Dressing Or Not?

[CurlyCara]

Is it ok to dress bike tires? Is it dangerous?

[embolism]

as long as you do just the sidewalls and not the treads it is fine. Your stopping power comes from the brake pads on the rims and the tread contact patches from the 2 tires

thought of trying to say it in a less pretentious way but it's late and that's just the way it came out. I honestly don't talk like this all the time...

[CurlyCara]

Ok thank you!

[Kristopher1129]

No harm in dressing tires. Except for motorcycles. I always ask my customers if they want dressing or not on their bikes. Bikes are different cause they're much more likely to turn sharp enough for the dressing to affect traction.

[CurlyCara]

Im about to detail my first bike. Its a high end hayabusa. The owner is my SO's boss. So its a big thing.

[BobbyG]

Hey Cara,

Motorcycles tend to lean into the corners utilizing more of the corner and some sidewall so be careful, otherwise your SO may need to find a new boss...

[BillE]

Don't most tire dressings advise AGAINST using it on MC tires?

Only a question, not a comment.

Bill

[SeaJay's]

I never dress motorcycle tires. In the event that something was to happen I do not want the blame to come back to me because I put a tire dressing on. I typically just clean them really well and leave them be.

[ShaunD]

DO NOT PUT DRESSING ON MOTORCYCLE TIRES! Period. I have talked to guys that did and as soon as they went to turn the bike the either dropped it or almost did, and never dressed there tires again. Unless it is a show bike that will not be ridden, there is never a time that is OK to dress bike tires. The only product that I could remotely say might be okay on a bike tire is 303 Aerospace Protectant, as it does not have oils/lubricants that are in products like Armor All. Even if you are going to use something like 303, you should apply it on an applicator, then apply it to ONLY the part of the tire that is closest to the rim. But even then if the rubber doesn't absorb all the product and the excess wiped off/buffed off, and the tread of the tire cleaned again before riding, you still allowing the risk of the tread being slick and the rider not being prepared for it. Most, if not all, companies CAUTION against using a tire shine products on motorcycle/bike tire. Not following a CAUTION in life can cause serious injury/damage and/or death. While not following a NOTE can just make your life harder than it needs to be. Also, a lot of tire products will attract more dirt and brake dust to the tire which is something you don't want. Plus, motorcycle tires don't have a life expectancy that allows them to stay on a bike long enough to become dull and lose their natural shine; or at least they shouldn't. As long as you clean the wheels and tires regularly, the tires should keep a nice satin/like new look to them. If you are wanting shiny tires for a show/meet where the bike will be sitting and looked at, and you want to make the tires shine, then I would recommend wait 'til you get to the location and give the wheels and tire a quick wipe down then apply the shine product only closest to the wheel. And before you even move the bike again, take some APC and wipe the shine product off the tire paying especially close attention to the treads of the tire. After all that I said I would highly recommend NEVER EVER putting anything on a motorcycle tire that is 75 series or lower, and especially never use anything on a model bike the has the word Sport in it. On like a cruiser/HD you have side wall to play with in most cases. But, even a lot of cruisers/customs are putting Sporty tires on their wheels. Every bike is meant to be leaned to turn, otherwise it's not a real bike, and will benefit from not having ANYTHING on the side walls except black rubber. Bottom line is, the risk DO NOT outweigh the benefits. And most riders don't need any help laying their bike down; Not a matter of if, but when it will happen. So don't be the helping hand. When is the last time you saw a biker build-off contestant win because he had the shiniest tires? Never!

[ShaunD]

Originally Posted by SeaJay's

I never dress motorcycle tires. In the event that something was to happen I do not want the blame to come back to me because I put a tire dressing on. I typically just clean them really well and leave them be.

Plus you don't won't to show someone that doesn't have the knowledge that you may have that it is OK to do this. Because they WILL go out and put the slickest, oiliest product(maybe even oil) all over their tires, and as soon as they pull into traffic they will lay the bike down before they can even think about cursing you for showing them this "detailing" trick. And you would never want to do such a thing with out the owner requesting it and having full knowledge of the risk involved. Somethings are better left alone.