6 Best Dirt Bike Street Tires in 2023
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We would recommend the Michelin Road 6 tires as the best dirt bike street tires. The brand produces high-quality, high-performance, and long-lasting tires. It offers great traction and control when navigating the streets.
Most riders wonder if they can get their dirt bike on the streets, and the answer is yes! Your dirt bike can become street-worthy if you install the necessary equipment needed to operate it on pavement; that is, turn signals, headlights, taillights, and, most importantly, a good set of dual-sport tires. This article will cover exactly that: how to tailor the right set of dual-sport tires.
It is important to note that converting your dirt bike into a street-legal one will reduce the amount of stability you are used to in technical terrain, such as sand. Street tires you will be using on pavement are often smooth and rounded in shape, lacking the huge knobs that add traction you might be used to. Their design ensures that the tire has maximum contact with the surface. Street tires are also made to expel water from underneath.
Good dual-sport tires offer good handling to allow drivers to go through traffic and brake quickly, all-season reliability, and high performance. We tested several street tires, bringing you six tire reviews for dirt bike street riding.
6 Recommended dirt bike street tire brands
Michelin Road 6 tires: Best dirt bike street tires
Metzeler ME 888 Ultra: All-terrain dirt bike tires
Michelin Commander 3: Performance street tires for dirt bikes
Continental Road Attack 3: Knobby street tires for dirt bikes
Pirelli Angel GT II: Off-road tires for street riding
Continental Conti-Motion sports touring tires: Affordable dirt bike street tires
Michelin Road 6 tires: Best dirt bike street tires
Michelin Road 6 tires were launched on January 1, 2022, and are easily the best tires for street riding. The Michelin Road Series has consistently delivered the best all-around tires. These tires feature a tubeless design and are suitable for roadster, sport, trail, and GT motorcycles. The Michelin Road 6 tires are an improvement of the Michelin Road 5 and are designed to last longer and have better grip in wet conditions. The Michelin Road 6 tires have 100% silica technology and a tread pattern that offers maximum grip. You can get ones that fit your dirt bike’s rims; the front tire rim diameter sizes available are 17, 18, and 19 inches, while rear tires only come in 17 inches.
The Michelin Road 6 touring capability is outstanding, giving you approximately 15,000 miles for the rear tire for regular dirt bike street riders. They offer a perfect balance between longevity and performance.
Compared to other sport-touring tires, the Michelin Road 6 tires have a W-speed rating. The tires are therefore ideal for aggressive riders who can go up to 168mph. The tires are also up to standard with MotoGP requirements, making them one of the best in the industry.
Pros
Fits various rim diameter sizes
High Longevity and performance
Ideal for aggressive riders
Maximum grip
Cons
Pricey
Metzeler ME 888 Ultra- All-terrain dirt bike tires
The Metzeler ME 888 Ultra is available in a dozen sizes, so a variety of riders, including vintage dirt bike riders, can get a street tire. The diameter rim sizes for the front tire are 16–23 inches, while the rear is 15–18 inches
The contact patch on the Metzeler ME 888 Ultra is big and has reinforced sidewalls. We featured these tires because of their ease of handling, increased traction, and treads that last longer. You have increased confidence when you pick these tires because they don’t need a lot of rider control, therefore making corner exits and turn-ins smoother.
Another feature worth noting on the Metzeler ME 888 Ultra is the low noise it produces. These tires deliver impressive road silence, even on pebbly tracks.
The Metzeler ME 888 Ultra is for heavyweight touring bikes. The tires will offer longer mileage, improved handling, and good wet-road performance. The ME 888 is an improvement over its predecessor, the Metzeler ME 880, due to the abrasion-resistant polymers used in the tread compound and enhanced grip with silica. The ME 888 has a contact patch that is 15% bigger than the 880. All these changes were made to enable it to perform optimally in all terrains.
Pros
Great ride quality
Handling
Long mileage
Cons
Some riders complain of its wet handling
Michelin Commander 3- Performance street tires for dirt bikes
The Michelin Commander 3 is a predecessor of the Michelin Commander 2 line and was released in 2020. It shows high performance, just like its renowned predecessor, the Michelin Cruiser 2.
They feature a new silica compound to enhance grip in wet conditions. The tire features a deep tread with a higher void ratio to navigate wet streets. This tire has a rounded profile, which gives the rider more stability when cornering. The tires are also the market leader when it comes to easy handling.
The Michelin Commander 3 tires have the brand’s Amplified Density Technology (ADT), which uses a 90-thread ply instead of the typical 71-thread. Michelin’s Aramid Shield technology and tread pattern ensure that the tires are high-performing in terms of stability and dry braking. All these features ensure that Michelin Commander 3 tires are highly responsive, with an impressive contact patch, and control, resulting in durability and better fuel economy.
Pros
Excellent dry performance
Great wet performance
Cons
Vibration at high speeds
Continental Road Attack 3 – knobby street tires for dirt bikes
We wouldn’t finish our review without the Continental Road Attack 3. These touring tires offer high performance in wet and dry conditions. The tread pattern ensures maximum grip, even in wet conditions. The Continental Road Attack 3 is your street companion, having been made with a compound to ensure grip on all types of roads. The Continental Road Attack 3 is one of the safest dirt bike street tires due to its multi-grip technology. They have a harder center and softer sides, which reduce degradation and ensure that they operate for longer without losing their grip.
The tires also have good handling and stability on the roads. The icing on the cake is that these tires require no break-in! They are ideal for beginners and experienced riders alike, offering unmatched confidence due to their predictable behavior. The only negative thing we found about this tire was perhaps the high price tag.
