Dirt Bike Tires & Wheels Explained - Sizes, Pressure, Treads & Tools. Most of us can't ride a factory- sponsored dirt bike like the pros do, so we're forced to pick and choose, save our money and upgrade as finances allow. But, if there is one thing you should never skimp on make it dirt bike tires. Think about it - what keep you rolling along? Dirt bike tires can be the difference between smooth cornering, winning the holeshot, mastering the whoops and landing a jump. Uneven knobs, bad inflation and even the wrong compounds making up the tire all influence how your bike rides which affects the mechanics like working the engine harder than necessary or how the shocks respond to the terrain.
When in doubt grab a pair of the best tires available for your dirt bike and everything else will follow. How to Know When you Need New Dirt Bike Tires. First things first - when is it time to get new dirt bike tires? At first glance your dirt bike tires look ready to ride but after closer inspection those rubber hula hoops needed replacing a long time ago. Check out the knobs. Once the knobs get rounded down or too short it's time for new tires. You may also notice some knobs completely chunked off leaving gaps of nothing on your tires - it's time for new tires! Check out the tire rubber. If the rubber is dry, discolored or cracked - it's time for new tires. New tires look fresh with a deep dark black color. Old tires can also look weathered and should be replaced even if the knobs are intact and square. The shelf life of dirt bike tires is approximately four to five years after the manufacture date. How to Choose the Right Dirt Bike Tires. Choosing the right dirt bike tire depends on your type of riding. Essentially, dirt bikers ride dual sport, motocross, or off- road/trail riding. Dual Sport. Dual- sport riding is both off- road and street- legal riding as dirt bikes can be registered and licensed. Every now and then you may see someone on a dirt bike riding alongside your car. These dirt bikes have passed certain criteria to ride on regular public roads. Rotation and Body Roll In Freestyle. Important: The head should. Back to the Intermediate Swimmer's. Within the context of tractor stability and instability. Also, more weight. See How to Make a Dirt Bike Street Legal. These bikes feature street- legal equipment such as: Some tires models are geared towards street use and others towards off- road use. The tires used depend on how much riding is done on the street versus off- road. Dual- Sport Tire Design/Pattern. If the street is merely a path to the great outdoors, dual sport tires look more like straight- up dirt bike tires. But if a rider uses their dirt bike for commuting purposes, the tires look like regular motorcycle tires. Sportier looking tires handle the road well and manage along dirt and gravel roads but can't be used for all- out racing in dirt. Good Dual- Sport Tires. Better Dual- Sport Tires. Best Dual- Sport Tires. Michelin AC- 1. 0 Rear Tire. ![]() Pirelli MT2. 1 Rear Tire. Michelin T6. 3 Rear Tire. Price: $7. 1. 9. 9 Price: $1. ![]() ![]() ![]() Price: $6. 9. 9. 9 Features: Excellent traction on virtually any terrain. Resists tearing and chunking. Reversible tread pattern with mirror- image knobs. R speed rating for highway use. Features: A flexible carcass to ensure high stability Optimized tread for use on dirt tracks and gravel, cross country racing and in the desert. DOT approved. Features: Tread pattern derived from Michelin's Desert tires. High level of grip on the road. Reinforced knobs resist tearing and abrasion on asphalt. S speed rating for highway use. Motocross/Supercross. Motocross is a man- made course on naturally occurring terrain and Supercross is a man- made course created from truckloads of dirt inside an arena or stadium. Both feature jumps and sharp turns but the type of soil used can vary. Superficially, the tires used in each style of riding probably look quite similar but the soil composition determines what type of tire to use. Loamy, rocky, even sandy soil each requires a different set of tires constructed with different rubber compounds. Motocross Tire Design/Pattern. Good Motocross Tires. Better Motocross Tires. Best Motocross Tires. Artrax MX- Pro Rear Tire. Bridgestone M4. 04 Rear Tire. Dunlop Geomax MX5. Rear Tire. Price: $5. Price: $9. 9. 9. 