Tire Wear & Tire Tear | Tire Life | Michelin Tire Safety

A tire's final mileage may depend on various factors:

Some of these are within the motorcyclist’s control: tire pressure, load, vehicle speed, riding style (braking and accelerating).

Others are not and would mean changing the kind of riding you're doing:

Road use: road curviness, surface type
Off-road use: Kind of terrain (sand, gravel, mud, etc.), ambient temperature

A single factor on its own may have only a small impact on a tire's mileage; however, if many factors come together there will be much more wear and tear.

Most of a tire's grip on the road comes from the treads. As they wear down, they lose their ability to drain away water. It is therefore important to ride more slowly on wet surfaces.

Remember to check your tires regularly for wear.

You should always check for wear at several points on the tire.

Checks can be carried out with a depth gauge or using the tread wear indicators molded into the tread (with a symbol visible from the side where present). If the legal or technical limit has been reached, the tire should be disposed of and replaced.

When and how to check your tires?

Tires should be checked regularly to pick up any unusual wear and potential damage.
Follow the steps below in order:

Tread: Look for any foreign objects, cuts, localized damage or unusual wear
Sides: Look for impact damage (pavement, potholes, etc.), cuts, cracks or unusual deformities
Area around the rim/bead chafer: Look for marks made by scrapes or damage to the rim.

All fissures, cuts and visible deformations in the tire tread, the sides, or the area where the tire meets the wheel should be examined in detail (internally/externally) by a tire professional. The same applies to any deterioration of the rim.

Under no circumstances should you re-mount tires that show damage such as a deformed or visible bead, rubber or layers becoming unstuck, damage by oily or corrosive substances, marbling or abrasions to the inner rubber as a result of riding with insufficient tire pressure.

During each vehicle inspection, check that the valve dustcaps are in a satisfactory state. If in doubt, replace them.

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