Installing winter road motorcycle tires on your motorcycle can be a wonderful resolution to make as winter approaches. In the Northern Hemisphere, as winter approaches and road conditions deteriorate, installing winter tires on your motorcycle can make a big difference in your winter riding. and training.
Winter situations in other parts of the world can mean other things. For those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, this doesn’t necessarily mean roads covered in ice and snow for months, but occasionally it can rain constantly for long periods of time. And winter rains and freezing situations can mean that a lot of debris is removed from the road. Frost can cause water to freeze and crack permanently, which also damages road surfaces. All this means that your tires, your only point of contact with the road, are much more controlled. Roads and debris-filled lanes can test the most productive road motorcycle tires and make meat off the ground with light racing tires, so swapping your lightweight tires for longer-lasting winter characteristics is occasionally a smart move. It will also be dark and cold, so don’t check out our guides on the most productive motorcycle lights, the most productive winter cycling gloves too.
Winter cycling can control us enough without spending money and ruining a couple of lightweight road tires every weekend. of us would approve if we had the opportunity, we would prefer to concentrate on winter training. The most productive winter road tires, whether operating without an air tube or with tubes, will use more durable compounds and other materials. In addition to a more textured surface to further improve grip in rainy and bloodless conditions.
At Cyclingnews, we have years of combined verification experience and have made every effort to check a variety of tires and find the most productive winter road motorcycle tires. Read on to find out which ones we offer you to look at when choosing. a winter road motorcycle tire. If you still need help, head to the back of the page for helpful buying tips.
Introduced a few years ago, the Vittoria Corsa Control was recently updated with the brand’s “functionalized” Graphene 2. 0 four-rubber compound, which provides a predictable driving sensation in a variety of conditions. Thanks to the tread, which is a combination of intermediate ribs and a chevron-shaped shoulder pattern, they are an excellent option to convert weather conditions, as they are capable and have maximum grip of what you can throw at them. The side walls are still a bit thin and therefore can be prone to cracks. and cuts
Our reviewer was pleased to accept them with fairly competitive driving on a wide variety of road surfaces and weather situations and found that they also held up very well in terms of service life. The Corsa Control is available in Tubless TLR, Clincher and tubular versions in black and with elegant beige walls and in a variety of sizes, although beige walls can be a little harder to keep cool in winter.
Despite its “Race” nomenclature, this Panaracer tyre is a flexible and physically powerful tyre, making it a smart choice for winter. Their relatively thin tires, then you will be pleased to know that they are available in a length of 25 mm and that they offer impressive traction and puncture resistance.
The brand’s double Zero Slip Grip compound is one of the stickiest you can get, allowing you to ride with a little luck even on cold, icy mornings. That means you’ll run a little harder, but that’s made up for a bit by the ability to combine with fenders and maintain speed. Japanese-made tyres are available in sizes of 25 and 28 mm and in a single black colour.
A reduced edition of Schwalbe’s G-One gravel tire, the Speed edition has the same fundamental tread trend (well, more of a texture) and is made of the brand’s TripleStar compound. Starting at a width of 30mm, it sits on the widest finish of what a road tire would historically be, but remains fast and comfortable, best for those riding rough terrain or looking for extra comfort.
The G-One Speed is built around Schwalbe’s Microskin casing, which is a layer of fabric in the carcass that helps the tire retain air without needing an air chamber. Under the tread is a puncture protection layer made of V-Guard. fabric and the coverage of the brand’s snakeskin flanks: Schwalbe calls this double defense.
If the G-One Speed itches you, look for a motorcycle that can support wide tires. However, at 330g of weight per tire, they probably won’t appeal to heavyweights among us, but that’s basically because you’re thinking about a wider tire. that the top brands offer.
The Rubino Pro tire from Vittoria is ideal for your long winter walks and is designed to cope with the worst winter conditions. With intelligent puncture coverage thanks to the tread wrap from one heel to the other and the PRB anti-puncture nylon layer inside the body.
The Rubino Pro is also based on Vittoria’s Graphine 3C structure, in which thick single-molecule carbon curtains have compatibility between rubber molecules for additional puncture coverage and extended service life; In addition, they are ready to use without a camera.
With a 150 tpi box, they are strangely flexible and lightweight at 270 g (28c).
Built around Bontrager’s Hard-Case Lite carcass, the R3 Hard-Case Lite TLR has recently been redesigned from a slick tire to a contoured tire. Bontrager claims that the unique TR-speed compound runs faster and lasts longer than its predecessor, while offering puncture protection.
The centre band is still stylish with Bontrager adding a shoulder tread that becomes more competitive as the tyre is widened, claiming this increases traction in corners, which is an attractive feature.
Bontrager has also added a new 105 nylon circuit breaker strap and says its own lab tests have shown that the tread lasts 75% longer than its predecessor. The tyre is available in widths of 23, 25 and 28 mm.
