Choosing The Right Off-Road Tires
Not all off-road journeys are the same, and that means you should adjust your tires accordingly. At Road Track & Trail located in Big Bend, Wisconsin, we’re ready and willing to help you make the right tire selection based on your bike and where you’re going on it. No matter whether you’re looking at dual sport motorcycles or dirt bikes, we can help you determine what tires to buy.
Off-Road Tire Terms
There are three key terms that describe the main attributes of off-road tires: tread depth, knob size, and pattern shape. Each of these parts contributes to the tire’s structure and overall suitability to a particular type of terrain.
Tread depth refers to how deep your tires cut into the dirt, displacing a surface’s loose material. When you ride over soft terrain, you’re looking for a higher tread depth. Harder terrain requires a lower tread depth because there’s nothing much for the tire to displace.
The knob size of a tire is determined by how much of a tire’s surface area makes contact with the ground, which affects how much traction you get on a surface. This in turn gives you more control over the motorcycle. Smaller knob sizes won’t give you as much grip on an off-road surface, but will perform closer to street tires when you’re on a paved surface.
Pattern shape describes the way that treads and grooves have been carved into the tire during its manufacture. Some pattern shapes are more suited to wet conditions and others to dry conditions, but it’s uncommon for pattern shapes to be strictly grouped by terrain. Bear in mind the kind of weather and environment you’ll be riding in when choosing tires -- if it’ll be wet, go for a pattern shape made to handle water.
Types of Terrain
Terrain can be classified in so many ways, but we’ll stick with the basics for now. Most of your off-road adventures can be divided into hard, soft, and intermediate terrains. Each one presents its own challenges, which is why you want to choose tires accordingly.
Hard terrain is firmly-packed dirt and rock, and as close to a road as you’re likely to encounter. Traction won’t be as much of a problem on hard terrain, so smaller knobs and a shallow tread depth will work here. You should also look for a tire with a soft carcass that can adjust around unavoidable bumps in the road without blowing out.
Soft terrain presents more challenges than hard terrain, with lots of loose material that shifts and scatters beneath your wheels. Examples of material you might encounter on soft terrain include sand, gravel, and mud. Big knobs will be an advantage here as well as a higher tread depth to give you more traction. Tires suited to soft terrain will have more knobs spread out over their surface and edges so you can still grip and get traction while turning. The most extreme tires for soft terrain like beaches are paddle tires, which operate like a water wheel to scoop out sand beneath you. The front tires might be more spiky to allow them to dig into the surface towards firmer ground.
Intermediate terrain is just what it says: somewhere between hard and soft, somewhat compacted but with loose material that’ll reduce your traction. Tires meant to balance between hard and soft terrain will give you the best attributes of each extreme and allow you to traverse between more kinds of terrain. These tires usually work best on harder terrain, though. Keep that in mind if you’re hitting the beach!
Checking For Wear & Tear
Before you embark on any off-road excursion, you’ll want to inspect whatever tires you’ve chosen for wear and tear. You don’t want an accident just when you get going, especially on difficult terrain that’s hard to access. Check your tire pressure with a gauge, ensure it’s appropriate for the type of tire you’re using, and inspect your wheels for any tears, punctures, or fissures. Make sure the tread isn’t too worn and check that the overall shape of the tire isn’t distorted. The manufacturing date printed on the side of your tires is a good guide for their replacement, but if you’re seeing cracks in the rubber, let those be your guide instead.
We hope this guide has helped you to narrow down your tire choice for your upcoming off-roading journey. When you’re ready to upgrade your tires or check out our selection of new adventure, off-road, and dual-sport motorcycles and dirt bikes to take off the beaten path, come visit Road Track & Trail in the village of Big Bend, Wisconsin, to check out our showroom. We’ll answer any questions you may have and get you going with the right set of tires for your trip. Road Track & Trail proudly serves the greater Milwaukee metropolitan area, as well as neighboring Chicago, Illinois.