How Many Miles Can You Get from Your Rear Tire?

By Cameron Vanderhorst - October 9, 2019

Talking tires with a longtime Harley owner and the tech who cares for his bike.

When it comes to recurring motorcycle maintenance, tires are one of the most expensive items the average motorcyclist will pay for. While the tires on our cars and trucks can last for 30, 40, or even 50,000 miles, the same can’t be said for motorcycles.

Many motorcyclists would consider themselves lucky to get 15,000 miles out of a tire. Given that they’re the only part of our bikes that actually touch the road, tires could be considered the most important safety feature our bikes have. It’s important to keep a close eye on them and replace them when they wear out.

YouTuber The Ornery One recently uploaded a short video to give us the straight skinny on tires. In this video, he’s having a 10,000 mile service performed on his Harley-Davidson, and he’s paying particular attention to the tires.

Tread depth is measured, and the front tire is at 5/32″, while the rear tire is at 4/32″. The rear tire will almost always wear out before the front one. There’s a few reasons why the front and rear tires wear at different rates.

Since it’s the driven wheel, it sees more wear. Also, the weight distribution of a motorcycle almost always puts more weight over the rear tire.

The Ornery One points out that at 11,000 miles and change, “We’re over halfway into the front tire.” Out back, of course, they find even more wear. The tech states that “you won’t get another 5,000 miles out of this tire.”

Replacement is typically recommended at 3/32″. Of course, age is a factor as well, so if you don’t put a lot of miles on your Harley-Davidson, you should look for signs of dry rot and check the date code of the tire to make sure it’s not more than five years old.

The video also reminds us of an important factor in your tire-buying decision: tires are developed in pairs, so they should be matched. This doesn’t mean that you need to replace both tires at once. It just means that, if you’ve got Dunlops on your bike now, you should replace your rear tire with another Dunlop if you’re planning on keeping the front tire around for a little while longer.

Of course, each brand has several tires to choose from. The boys discuss dual compound tires a bit, as a consideration for The Ornery One’s bike. Dual compound tires offer the best of both worlds – a grippy sidewall, with a still, long-wearing center section.

Not wanting to worry about replacing the tire while out on the road, The Ornery One opts to replace it now, with the same tire the bike came with since that’s what the dealer had in stock. He points out that, while he’s not an aggressive rider, “We’re always loaded, and we’re putting a lot of miles on.”

The Ornery One points out that many folks who just cruise around without a ton of weight in the saddlebags can get a little more life out of their rear tire. Lastly, he also stresses the importance of staying on top of tire pressure, making sure that the bike always has the correct tire pressure for the conditions.