How To Condition Your New Tire
Breaking-in or running in of new motorcycle tires is an important and often overlooked and misunderstood subject. There are really two parts to motorcycle tire break-in:
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A properly “scuffed in” tire will have a dull finish across the tread surface. New motorcycle tires must be “scuffed-in” to help them reach their potential. Tires come out of the mold with a shiny surface that must be roughed up by moderate use so the tread surface can properly interlock with the microscopic irregularities of even the smoothest road surface. This is especially true for tires without our “Traction Skin” technology which puts a “roughed up” surface on the tire in the mold. This “scuffing” of new tires can usually be accomplished in the first 100 miles or so. In this first 100 miles of break-in avoid heavy acceleration and braking and extreme high speeds. On a twisty road, ride gently with lower speeds and lean angles and begin to gently increase speed and acceleration until you’ve put some heat in the tires and they have a dull finish to the surface. A properly “scuffed in” tire will have a dull finish across the tread surface.
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Most new tires will have a shiny surface which must be “scuffed” to allow the tire to produce its maximum grip. The second important part of new tire break-in is conditioning of the tire for the demands of today’s high-performance motorcycles. This conditioning is accomplished by loading the tires moderately and evenly during the initial break in period to put some heat in them. Once the tire has been warmed up a few times and had the possibility to cool down in between before being ridden hard, the high-speed capability (and even the mileage) is much improved. This is what we call conditioning of our high-tech compounds. Modern high-performance sport/touring tires can be damaged by immediately subjecting it to severe stress such as extended riding at high speeds. Extreme stresses on a brand-new tire can damage the cross-linking of the high-tech polymers used to create our outstanding levels of grip. Think of it like a marathon runner training and conditioning muscles prior to subjecting them to extreme use. Although it may sound complicated it’s as simple as heating your tires up and letting them cool down a few times before subjecting them to extreme or extended high-speed use.
When using new tires remember to remove all labels and set them to the proper air pressure before riding.- Be sure to warm up your tires every time you ride to ensure maximum performance. Continental tires featuring our Rain Grip compound are well known for their quick warm-up time.
A tire that hasn’t been properly conditioned from new as described above can result in “blisters” in the tread surface indicating an overheated/reverted tread compound as you can see on the picture on the right.
To learn more visit https://www.continental-tires.com/motorcycle/more-than-tires/faq
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