Which tyre wears out faster in a motorcycle?

At first glance, the answer to this question seems obvious. It has to be the rear tyre. After all, the rear tyre drives the bike, puts the power to the road, gains traction, and propels the machine along. This is all true, of course, but what about braking? The front tyre is bearing the brunt of the braking surely? Again, this is true but on the other hand, every rider will use the accelerator more than they use the brakes.

So it is the rear tyre? Well, yes and no. In an ideal world of smooth roads, more or less straight journeys with minimal, gentle braking while sitting astride a perfectly maintained bike with the correct tyre pressure, then yes, the rear tyre will wear out first. As we all know, this ideal world rarely exists and in reality, many factors come into play to determine how quickly tyre wear out happens, so let's look at a few possible causes and what you can do to get the most from your bike tyres.

Causes of premature tyre wear

The number one cause of premature tyre wear is having the incorrect tyre pressure. We all know that tyre pressure should be checked regularly but in truth, most of us do not do it as often as we should or when we do, it's just the "eyeball" test, if they look OK, then we will leave it until next time. Tyres are manufactured in a way to have more strength and grip in places that are in constant touch with the road surface. Under-inflated tyres will be riding on areas of the tyre that were not intended for constant road use and the tyre will wear unevenly and need replacing sooner, not to mention the dangerous nature of riding on a tyre like this.

A hard-driving style is another way to eat through tyres, hard acceleration, hard braking and aggressive cornering all shorten the life of a tyre compared to a smoother riding style, especially so on the poor road conditions that many of us face these days. Of course, all motorcyclists know that some hard braking is inevitable in real-world conditions surrounded by cars with drivers who are not always paying the attention they should. However, adopting a smoother style of riding can save money on tyres as well as fuel in the long run.

Then there are small things you can do, such as checking the screws on the suspension; any loose ones should be tightened. Loose screws can put a bike's wheel alignment out, which will cause excessive tyre wear. You can, of course, book a free bike check with us at Protyre for that extra peace of mind.

On a final note, is the bike carrying excess weight, especially over the wheels? If you have any luggage racks, front or rear, that are not regularly used and if you have somewhere to store them, it might be worth considering removing them when they are not being used. So, there are a few tips to get the most from your tyres, but eventually, even the best-looked-after tyres will wear out, which is when you'll need Protyre, the local garage you can trust.

Should I change both tyres?

If only one tyre is worn, it is not necessary to change both. It can be wise if only the front tyre is worn out to move the existing rear tyre to the front and put the new tyre on the rear if they are of a suitable type and interchangeable size. At Protyre, our tyre professionals are always on hand to give advice and our years of experience tell us what is best for your individual bike, taking into account the type of machine and your daily use. All our local garages carry large stocks of motorcycle tyres to suit all machines, including leading Brands such as Pirelli, Falken, Sumitomo, Bridgestone and more.

Our qualified fitters are always available for changing motorcycle tyres at a convenient time to suit you, in one of our local garages. So whether your bike is your pride and joy or just your daily workhorse, it is worth getting it regularly checked by professionals; your safety depends on it, after all. You can book our free motorcycle check with a few clicks of a mouse, whether you are worried about tyre wear, general motorcycle maintenance or just to put your mind at ease and keep you riding as efficiently and cost effectively as possible. Book with us today!