The Best Motorcycle Tires (Review & Buying Guide) in 2023 | Autance

We start out with a tire from Michelin. Ever since the company was founded way back in 1889, Michelin has become a name – and a company – synonymous with high-quality tires.

This model mixes durability with performance for a sports-inspired front tire that is the best of both worlds. In particular, it has a number of features that make it adept at operating in wet conditions. For example, silica has been incorporated into the compound of the tire. This, along with the tire’s unique tread pattern, is designed to clear water quickly and efficiently from the surface to help grip in the wet.

Those treads are also designed to avoid uneven wear, a very useful feature. The tire is also designed with a particularly dense carcass and sidewall. This makes the tire a little more rigid, which in turn provides excellent feedback and handling in all conditions.

This pair of Pirelli tires is from a heavyweight tire manufacturer with a worldwide reputation for producing high-quality equipment. This set from Pirelli brings a lot to the party.

First, we have the obvious fact that this is a complete tire set with both front and rear tires included for one price. Not only does that help to keep the overall price down – and this set does offer phenomenal value for the money, especially for a Pirelli product – it’s also convenient. It’s always a good idea to change both front and rear tires at the same time and to use the same manufacturer on both wheels.

Pirelli promises that the WSBK-derived profile of the tires is designed for added agility with great tire response to quick turns and transitions. The tires also feature a bi-compound strip for additional grip. All of that is rounded out with a W rating for safe use at up to 168 mph, so these tires are rated to handle any speed that you are going to be hitting – you certainly shouldn’t be topping 100 mph on the highway!

All in all, a very well designed pair of sports style motorcycle tires that offer amazing value for money.

Our next product comes from another manufacturer with a reputation for producing excellent motorcycle tires. Once again, these tires come as a front and rear set, which is usually a great way to get a good value when tire shopping.

This is also a more entry-level tire compared to some of the more premium, high-end editions that Continental puts out. That’s not to say this isn’t a good tire, just that some features have been stripped back to keep costs down. We don’t need to tell you that this represents excellent value for a set of tires from such a well-respected maker.

Even as entry-level tires there is still a lot to like here. The big stand out feature is the durability of these tires. They have been manufactured using a newly developed Polymer compound that has been specially designed for durability while also providing a highly stable and comfortable ride.

Shinko may not be a name that immediately springs to mind when you think of tire manufacturers. But this joint Japanese/South Korean company has been making motorcycle tires since 1946, so you imagine they would have learned a thing or two about making good tires in that time!

The 712 is a front motorcycle tire designed for use on a 19-inch rim. It is another entry-level tire, with a price tag hovering around the 50 buck mark. Once again though just because the price is low doesn’t mean you’re missing out on a lot! The most impressive feature on this tire is the tread pattern. Described by Shinko as a staggered pattern, you can certainly see that this design has been carefully produced to help slick water away from the tire surface and provide grip on difficult road surfaces.

A traditional 4-ply Nylon carcass is designed to give a rigid but smooth ride. The tire is H rated, so it has the max design speed of 130MPH. That should be more than sufficient for the engine power of any bike riding on 19-inch rims. It may lack an eye-grabbing big name manufacturers logo on the sidewall, but this is still a very good tire for a very reasonable price. 

By the way, we get the feeling this may not be Shinko’s last appearance on the list…

Well, how about that, after just meeting Shinko they are back again with another entry. This is the 712 rear tire, so it compliments the 712 front tire we just looked at above. 

Speaking of the 712 front tires, everything we said about it also holds for the 712 rear. So once again you have a good quality but entry-level tire here. It has excellent grip etching to match the front tire, it has the same 4-ply carcass construction and is H rated for safe use at speeds up to 130 MPH. That’s about it really. If you liked the looks and features of the front 712 then we imagine you’ll be happy to see there is a rear version to match.

