Wearing rubber. 10/26/2006
Many times, I get asked by people about the tyres on the bikes I ride. It’s a little hard to miss them, especially on a modern superbike. Rear tyres on a superbikes are usually of 180 cross section, and with the minimalist rear fender that is the style these days, they are a prominent feature in the bike’s image. Unless you ride a 916, in which case, the recommended fitment is a 190 section rear tyre.
Oftentimes, I get asked what the tyres for the bike cost. I guess everyone has an idea of how expensive performance motorcycle tyres are. But very few non-riders are prepared for a pair of tyres for a modern bike being able to buy 3 sets of tyres for their standard 4 door saloon car. I often get a “you’re crazy” comment.
But, I’d like to point something out. A modern sportsbike tyre is a performance item. Like a titanium free flow exhaust, or a set of cams, or a re-mapped ECU chip. The amount of engineering and design that goes into a tyre these days, be it for a car or motorcycle, is incredible. Through a mixture of engineering design and chemistry, a modern tyre is expected to, and does, provide a comfortable ride, grip like crazy, wet or dry, and be puncture resistant under some severe conditions of use.
So my usual reply is that, when you look at a superbike’s pair of tyres, try and compare like for like. And since the equivalent to a superbike from the car world is usually a supercar along the lines of a Ferrari, Porsche or Lamborghini, I usually ask them to go price up a set of tyres for a supercar. At which point, bike tyres begin to look cheap by comparison.