Gravel King can be a misleading choice for Panaracer tires, as they will most likely leave you disassembled on anything other than a recently leveled gravel road. However, they make smart winter road tires comfortable if your motorcycle has enough free space.
Gravel tires are, by definition, designed to withstand a bit of abuse, so it’s no surprise that AX-Alfacord’s “puncture casing” and puncture cover are well suited to road debris. It rolls temporarily and offers many possibilities for grocery shopping, even on steep and rainy slopes.
These tires are only available in widths from 32 to 38 mm and in black and brown sidewall versions (the narrower versions are now discontinued, but you might locate them if you look closely), which means that many road bikes may have difficulty clearing, but they are a wonderful tire to turn your gravel motorcycle into a winter motorcycle that is still capable of walking on the “Gravel-Lite” trails.
The Challenge Elite XP is the all-season Challenges tube-only tire option. So, if you are still in the field of air chamber, this can be a wonderful option. Designed to be a difficult and durable road tire while maintaining speed and feel. Elite XP features the Challenge Ganzo PPS generation, which is an additional puncture cover band that uses a tightly woven fabric for coverage. There is also a Carazzo armor which is a double-layer shell for durability and reliability.
Challenge tires are manufactured in-house in Thailand, which is a kind of USP. You can read a lot about Challenge tire technology, but its artisanal technique means that the tires don’t have the horseshoe shape of normal vulcanized tires that say rolling resistance.
Elite XP tires are fashionable and available in sizes of 25 and 27 mm. They can also be used with Challenge latex cameras if you need to decrease rolling resistance and add to that premium feel a little more. One compromise if you need to see a cameraless edition is to use air chambers filled with an amount of tubeless putty to get the best setup of both worlds.
Continental believes its Gatorskin is the most popular education tyre in the UK. Obviously, we cannot avoid this statement, but we know that they are a common selection for many cyclists in winter weather. And although the temperatures are the coldest in the UK, the country really knows what winter weather is like.
The Gatorskin is best known for its puncture resistance and durability, so if your winter trip means dealing with thorns, sand, and glass washing up on the road, then Gatorskins could help you roll.
However, when it comes to ‘reinvestment’, this is where the commitment comes in; Maximum puncture resistance translates into a tire that is slower than the others but handles well. Gatorskins can have a reputation for being difficult tires to change, this can be due to many factors, but maximum durability and puncture resistance deserve to minimize punctures anyway.
Pirelli caused a sensation with its access to motorcycle tyres with the P Zero range, and the Velo 4S served as the brand’s all-season tyre optimised for rainy and bloodless conditions. The Velo 4s is now replaced by the Race 4S, the next evolution of the all-season tyre.
The tread is made from Pirelli’s fast-moving SmartEvo compound, and the Italian logo claims the tread is in its TechBelt structure, which was borrowed from its Diablo Supercorsa motorcycle tires that are meant to maximize grip in rainy weather. salt.
Under the bonnet, the Pirelli P Zero Race 4S features an aramid fibre band to cover punctures and a 120 tpi housing in widths of 26 and 28 mm. We just want them to be featured in the iconic red and yellow logos for added freshness. factor.
The S-Works Turbo may not advertise itself as an all-season winter tire, but its affordable price, smart grip levels, comfortable carcass, and quality structure make it a tire that can run year-round.
Not only is the tire soft, grippy and fast enough to ride your most productive summer bike, but the S-Works Turbo is also so well made that it will thankfully face the worst winter. In fact, one of the members of the Cyclingnews team members used those tires for 3 British winters, adding sub-zero and snowy days, and remember only one puncture (26c, butyl tubes, economical alloy wheels).
This puncture coverage is courtesy of Specialized’s Blackbelt technology, and the Gripton compound has low rolling resistance.
Of course, if snow, ice, or thorny back roads are a common position, there are tires with greater coverage capacity in winter, but if your winter driving is more commonly located on cleaner, non-frozen surfaces or if your driving club or organization’s race tends to be a bit like an arms race where speed is required, then the S-Works Turbo is a fantastic choice.
Somewhere between the sometimes bulletproof Gatorskin and the GP5000, the Grand Prix Four Season provides greater puncture coverage and durability without sacrificing too much in the rolling resistance domain.
Available in sizes from 23c to 32c, the GP Four Season features a double-layer Vectran circuit breaker to prevent sharp road debris from having to assemble the air chamber and features the German brand’s DuraSkin polyamide fibre sidewall to prevent cuts. same weight as the Gatorskin.
The GP Four Seasons doesn’t get the BlackChili treatment, but the tread is made of a comfortable compound that sticks well in the rain and has proved strangely wear-resistant.
Michelin Power tyres cover a wide range of degrees of functionality and the all-season tyre is designed for rainy roads. Michelin has used a new resin in All Season’s Grip Compound which, according to Michelin, offers a 15% improvement over the Pro4 rain tyre. faster and more resistant to punctures, especially in bloodless climates.
