Taking care of your bike includes proper cleaning, bike insurance policy, and looking after your motorcycle tyres. Tyres keep your vehicle moving and help you reach your destination. But what happens if your motorcycle has unattended tyres?
Faulty tyres lead to loads of potential risks. Your motorcycle might skid off the road, lead to a fatal accident, damage your bike, or even make your bike unstable.
So how to take care of them? Let us see the most effective ways to maintain your motorcycle tyres for safe daily commuting.
1. Wash Your Tyres
If you ride through dirt-coddled paths filled with stone chips, rocks and mud, ensure that you wash your motorcycle tyres regularly.
Once these grimy, sticky and pointy objects stick to your tyres, they will damage the foundation, cause the tyres to flatten, and lead your bike to slip off the track or run into an accident.
Hence, never let your tyres accumulate dirt. To wash them, all you need is some:
- Dishwashing soap
- Baking soda
- Vinegar
- Oil
- Nylon brush
- Sponge
- Rag
- Bucket
- Bleach
- Toothbrush
- Warm water
Lean your bike against a motorcycle stand and add these cleaning ingredients to the bucket full of warm water. Soak the sponge into this cleaning mixture and de-grease your tyres for a clean and smooth finish.
If you cannot find time to clean your tyres, you can always ask motorcycle professionals to clean them up for you. All in all, clean and well-maintained tyres can keep you out of trouble.
2. Keep an Eye on the Tyre Pressure
Different bikes need different tyre pressure. Some motorcycles might have problems with lower air pressure to heavy bike body ratio. They might deflate faster and damage themselves while on the road.
On the other hand, massive high air pressure in tyres will inflate the middle portion of your tyre, causing it to burst at the slightest riding error.
So, the best thing to do is check your tyre pressure and find the optimum air pressure level that best suits your tyre to motorcycle weight ratio.
Here are some tips for checking your motorcycle's tyre pressure by yourself:
- Check for the valve step from the inner area of your bike's tyre. Unscrew the cap over the valve stem and remove it.
- Insert the tyre pressure gauge over the valve end and press down on the valve stem when you can see the valve end. The pressure gauge should be at zero.
- Make sure the gauge seals over the valve stem. If there is a hissing noise, you will have an incorrect reading. In this case, remove the gauge.
- Check the gauge's reading to know the tyre's air pressure.
According to your bike's requirements, you can perfect your tyres' air pressure to reach the optimum safety limit. Beside keeping the tyre in good working condition, it is necessary to get tyre protection cover for your bike to help you deal with such situations better.
3. Replace Old Tyres
Like everything else, motorcycle tyres have a limited lifespan as they undergo severe wear and tear from everyday usage.
Here are some common signs of you needing to replace your motorcycle tyres:
The Sidewalls are Damaged
The sidewalls of your bike tyres sustain plenty of damage from potholes, quick stops, and poorly-constructed roads. These often lead to cracks and bubbles on your sidewalls, deteriorating the tyre.
While many repair shops suggest that you patch up the sidewalls for a longer shelf-life, replacing these tyres is wiser.
Check the Tread Wear Indicator
All tyres come with tread wear indicators. You will find them on the sidewall as a triangular arrowhead. You have to find the rubber fridges present between the treads.
If the bridge and the tread are on the same level, it means that the tread walls have worn out, and it is time to replace your tyres.
Your Tyre Treads are Cracked
Do you see apparent cracks on your tyres' surfaces? Rubber tyres harden if you do not drive them for an extended period. They can make it difficult for you to ride around after a long time.
So if your tyres feel stiff and there are apparent cracks on the sidewalls, make sure you change them before hitting the road!
4. Opt for Timely Repairs
Timely tyre repairs can save you a fortune, especially from accidents and damage-related payments. Timely repairs are necessary when your tyres have chipped stones stuck between the ridges or have a needle punched.
These can hamper your journey and cause you to drive carelessly. Why let these problems persist when you can replace your tyres and maintain new ones to optimise your ride?
5. Try to Lessen Your Quick Brakes
When you accelerate your bike, it can lower your tyres' shelf life. Experts suggest not to try burnouts to secure your bike's high-quality performance, as doing so can quicken your tyres' wear and tear.
So try not to perform stunts that result in quick breaks as these can deteriorate your tyres' quality.
Conclusion
There are various ways you can raise the shelf life of your tyres. One way to secure their replacement or repairs is to purchase and maintain a bike insurance policy from Paytm Insurance.
Paytm Insurance's comprehensive bike insurance policies can ensure that you receive fair compensation for your motorcycle if it sustains damages. So if you wish for your bike to last longer, take care of your tyres and ensure the motorcycle's ultimate safety!
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