Pros
Great grip in all weather conditions
Highly stable
Predictable on the road
Cons
A bit pricey
Pirelli Angel GT II- Off-road tires for street riding
The Pirelli Angel GT II tires make our list due to their durability. Their grip in wet weather might not be as good as that of the Continental Road Attack and the Michelin Road 6, but they will last considerably longer. They also make our list because they are easy to handle and have great cornering grip.
The Pirelli Angel GT II can last about 10,000 miles, which is better than most of the tires featured. We would recommend these tires for aggressive riders.
The Pirelli Angel GT II has a downside. The tread pattern does not perform well on concrete roads. The long straight lines in its pattern grab onto the grooves on concrete roads, therefore making riding challenging.
Pros
Easy handling
Ideal for twisty roads
Highly durable
Cons
Difficult riding on concrete roads
Continental Conti-Motion sports touring tires- Affordable dirt bike street tires
The Continental Conti-Motion will give you high-quality tires without breaking the bank. It has a rubber tread and is optimized with a polymer compound, which makes it quite durable. Its rubber is firmer than what you would find in a typical sports tire. It has a large contact patch for maximum stability. The latest silica compound gives these tires a quick warm-up time. We would recommend these tires to anyone looking for safe tires to navigate during the wet or dry seasons. However, note that these tires can overheat if their limit of traction is surpassed. It is for the gentle rider who is happy with dirt bike tires for just cruising around.
We also featured this tire because of its unique style. The tread pattern gives it a unique and modern-looking style. It would be ideal for tires with a rim diameter of 17 inches.
The tires are highly responsive; therefore, you won’t feel as if you are fighting with the tires while riding. Comfort and stability are also features to look out for in these tires.
Pros
Affordable
Stable
Maximum traction for wet and dry weather
responsive
Cons
May overheat if overused
Choosing the right street tires for your dirt bike
Street tires offer a solution for everyday drivers and extreme drivers looking for the thrill of racing. Therefore, dual-sport tires are good for both on- and off-road conditions. The tires are supposed to grip the road and be responsive to the driver’s style.
What you should be looking for when buying street tires is their ability to be multi-functional. Some considerations to make include responsiveness, comfort, level of traction, and durability.
Street tires should be able to provide adequate traction to enable you to brake during emergencies. Dual sport tires are typically all-weather tires that support maneuvering in heavy traffic and congested areas. These tires should also have features to increase stability and grip when driving at high speeds.
Street tires are typically manufactured with hard, flexible rubber with tread patterns that add grip. Manufacturers make street tires so that they don’t lose grip in the cold and are sturdy enough to resist wear and tear at high speeds. The right street tires for your bike have an asymmetric tread pattern that makes handling easier by increasing the level of traction on the street. They have sipes that help remove water and snow, therefore maintaining the grip of the surface. Here is what you should look for when you decide on the right street tires for your dirt bike.
Reliable in different road conditions
All-season reliability is important when purchasing dirt bike street tires. Whether the road is covered in snow, rain, or extremely dry, the dirt bike should be able to move with comfort and confidence. We should look for tires that uphold their performance and traction even in adverse weather.
Handling
Highway/street tires should be responsive to braking, cornering, and acceleration in a driver’s style of driving. Street driving requires a certain level of safety; therefore, street tires should be easily handled and responsive to the steering wheel. If you love the thrill of off-road conditions, you should go for all-terrain or off-road tires. Knobby tires generally have more traction and offer better cornering, acceleration, and braking.
Performance
Street tires often have the same traction and grip as all-season tires; however, they have added features to give drivers the confidence to drive through the highway or street. They also want highly durable tires because they are used daily.
Price
Modern manufacturers understand the need for safety on our roads; therefore, you can get a great dirt bike street tire with any budget. With $100, you will go home with decent dirt bike street tires. Premium tires for luxury cars can cost up to $300. However, street tires with a lower price can last for a shorter time.
Frequently asked questions
How do you know it is time to replace your tires?
If the tire color has changed or is starting to crack, then it is time to get new tires. Also, if the knobs on the tire are no longer there or have flattened significantly, then it is time to change them. If you bounce your dirt bike tires and notice they are stiff, then it is a sign that rubber has lost its needed flexibility. Additionally, tires should last up to 5 years; therefore, even if you have not used your tires, it is time to remove and dispose of them if they are more than 5 years old.
How should you buy tires according to the type of terrain you are riding on?
Soft terrain tires are for driving through material that is loose on the ground, such as gravel, sand, or mud. Soft-terrain bikes typically have a high tread depth so that they can move material off the surface with ease. The rear wheels have paddle-like knobs, while the front has spiky ones.
Hard terrain tires are for going through tough surfaces, such as rocks and hard surfaces. These tires typically have tightly packed, small knobs.
All-season tires or intermediate tires have medium tread to go through loosely packed dirt and mud and ride over hard rocks. These tires have tightly packed, long knobs.
How do I make my dirt bike’s street tires last?
You can extend the life of your tires by ensuring they have the right pressure when riding; avoid over-inflating or under-inflating them. Over-inflated tires have a higher risk of damage, while tires that are under-inflated are more likely to wear them out quicker and make handling harder.
A tire-pressure gauge can help you maintain your tires at optimum levels every time you head out. We advise you to check the tire pressure every time you use your bike.
Additionally, extreme weather causes faster tire wear. Direct exposure to the sun and operating in extreme heat can particularly damage the rubber. We advise you to store your dirt bike in a cool place or, if you have the option, to at least have a cover to avoid exposure to the elements.
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