9Price: $3. Features: Made for Soft/Intermediate terrain. Excellent traction in ruts and flat corners. Offers great grip in all terrains and improves braking performance. Durable tire compound. Features: Better slide control when exiting the corner, allowing more throttlengives corner confidence. Bridgestone's most versatile tire. Fine- tuned casing construction increases the durability. Features: New Dunlop- patented block- within- a- block knobs offer more progressive cornering action. Enhanced handling and knob durability. Superior bump absorption. Superior grip in a wider variety of terrain. Motocross tires bring the tread. These knobby type tires vary based on the type of track. Soft loamy dirt, sand and mud get a harder compound rubber tire composed of taller and wider- spaced knobs that create a paddle effect and keep mud from packing in between the knobs. Firm terrain requires a softer rubber tire that conforms easier to the ground. Knobs are closer together and shorter to prevent flexing which creates a larger contact patch for better grip. In the middle you get intermediate tires - the most common selection. These tires tend to work well in most conditions. See below for additional information on tire construction. Off- road/Trail Riding. Off- road trail riding varies from tight single track trails in the mountains, down to high speed wide open desert riding and everything in between. Off- road and trails throw naturally occurring obstacles at riders like boulders, tree trunks, mud, water and a various types of soil from compact and hard to the sand of the dunes. These tires provide a heavy duty framework for durability and vary as compared to motocross tires for knobby layout. In muddy and loamy trails a soft- terrain tire with wider and taller knobs is best. Trails exhibiting lots of rocks and a harder floor need a harder terrain tire with closely spaced and shorter knobs to improve traction. Keep in mind that desert riding poses a challenge as terrain can vary from incredibly deep silt to a hard base and lots of rocks. Desert tires, similar to an intermediate motocross tire, address these varying terrains. Sand dune or paddle tires don't have knobs but instead features what looks like a series of paddles to push you along. Generally, off- road tires look similar to Motocross tires and many riders pick a Motocross tire for off- road riding. There's a whole mess of letters and numbers and you'd think only a CIA agent could crack the code. It's really not all that hard. Here's a diagram of a popular Bridgestone tire: The codes vary, of course, from tire to tire but for the most part are universal across brands: M4. M (Load and Speed Rating, 5. M = tire speed rating)2. This tire was manufactured the 2. Tire Construction: Does it Matter What the Tire is Made Out of? A big wholehearted YES here. Different rubber compounds work best on one terrain over another. A hard terrain tire is made of a softer compound to give you more grip on hard and slick surfaces, whereas a soft terrain tire is made of harder compounds so the tire can dig in more for traction. If you don't always know what terrain greets you on riding day or you typically end up riding both hard and soft terrain, grab a set of intermediate tires. Intermediate tires represent the most popular choice among riders as it provides versatility to switch from one type of terrain to another. Keep in mind it is best to run the same rubber compounds on the front tire as you do the rear tire. All tire manufacturers disclose what type of tire it is and we prominently feature what the tire is built for under the product description on our website. The tire itself doesn't say what it's best used for so if all else fails - just ask. Proper Inflation. Proper tire inflation is the MOST important aspect to tire maintenance. Tire pressure depends on riding conditions, terrain type and of course the type of tire you're riding. The best way to determine the proper tire inflation is to check the tire's service specs. Generally, dirt bike tires run between 1. PSI. Again, check the service specs for proper running as each manufacturer's tire is different and requires different PSI depending on the terrain. Improper tire pressure affects the following: Over/under inflation can lead to tube or tire failure. Over/under inflation can cause irregular thread wear on the tires. Over inflation lessens the tire contact area with the riding surface. Over- inflation can cause the tire to wash out or slide around on top of the riding surface. Under inflation may result in the tire not staying beaded on the wheel. Under inflation affects the contact area and causes the tire to bow up in the middle leaving only the outer thread contacting the ground. Under inflation can cause the tires to grab into the riding surface. As you can see, tire pressure can greatly affects handling characteristics so it is a good idea to always check your tire pressure every time you ride for proper PSI. Good Tire Pressure Gauge. Better Tire Pressure Gauge. Best Tire Pressure Gauge. Slime Tire Pressure Gauge. Bike. Master Dial Type Air Pressure Tire Gauge With Hose. Motion Pro Digital Tire Pressure Gauge. Price: $2. 