This is still a great value tire, with the price of round 75 bucks reflecting the natural fact that rear tires are always bigger and heavier than front ones. You could say that it would have been nice if both tires were bundled into a set by Shinko, and that probably would have saved a little extra cash. But even when buying them separately like this they still represent excellent value for money.

From one of the lesser known – at least here in the States – tire makers we are back to one of the most prestigious with this set of front and rear tires from famed French manufacturer Michelin. With a price pushing well over 200 bucks, we are also back into the realms of the premium tire.

So what are Michelin bringing to the party here? Well, they have reached into their extensive store of knowledge of making Moto GP racing bike tires to produce this set of tires for everyday riders. That translates into a set of sports style tires here with a number of features that lend themselves to high performance.

The tread, for example, only covers around 12% of the tire surface. This has been done to provide the maximum road adhesion during cornering. The rubber compound that has been used here has been employed because it heats up to its premium operating temperature extra quickly. It is also W rated, meaning it is safe for use up to 168 MPH. not of course that we suggest you drive at those speeds (unless you want to be chased by the Police chopper).

If you are looking for a sport orientated high-performance tire, there is a lot to grab your attention here.

Choosing between a touring style of tire and one that is more designed for sports use can be a tough decision for many motorbike riders. On the one hand, you want the performance and speed capacities of sports tires. On the other, you want the long lasting endurance and comfortable ride of a touring tire.

It’s quite a head-scratcher, but it is a decision that Continental is looking to take out of your hands with this model of motorcycle tire, the ContiMotion. It is designed to combine the best parts of sports and a touring tire into one. So it is designed to provide excellent grip in wet and dry conditions just as you would expect with a sports tire. At the same time, it is designed to provide outstanding ride comfort and stability – just like any good touring tire.

The good thing as well is that this tire is priced for the entry-level market, and you can expect a fair bit of change back from a hundred bucks. That’s good value for any Continental brand tire, let alone one that boasts such an interesting, problem-solving design.

Hey, remember that awesome tire we were talking about earlier, the one that combined the qualities of sports and touring tires? Not only did it do all that, but it also did it for a really impressive, entry-level price?

It was a very impressive tire, but it was a shame it was only available as a front tire. Well, what are you going to do huh? It’s a real kick in the – wait a minute here it is as a rear option too! Yes, just like the entry from Shinko we saw earlier, this style of tire – the ContiMotion – is available as a set of front and rear tires for your hog. They are just sold separately for some (annoying) reason.

Just as before then, simply scroll back up to the entry for the front tire to read all the benefits of this design. Just as with the Shinko, it’s also a little bit of a shame they are not sold as a dedicated set. That being said the rear tire is also an entry-level price point so buying both is not going to break the bank and it is a very good tire design too. 

Next up we have this interesting looking tire from Dunlop. With deep and overlapping tread, it is clearly more toward the touring/cruising end of tire design than a stripped back sports style. Not only is it the tread pattern that marks this out, but the treads themselves are also one of the key features of this tire.

Dunlop has deployed a tread design here that is specifically designed to slick water away from the tire surface quickly. This, combined with the overall high degree of wet grip, makes this a very good tire to use in wet conditions. The tire compound has been specially developed by Dunlop to provide an ideal balance between grip and mileage. It also boasts a slightly off-center groove which is designed to provide extra stability during straight-line driving – again, a great feature in a touring/cruising style tire.

This is a front only tire (not a set), with a price tag of around 100 bucks. That does put it toward the pricier end of the options out there, but it’s not a really high-end premium price either. For the money, you are getting a very good tire that should be especially appealing if you live in a particularly wet region.

This is the rear option for the Dunlop D404. You know the score by now, we reviewed the front tire above so if you want to know the characteristics and key features of this tire, just read about them up on the review above. Both tires share the same features and are available at a similar price.

