Do Larger Tyres help?

[Bgrover]

Hi all, new poster here.
I used to have a bike when I was in my teens, few years ago now, good old Fizzy and then a little YDS7, only got back into riding a bike last year, 56 now and feeling like I wasted 35 years not having a bike, this was what I was looking for when I tried sportscars for some kicks! As I don't have a bike licence am restricted to a 125.
Have a little YBR125 which is great around town but today on a bend I nearly lost the thing. Wasn't going that fast, around 40 and the back wheel slipped big time, not sure how I stayed on but I did!
Always felt the tyres are really thin on this bike, have Michelin Pilots so decent tyres. Do you think that a bike with thicker tyres would grip the road better round the bends etc? I'm guessing it possibly would but perhaps you still just have the same amount of rubber in contact with the road? Appreciate any advice / thoughts, maybe time to get a different bike?

[Hahadumball]

so what youre asking is.. does a larger surface area give more grip....



why so long winded
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[Andy_Pagin]

Short answer's No. I'm sure others will explain the science to you.
Well done on staying on.
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Yamaha Vity -> YBR125 -> FZS600 Fazer -> FZ1-S Fazer

[Banana_B1]

Wider tires will have more contact patch with the road depending on their profile type, some tires the exact same width can have very tall profile = high stability loss like balancing on 1 ice skate, i always fit the widest tires the rims safely permit and i chose tires with a profile no higher than stock. Here's a tire/wheel fitment chart https://ridewrightwheels.com/pages/motorcycle-tire-wheel-fitment-chart

When choosing a set of tires' always make sure thier speed + load ratings match OEM specifications. Bridgestone BT45's have been my favourite grippy wet/dry on road tire for a rather long time
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[RhynoCZ]

TL; DR: No!

To give you an idea, swap your sneakers for a pair of boots and try to run in them.
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[Lord Percy]

Generally it doesn't matter how much rubber is on the road, what matters is the weight of the bike because that's what adds to the downward force for producing grip.

Science here and here. Essentially the main way to increase friction is to increase the normal force - the thing keeping the two surfaces compressed together, which for motorbikes is the downward force due primarily to the weight of the bike.

I suppose larger tyres will be heavier but not by much. The best choice is to aim for getting a bigger engined bike which will almost certainly be a few multiples heavier.

Or eat lots of pies

[Banana_B1]

Let's whack a set of chisel thin bicycle tires on a nitroglycerin fueled drag bike and watch it loose control spectacularly
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[Hahadumball]

[Banana_B1]

BTW' i currently run a set of road legal hybrid knobbies (less rubber contact with the road) on the motard, just touching the rear brake pedal after the front nose dives from applying front brake sends it countersteering in the wet
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[Lord Percy]

[Banana_B1]

[Lord Percy]

[Banana_B1]

[Lord Percy]

[Banana_B1]

Tyres some workmates debating the other month in the office cabin about tire vs Tyre, we always used Tyre until that day...i should have googled it getting Tyre tuned back into the brain may take some time
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[Triton Thrasher]

[Teflon-Mike]

[Ariel Badger]

[Banana_B1]

[Banana_B1]

[Major Doss]

An awful lot of cock rubbing cobblers has been spouted here.

Let me add to it.e

A bigger tyre will need more heat too. You'll struggle to get the necessary friction with a 125. A 'thin' tyre will generate the heat easier. Maybe you just have a cakky OE tyre?*

A 'bigger' tyre will also ruin any notion of handling without a furrowed brow and a yardstick.
Even if you disregard the maths that gets it going and stopping, it'll still handle like a jockstrap on a hippo.

*edit. Michelin rp's on a 125. Either no heat in the tyre or you slid on a drizzle of diesel.
Get a grin on, pass test, then move on.

*****Go with the walloftext Teff post, now I've read the ruddy thing.

[Rogerborg]

tl;dr version - your problem is that you're wasting time on a tiddler.

Tests -> license -> buy whatever Fatty Boom Batty shod steed you want.
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[Alpineandy]

[owl10]

There is a lot more to tyre performance than just contact patch, especially when you start adding in acceleration, braking, turning forces etc into the mix.

Michelin tyres generally are great as a very simplistic generalisation. That said, you personally may get on with something else.

Lots of stuff to try
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