ABS anti-lock brakes; Traction control; Tires; Lowside crash; Highside crash; Motorcycle Reviews; About The one thing you want to avoid is mixing the two, especially putting a radial in the rear with a bias ply tire up front. Today, radial tires are still in use--and while the tire technology has grown in leaps and bounds since the '70s, each tire constructed using the same basic principles. The construction method affects the durability, ride and fuel economy of the tires. Radial front/bias rear is not supposed to work. History. Bias-plys may have been around a lot longer, but there are still big developments being made by manufacturers in bias-ply … Save Share. I checked the ENTIRE listing in the Dennis Kirk catalog for a 130/90-16 front and found three pages of tires, all bias ply. Anybody here use it? The sidewalls of radial tires are thinner than bias-ply tires, which makes them weaker. The differences here affect many functional aspects of the tire. in straight bands through the tire. A radial tire has cords that run from bead to bead, i.e. Due to the respective construction, the bias ply tire will have significantly less sidewall flex than the radial. These two terms refer to the different methods of tire construction. So each ply is laid on a diagonal from one bead to the other, criss crossing each other, usually at a 30 to 40 degree angle to the center line.What’s Radial? These ply sheets are then layered to form the structure of the tire.What’s Bias? I didn't try it. Reply. the main reason that in my experience a person can benefit from a bias ply tire on a motorcycle is simple. All tires have cords, usually of steel, that run through the tire and give it strength. Here’s the main takeaway from all this: do not assume that just because radials are a more modern design of tire, and are more common nowadays, that they will necessarily be best for you and your bike. A Bias ply tire has the cords running at an angle. On the front I use 32 bias or 38 radial, on the rear 36 bias or 42 radial. however they give you almost no warning of when you are at your limit of angle, but a bias ply tire has a more profound feeling at that point. Bias ply tires have their plies laid out diagonally from side to side in a cross or X pattern. Years ago, back when radial motorcycle tires first hit th market, tiremakers strongly advised riders not to mix radial and bias tires. Bias. steell wrote: mtbspeedfreak wrote: Whatever you do, do NOT mix bias-ply and radial tire types on the same vehicle. Quote; Yellowbird. In order for radial tires to be introduced into the two-wheel market, it was necessary to change certain characteristics of the motorcycle. Most motorcycles use radial tires due to the firm grip they provide. They all worked. does it really matter bias or radial? Tire pressures: Bias tires have stiffer bodies so they need/use lower pressures. The softer sidewalls do however help to provide a smoother ride by acting as a "spring" to absorb bumps. 1K Club. The contact patch will be less, and in result you will not be able to transfer as much power to the ground. I know a bias ply will give you more miles than the radial. This means that its cords are wrapped radially around the tire, from one bead to the other. I suspect the M50 was designed for bias ply tires. In this way low-section tires can be realized, giving big advantages in terms of cornering stability, reduced weight and high-speed performance. This also increased tire life as the flexing required was easier than bias ply, which would resist and begin to overheat the tire. At the time there was a need for more flexible tyres which were able to absorb shocks generated by road surfaces. The differences between the two, when it comes … Join Date: Aug 2014; Posts: 1287; Share Tweet #2. The “B” or the “-“ dash means that the carcass is bias-ply. The sidewall of radial tyres and the tyre tread work as two independent features. I didn't bother to check the rear size (170/80-15), but I suspect that's a moot point since you're not supposed to mix them. For our purposes, either is generally more than sufficient. The way to know if you have Radial or Bias-ply tires on your motorcycle is to look at the information on the tire’s sidewall. All tires have plies, which are the layers of cords embedded within the tire’s rubber that prevent the rubber from stretching due to external pressure. Typical bias-belted tyre designation: 150/70 B 17 M/C 69Q (B) - Bias belted tyres (M/C) - Motorcycle tyre. Radial Tyres. Radial tyres were developed in 1946 by Michelin. On my R1200GS: I have run radial/radial, bias/bias, and bias front/radial rear. This is due to differences in construction between radial and bias-ply tires. Milestar Streetsteel Radial Ply tires on Raymond Ernandez’s 1974 Chevy Cheyenne Super 10. They deflect differently, create different cornering forces, have different damping characteristics, as well as other differences. No radials seem to be available. The lips on the wheels for radial and bias-ply tires are different and authoritative sentiment is that they should not be mixed. – Format Example: MU85B16 – MU: Each letter rating stands for a different size in inches and millimeters, which you can find on a motorcycle tire size conversion chart – B: Radial vs. bias ply (see below) Don't mix radials and bias ply tires because it MIGHT cause poor handling. The difference between Radial Tires and Nylon-ply tires.