Our friend Raúl has sent us a query to MotoGuía, looking for some sporty tires or ones a little sportier than the ones he currently has on his KTM Duke 390. He is looking for ones that allow him to lean a little more and with more safety in the corners, and feels that tires with more touring characteristics do not allow it.
And he is right and we must understand that although at first glance all tires seem the same, in reality they are very different. The first thing we can appreciate is the shape they have, that is, if they have a lot or little “ball” or are more “beaked” and with a more pronounced profile. The rounder it is and the less bead it has, the less it will allow us to roll over because we will simply run out of contact area with the tire.
Normally these types of tires, which are the ones Raúl currently uses, are more like road tires, designed for traveling comfortably, they are progressive and comfortable, but they are not sports tires.
Therefore, what should we look for in sports tires? Well, in addition to the shape, we must take into account both the hardness and deformation capacity of the casing and the type of compound.
If we have a light motorcycle, a casing with excessive hardness will not allow the tire to deform and, therefore, we will not have as good a feeling as if it did. And as for the compound, the softer it is, the more grip it will provide, but its durability in terms of kilometers will be less.
What should we ask of a sports tire for a naked motorcycle?
So what we have to look for is a tire that is developed for our type of bike in terms of rigidity, and then a compound that finds the balance. Furthermore, in the case of Raúl he has told us that he is not going to use it on the circuit and that limits the catalog of options a little more. Because in that case he does not need a sports tire with maximum performance, but rather one with the ability to operate in different situations (cold, heat, water…) and that heats up easily, that is, without the need for heaters.
That said, on the market we find many options for sports tires with these characteristics. Most of them, as long as we turn to top-level manufacturers, will more than cover the needs of somewhat more sporty driving. Although, yes, we recommend that for sporty sensations and to be happy you use the circuits and not a curvy road.
As for a valid and reliable example, the Bridgestone Battlax S22 would be a recommended option because they combine the different characteristics that we have mentioned previously and although they have a sporty focus, they are designed and designed for the street so we are certain that they will always They will offer good benefits.