9. 9 - $5. Price: $1. 5. 9. 9 Price: $8. Features: Low- pressure tire gauge. Bonus 4 standard black valve caps. Easy to use. Features: Swivel angle chuck. Extension bar angle chuck. Air release valve. Braided hose. Features: Precise digital readout to 0. PSIFour selectable scales (PSI, BAR, KG- CM2, k. Pa)Battery powered (1. High flow push button bleeder valve for precise pressure adjustment. How to Store Your Dirt Bike Tires. The best environment for your tires when not in use is a cool, dark and dry area. High temperatures, varying temperatures, humidity and direct sunlight affect the rubber compounds and age the tire faster. Drag Racing Weight Reductions - Ideas, Tips and Resources for saving weight from your race carby John Heard and friends, Last Updated Dec 2. Alan Lott) Remove locking mechanism completely if you can. Alan Lott) Remove Sound Deadener and seam sealer from under carpet, trunk, rear hatch. It is easily removable, weighs nothing and does not. Flaming River has some. Alan Lott) Use a shift light tach with digital read out instead of the big traditional tach and shift light combo. Trunk. Use a smaller battery. The lightest lithium batteries for drag racing weight about 8 lbs, compared to 4. Traditionally done with the lightweight lithium batteries, but don't forget your rear mounted power shutoff system. One battery instead of two (Submitted by Rob Cacioppo) Remove trunk hinges and spring, use hood pins or Dzus fasteners. Another option is to use the little gas charged spring rods. Fiberglass or Carbon Fiber trunk lid. How much do you actually use per pass? To get every last ounce, you can trim the seal lip area away from the rear quarters and decklid. That isn't needed for a pin on trunk lid. There's a reason back half cars are lighter, and part if that is because they rip all of the stock floor pan out from the seats to the rear bumper and replace it with light tin work or carbon fiber. Are there stock sections you can cut out and replace with CF or Aluminum? Body. Fiberglass or carbon fiber body parts (bumpers, hood, doors, trunk lid). The hood shakes a little at 9. You will likely find that there is somewhere around 4. Have. the floorboards, trunk pan, firewall done top and bottom done to get every. Jerry Sievers- Paint N- Place says he saves. John. Force, Del Worsham, etc.), by using water based paint and decals –. Carroll, E. S). panels can be lightened/thinned by using tip number two.(Submitted by Dr. Alan Lott). Fabricate all non critical brackets/attachments out of aluminum. Alan Lott). For all non critical fasteners a) if you can't afford titanium, gun drill. Alan Lott). Dzus Fasteners - Drill the middle of those as well. Carroll, E. S). Replace grill assembly with aluminum mesh/hardware cloth. Alan Lott). Have louvers punched in your rear valence or use a hole saw and drill. Alan Lott). Remove Bumper shocks and replace with tubing (Submitted by Charlie. Daubitz). On older cars there can be an amazing amount of rocks, dirt and other. Difficult to remove, but you may find 2 lbs or. Antifreeze/water weigh about 8. Alan Lott). Remove all unnecessary junk from under hood - windshield washer. Alan Lott). Get an aluminum or carbon fiber driveshaft. Carroll, E. S). Aluminum Water Pump (Submitted by Tim Herron). Similar to plumbing for turbos. Carroll, E. S). Aluminum oil pan, valve covers, air cleaner, etc. Alan. Lott). Mini- Starter (Submitted by Tim Herron). If. you tow to the line in the low index or pro cars – lose the radiator. That. is a lot of weight over the nose of the car that you could shed and really. If you can’t make it back under power, tow it back. Extra weight from the nuts and bolts and the attached steel. It. has to be worth more than 1 or 2 pounds, too bad it costs some . The new Mickey Thompson rear wheels are supposed to be very light. Really cool! Get four of. Remember, any unsprung weight has a 1. One pound unsprung is equal to 8lbs of sprung. Mickey Thompson 8- ply Sportsman tires. The Moroso Drag. Specials and Hoosier 2. Alan Lott). Remove the front sway bar assembly. Alan Lott). Other. And last but certainly not least, consider putting your own body on a diet! You. might be surprised how much builds up along with small bits of rock. One of our. forum members recently cleaned his car and got 6 lbs of rubber off it! She is 6. 0% of. your mass and can save 1. If you are a fat guy. If. she’s ugly forget it. Carroll. E. S). Some Fast Facts.. Weight of 1 US Gallon of water = approx. Got some more ideas on weight reduction? Send me an email I'll add yours to this list. Related: Drag Racing Weight Savings, Weight Removal.
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