Tyres are an essential segment of any vehicle found on Planet Earth. Tyres surround the wheel’s rim – which provides necessary traction, absorbs shocks, and bear weight on any said surfaces. The evolution and discoveries made in the tyre industry today have given rise to many sports, activities on bespoken terrains of the world.
Hence there are heaps of tyre types for N numbers of vehicles. And as the title suggests above – Difference between Motorcycle and Mountain Bike Tyres. We are going to exclusively look into brief differences between Motorcycle Tyre and Mountain Bike (MTB) Tyre.
Both vehicles are for different worlds and purposes. A motorcycle is for riding on pavement and tarmac surfaces. MTB is for the rough, dirt, and mountain terrain. So evidently, they have different sets, models, and types of tyres. Let’s get to know more about it –
Size
There are several aspects you should consider when selecting the proper tyre and size as it will affect the performance and safety of a bike rider.
Sizing for the motorcycle tyre depends upon five aspects –
- Width
- Aspect ratio
- Speed ratings
- Tyre construction
- Rim diameter
Sizing for MTB tyre depends upon two types –
Diameter sizes
- 26 inch
- 27.5 inch
- 29 inch
Width sizes
- Standard
- Plus size
- Fat
Tread pattern
Tread is the outer thicker part of a tyre which touches and digs in the surfaces. Motorcycle treads are generally smooth, which better works on the dry surfaces. The more solid treads are the best off-road. Some tread design is specifically for wet tracks to obtain more grip. The fat tyres with wide treads are best for off-track – sandy and snowy roads. You can get more motorcycle accessories for such excursions.
For MTB tyres, the most crucial aspect is grip! That’s where knobs placements come handy. Smaller and tight-packed knobs will give you more speed. For grip on loose surfaces and specific hard trails, more aggressive treads with big knobs are helpful. So the tread pattern depends upon the particular terrain types.
Construction
The construction of a tyre is highly dependent on the type of bike, surface, and manufacturing company. And, more factors like grip, durability, weight, and ride quality define the construction of a tyre. Each construction has its advantages and disadvantages. It all depends on the rider.
Motorcycle tyre construction –
- Bias-Ply – A bias tyre is an overlapping of multiple rubber piles.
- Radial – A radial tyre is a type of design where cord piles arranged at 90 degrees. That means radially – from the centre of the tyre.
- Bias-Ply with radial – This mix construction of tyres is in some motorcycles with one bias-ply tyre and another radial, where bias-ply tyre should always be in front of a motorcycle.
MTB tyre Construction –
Threads per Inch – TPI is tyre casing usually made out of nylon, and the fabric made up of threads. Low TPI tyres have 60 threads and higher TPI tyres have 120 to 240 threads – That being said, higher TPI tyres have multiple layers of the lower TPI fabric.
Lower TPI fabric is more durable, reliable, and heavy – as threads are thick. Higher TPI fabric is soft, supple, and prone to damage – as threads are thin.
Tyre compounds
Most tyres have a mix of rubber compounds. Every company has its own set of compound recipe which they manufacture for! It is essential to know that the combination of different compounds gives out different types of rides – giving more grip and mileage.
Dual compound tyres in motorcycles are preferable. The hard component is at the centre of the tyre giving out more straight-line mileage. The softer compounds are on the shoulders of the tyre giving more grips on the corners.
In MTB, the tyres classify as hard compound tyre and soft compound tyre. Hard compounds make the bike roll faster and durable — soft compounds grip on slippery surfaces, rocks, and roots. The compounds in MTB highly depend on what terrain you are going to drive on!
Tyre Bead
The definition of tyre bead is the edge of the tyre, which sits on the wheel. It’s the stiffer bulge that supports to lock the tyre on the rim. The bead is a functionally very tight fit to the wheel – which prevents the wheel from slipping in the tyre in rotations. The motorcycle tyre bead is typically steel wires covered heavily in the rubber compound.
The bead in MTB is of two types – a) Folding beads; b) Wire beads. Folding beads are in high-end tyres. And, they are made from Kevlar or Aramid fibre by using its flexible strands. Wire beads are the same as steel beads – made out of steel wires.
Replacements
Replacement of tyres is a difficult choice to make. You must get a bit of expert advice on the tyre conditions. As it is the matter of the safety of the rider.
A motorcycle that rides on tarmac and pavements have relatively ten years of age until the next replacement. The other tell-tell signs of damage tyres are on how much maintenance it needs! The other sign is that the tread has worn out to the point beyond the safety level. So it becomes crucial to have a basic routine check-up to know the tread damage.
The time of replacement of MTB tyres is when the tread knobs wear down. The centre and corner knobs flatten out is a sign of damage to the tyres. The next sign is of the terrain you choose to ride on. If you have gone through various trails of rocky and stiff surfaces with wild landscapes, you need to check the tyres for further replacements.
In the end, there is one thing to be kept in mind – any tyre you get depends upon the company which manufactures it. The motorcycle and MTB are on a very different spectrum of vehicles. Yet the tyres have many similarities with noticeable differences to acknowledge! In the end, all rely on the ride, so happy riding!
