Tires change the way you ride!
The 250cc sportbikes are popular because they can be as sporty as they look, but they can also be used for city riding and touring thanks to their easy handling characteristics.
But do you choose the right tires to match your riding style? This time, we're going to take a look at the recommended tires for 250cc sport motorcycles!
Review tire sizes
First, let's check the tire sizes used in the 250cc class these days. The tire size is listed on the sidewall of the tire. Just pick the same size as the one that's on there now and you're basically good to go!
The table below shows the tire sizes for 250cc sportbikes that have been sold recently! Some of them may vary depending on the year, so in the end, check the tires your motorcycle is wearing!
| Front | Rear | |
|---|---|---|
| CBR250RR | 110/70R17M/C 54H | 140/70R17M/C 66H |
| CB250R | 110/70R17M/C 54H | 150/60R17M/C 66H |
| ZX-25R | 110/70R17M/C 54H | 150/60R17M/C 66H |
| Ninja 250 Z250 | 110/70-17M/C 54H | 140/70-17M/C 66H |
| YZF-R25 MT-25 | 110/70-17M/C 54S | 140/70-17M/C 66S |
| GSX250R | 110/80-17M/C 57H | 140/70-17M/C 66H |
| Gixxer SF250 Gixxer 250 | 110/70R17M/C 54H | 150/60R17M/C 66H |
For 250cc Sport motorcycle! Tire selection tips
Let's choose by use
Tires for touring and tires for the track have completely different characteristics and are different things. When choosing tires, it is of utmost importance to select tires that are appropriate for your application. For example, if you enjoy riding in town and touring once a month, you should choose touring tires. For example, if you enjoy riding in town and touring once a month, choose touring tires.
The season is also important. Tire grip is temperature-dependent, so if you're going to use your tires for winter street riding as well, it's a good idea to choose tires that are less temperature-dependent, such as touring tires.
Let's consider radialization
Radial or bias? This is one of the points that I'm pretty confused about. Radial and bias are about the construction of the tire. I'm not going to get into the details here, but just understand that the manufacturing process is different!
The old one is biased and the new one is radial. Bias is a hard tire and radial is a flexible tire. Bias is excellent for low-speed driving and rides comfort and radial for high-speed driving and comfort. This is the general image.
In many cases, bias is selected for 250cc class sportbikes when new motorcycles are installed, but my recommendation is to put on radial tires! My recommendation is to use radial tires! The mainstream of tires of the size that this class is fitted with is still radial tires. Most of the high-performance high grip tires with cutting-edge technology and comfortable tires for touring are radial.
At first glance, tire changes may seem incomprehensible, but they are quite understandable. Especially the change from worn-out bias to brand new radials, that's as impressive as a custom part! Of course, the best choice is based on your usage, but I recommend radial!
Two of my favorite tires for touring!
If you have a lot of opportunities to go touring, touring tires are still recommended. The best feature of the touring tire is that it can show a good grip even in sudden rain. Of course, the dry grip is also outstanding, so if you just want to enjoy a little mountain pass, you shouldn't have any complaints!
In addition, the grip does not depend on the tire temperature, so it grips even on cold roads, which is a great characteristic for winter. The durability of the tires is also long-lasting with high grip, so they'll be gone in no time! There's no such thing!
- Longer life than other types of tires
- Reliable grip at the start of a ride or in the rain
- Gentle, fatigue-free ride
MICHELIN ROAD 5
If you ask me what's the best touring tire right now, I wouldn't hesitate to say this one!
This tire is characterized by its overwhelming rain grip. It has the grip and security to drive as if it were a dry road, even on wet surfaces. Feeling anxious about rain is something that happens because your body subconsciously senses the change in information from the tires, but that's not what this is about! I have used this tire for braking with ABS on a wet road surface, and I was able to stop without any anxiety at all. That's how good these tires are in the rain. Moreover, this wet grip lasts well even after 5000km of driving.
Absolutely recommended for touring riders who often get caught in the rain!
BRIDGESTONE BT-45
One of the most popular touring bias tires is the BT-45! This tire has a long history and is a famous tire that veteran riders are sure to know. The silica compound ensures a wet grip while providing a soft and stable ride. It is also highly durable, so it is recommended if you want to reduce the frequency of replacement.
The fact that it has been made for a long time means that it is highly regarded.
Four of my favorite tires for winding down!
Do you want to enjoy winding roads on your sportbike? Do you want to ride around town but go to mountain passes on holidays? For such riders, we recommend the sport tire that can enjoy winding roads! A vigorous tire that doesn't choose the road surface as much as a high-grip tire for the track, and has the grip to go to the track once in a while, is perfect for a 250cc sportbike!
- A good mix of touring and high grip
- No fear of riding or in the rain
- Fun and nimble on the street
PIRELLI DIABLO ROSSO III
Pirelli's super high-grip tire, the Rosso 3, with its racy lightning bolt design grooves, is the same as the Super Corsa! Despite its aggressive appearance, it is a well-made tire that is easy to warm up and friendly in any driving situation. The wet grip is not as good as the latest touring tires, but it is a level that can be driven without anxiety, and it is more comfortable than the touring tires designed a little older. In terms of design, it's also a tire that can easily take advantage of the sporty image of a 250cc sportbike, so I recommend it! I think it's the easiest to handle in this category.
