When we discuss about a motorcycle's performance, we generally speak about its engine power, torque, top speed, how fast it can accelerate, vehicle sound etc. Nevertheless, all these are meaningless if a driver cannot control the machine and/or is not comfortable while riding. There comes the importance of tyres. Tyres are the most crucial parts of a vehicle suspension system. Tyres are the only component in a motorcycle that constantly stays in contact with the road. The part of tread which is in contact with road surface is called ‘contact patch’ & Is about half the size of a post card. The overall suspension system (including tyres) ensures the right contact between the tires and the road surface at every stage of driving, thereby ensuring stability and good handling of the vehicle.
As tyres are the only contact with the road, they are responsible for multiple functions, such as –
Transfer the engine power to the road- meeting the demands of acceleration and braking
Provides right hold (grip) on different surfaces like dry, wet, snow, loose soils etc.
Helps the rider to steer the vehicle by responding to the handle movements
Carry the weight of the vehicle & rider
Ensuring the comfort of the rider by absorbing and dampening shock
Apart from the above aspects, tyres play a vital role in vehicle aesthetics, safety, fuel efficiency etc. These and several other challenges make Motorcycle tyre design a very interesting and responsible subject.
Apart from being a crucial part of a vehicle suspension system, tyres are the only contact between vehicle & road. Motorcycle vehicle dynamics and control characteristics are highly influenced by the tyre design. It is therefore highly imperative for a vehicle chase/suspension designer & tyre designer to work together in tandem. This will ensure that the part designs will complement each other and deliver the characteristic target performance of a motorcycle. A robust interaction mechanism between the R&Ds of OEM [Original Equipment Manufactures] and tyre manufactures is a growing necessity to cater to the ever‐increasing demands of performance entrusted upon the tyre of today. In case of tyres getting designed exclusively for aftermarket, a tyre designer work closely with the vehicle dynamics team to ensure that the retrofit design delivers desired target performance of the vehicle
Some of the major steps involved in motorcycle tyre design are
Product planning & Tyre “Size” finalization: During this stage a vehicle designer & tyre designer jointly review the vehicle performance requirements and decides the parameters specific to tyre performance. This includes:
Defying the application /terrine: Depending on application, 2 wheelers maybe broadly classified as Sport, Cruiser, Choppers, Touring, scooter, Step through, Sport touring, Enduro etc. Different OEM’s follow different terminologies, but a for a tyre designer to understand the final use by the user is of utmost importance. Demands from a tyre varies with each vehicle category, for example, for a cruiser the tyre is designed to be robust so as to hold up the weight of such heavy bikes and deliver long tyre life, whereas for a Sport touring /super sport bike, tyres are designed to deliver quick and precise handling with superior grip. These tires are lighter and made by using softer compounds for Superior grip.
Selection of Bias /Bias belted / Radial: At this juncture, I am not going to delve deeper into a detailed comparison of these constructions – however, it is important to acknowledge that both these construction types have their respective advantages and disadvantages. Each of these constructions has few specific applications where one performs better than the other. The selection of construction type mainly depends on vehicle category (application), vehicle Speed, load on the tyre, stability requirements, handling requirements, etc. for example Bias tyres are used in medium speed but heavy weight vehicles owing to their sturdy sidewalls, whereas Radial tyres are the ideal choice for high speed , vehicles because of their superior dimensional stability.
Selection of Tube type Vs Tubeless: Functionally both types of tyres have a proven track record for almost all applications. Hence this choice mainly depends on vehicle Rim design, which is decided by the overall aesthetic demand & application of the motorcycle.For high speed application, tubeless is always preferred
Finalizing the Tyre size / Tyre Geometry: In general, we may call it as tyre “size” – which includes tyre width, tyre diameter, rim diameter etc. Tyre geometry affects the vehicle dynamics like caster, trail, vehicle Center of gravity [CoG], etc. It also influences the area of contact between vehicle and road surface under different riding conditions & load-carrying capacity of the tyres. Furthermore, tyre size significantly influences vehicle aesthetic as well. Tyre “size” and vehicle rim size are always interconnected. Decision on one influence the decision on the other. Usually motorcycles have different front and rear tyre sizes depending on vehicle geometry & load distribution. Tyre “sizes” are decided considering all these parameters & the designers ensures that it follows the standards’ guidelines applicable in target countries.
