Have a big ride planned but your motorcycle tires are looking worn down? Having good tires on your bike is crucial for both performance and safety. When you ride with a worn tire you are compromising your bike’s acceleration, braking ability and its overall safety. Dennis Kirk makes it easy to find the right motorcycle tires to fit all of your needs. Here are some simple tips and guidelines to follow when looking for some new skins for your Harley or street bike.
When to Replace Motorcycle Tires
If you’re unsure when to replace a worn motorcycle tire, the first thing that you want to do is to determine just how much tread is left. Most tires will wear unevenly, so find the spot on the tire with the least amount of tread left. This is usually in the center. The accepted minimum for tread depth is 1/32 of an inch or 1 mm deep. Anything below this depth should be replaced. An easy way to check this depth is to take a penny and insert it into the tread with Lincoln going in head first. If any part of his head is covered than you have at least 2/32 of an inch left on your motorcycle tire.
Other things to look for are flat spots, bulges and cords poking out of or showing through the tire. If any of these are present in your motorcycle tires, then it is time to replace them.
So you have determined that you need a new tire for your bike. With so many style options in many different sizes, finding the correct one for your ride can be a long and painful task. Dennis Kirk has taken this into consideration and has made the process quick and easy. With Dennis Kirk’s Tire Finder, you can pull up all of the options to replace the original tire for your bike by searching the make, model, and year. If you know the size you are looking for, simply type in that size and all of the options will be displayed. You can also search by motorcycle tire brand or by bike type.
Having a worn tire is not the only reason you might want to change your motorcycle tires. If you plan on pulling a trailer behind your bike or begin riding two-up, you want to look and see if the tires on your bike are rated for the heavier load. If speed is what drives you to ride, having the correct speed rating is critical for your safety as you reach the higher limits. Dennis Kirk provides a Tire Size Guide describing different tire sizes and ratings. Don’t forget about making that final statement with your custom bike by finding the tire that will give your one of a kind motorcycle one of a kind performance and style.
If you have any more questions, Dennis Kirk’s Technical Support Team is extremely knowledgeable and will be able to help get you back on the road with the right motorcycle tires for your bike.
He continues to enjoy learning and sharing about powersports with others in his role as a Web Content Analyst and writer for Dennis Kirk, a role he's been in since 2015. You'll find articles written by Ryan that range from product overviews, how-tos, tech tips, lifestyle articles, and more.
When he's not writing about powersports, Ryan is often enjoying them himself. It doesn't matter if the machine has four wheels, two wheels, or a track, he finds enjoyment in it all.
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