I have seen people doing mistakes regarding their tires on their motorcycle or cars because of some myths, which later cost them very dangerous on the road.
It’s generally because of lack of knowledge about most crucial components of the vehicle which people tend to neglect. This is one of the main reason risking your and your family life on the road and ruining your driving experience as well.
When people go for an aftermarket tire upgrade they usually do mistakes in choosing right tire and later most of them regret after spending chunk of money on wrong tire.
So here are some myths which cause severe problems with their worn out or brand new tire.
Myth 1 – check tire pressure when tire walls look expended
People don’t pay attention to maintain tire pressure even on their regular driving vehicles. Either the visit tire shop only when they replace tire or when tire pressure is very low and tire is visibly low.
This habit cost them to ruin the tire walls and drop in mileage, as people think they need to check tire pressure only one a year which is a myth.
Aways check your tire pressure once a month or check it before starting your long tour on your vehicle.
Generally tires keep loosing 1 to 2 psi air naturally every month and low tire pressure causes tire puncture on highways. It’s more common in summers as tire air volume expand and it causes tire busts which can be very dangerous for you and other drivers on the road.
To avoid this you can purchase a tire pressure gauge and check tire pressure routinely.
Myth 2 you can maintain tire pressure according to printed numbers on tire
This is the information taken wrongly by many people who have some knowledge about tires and they maintain their tire well.
It’s totally wrong and even I used to think same as many people think that those numbers are printed for this reason.
Those specific numbers printed on sidewall of the tires are not recommended tire pressure, Those numbers indicate the pressure which that tire can specifically bear maximum.
You should always rely on user manual book of your vehicle which is mentioning right number of tire pressure.
In two wheelers you can find that information on swing arm near chain on a sticker or on the driver door side of the car with accurate recommended tire pressure if you don’t have user manual guide with you.
Myth 3 new tires don’t need to be checked
Usually people take it not serious while replacing their old tires, they think that tye tire which they are getting for their vehicle is better than their old tire which they are getting rid because new tire is more safer and trustworthy.
This doesn’t always go well, it doesn’t mean that new tires are always flawless abd they are gonna fit properly on your vehicle rims.
New tires also can loss their pressure during installation on your vehicle or they can not inflated the right pressure.
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New tires also need break in period as some New bikes need it til their first service. People don’t have idea and they start driving rapidly without understanding the importance of break in period of tires.
When installing New tire it needs to be set properly otherwise it can be risky for the life, so it is recommended to drive below 60 for first 100 to 200 kms and give the tire time to adjust on rim properly.
especially to the Superbikes as they have aggressive power and riders tend to pull throttle for drag race.
Myth 4 all season tires are perfect for every season
All season tires can be dangerous instead of being supportive and secure, in harsh winter condition they can behave opposite what winters tire can perform with their soft compound during cold temperature by providing more grip.
So all season tires can perform better in a range of weather only and in extreme weather they are not that much helpful.
Myth 5 bald tires are fine as if it is not raining
Mostly people run on bald tires due to budget issue or they wait for rain to change the tires as they think that tires loose their grip in wet condition only.
Tires not only perform poorly in wet condition, they affect driving experience too as worn out tires increase braking distance. It lacks traction even on dry surfaces which can lead to fatal accident.
It is recommended that change the tire when there’s 2/32 depth of thread on tires and not wait for the tires to be worn out as it can be out of favour for drivers in any emergency situation.
Myth 6 tires lasts at least 10 years when running is very low
It’s absolutely rubbish, tires life depends on age factor too. After a time period tires sidewall starts cracking even if tires are not in use.
This also applies on those tires which are stored in godown for a long period, so always check tire manufacturing date before installing a new tire on your vehicle.
So life of a tire doesn’t depends on only running condition and they start aging with the duration of manufacturing time as well.
So it is always recommended even from tire manufacturing companies like Michelin and Bridgestone to replace your car tires in 5 to 6 years in the condition of low running even if tire looks fine from outside.
Myth 7 you need to replace only one tire at a time
It can be easy on your pocket to replace one tire at once a time, but this can be major cause to giving you uneven handling and premature worn out to your other tires.
As all the tired work completely together so replacing one tire can imbalance your car so it is always recommended to change tires in a pair if it is not possible to change all 4 tires at a once.
Myth 8 tires blowout only at a high speed
The myth is perception of stories heared of high speed highway witnessing only
High speed is not the only factor of blown out tires but under inflation, worn-out threads, hitting the debris, overloading are the main cause. And they usually occur at lower speed.
The main factor for blown out tires is lower tire pressure and not the speed.
It can be prevent by inspection of regular tire pressure, any cut on tires, bulges or damage on tire surface.
Myth 9 rotating tires is waste of time
Life span of the car tires can be increased by simply rotate the tires which is more effactive method.
Front tires wear most different from the rear tires as there is more weight on front of the car and steering cause.
So it is advisable to rotate the tires on each 10 to 12 thousand kilometers to increase the tire life and performance. It can give you most value of your tires before replacing them after more kms.
Myth 10 a tire repair kit is as good as a spare tire
Carrying a tire repairing kit can be easy and handy to fix a puncture in short time with the help of tire sealant and tire inflator.
But a big hole or sidewall damage can’t be fix with a tire repairing kit.
So carrying a full sized spare tire is more important especially on long trips. Repair kits can be time saving on small air leak or puncture but they can’t be useful on big damage.
Myth 11 Nitrogen inflation eliminate the need to check tire pressure
This is true but not totally true, yes Nitrogen slow down the pressure loss in tires due to Nitrogen molecules are larger than oxygen molecules. So it makes tire pressure loss very minimal but it doesn’t make tire maintenance free.
So still Nitrogen inflation needs to check tire pressure even if lesser than oxygen air.
Myth 12 Used tires are always great deal
Used tires are available at both online and offline places and people get them at very low price. It is very risky to save money on the most crucial component which is a bigger safety thread for life or users and other vehicle drivers on the road.
Their reason to replace previously is unknown, they could be internally damaged, repaired or uneven worn out.
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So personally I wouldn’t recommend to get used tires for your any type of vehicle as they’re reason for most of the crashes on the roads which leads to lose several lives every year
Conclusion
So tire maintenance is as important as maintaining other components of the vehicle, but it is neglected by majority of owners and then it causes inconvenience on the road and create emergency situations on daily drive or on long trips.
So it is highly recommended to at least check tire pressure for saving from chaos.
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