Tip. Tyre condition
Buy a reliable tyre pressure gauge and ensure your tyres are in good condition.
Our Queensland motorbike training course emphasises that your motorcycle’s condition determines your enjoyment. Enjoyable touring relies on good tyres. Good tyres means having good tread, good sidewalls and good pressure. Remember that an inflated tyre will lose pressure even if it is not ridden. The time taken to lose pressure varies between individual tyres, but they do lose pressure, I have had tyres that lose 3psi/wk.
Use your own tyre pressure gauge to inspect your pressures at least twice a week to get a ‘feel’ for their pressure performance. When on tour take your gauge with you as you cannot rely on the accuracy of air pressure gauges at petrol stations.
Check your tyre wear indicators and replace tyres before the indicators reach the road surface. On a motorcycle tour it is to be expected that your tyres will wear down and you do not want to be caught out with a badly worn tyre during your tour.
Check your tyre casings for signs of damage such as; splitting, flat spots, gouges, or embedded stones/debris, all common on Logan roads.
Remember that a tyre will provide enhanced performance when properly ‘warmed up’. A good tip is to let your tyres warm up before you apply maximum power or need maximum traction for cornering. Also remember that your tyres will be performing at their optimum at the end of a stage of your tour where you have a planned break/fuel stop. The tyres will then cool down while you are refreshing with a coffee, so warm them up before you require again require maximum traction.
Buy a reliable tyre pressure gauge and ensure your tyres are in good condition.