The Personal Blog Of
Boston Motorcycle Lawyer

Where Rubber Meets the Road
July 30, 2009

Proper maintenance of your road bike or sport bike is essential to having a great experience on the road. For most bikers, the thrill of a Gixxer or Harley motorcycle winding through a scenic road is a small slice of heaven. Being stuck on the side of the road is not a part of that vision so like a responsible motorcycle owner, you take care of your bike. You get regular tune ups, check your oil and coolant levels, and (most important to some riders) you keep your bike clean and shiny.

Most bikers look at their motorcycle tires but very few check their tires with the same level of inspection as they do other systems on their motorcycle. This is a huge omission as motorcycle tires could be the most important part of a bike. Acceleration, braking, cornering, and handling require tires able to meet the challenges of varying road and weather conditions. Tires can be very stylish as well and everyone can appreciate a 300 series tire on a custom cruiser. Style however must be tempered with the right levels of performance.

Before your next ride, take a few moments and do the following steps:

• View your front and rear tires completely under good lighting
• Check to make sure your tires are properly inflated with a tire pressure gauge
• Check your tires for tears, rips, bulging, dry rot, punctures, or other defects
• Check your tire treads for uneven wear and worn treads
• Do the Quarter Test

If you need to add air to your tires, make sure to inflate them within the recommended PSI levels clearly marked on the sidewalls of your tires. Tire pressure increases with heat and motion so after your ride, check your tires again to see how your tire pressure changes. If necessary, remove some air so that your tires are not overly inflated. Overly inflated tires can cause handling, comfort, and traction problems.

If you need to replace your tires, make sure to refer to your motorcycle owner manual to insure you purchase the right size tires for your bike. It is always best to talk to a professional about tire options providing the characteristics you want; like performance, comfortable, noise, wet traction, and tread life. Remember to make sure your tires have been properly balanced each time a new tire is installed on your bike.