Tyre replacement is a big part of daily business for us at Zenith Motorcycles. As well as repairing and fitting we also aim to help you find the right tyres for you and your motorcycle. With the vast choice of tyres on the market, navigating what tyre is best for you can be a nightmare so let’s take a look together at choosing the right motorcycle tyres for you.
What Type Of Motorcycle Do You Ride?
The first step in selecting tyres is to be sure of what style of motorbike you ride. Sports bike tyres are vastly different from adventure bike tyres as cruiser tyres are different to scooter tyres, so ascertain what category you fit into.
What Seasons Do You Ride In?
Do you ride all year throughout the seasons or are you a summer rider only? Again, this is something that needs to be factored in before selecting tyres. Different tyre models have different tread patterns and different compounds (a motorcycle tyre compound is the chemical composition of the rubber used to make the tyre, which determines grip, wear rate, and other performance characteristics) and these compounds will behave differently in different weather conditions.
What Is Your Budget?
Finances also play a big part in motorcycle tyre selection. A set of tyres for the average 650cc road bike can start from £160 upwards (not including fitting). For fitting add around another £60-£70 to the bill so please think about all cost factors. Fitting the tyres correctly is just as important as choosing the correct tyre so don’t economise on this.
Soft Versus Hard Compound Tyres
The choice of motorcycle tyre compound depends on a number of factors, including the rider’s style, the road conditions, and the bike type:
- Rider style: More aggressive riders who push the bike to its limits may prefer a firmer tyre for more support. Less aggressive riders may prefer a softer tyre for a more rounded action.
- Road conditions: Cold tarmac conditions may benefit from a softer tyre compound, while hot tarmac conditions may benefit from a firmer tyre compound.
- Bike type: Some bikes may work best with certain compounds.
- Durability: Harder tyres last longer, while softer tyres wear out faster.
- Grip: Softer tyres provide more grip, while harder tyres are less grippy.
Some tyres have different compounds on the front and rear of the bike. For example, the rear tyre may be softer for more grip on hot tarmac, while the front tyre may be firmer.
Tyres By Bike Style
Below I have compiled a small list of tyre makes and models by bike type. This is to help you with a starting point of what equivalents to look for when selecting your tyres. These tyres are of course selected by our client’s preference, models we are experienced with, and recommendations from people that have used them. We can’t list all models but this is a realistic look at what people are using in London at present.
Best sellers for road bikes – Michelin Pilot Road 4,5 & 6.
Michelin Pilot Road 4 – The Michelin Road 4 is the tyre that really revolutionised motorcycle road tyres. Although it is still very popular and one of the best tyres on the market, it has now been upgraded to the road 5 & 6. We still have many clients that love the Road 4 and are happy to stick with them. In our opinion, you get good mileage, value for money, and great grip. They are good for both city and motorway riding in all conditions.
Michelin Pilot Road 4 would be suitable for Yamaha MT07, Honda CBR range, Honda CBF range, Honda VFR range, Suzuki SV650, Suzuki V Strom, Kawasaki ER6, and so on.
Expect to pay around £250 upwards for a pair of Road 4’s in the 180/55/17 & 120/70/17 sizes.
Michelin Pilot Road 5 & 6 – These are the newer incarnations of the Road 4. They have everything the Road 4 has but are ever so slightly newer in technology. With Michelin 2CT Technology, and Michelin Water Evergrip Technology, the Michelin Road 5 tyre provides excellent wet grip, even when 50% worn.
As for the Road 6, Michelin states they have “+15% more grip than Michelin Road 5 (2) in wet conditions thanks to a brand new tread pattern and new 100% Silica Technology tread compounds”.
Prices for a pair in the 180/55/17 and 120/70/17 sizes would be expected to start around £280.00 for the Road 5 and £295.00 onwards for the 6 (as of October 2024).
These tyres are good for the models mentioned above plus some of the Triumph Tiger range, Triumph Speed Twins, and Street Triple models.
Metzler Tourance & Tour Next – These tyres are the preference of our BMW R1200GS customers, some of our KTM clients, and are a very well-loved adventure bike tyre. I have not used them personally but we do fit a lot and they are our hottest-selling adventure bike tyre. They are suitable for road and gravel, and wet and dry conditions. They do have an “off-road-ish look” but they are road-legal and great for road riding and touring.
They are available in both 19 & 21 inch for front and 17 & 18 inch for rear with a starting price of £270.00 per pair.
There are of course many more brands and styles of tyres to cover and here we have looked at just a few but I hope this gives the reader a better idea of what to look for and expect when purchasing new motorcycle tyres.