In the genuine world, the all-season tyre gives greater grip on rainy roads than the festival (the latter is even greater in the dry), and the all-season tyre will last longer than the rest of Michelin’s Power tyres.
The air chamber coverage against sharp road debris is complemented by a Michelin-developed synthetic fiber called the Aramid Protek layer that adds a few grams, but is designed to increase puncture resistance by 20%, helping to keep tire levers safely in your pocket.
The Schwalbe Marathon Plus is the benchmark for puncture coverage and durability. Technically derived from the Schwalbe city/tour product range, they are probably best suited for daily travel or commuting, but can be used on a road motorcycle if you need the maximum coverage imaginable. They feature a deep tread, rough and rough sidewalls and excessive puncture coverage, but all this comes at a high cost: a weight of 595 g.
The Marathon Plus is available in a wide variety of widths and sizes and features Schwalbe’s incredible puncture cover that sees 5mm of rubber under the recycled latex tread. Don’t expect to win sprints with the added puncture coverage as is. t driving very fast, but if you are driving, audaxing, traveling or just driving without worrying about the average speed, then look no further. The marathon plus is a bit more difficult to install than some tires due to its weight and construction, but once they’re on your rims, you can breathe easy again.
If you plan to do a lot of outdoor hiking this winter, your estimated weekly mileage and local road situations will determine which winter tires are right for you. and puncture coverage will be the solution. If your driving is basically made up of short weekends and you need to stick to a faster race in a club or group, a slightly faster tire with additional coverage is possibly the solution.
Absolutely, and highly recommended if you plan to ride in the colder seasons. In winter, there’s more chance of being on wet, icy surfaces, so putting on a pair of the most productive winter road motorcycle tires will help you stay firm and stable. The additional curtains and more durable compounds found in specific winter tires deserve greater assistance against cuts and cracks caused by various road debris.
Of course, the width and tread of the tires will largely depend on the clearance you have in the frame, especially if you also use mudguards. Check with your motorcycle manufacturer for maximum tire clearance and eliminate a few millimeters for fenders. .
Creating the most productive compound for a winter tire is an act of balancing grip and durability. Hard compounds sometimes roll faster and wear out more strongly, but they don’t offer much grip. Soft compounds offer incredible adhesion but wear out at the speed of light. Water also reduces the friction needed to cut the rubber, so driving on rainy roads in winter will make your tires more vulnerable to sharp objects, regardless of the compound.
In fact, it is true that the number of punctures tends to increase in winter. Increased humidity, whether from rain, drizzle, snow, or ice, acts as an herbal lubricant that makes it less difficult for sharp debris to penetrate tires. It is also very likely that there will be more dirt due to bad weather. That’s why puncture coverage is very important when opting for the most productive winter road motorcycle tires.
Fortunately, maximum tires will have a tread designed to prevent punctures. At the lower end of the value spectrum, this tread will consist of an additional layer of rubber, but as the value increases, the additional layer will be replaced with Kevlar. o Vectran similar to a fabric to avoid sharp objects before they can make a hole.
Since tubeless tires are filled with sealant, they automatically seal peak punctures before the tire deflates completely. Most of the time, if you have a flat tire, you may not realize it until you get home and the back of your motorcycle is covered with sealant.
Road tires have other tread grades, however, whatever the reason, they are unlikely to offer much, if any, additional traction. More adherent rubber.
Car tires have a square profile and need a tread to move water and prevent hydroplaning. Bike tires have a circular segment that is ideally shaped to avoid hydroplaning and the tactile domain that looks a bit like a canoe is exceptional for moving water. Also, to hydroplan a bicycle tire, you have to ride at speeds to succeed with human legs.
The benefits of wide tires are well established; They are more comfortable and offer greater grip and many independent tests have shown that they are also faster to some extent. The width of a tire that you can use will be decided through the free space of your bike, as well as the width of the rims of your wheels. Look for the plump case that has compatibility with its frame while allowing its wheels to fit well on the sidewall.
Mildred joined as a review for Cyclingnews and BikePerfect in December 2020. He loves all the bureaucracy of cycling, from the long-distance audax to the daily motorcycle races, and does almost everything on two wheels, adding movement, and started his cycling career. She worked in a motorcycle shop For over five years, she has volunteered at Bristol Bike Project as a mechanic and consultation coordinator, and now serves on their board.
Since then, she has written for a multitude of cycling publications Bikeradar, Cycling Plus, Singletrack, Red Bull, Cycling UK and Total Women’s Cycling. It is committed to offering a greater policy of women-specific cycling technology, elevating underrepresented voices in sport and making cycling more available overall.
Height: 156 cm (5’2″)
Weight: kg
Rides: Stayer Groadinger UG, Triban RC520 Women’s Disc, Genesis Flyer, Marin Larkspur, Cotic BFe 26, Clandestine bike
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