Why do motorcycle tires wear faster than automotive tires?
Tire wear is caused by the effect of heat on the tread material. Heat is generated by two primary sources. One source is the friction between the tire and the road, another is the flexing between the layers of material which make up a tire. The heat generated by road friction is a major contributor to wear. Two variables that effect this are, loads supported by the tire and tread compounds. A motorcycle has a much smaller contact area with the road than does an automobile. A high performance car with a full load, supports its 4,000 pound weight through 4 tires with a road contact area of 150 sq/in. This creates a pressure of 27 psi at the contact point. An FLHTC with a maximum loaded weight of 1100 pounds is supported by a contact area of 20 sq/in. This creates a pressure of 55 psi at the contact. This higher pressure creates more heat resulting in quicker wear. Motorcycle tires are also very stiff when compared to automobile tires. Motorcycle tires need to have a greater stiffness bec
