Motorcycle tires have a rounded tread because motorcycles have to lean over in order to negotiate turns, which means the contact patch is quite a bit smaller than that of a flat-treaded car tire. The contact patch for motorcycle tires is famously compared to that of a credit card, meaning there’s very little rubber connecting a motorcycle to the road. This makes it critically important to have good tires in good condition, and part of that condition is the proper tire pressure.
Check your bike’s manual or the tire manufacturer’s website for the recommended tire pressures for your bike, and make sure to check the tire pressures at least once per week. I recommend buying a good quality tire pressure gauge with a hose; the valve stem on motorcycle tires can be a little hard to deal with sometimes, so it’s better to have one with a hose so you’re not trying to jam a big old gauge in between the wheel spokes. Here’s a search for motorcycle tire pressure gauges on revzilla.com.
A couple of extra tips:
- Many gas stations will let you use the air inflator for free if you go inside and ask the attendant to turn it on.
- Don’t rely on the pressure gauge attached to the gas station inflator; get your own.
- Make sure your tires are relatively new and have plenty of tread left; if you buy a used bike and it’s been sitting for year or longer, those tires might be degraded. Buying new tires is a really cheap insurance policy.