We’ve all been there: after thoroughly researching and placing your order, your brand-new tyres have finally arrived. You can’t wait to burn rubber and try them out on your next big adventure.
Don’t be fooled, though.
While it’s easy to let excitement take over, you must take safety into account. Do the most important thing any biker should do: scrub in your
new motorcycle tyres.
Why New Tyres Have Less Grip
There are many benefits to investing in a new pair of motorbike tyres. However, it may come as a surprise that a brand-new tyre – fresh off the production line – has less grip than a slightly worn one.
The science behind it?
You might assume the slipperiness is due to Mould Release Agents: the tyre manufacturer's equivalent of grease in the cake tin used to help tyres pop out of their moulds. While this is true for many tyres, some
premium manufacturers now use high-tech coated moulds that don't require lubricants.
However, even ‘clean’ tyres need scrubbing in – coated moulds solve the sheen problem, not the two issues below. This is because:
- Surface Smoothing: A brand-new tyre is microscopically smooth. It needs mechanical keying—the process of the road surface scuffing the rubber—to create the friction required for grip.
- Structural Settling: A tyre is a complex mix of rubber, steel and fabric. The first 100 miles allow these internal components to settle and ensure that the tyre performs exactly as the engineers intended.