BRIDGESTONE BATTLAX HYPER SPORT S22
If you're looking for winding fun, these are the tires for you! This sports tire boasts nimble handling that makes the vehicle feel lighter, and grip that allows you to enjoy the track. The key is the compound and groove placement. The compound front is divided into 3 parts and the rear is divided into 5 parts! The center is more for touring and the sides are more for grip, so the right compound will contact the road surface when banking or in a straight line.
There are more grooves near the center of the road, which is in contact with the road surface a lot in the wet, and there are no grooves on the sides like slicks! This is the secret to achieving a good combination of wet and dry grip. Unlike the high-grip for the track, it is a tire for the public road, so there is also a safe wet grip in sudden rain, is absolutely recommended for weekend winding touring.
METZELER SPORTEC M5 INTERACT
Drive yourself from home and go straight to the track for a full "knee rub" session! The Metzeler M5 with a rather aggressive tagline! Metzeler, which you may not be that familiar within Japan, is a German tire manufacturer that has a significant market share in Europe. The tire is a lightweight tire that utilizes Metzeler's multiple belt construction technologies to minimize deformation at high speeds. Also, by checking the lean indicator on the tread surface, you can know your bank angle, which is an interesting point not found on other tires!
It's a tire that's so grippy you can "knee-grip" it, but it's also a tire you can enjoy on the road because it has good wet performance. If winding is your main battlefield and the occasional trip to the track, this is it!
DUNLOP SPORTMAX α-14
The best high grip I've ever used for winding! Touring is winding mountain passes! If you use it for the occasional track, don't forget these tires! It is designed mainly for on-road dry grip and has an overwhelming sense of grip and lightness. By the way, compared to the previous game 13, the sense of stability has increased and the sense of slamming down has decreased. Which means less scary sensations! On the track, I'd recommend the 13SP, but on the street, this gentleness and grip are just right!
Three of my favorite tires for the track!
The 250cc sportbike is easy to ride and can handle everything from city riding to winding roads and long tours, but of course, it's also fun to take to the track! Races using 250cc class vehicles are gaining momentum in Japan, and they play a role as a gateway to success in racing. That's why I want you to go to the track, and I'll introduce you to the tires that I want to wear at the track!
- A short life but the overwhelming dry grip
- Wet and riding can be slippery and dangerous.
- The strongest in a track environment
PIRELLI DIABLO SUPERCORSA SC V3
This is the tire you should be wearing on your track debut, the tire that 'buys' your lap times! The SUPERCORSA, is an FIM standard racing tire with grooves and is the standard tire used in racing regardless of displacement. The compound is also specially designed for racing, and the shape of the tire is quite sharp to fit the banking at the track. It's also important to note that they're used in some of the best races, like WSBK!
By the way, these tires are designed for the track, so the grip depends on the temperature. Make sure you warm them up when you start driving!
DUNLOP SPORTMAX α-13 SP
It is also used as a one-make tire in the 250cc class races held in Asia! This tire has no peculiarities and has a feeling that it turns linearly according to the bank angle. In other words, if you bank the tire, it will turn as much as you let it, without you having to try to make it turn. That's the image. There are many riders who like the ride of this tire, so perhaps the feeling of entering a corner cleanly while leaving the brakes on and turning at a bank angle suits the Japanese.
IRC RX-03 SpecR
If you're looking for a bias tire with enough grip for the track, this is the one! The RX-01 is the successor to the RX-01, which was for a long time the most powerful bias sports tire in its class. A compound that easily rises to temperature from the start of the ride improves grip by increasing the ground contact area at full banking. Less grooves, more on-road high grip!
Two tires recommended for main street driving
Tires for city driving are surprisingly difficult to find. Tires have evolved tremendously, and touring tires can make up for the high grip of a decade ago, while still providing long life for city driving. In other words, the current lineup has enough specs that it's a bit of a waste to use it only for city riding. The tire introduced here is also nothing short of touring in terms of performance. The level is also fun to attack a little. So this time, we introduce the tire that excels in the cosmetic!
- No sharp features, but excellent in cost performance
- I can deal with riding out and the rain!
- Life is relatively long.
DUNLOP SPORTMAX GPR300
This is a basic tire used on many motorcycles as a new tire. Although this tire is not very conspicuous, its well-balanced performance is the basis for the development of other tires. This is a natural and easy-to-handle tire with light radial handling and silica compound that grips even in low temperature conditions such as starting out and in the wet. Perfect for the kind of use where you're mainly riding around town and flogging the wilds on the weekends!
BRIDGESTONE BATTLAX TS100
The design follows the previous model of the S22 introduced earlier, the highly popular S20EVO. This tire is recommended for riders who mainly ride on the street and go touring once every month or two, and the stock tire is not enough! With Bridgestone-like, well-rounded performance and an affordable price that's not as expensive as high-grade tires, this is the perfect introduction to radials.
Choose the right tire for your usage!
Because of the small displacement of 250cc class motorcycles, the effect of changes in each part is very large. In other words, it's a very fun motorcycle to customize and you can see the changes immediately. Tires are no exception, and by choosing the right tire for your application, you can feel the difference in many areas, such as ease of turning at intersections, enjoyment of winding roads, and stability at high speeds!
Bottom line: if you want to change a tire on a 250cc! You need a good tire for your application!
See Accessories of MICHELIN
See Accessories of DUNLOP
See Accessories of BRIDGESTONE
See YAMAHA Moto Index Page
See HONDA Moto Index Page
See KAWASAKI Moto Index Page
See Accessories for HONDA CBR250RR (2016-)
See Accessories for YAMAHA YZF-R25 (R25)
See Accessories for KAWASAKI ZX-25R
