Minimum Tyre Tread on a Bike

[Flashman2001]

What is the collective wisdom of the legal minimum tyre depth on a bike?

For a car it is 1.6mm for the central ¾ of the tyre – is this different for a bike and is it now an EU wide standard?







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[Invicta Moto]

MOTORBIKES & SCOOTERS 50cc AND OVER
at least 1mm depth of tread round a constant band of the central three quarters of the tyres width and visible tread pattern on the rest.


My Tourances are getting a bit low and the wear bumps in the centre tread are about 1mm off being flush with the rest of the tyre.

 

[deaninkl]

What is the collective wisdom of the legal minimum tyre depth on a bike?

For a car it is 1.6mm for the central ¾ of the tyre – is this different for a bike and is it now an EU wide standard?







.

Flashman, you put "collective wisdon" and "legal minimum" together... you are riding a 10 grand bike that will do 125mph.... legal minimums should not apply.

A rider knows when his tires of going off and should replace them accordingly. if you are down to 1mm or even 1.6mm it will not take much in the way of mud and crud to eliminate the water clearing ability of the tire.

What ever happened to good old common sense.

 

[jeffers]

tyre tread

A rider knows when his tires of going off and should replace them accordingly. if you are down to 1mm or even 1.6mm it will not take much in the way of mud and crud to eliminate the water clearing ability of the tire.

What ever happened to good old common sense.[/QUOTE

Experience plays a large part in judging if your tyres are getting worn, the way it tracks on overbanding and white lines, the feel as it rolls into a corner, all give early warnings to tyres going off.

its a personal thing but i tend to replace tyres well before they hit the "legal minimum"

thats my 2Ps worth!

 

[cookie]

my own minimum: 2mm depth at the centre and they get replaced.

 

[Taff]

Experience plays a large part in judging if your tyres are getting worn, the way it tracks on overbanding and white lines!

TBH every tyre I've had doesn't feel right on overbanding, white lines etc no matter how much tread there is on it.

I had a similar question a few months back Flashman see THIS THREAD. Some useful responses to it. I know you can get proper tyre gauges, but as I already had a Halfords micrometer (for measuring precise bolt widths etc) and it does the job brilliantly. I was bored one day, so took 10 readings on both front and back tyres, then averaged them out.

Make a note of the mileage and tread depth (in my case it was 10,500 miles, and 3.6mm tread IIRC) and repeat the process again a few months later to see how much tread you lose over over a given distance. It may be useful to work it out before a long trip in deciding whether tyres should be changed before going, or whether you've got enough tread to do the trip and change them after.

 

[Flashman2001]

TBH every tyre I've had doesn't feel right on overbanding, white lines etc no matter how much tread there is on it.

I had a similar question a few months back Flashman see THIS THREAD. Some useful responses to it. I know you can get proper tyre gauges, but as I already had a Halfords micrometer (for measuring precise bolt widths etc) and it does the job brilliantly. I was bored one day, so took 10 readings on both front and back tyres, then averaged them out.

Make a note of the mileage and tread depth (in my case it was 10,500 miles, and 3.6mm tread IIRC) and repeat the process again a few months later to see how much tread you lose over over a given distance. It may be useful to work it out before a long trip in deciding whether tyres should be changed before going, or whether you've got enough tread to do the trip and change them after.

Cheers for the info Taff

I have just had new tyres put on my bike - so I am not as Deaninkl implies lacking common sense - it was just a simple question about the Legal Tyre Depth as the penalties are now around £5000 a tyre - oh and I changed them earlier than I needed to.

I'll have you know that as an experienced mechanised cavelaryman I take the mood of my steed (including tyres) + the prevailing wind conditions and sun orientation + the density of traffic aaaaaaaand the presence of our boys in blue .......... and apply the throttle acordingly




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