Off Road Riding Tires

Off-road motorcycles are perfect for the rider who spends more time off the beaten path. It’s your one-way ticket to an adrenaline-filled afternoon on the trails with all the freedom of an off-road motorcycle. In order to make sure you have the best experience, you’ll need more than the right bike. You’ll want to make sure your tires are also up to the challenge. Depending on the type of terrain you’ll be on, you’ll need a suitable type of tire.

Dunfords of Havelock has provided you with some of the basic differences between each type of tire and what you should consider when making a purchase. If you need your tires fitted or if you’re in the market for a new bike, stop by our showroom to check out our selection. We proudly serve the areas of Peterborough, Belleville, Hastings County, and Northumberland County, Ontario.

Find the Right Tread for your Terrain

Not all off-road tires are made the same. While this means you’ll need to do some soul searching and tire sifting, you’ll appreciate the nuances in the long run. You’ll need to consider three major parts of the tire: knob size, tread depth, and pattern shape.

Knob size determines the amount of surface area of the tire that touches the ground. In other words, the bigger the knob size, the more contact it will have. This increases traction and is great for bumpier terrain.

Tread depth tells you how deep your tire will dig into the ground by displacing soft layers of debris. This means a deeper tread displaces more of the terrain, so higher tread depth is ideal for soft terrain with lots of debris and layers of loose substance.

Finally, the pattern shape indicates how the grooves and channels are cut and shaped. Some pattern shapes are better for high traction and wet conditions, while others are better suited for drier terrain.

As you may have guessed at this point, the primary factor in choosing the right off-road tires is the type of terrain you intend to spend most of your time on. This includes the materials you’ll be riding on, the weather conditions you’ll most likely encounter, and how fast you’ll be going. We’ve focused on terrain for this article, but if you have more questions about how tires will affect your ride, talk to our experienced professionals.

Rugged Trails

Rugged trails, or hard or rough terrain, require a special kind of tire that will keep you planted and ready for action. These are trails that include hard-packed dirt or rocky paths. You don’t want a tire that will weigh you down, and you’ll want shorter knobs placed closer together to get the right amount of traction. Also, a lot of tread depth is unnecessary as there won’t be much material to displace. The best kind of tire for rugged trails has a soft, flexible carcass, perfect for handling those ever-changing roads.

Soft Terrain

On the opposite end of the spectrum, trails with sand, mud, or loose gravel, known as soft terrain, require a wildly different set of tires. You’ll need knobs that are more spread out and even additional knobs on the edges of your tires. This will help them grip softer ground that tends to shift under pressure. Your rear tire should have a “paddle” appearance to allow it to push across soft terrain, although keep in mind this will slow you down if you suddenly switch to hard terrain. The front tires usually have a spiked look for increased tread depth, an essential part of traveling across soft terrain. The bottom line is you should have tires that will give you more traction and higher tread depth.

Middle-Ground

For everything in between, or if you intend to ride trails that switch unexpectedly between hard and soft terrains, you’ll want a set of tires that can handle that middle ground as well. They’re generally better suited for harder trails, so ultra-soft terrains will still be tricky. These tires have taller knobs that are closer together for traction. They’ll dig into the ground to get a grip on the trail, but they won’t displace too much substance.

Hopefully this helps you get started on choosing the right tires for your off-roading activities, but we also know this can be a difficult process. If you’re still not sure what types of tires you should be putting on your off-road motorcycles, or if you’d like to see what we’ve got on our models, stop by today so our experienced staff can help you narrow down your choices. We welcome all patrons from Peterborough, Belleville, Hastings County, and Northumberland County, Ontario.