Next up we have this entry from Bridgestone. It goes without saying that Bridgestone motorcycle tires are well-regarded worldwide as some of the best on the market. This entry is, though, the only tire from this manufacturer to make our list. Don’t take that as a slight against Bridgestone though, it’s more that there are actually so many great motorcycle tire brands out there.

What we have brought you here is one of the best motorcycle tires for off-road riding. Just look at that chunky, rugged looking tread on these tires. They are specially designed for use on the harder ground, with an emphasis on being best suited for “Blue Groove” style conditions. This is a hard off road surface that has had a lot of bikes ride over it, leaving behind rubber deposits from the tires that wear a blue colored groove into the driving surface.

In reality, that means that this is a tire designed with the idea of providing outstanding grip. That even applies to corners too, with this tire being very grippy in turns too. It won’t be ideal for long trips on the highway, but it is packing enough features to be a standout, if somewhat specialized, off-road motorcycle tire that is great value for the pretty low price.

Vintage motorcycle tires are not as easy to find as they used to be, so it’s great to see this entry from Duro. What makes them vintage? Well, vintage motorcycle tires are designed for older styles of bikes where there is no size difference between the front and rear tires.

That is a pretty cool feature. Usually there is a clear difference in size, weight and most importantly the price between the front and rear tires. That’s not the case with vintage bikes. Make sure that your model takes identical tires and you can really get a bargain here.

These tires are much smaller than modern designs, weighing in at only around six pounds. They boast a 4-ply construction, so they are remarkably tough. The tread design is certainly old school but should prove effective across typical road conditions. This tire is not suitable for all bikes. But if you have a vintage bike that needs tires of this style, you could pick up a high-quality tire for an excellent price.

When this tire is described as Elite that is not just a reference to the tire model name. This is a single tire with a price tag that is pushing 300 bucks. That there is premium money, so this tire better be bringing a lot of high-end features to the market to justify that investment.

Luckily though it does just that. Dunlop has clearly put a lot of time and attention into the design of this tire. The biggest stand out is what Dunlop refers to as Multi-Tread (MT) technology. This means that the center of the tire boasts a construction that includes a rubber compound that is designed to give a high mileage, long lifespan. A lateral grip compound is added to the tire shoulder to provide extra grip during cornering.

Can you see the tread pattern too? That is a brand new design from Dunlop which they have developed to help clear water from the tire surface as efficiently as possible, helping you to keep a grip during wet weather riding. This is a premium tire in terms of design, materials, construction and price tag. But there are definitely enough outstanding features here to justify that investment.

Our final tire is this dual sports motorcycle tire from Heidenau. By being a tire of dual sports design, this is another tire that can be mounted to the front or rear of your bike. In practice, this is most likely to be done by on an off-road style of bike.

To that end, this tire has excellent, deep tread to dig into softer off road surfaces to provide as much grip as possible across the range of surfaces that can be thrown at you when off-roading. If you compare this design to the pure off-road tire we looked at earlier from Bridgestone though, you can see that the tread used in this design is a little less aggressive. That makes these tires better to use on paved streets (like roads and highways). That is why they are Dual Sport, and that is why this is such a useful style of tire design. 

Price wise you are looking at a tag a little over 100 bucks for this tire. Considering it can be deployed on front and rear wheels, that is pretty good decent value for such a well-designed tire with multiple applications.

Next up we have this tire, the Michelin Commander II tire, which is… hang, we just saw this tire didn’t we? Well, yes and no. As we will see as we move on during this list, whilst many tire manufacturers will sell their tires as sets, many others offer them as individual products only. `

We’ll also talk about this some more in our buying guide further on, but for many modern styles of bikes, the front and rear tires are indeed quite different, with the rear tire being bigger and heavier. That is the case here, with this rear tire clocking in at a meaty 21.5 Lbs – though the weight will fluctuate depending on the tire size.

Features wise everything is exactly the same as on the front tire described above, so flick back up there to read more about them. Suffice it to say you are getting all the excellent features found on that product, but now configured for a rear tire.