There is also an element to having a wider tyre: Style. Less force for trail braking or not at all.Too much throttle will overwhelm the small contact patch.Bike feels less stable, sometime skittish.Less potential side grip, limiting cornering speed and lean angles.Leans less into a corner at a given speed compared to a wider tyre.Less need for heavier springs in the suspension.Less rolling resistance for faster acceleration and lower fuel consumption.More mass also means the suspension and brakes have to work harder.More mass means more power is needed for acceleration (rolling resistance).Leans the bike further over into a corner than a skinnier tyre.Leaves more unused areas at the sides (called “Chicken Strips”) if not fully utilized.Allows for harder throttle application when leaned over.Allows for deeper lean angles when cornering.More potential grip especially when cornering.But a wider tyre has a larger footprint thus has better grip, right? You’re not wrong, but it’s a little more complex than that. Tayar sotong – courtesy of Every tyre hence selection is a compromise of sorts. There are bikes of the same capacity and power output but shod with different sized tyres, while there are some bikes that are heavier and still powerful but equipped with narrower tyres.Ĭlick here to check out our guide on choosing the correct tyres.īut what actually brought our attention to writing this article is seeing some bikes rolling on extremely narrow tyres, colloquially known as tayar sotong. Just like most parts on a motorcycle, this is a debate that has raged over time.

Wide rims or slim rims racing