As a motorcycle driver, you wait long for spring to arrive in Canada. When it finally does, you can hardly wait to take your bike out of storage and hit the open road. However, you should inspect your motorcycle’s tires before you go for your first drive of the season. A lot may have happened since you last rode, and you want to ensure your motorcycle tires will keep you safe in the warmer months ahead.
How to Inspect Your Motorcycle Tires
While realizing that every part of a motorcycle requires inspection before riding after a long period of dormancy, Ontario’s Ministry of Transportation recommends that drivers who prefer two-wheel transportation inspect their tires weekly. Below are several specific areas you should check.
Age Cracks
Each time you drive your motorcycle, you expose its tires to the ozone, sun, chemicals from the road, and water and ice on some occasions. Exposure to these elements causes motorcycle tires to develop tiny cracks over time.
When you continue to use the motorcycle without repairing or changing the tires, you risk developing the small cracks into much larger ones that can compromise your safety and the safety of others on the road. Be sure to look for rain sipes, thread blocks, and cracks in the sidewalls of your tires regularly. You should replace the tires immediately if you find any problems.
Embedded Objects
You can easily pick up metal or glass in your tires without realizing it. If you notice a small object embedded in your tire during an inspection, you can remove it and patch it if the object didn’t puncture it. However, you should drive your motorcycle to the nearest repair shop to replace the patched tire as soon as possible.
Tire Inflation Pressure
When you drive your motorcycle, air molecules slowly release from its tires. The result is that you could be driving on poorly inflated tires without even knowing it. Temperature changes also affect how well your motorcycle tires hold air. You can lose a lot of air over the winter in a climate as cold as Canada, which is one more reason that inspecting motorcycle tires before riding your bike for the first time in the spring is so important.
Try to check the air pressure in your tires every time a tire feels cold, which normally occurs within three hours of driving it, regardless of the weather conditions. You should keep a tire inflator in the garage so you can add air to your tires any time they need it.
Tire Sidewall
The sidewall is the part of your tires that holds them together. When you keep your tires properly inflated, the sidewall absorbs the shock from bumps and other road irregularities. If you see bulges, cuts, or other damage to the sidewall when inspecting your motorcycle tires, arrange to replace them immediately to avoid a serious accident later.
Tread Pattern and Depth
Tire tread refers to the height of blocks of tread, which you measure starting from the bottom of the tire’s rain sipes. The rain sipes are the channels you see between blocks of tread that make it possible for the tires to displace water to provide you with stabilization when it rains. Check the circumference of tread height on each tire to ensure that it’s at least one millimetre. You will need to keep a tread gauge tool on hand to obtain proper measurements.
Another way to check for tread wear is to run a Canadian nickel across each area of tread. The picture on the coin should be face down with the object facing you. If you can see more than half of the image on the coin after you press it into the tread, you should replace your motorcycle tires because they have become too worn.
What to Consider When Buying New Tires
You will need to know the rim size of both the front and back tires along with the weight of the bike. Knowing your riding style is also helpful. For example, do you drive your motorcycle mostly when commuting or more for adventure? You should know which features are most important to you, such as traction, performance in rain or mud, and longevity. Once you have determined the answers to these questions, ask your local tire store for a brand recommendation.
Review your Insurance Policy
As always, before you head out on your first ride of the year, make sure you’re protected. Speak with one of our Wayfarer Insurance brokers to review your policy or get a quote!
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