the size or handling. Sometimes a catalog will list a tire as TL, BL or RWL. For specific strength of the different ply tires, refer the tire manufacturers literature.ĭirt bike tires are sold in both metric and inch sizing format but do not always have a speed rating. For more on descriptive abbreviations, see sections below. It refers to the number of plys (layers) that make up the tire. The Ply Rating is a descriptive abbreviation. The speed rating is explained in detail below, but in our example, a speed rating of H means this tire is rated for speeds not to exceed 130mph or 210kph. The section width and rim size are defined in the same manner as described for the Alpha and Metric size formats. You may also see this written as 4.60H-17 4PR. The size will will use for this example is 4.60x17H 4PR. Meaning the section width and section height are equal.Īlso, inch size format tires are all bias type. The Inch or Standard Inch Size Format does not include an aspect ratio. These were standard equipment on older machines. The majority of modern motorcycles and dirt bikes do not use these tires. ![]() It was used more when they were not as common as today. Not all manufacturers will add the TL to indicate that it is tubeless. All those spokes and nipples are not air tight. If your bike has wire spoke wheels you need to use a tire designed for use with a tube inside. The majority of modern motorcycles use tubeless tires. It indicates that the tire is meant for a tubeless application. Rim Size or Diameter is the outside diameter of the rim. Most newer bikes use radial tires.īias are still available for older bikes if you are going for authenticity. The Tire Type can be either B for bias or R for radial. For our example a speed rating of Z means this tire is rated for speeds exceeding 149mph. The Speed Rating is explained in detail here. The aspect ratio is the same as for alphabetical sizes and is defined above. The Section Width is the width of the tire measured from the middle of the side walls (above the bead, below the tread). In that case the size would look like this 120/70-17Z. Some manufacturers put the speed rating at the end of the size and do not indicate if the tire is tubeless or not. It can also be written as 120/70Zx17TL or 120/70ZR17TL. ![]() The tire size we will use for our example is a 120/70ZR-17TL. The vast majority of tires manufactured and sold today come with metric sizing. When I find an adequate explanation, I will put it here. I have so far been unable to find a complete description and value set to explain the Load Range. Rim Size or Diameter is the outside diameter of the rim, also called the wheel size. Multiplied by 100 to give you a whole number for the tire. The section width is measured from the middle side walls (above the bead, below the tread). The tread width is usually greater than the section width. The section height is measured at the center of the tire crown. The Aspect Ratio is the tire section height divided by the section width (not tread width), multiplied by 100. Please note that the values in this chart are the RIM width not the Tire width. The width codes below are for motorcycle tires with an aspect ratio of 80 or greater.Ī code of U means this tire will fit on a rim that is between 2.75 and 3.50 inches wide. The tire Width Code is just a letter to substitute for the width of the rim. Tires made specifically for motorcycles are coded with an M. The Motorcycle Code means exactly what it says. The size we will use in our example is MU90-16 B. Most tire manufacturers use the metric tire size designations now. Some current touring bikes still use the alpha size system. The alphabetical size format is mostly used on older bikes.
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