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Motorcycle Tire Articles and Reviews

Why Get Wide Motorcycle Tires?

Why Get Wide Motorcycle Tires?

wide tire

Motorcycle tires are now as wide as 330 mm.

Bikers have always had a reputation and image of toughness, but some bikes help take it to the next level. A roaring Harley, for example, seems much tougher than a racing bike. Another potential factor that could add to a tough look is a wide motorcycle tire. In the past ten years, there has been a surge in popularity amongst these tough looking wide motorcycle tires. The infamous Dark Knight trilogy even jumped on board with this recent movement, remember?

For the most part, this has been a recent movement. It wasn’t too long ago that a 150 mm tire was considered fat. Now, tires are being produced as wide as 330 mm! Many bikers utilize a number of different variations and methods when it comes to their tires, but many wonder if these fat tires are even beneficial. Well, let’s take a closer look.

wide tire 2

Having wide tires can make for a smoother ride.

Different Variations

There are many different ways to set your bike up with a wide tire. Some opt to only put wide tires on the front axle, while most reserve the wide tire for the back. Each of these variations provides different capabilities to your bike.

Having only wide front tires still allows a bike to be responsive around corners, but it also makes the bike a bit more twitchy and dangerous.
Having only wide rear tires causes the motorcycle to want to push forward through turns instead of being agile around turns. However, a better alignment comes through with this style.

Fat Tire Bikes Make the Rocking World Go Round

If neither of the above styles seems appropriate for you, then you can always go all out and have wide tires on both the front and the back. A fat tire bike provides many advantages and disadvantages compared to a standard style.

ADVANTAGES

Wide tires are great on drag bikes because the extra surface area gives more rubber to road contact and helps your bike to gain traction.
Having a wide rear tire helps to prevent slippage in wet, rainy conditions.
Wide tires provide a smoother ride. They are more capable of absorbing the bumps on the road.
Wider tires are great because they provide help with power transfer and help handle stronger motorcycle engines.

wide tire 3

Having wider tires can reduce handling capabilities.

DISADVANTAGES

If you are trying to stuff large, wide tires on a small frame, this may lead to scraping between tire and fender/frame when you hit bumps on the road.
The belt, chain, and drive gear/sprocket may be pulled off center, so it can fit around the wider tire. This can have a negative effect on the bike’s transmission.
The flat shape makes it harder to turn corners. Also, leaning in general will be extremely difficult because the shape of the tire is not rounded.

The size of your tires is all about preference and riding style. Having wider tires means that you will be sacrificing handling. Also, wider tires could be harmful to your bike if your bike doesn’t have the right dimensions to hold the size. On the other hand, wider tires equal a smoother, more powerful ride. Knowing exactly what you want and what your bike needs will go a long way in the decision making process.

By: Tim Snyder

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