Buying the Right Tires For Your Dirt Bike

Whether you’re a competitive racer or just enjoy hitting the trails, your dirt bike encounters a lot of rough terrain! It’s important to choose the best tires for your ride. Our team at Maxey’s Motorsports has a quick guide to help you determine the perfect size, tread, and style of tire. 

A Little Anatomy

Before you decide what tires are right for you, it’s helpful to understand a bit about how off-road tires work. There are three things you should become familiar with in order to have the best shopping experience. 

First, you’ll need to know the knob size. This refers to how much of the tire will contact the ground. Second is tread depth, which tells you how deep the tread is in comparison to the ground. Last is the pattern shape. The tire design can influence how the bike handles and reacts to certain terrains. 

Terrain Types

Next, it’s important to identify the types of terrain you will most frequently encounter. The tires you choose should complement this style of riding the most. 

Soft terrain, like sands and loose materials, require tires that can handle more shifting and debris. They’ll have a higher tread depth and have a larger knob size. 

Hard terrain tires will be capable of handling compacted dirt trails and large rocks. These tires have smaller knobs and are a bit more flexible. 

If you fall somewhere in the middle of these two terrain types, intermediate terrain tires are made to handle both types of terrain and anything in between. They have an average or medium tread depth and knobs that are closer together. 

Understanding the features to look for on a dirt bike tire and also knowing how to shop for the right terrain features will help you make the best decision! Visit us in Oklahoma City, OK, to browse our selection of parts and vehicles. We serve the Tulsa and Edmond areas.