How Much are Motorcycle Tires: Average Prices and Maintenance Tips

How Much are Motorcycle Tires: Average Prices and Maintenance Tips

How much are motorcycle tires? The cost of motorcycle tires depends on various aspects such as quality of the tires, the replacement costs, whether you want a replacement for front or for back tire and whether you are doing it yourself or hiring someone to do it for you.

On average, a pair of good quality motorcycle tires can cost somewhere between $250 to $400. The price may range between $60 to $650 per tire, and a front tire will cost you 5% to 30% lower than a rear tire. A set of used tires might cost you around $20 to $40 per wheel. Add to these prices the costs charged by the dealer (the carry-in costs) and the price might go up by 30% to 50%.

Why is a Good Set of Tire Important

While we often talk about how much motorcycle tires are, we sometimes fail to understand the importance of getting a new set of tires for your motorcycle at the right time. Sturdy and good set of quality tires do much more than just making your bike smoothly move on the roads. Your motorcycle’s overall performance depends on the quality of the tires. From the grip to friction and ultimately speed and safety, every single aspect depends on the quality of the tires that you are using. A cheaper set of rugged tires might look like a good bargain now, but in the long run your bike ‘s performance is going to be negatively impacted.

New Vs Used Tires: Are the Expensive Motorcycle Tires Worth the Cost

The use of motorcycles in regular transportation has been declining over the years. For most of the riders it is a passion and a hobby to keep and maintain their motorcycles. Owing to this, and the fact that your bike needs different tires for its front and back wheels, the tires for your motorcycle might be a little bit more costly than regular car tires. The decision to buy new or used tires is totally a personal one, however, there are certain aspects that you should keep in mind. While riders commuting on clear city roads, riding for a few miles a day might be able to maintain used tires, for someone who loves traveling for longer distances, frequenting rough terrains and who loves riding at high speeds it is highly recommended to go for new tires.

In case you are getting an off-chance bargain deal, getting a good set of tires that have only been used for nominal miles, then do go for it. However, in general a couple of dollars staved off your tires means that the tires have been used for that many miles and you will need to replace them sooner than if you went for new tires.

Let’s have a look at average cost of motorcycle tires; how much are motorcycle tires of different bike types and tire companies.

Price of Motorcycle Tire: By Type of Motorcycle

Dirt bike — $25 – $340

Racing and track tires — $50 – $480

Scooter tires — $25 – $300

Vintage tires — $30 – $300

Touring $35 – $650

Sport tires — $45 – $450

Harley tires — $30 – $650

Supermoto — $90 – $240

Dual Sport — $30 – $380

Price of Motorcycle Tire: By Company

Pirelli Angel GT Tires: $145 to $325

Pirelli Angel GT II Tires: $165 to $330

Pirelli Scorpion Trail II Dual Sport Tires: $130 to $340

Pirelli Sport Demon: $125 to $185

Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsa II Tires: $160 to $360

Michelin Road 5 Tires: $180 to $360

Michelin Pilot Road 4: $160 to $360

Michelin Pilot Road 5: $175 to $380

Michelin Road 6 Tires: $190 to $385

Michelin Commander II Tires: $120 to $385

Continental Road Attack 3: $160 to $380

Continental Road Attacks 4: $180 to $380

Continental TKC 70 Tires: $120 to $390

Dunlop Q3 Plus Sportmax Tires: $165 to $325

Dunlop Q4 Sportmax Tires: $185 to $425

Dunlop Roadsmart 3 Tires: $105 to $260

Dunlop Trailmax Mission Tires: $115 to $330

Dunlop American Elite Tires: $136 to $380

Bridgestone Battlax Hypersport S21 Tires: $140 to $320

Shinko 705 Dual Sport Tires: $70 to $210

Shinko 777 Cruiser Tires: $50 to $310

Shinko 244 Dual Sport Tires: $35 to $115

Kenda K-760 Trakmaster II Tires: $25 to $120

Metzeler ME888 Marathon Ultra Tires: $145 to $640

Those who replace their own motorcycle tires know how a too-old tire fights as it is peeled off the rim, and how a nice fresh new tire, even with all that tread, is much more pliable. Now, imagine the difference between the way that dry old tire grips onto asphalt, and then think about the way the knobs grab dirt, versus how a much softer, stickier tire does that same job.

Why Do Normal Looking Tires Suddenly Break Down?

It often happens that the tires of your motorcycle might look new and it seems like they have plenty of life left and until one day they suddenly break off. The reason why the seemingly ok tires suddenly break down is because of aging of the rubber compounds. The rubber compounds age and lose their effectiveness and the surface dries out, once the rubber dries out it never recovers to its original condition.

How to Know the Age of Your Motorcycle Tires?

Although most of the used tire owners do not sell tires older than five years, however, just to be on the safe side, there is a way you can verify the age of the old motorcycle tire. There is a Date Code stamped near the DOT stamp of a tire on the sidewalls. Date Code is a four digit code containing the week and year of production. Always check the date code of your motorcycle tires whether you buy them online or get them through a dealer. If the tires are older than five years you can bargain the price a little more. 

How to Take Care of Your Motorcycle Tires?

While all types of tires have a shelf life, you can increase the life of your motorcycle tires by taking care of them. Let’s have a look at how you can take care of your motorcycle tires. 

  • If you have a spare set of tires that you are not going to mount immediately, keep them inside. Make sure they aren’t in direct sunlight, subject to temperature extremes, or exposed to chemical residue or vapors. All of these things can age your new tire prematurely. Furthermore, once you have changed the tires of your motorcycle, keep the bike inside a garage and cover your motorcycle.
  • When you take your bike for regular oil change, make sure that you check the condition of your tires yourself. By doing so the tires will be tied to the mileage you’re putting on your machine.
  • Keep a tight watch on the wear and tear on the tire.
  • Watch for the following signs in the tread; is it even? Is the rubber fresh or is it drying out and turning gray in its old age? Are the creases showing signs of cracking and breaking? Does the tire look or feel brittle?
  • Sidewalls of the tires also show signs of aging, keep an eye on the cracks in the sidewalls.
  • The friction fit rubber style stem should be swapped out every time the tires are being changed. Some of the signs to watch in the stem include the type of wear and tear it has seen.

Riding a motorcycle is a passion; it offers thrill and excitement. However, the fun can be cut short if the tires are not inspected regularly. Keep a check on what kind of abuse your tires go through, or have they been sitting idle for a long time and replace them in time.

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