How to Choose Dirt Bike Tires

Your off-road motorcycle is a lean, mean, terrain-conquering machine. However, some terrain types pose a unique challenge. You may need to swap out your tires for ones better suited for riding on sand or mud. First, you will need to know what kind of tires are best for what types of terrain. That is why Team Winnebagoland Powersports Center has created this dirt bike tire buying guide.

Parts of Dirt Bike Tires

To find the right dirt bike tire, you will need to know a few technical terms. First is knob size. Knob size is the amount of the tire's surface area that touches the ground, with a bigger knob size meaning more traction.

Next, tread depth. Tread depth is a measure of how much your tire digs into the ground, which in turn affects how much material is displaced. Riding on looser material requires a higher tread depth.

Finally, pattern shape. Pattern shape is the shape of your tire’s tread. Depending upon what kinds of grooves and channels your tire has, it may be better suited to dry terrain or wet terrain.

Terrain

When choosing dirt bike tires, determine what kind of terrain you want to tackle. Look for tires that have features that make riding on that type of terrain easier.

Hard

Riding on hard-packed dirt or rock usually means not much loose material to deal with, so you won’t need high tread depth or extra traction. Look for off-road motorcycle tires with small knobs spaced close together and a soft, flexible carcass. This will make it easier to make it across the bumps on tough roads.

Soft

Soft materials like sand, mud, and gravel tend to shift about under you as your ride. For these kinds of conditions, look for tires with a high tread depth. Certain knob types can also help with tackling soft terrain. Look for "paddle" knobs for the rear tire and "spiky" knobs for the front tire.

Intermediate

Of course, sometimes the terrain you want to tackle is neither very hard nor very soft, or the trail you are riding has both hard and soft sections. For these situations, you should use intermediate terrain tires.

These tires have tall, long knobs that are close together. This gives you traction when you encounter spots requiring it. They also tend to have moderate tread depth to allow you to push through loose material without sacrificing too much speed on harder ground.

We here at Team Winnebagoland Powersports Center hope you found this guide to be useful. To view our selection of dirt bikes and other powersports vehicles, visit our dealership in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. We also offer financing, servicing, parts, and trade-ins. We proudly serve communities like Green Bay, Wisconsin, and we hope to see you soon.