Tyre tread profile design:
Contrary to the passenger car tyre designs which have almost flat tread surface, motorcycle tires have a U-shaped profile and a contact patch that changes size and shape during cornering. There is a major difference in the way lateral force is built up in passenger car and two wheelers. In case of passenger car, mechanism of lateral force builds up is due to slip angle whereas in two-wheeler it is mainly because of the camber or the leaning of the vehicle. Hence you see a flat tread area for passenger car tyre and U-shaped profile for Motorcycle tyre
This U-shaped profile is an important design factor having a direct influence on vehicle performances such as drivability (handling) durability, ride comfort, noise and wear resistance etc.
These tread contours are designed as the arc of one radius, or a combination of arcs with two or more radii. These profiles ensure the required contact patch availability at different lean angles & are controlled by the lean characteristic of the vehicles. It is very critical to balance the performance of front tyre & rear tyre of s motorcycle for precise handling of the vehicle. The contour designs play an important role in front /Rear tyre balance.
Tyre tread pattern design:
Patterns are molded in the tread area of tyre by repeated arrangement of ‘Groves’ or ‘Blocks’ & are generally referred to as “tread pattern”.
Significance of tread pattern:
Tread pattern plays a vital role in tyre performance such as:
Optimizing the traction on the riding surface
Eliminating aquaplaning
Optimizing the” Wear” of tread area·
Ensuring the continuity of tyre performance at different wear Stages [ wear %] of tyre.
Rolling resistance of the tyre
Noise generation
roviding a measurable clue to the owner on time for removal /suitability for continuous usage. etc.
Tread patterns not only helps in achieving the target performance, but also impart unique look to tyres and enhance aesthetics
Tyre patterns are broadly classified into 4 Major headings
- Rib patterns
- Directional
- Block [ Knobby]
- Slick tyres [Pattern less]
Selection of which group of patterns is mainly controlled by the terrain of application, e.g. Directional patterns are preferred in paved roads and knobby pattern ae mainly used on off-road applications. Pattern less tyres are normally used in racing track applications to provide maximum traction. Vehicles are designed to work in a combination of different terrains – similarly, tread patterns also have subgroups– which are optimized to operate in different combination of terrains. E.g. Semi knobby patterns for on – off allocations, High land – minimum grove patterns for Supersport highway applications etc.
Designer alter the direction of the grove, depth of the grove, number of groves, the ratio between Grove area & non grove area [ Land- sea ratio] , shape of the grove, the width of the grove etc. to optimize the performance of tread pattern. These patterns are designed to perform under different dynamic conditions. Nowadays designers seek the help of computer-aided simulations to predict the performance under different loading /riding conditions to optimize the pattern design.
Tyre as an Aesthetic component
The visual appeal of tyre is significant contributor in the overall aesthetics of a motorcycle. Hence in addition to performing all the functional requirements discussed so far, tyres ought to look good too.
The tread pattern should complement the overall styling language of a motorcycle. This attracts the attention of OEM’s vehicle styling studios towards tyre tread designs as well. In fact, most of the new tyre designs are done first at styling studio and then technically optimized by the tyre engineer to guarantee the functionality.
Material design
Tyre is a composite material made of different rubber compounds and reinforcing materials. Right compound and reinforcing material selection are crucial to achieve the target performance of tyre.
- Reinforcing materials:
Reinforcing materials provides the required strength and stiffness for tyre body [carcass]. This includes “tyre cords” used in tyre body ply & “bead wires” used in bead construction of tyres. Most used tyre cord materials are Nylon 6, Nylon 6-6, Polyester, Aramid, Rayon, Steel, etc.
These materials differ in their chemical composition, tensile strength, elongation properties, impact strength, temperature resistance, rubber adhesion, etc. Tyre engineer must choose the right tyre cords depending on the performance demands of the tyre like load carrying capacity, durability, impact resistance, drivability, speed of operations etc. Cost & availability also are few decisive parameters during selection of reinforcing materials.
Tyre Cord denier, cord style, EPI (Ends Per Inch), angle of cords and number of plies affect the strength of a tyre and are chosen based on engineering, and design criteria.
structural durability of a tyre is Primarily determined by the reinforcing material
- Rubber compound design
Each part of the tyre must dispense different functions and are thus designed with different rubber compounds like tread compound, sidewall compound, carcass compound, bead wire coat compound, etc. Though all these compounds have their own importance, but tread compound selection is the most critical, as it has a direct impact on tyre traction, handling, wear performance, durability, rolling resistance, etc.
