Your tyres are a contact patch about the size of a credit card each. On wet London roads, their condition matters more than anything else on the bike.
The legal minimum
For motorcycles over 50cc in the UK, tyres need at least 1mm of tread depth across three quarters of the tread width, with visible tread on the remaining quarter. Grip in the wet drops well before you reach that point, so many riders replace tyres earlier.
Other reasons to replace
Squared-off tyres from straight-line commuting, cracking on the sidewalls from age, cuts and bulges, punctures in the shoulder or sidewall, and tyres that are several years old even with tread left.
Check your pressures
Under-inflated tyres wear faster, make steering heavy and can overheat. Check pressures cold at least every couple of weeks using the figures in your manual or on the sticker on the swingarm.
Fitting and balancing
New tyres should be fitted and balanced properly. King's Bike fits and balances motorcycle and scooter tyres at our E16 workshop, and checks your brakes and chain while the wheel is out. Call or WhatsApp 07599 004371.
