Bikers warned of tyre 'squaring' on long motorway rides

ERJ staff report (RD)

London -- Motorcyclists who take long journeys on motorways need to be aware of the dangers of their motor bike tyres squaring off, which gives a feeling of loss of grip when used on winding roads UK tyre safety specialist TyreSafe said 19 July. In this sense squaring means that the crown of the tyre wears more than the sidewalls. This makes the transition from crown to sidewall as the bike leans into a corner less smooth.

Gary Hartshorne, motorcycle tyre technical specialist for TyreSafe, says the squaring-off phenomenon will always affect bike tyres because of their design, but if the bike is being constantly ridden on winding roads squaring-off will take longer to occur, meaning extended tyre life.

The type of journey covered isn't the only reason for squaring-off, as other factors can have an impact: “It also depends on the materials used, the compound of the tyre and the original profile of the tyre when new. Some tyres have a flatter profile to start with while others can be very pointy. The more 'pointy' they start out as, the more the squaring-off will become apparent as the tyre gets older,” Gary Hartshorne says.

“It's important that motorcyclists make allowances for any unusual handling characteristics their bike might show when they leave the motorway,” says Karen Cooke, director of safety for the Motorcycle Industry Association.

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Press release from TyreSafe