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- Trends of tread compound design:
Even though smaller number of components are used in a motorcycle tyre, than as compared with passenger car tyres, but performance challenges involved in compounding are far more complex considering less area of tyre in contact with road. 3 major performance requirements in motorcycle tread compound are (1) Grip (2) Rolling resistance [fuel efficiency] and (3) Tyre life which is generally referred as the magic triangle in tyre rubber compounding. This is due to the contradictory response of these 3 performance characteristics to rubber compounding approach. For example, improvement in Grip normally comes with an increase in rolling resistance with conventional compounding as both are related to energy loss. It is always a challenge for tyre compounder to improve all three performance requirements together and this calls for the incorporation of advanced polymers and fillers.
Performance priorities for tread compound changes based on operating terrain, type of vehicle, etc. e.g. Street two-wheeler tread compound designs primarily focus on high grip and high-speed capabilities, whereas an on-off application tyre require higher cut and chunk resistance tread compound.
Demand for lower rolling resistance tyre is showing a steady increase Year-on-Year. Major divers for this growing demand are Electric vehicle introduction & increased focus on vehicle fuel efficiency, in few segments. Tread compounds are expected to deliver lower rolling resistance, without compromising the Grip – typical “magic triangle” puzzle for any tyre compounding engineer. Tyre industry can address this challenge by usage of new generation materials like SSBR, functionalized SSBR, high molecular
Design for manufacturing
For success of any product – Design & manufacturing sync is a must. While designing, to accommodate all functional requirements, a designer cannot ignore the significance of manufacturing process. Hence every tyre design is optimized to satisfy both functional & manufacturability needs. This if not done properly may result in suboptimal performance of the product,
Product Performance Testing
It’s important to review and verify the product performance before releasing it into the market. There are a set of Indoor & Outdoor tests for performance review. A few of them are listed below,
Indoor tests: High-speed drum test, Endurance test, Rolling resistance test, Force and moment testing, Stiffness test, Footprint etc.
Outdoor tests: Ride and Handling testing (track, off-road, public road etc.], Braking test [wet, dry], tyre wear test etc.
Blend of Engineering & Art
Being an integral part of vehicle suspension system & only contact point with road, a tyre plays significant role in motorcycle performance [safety, drivability etc.]. In addition to these performance parameters, tyres have significant influence on the overall styling of the vehicle. It complements the primary theme of the vehicle. A right blend of engineering and art is essential for a successful tyre design. One cannot substitute the other. Amongst different steps of tyre design like, dimension finalization, tread design & martial design etc. the most critical step is tread design (profile, pattern & compound)
Few areas designers are focusing today to meet the near/middle future demands are
- Lowering the rolling resistance – without compromising grip
- Shortening the time to market.
- virtual simulation of tyre performance
References
- ‘’The pneumonic tyre’’, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Feb 2006
- T. French, Tyre Technology, Hilger, New York, 1989.
- Mechanics of Pneumatic Tires, S. K Clark, ed., University of Michigan, US Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Washington, DC, 20590, 1891.
4. Handbook of vehicle-road interaction: vehicle dynamics, suspension design, and road damage / edited by David Cebon. p. cm. - (Advances in engineering), ISBN 9026515545
5. “Tyre and Vehicle Dynamics” , Hans B. Pacejka, Professor Emeritus Delft University of Technology, Consultant TNO Automotive Helmond
The author is General Manager - Product Development,2&3-Wheeler tyres, CEAT Tyres
Yokohama Rubber has established a new research and development centre in Hangzhou, China, as the Japanese tyre maker seeks to strengthen localised product development and speed up response times in the Chinese market.
The new facility, named Yokohama China Technical Center, began operations in May within the company’s new passenger car tyre plant in Hangzhou, which started production in November 2025.
The company said the centre would enable the local development of products specifically for the Chinese market, from initial research through to completion, helping to accelerate product launches and improve responsiveness to regional demand.
The centre will consolidate R&D functions for Yokohama Rubber’s tyre and multiple business divisions in China, while expanding engineering staff and testing facilities. Its activities will include tyre development, raw material analysis and evaluation, supplier audits, and mould drawing preparation.
Yokohama Rubber said the new operation would also support research into new raw materials and the development of local suppliers in China.
