How To Maintain Your Dirt Bike Tires

Nothing quite compares to the feeling of freedom you get riding your motorbike. Whether you’re an open road rider, prefer to be hidden away in the forest, or riding sandy muddy crests, your tires are a huge part of both your comfort, and your safety. Whatever your preferred terrain, whether you’re a novice or a pro, there are some basic things you should know about your dirt bike tires. Here is a quick guide on how to maintain dirt bike tire.

Image source: RRD

Know your terrain         

Choosing a good set of tires is important for delivering acceleration and traction on your ride, but will also drastically improve braking and cornering capacity, and the ability of your bike to respond. Ultimately this impacts your comfort, performance, and safety.

Hard or soft terrain dirt bike tires are specifically designed for the grip and handling characteristics each type requires. If you ride in different areas, you may want to consider an intermediate terrain tire, which is designed for general use across a variety of settings.

Know your tire

Because the kind of tire you use can significantly impact your performance – and safety – it’s important to know where you are likely to ride but also how each tire type is likely to hold up over time.

Bias-ply are among the best for gripping capability but that can mean decreased performance and increased tire wear with heat. That means they need to be checked more regularly for wear that can impact safety.

Radial tires reduce heat generation because of their construction but their design means the sidewalls are easily flexed. This means it is more important to check your tire pressure regularly with electric air pump to ensure you maintain an optimal pressure, again, for your comfort and safety and to maintain dirt bike tire.

In general terms, a softer tire gives better traction but is going to wear out more quickly and a harder tire will last longer but won’t give you the same grip and may need to be pressure checked more often. Knowing the kind of tire you have, and the attention it requires, is important in ensuring nothing happens on the middle of a great ride.

How your ride impacts wear    

It is also important to know what kind of rider you are to know what to watch for in the wear of your motocross tires. Because your front and back tire may wear differently, both must be checked. Depending on how you ride however, one or the other may need special attention.

Aggressive riders tend to wear their front tire faster than the rear. This is because of the late braking, front brake use style of riding this often entails. Cruisers however tend to wear out the rear tire first because their body weight is more often focused on the seat, or the rear of the bike. Depending on the way you generally ride then, either your front or rear tire may show signs of wear more quickly.

Watch for the signs of wear and when it comes, replace both tires for optimal safety.

Fine print

Knowing your tire type and knowing your terrain is critical. There are also some other general tips you should keep in mind.

The air pressure required for soft and hard surface can vary by about 2psi. The lower pressure on soft terrain tire allows the tires to better connect and grip the surface. That same pressure though on a hard terrain can cause damage to the rims, and increase the risk of the possibility of puncture so adjust accordingly. If you like riding on a lower tire pressure, then I recommend you Tubliss dirt bike tire, which helps you ride on a lower pressure, but at the same time protects you against flats.

Don’t tighten the nut on the air piece to the rim.

Make sure your chain is lubricated and never ride with a dry chain or sprocket. Significant wear on either can mean the whole drive train may need replacement.

Make sure your chain is tightened correctly. Too loose or too tight can cause dangerous situations.

Don’t forget to maintain your spokes and tighten them as needed.

Finally, have the phone of a reliable local motorcycle towing company on speed dial. Unwelcome surprizes do happen and you don’t want to get stranded with your bike for hours.

And if you need a perfect Dirt Bike Stand then read our review about the Best Dirt Bike Stand Options in 2020.

Enjoy the freedom of being out on the open roads, or the peace or adventure a forest path can offer, but make sure you are diligent about your tire maintenance to be sure you stay safe.