“Have you looked at your tires lately?”

Your motorcycle’s tires are important to your safety & the handling of your machine. Tires are more than round black & expensive! Protect yourself & your investment! The single most important factor in tire performance is air pressure. I have consistently seen this to be the most overlooked aspect of motorcycle maintenance. Different tires & cycles require specific air pressures, typically 30-40 PSI.

Check with your tire manufacturer’s website for recommended pressures. If your bike has the original equipment tires your owner’s manual will have the info.

Check & set your tire PSI ‘cold’ In other words check your tire pressure prior to riding. Tires heat up during use & as the temperature raises the air pressure increases. Heat kills tires & the lower the air pressure the hotter the tire gets! Excessive heat also affects the rubber compound & consistent overheating will reduce traction, increase wear & could cause catastrophic failure.

Various adjustments on your cycle will affect your tires as well. Chain or belt adjustment is important for wheel alignment front to rear. Don’t trust the marks on the swing arm, measure yourself! Worn or misadjusted steering head bearings can cause irregular wear on the front tire as can worn out or misadjusted suspension. Don’t forget to adjust PSI for added loads.  

Using a high quality tire gauge makes a difference! Having the right tools & technical info to make you own chassis adjustments keeps your bike in top shape & saves you money in the long run.

Matthew    

Moto-Services
13260 W. Foxfire Dr. #1
Surprise, AZ. 85374
623-544-3944
www.Moto-Services.Net