The company currently operates tyre plants in Hangzhou and Suzhou, alongside multiple business plants in Hangzhou and Weifang.
Aarika Innovation Launches KoolWheel Tyre Cooling System
- By TT News
- May 07, 2026
Chhattisgarh-based technology company Aarika Innovation has introduced KoolWheel, an automated tyre water spray cooling system manufactured in India.
The product is designed for freight vehicles and school buses to manage tyre overheating caused by road surface temperatures.
The system uses IR (infrared) temperature sensors, a 5-bar pump and solenoid valves to spray a mist on tyres when temperatures exceed a threshold. The hardware operates on a 12V setup and includes a controller that requires no driver intervention. Dashboard indicators and buzzers provide alerts regarding system status and temperature levels.
The company has introduced two variants of the product for KoolWheel Freight, which is designed for trucks, trailers and multi-axle vehicles, covering up to 22 tyres across six axles. And KoolWheel SchoolSafe, which is developed for school buses and coaches, featuring a 50-litre stainless steel tank and an automatic shutoff to prevent battery drain.
The company states the system can reduce tyre temperatures by up to 25deg Celsius and extend tyre life by up to 35 percent. The technology is intended to reduce the risk of blowouts and maintenance costs for fleet operators. The product is currently available in markets including Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Telangana.
Swayam Agarwal, Founder, Aarika Innovation, said, “KoolWheel has been created to solve a very real problem faced by Indian transporters and school bus operators every day. Tyre overheating is not just a maintenance issue; it directly impacts road safety, operating costs, and fleet reliability. With KoolWheel, our aim is to offer an affordable, intelligent, and Made-in-India solution that helps fleets run safer, longer, and more efficiently.”
Pirelli Commences Cyber Tyre Production In Georgia
- By TT News
- May 07, 2026
European tyre major Pirelli is starting production of its Cyber Tyre technology at its plant in Georgia. The facility produces tyres for the US market, including products for the motorsport segment.
The announcement occurred during the SelectUSA Investment Summit. Cyber Tyre is a system that collects data from sensors embedded in tyres. This data is processed through software and algorithms to communicate with vehicle electronics. The system is intended to integrate with driving systems to provide functionalities for mobility and safety.
Pirelli is also introducing the Modular Integrated Robotised System (MIRS) at the factory. This manufacturing process uses robots to manage productivity and quality. The system creates a link between product design and application. This update is intended to increase the production capacity of the site.
The Georgia plant has operated for over two decades and includes a research and development centre. The facility uses natural rubber certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.
Claudio Zanardo, CEO of Pirelli North America, said, “The start of Cyber Tyre production in our Rome, Georgia plant is a significant milestone for Pirelli in this country. It reflects our commitment to bringing advanced technologies like Cyber Tyre closer to the market, further strengthening our industrial footprint and innovation capabilities in the United States.”
Yokohama Rubber Deploys AI And Simulation-Based Mould Design System
- By TT News
- May 04, 2026
The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd. developed a proprietary tyre mould design support system in April 2026, integrating finite element method (FEM) simulations and the company’s own artificial intelligence technology. This new tool is designed to augment the expertise of development personnel, enabling even less experienced staff to efficiently design moulds. It achieves this by providing data derived from numerous virtual experiments, which clarify how different mould design factors influence tyre characteristics.
The system accelerates mould development, lowers costs and minimises the rework typically associated with realising new designs. Furthermore, by fostering a multi-perspective understanding of the links between mould design elements and tyre performance, the tool equips Yokohama Rubber’s developers with fresh insights. These discoveries are expected to aid in creating tyres capable of achieving higher performance levels.
Developed under Yokohama Rubber’s HAICoLab AI concept launched in October 2020, the system addresses longstanding challenges. Mould design critically affects tyre traits, but traditionally understanding this relationship required expensive, time-consuming trial production and evaluations. The process also depended heavily on the tacit know-how of highly experienced staff, leading to variations in accuracy and development time based on individual expertise.
The support system resolves these issues through automated simulations and AI-based prediction and visualisation. It first generates numerous tyre FEM models with varied mould shapes and calculates their characteristics in a virtual space. These results train an AI surrogate model that instantly predicts design factor-performance relationships. By applying explainable AI technologies like SHAP and Partial Dependence Plots, the company’s developers can quantitatively visualise each factor’s impact, easily determining necessary adjustments to achieve targeted tyre characteristics.
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