Special tyres help racers move fast through different weather condition and climate

After F1, MotoGP is another motorsport that is cherished by many. Watching a car go fast is generic. However, observing a motorcycle carrying an identical speed is intriguing. On the front line, individuals only look at the riders and the motorcycle, but behind the pit lane stands a group of engineers who invest their blood and sweat to ensure that the motorcycle is not just fast but it is reliable and stable on the tarmac.

The stability of the motorcycle comes from the suspension system and tyres. The suspension setup is tuned by computers whereas the tyres are uniquely composed by various renowned companies such as Pirelli, Michelin, Bridgestone or Goodyear. The tyres produced by these manufactures are no ordinary tyres. They are created after an abundance of analysis and with the use of a certain rubber. They create the tyres to withstand extreme lean angles at excessive speed under different conditions.

What follows in this article is a description of different tyres used in the MotoGP motorcycles, along with diverse factors that go into the selection of the tyres.

Tyre Selection

All tracks in the MotoGP differ largely from each other. Some tracks have more corners whereas some of them have straight runs. The material of the tarmac may vary along with the temperature of the track. The temperature varies because each track is present in a different country where the climate could be hot, cold or the air may be dry or full of humidity. The selection of tyres highly depends on the track.

Tyre Sensor

Once the above factors are taken into account, the tyres are inflated with certain air pressure. Usually, the bar is set at 2 for the front tyre whereas the rear tyre receives a bar of 1.8. The air used to inflate the tyres is dry air, since dry air’s temperature does not rise or decrease. The sensors in the tyres allow the mechanic to understand the temperature of the tyre. In a tropical climate, the tyre must have a temperature of 90 degrees whereas, in a cold climate, it should be close to 40 degrees.

Tyre Variants

There are three kinds of tyres such as soft, hard and medium. The soft tyre is made of a softer rubber compound that produces more grip but wears out easily. The hard tyre is made of a hard rubber compound that offers less grip but is usable for a longer period. A medium tyre is a balanced unit. Hard and medium tyres are mostly used under dry weather conditions, whereas the soft tyres are used in the rainy season to gain better grip.