Wheels and Tyres - Basic Parts - Motorbikes


Buying a bike is only half the story, you also need the right accessories
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Sports Bikes

Ducati 916

Honda Fireblade

Suzuki GSX

Section 1.4

Section 1.5

Section 1.6

Section 1.7

Section 1.8

Section 1.9

Section 1.10

Section 1.11

Section 1.12

Section 1.13

Section 1.14

Section 1.15

Off Road Bikes

BMW R1150GS

KTM 525 EXC

CCM R30

Section 2.4

Section 2.5

Section 2.6

Section 2.7

Section 2.8

Section 2.9

Section 2.10

Section 2.11

Section 2.12

Section 2.13

Section 2.14

Section 2.15

Touring Bikes

Harley-Davidson

Honda Goldwing

BMW K1200LT

Section 3.4

Section 3.5

Section 3.6

Section 3.7

Section 3.8

Section 3.9

Section 3.10

Section 3.11

Section 3.12

Section 3.13

Section 3.14

Section 3.15

Getting Started

Choosing a Bike

Buying Tips

Caring for your Bike

Securing your Bike

Section 4.5

Section 4.6

Section 4.7

Section 4.8

Section 4.9

Section 4.10

Section 4.11

Section 4.12

Section 4.13

Section 4.14

Section 4.15

Basic Parts

Engine

Wheels and Tyres

Drive Train

Frame

Gears

Section 5.6

Section 5.7

Section 5.8

Section 5.9

Section 5.10

Section 5.11

Section 5.12

Section 5.13

Section 5.14

Section 5.15

Rider

Helmet

Clothing

Boots

Luggage

Section 6.5

Section 6.6

Section 6.7

Section 6.8

Section 6.9

Section 6.10

Section 6.11

Section 6.12

Section 6.13

Section 6.14

Section 6.15

Routes

America and Canada

Asia

Europe

Section 7.4

Section 7.5

Section 7.6

Section 7.7

Section 7.8

Section 7.9

Section 7.10

Section 7.11

Section 7.12

Section 7.13

Section 7.14

Section 7.15

Race Events

World Superbikes and Moto GP

Isle of Man TT

Club Meets and Track Days

Daytona

Section 8.5

Section 8.6

Section 8.7

Section 8.8

Section 8.9

Section 8.10

Section 8.11

Section 8.12

Section 8.13

Section 8.14

Section 8.15

The History of Motorbikes

Section 9.1

Section 9.2

Section 9.3

Section 9.4

Section 9.5

Section 9.6

Section 9.7

Section 9.8

Section 9.9

Section 9.10

Section 9.11

Section 9.12

Section 9.13

Section 9.14

Section 9.15

Watch: American Chopper

Section 10.1

Section 10.2

Section 10.3

Section 10.4

Section 10.5

Section 10.6

Section 10.7

Section 10.8

Section 10.9

Section 10.10

Section 10.11

Section 10.12

Section 10.13

Section 10.14

Section 10.15

Watch: Greatest Ever Motorcycles

Section 11.1

Section 11.2

Section 11.3

Section 11.4

Section 11.5

Section 11.6

Section 11.7

Section 11.8

Section 11.9

Section 11.10

Section 11.11

Section 11.12

Section 11.13

Section 11.14

Section 11.15

Watch: Motoring programmes

Section 12.1

Section 12.2

Section 12.3

Section 12.4

Section 12.5

Section 12.6

Section 12.7

Section 12.8

Section 12.9

Section 12.10

Section 12.11

Section 12.12

Section 12.13

Section 12.14

Section 12.15

Section 13

Section 13.1

Section 13.2

Section 13.3

Section 13.4

Section 13.5

Section 13.6

Section 13.7

Section 13.8

Section 13.9

Section 13.10

Section 13.11

Section 13.12

Section 13.13

Section 13.14

Section 13.15

Section 14

Section 14.1

Section 14.2

Section 14.3

Section 14.4

Section 14.5

Section 14.6

Section 14.7

Section 14.8

Section 14.9

Section 14.10

Section 14.11

Section 14.12

Section 14.13

Section 14.14

Section 14.15

Section 15

Section 15.1

Section 15.2

Section 15.3

Section 15.4

Section 15.5

Section 15.6

Section 15.7

Section 15.8

Section 15.9

Section 15.10

Section 15.11

Section 15.12

Section 15.13

Section 15.14

Section 15.15

Basic parts

Wheels and tyres

The very first steam-powered motorcycles of the late 1800s used wooden wheels with iron ‘tyres’. They were soon replaced by metal-spoked wheels with rubber tyres – a fundamentally similar design to that which appears on a number of bikes today.

As road bikes got faster, they demanded lighter and stronger designs, and forged aluminium wheels were developed instead.

Latest bike tyres now offer dual- or multi-compound rubber to help balance grip and wear. They use, for example, a softer compound on the edges of the tyre for more grip during cornering, and a harder compound around the middle for improved straight-line wear.

Image: Alvey and Towers