One of the top priorities for safe motorcycle riding is your tires. A motorcycle with a bald tire or low air pressure in the tire roll harder, wear out the tire prematurely, use more gas and will put your butt on the pavement faster than Rosie O'Donnell putting her foot in her mouth! And that is fast! A good rule of thumb is to look your motorcycle tires over before each ride and check the air pressure every week. Modern motorcycles are so reliable many riders just hop on and go without thinking of giving your bike a visual inspection before each ride. Only takes a minute and you can do it while your motorcycle is warming up.

Your tires need regular attention. They are the only connection between you and the road, and simple things like tire pressure become much more critical than the tire air pressures on your automobile or truck. Tire wear is the abrasive sanding of rubber from your tire as you use it. Look your tire over for cuts or nails, etc sticking into the tire. Always use the recommended air pressure for your tires and it is ok to increase the air pressure 2 to 4 pounds if you are going to have a passenger or other load. Also you need to check the air pressure when the tire is cold.

  
Remember the valve stem covers are part of the sealing system. Use them and replace as needed. In addition to keeping out dirt and moisture, the valve caps help keep air in. The centrifugal force generated by wheel rotation can be enough to open the valve core, allowing air to leak out. Use valve stem caps with rubber gaskets in them. Motorcycle tires over 3 years old will often show signs of age by evidence of cracking of the sidewall of the tire, also referred to as dry rot. A motorcycle tire with low mileage can dry out due to age and sun light exposure. Look your motorcycle tires over and if there is evidence of cracking it's time for a new set. Most motorcycle tires over three years old will need to be replaced. Remember, it's your butt on the line!
Don't make the mistake of mixing a bias ply motorcycle tire with a radial motorcycle tire. Not good!  If you do buy or rather WHEN you buy a new set of tires for your motorcycle keep in mind a new tire is going to be slick on the road until you have put a few miles on it. Scrubbing  the tire in is what this is called and until the new tires are "scrubbed" they will not be safe for really fast riding. And never hit the open road or the trails without your motorcycle helmet. To look at new motorcycle tires at great prices click here.