Tires

Tires are the one part of the bike people underspend on, and honestly it’s the last place you want to. Braking, cornering, getting power down out of a turn — all of it comes down to two small patches of rubber on the road. So this section only carries brands riders have actually put miles on: Dunlop, Bridgestone, and ProTaper.

For sport riding, we’ve got the Dunlop Sportmax Q5A up front and the Q5S front and rear, both quick-turning and grippy enough for a track day or a canyon run on a Sunday. If you want more lean-angle confidence than that, Bridgestone’s Battlax Hypersport S23R rear tire is worth a look too. Cruiser and touring guys are usually after something different — more mileage, more stability at highway speed — and that’s what Bridgestone’s Exedra lineup and Dunlop’s Trailmax Mission are built for. Off-road and motocross riders can grab ProTaper’s SMX 04 front and rear, or Dunlop’s Geomax Trial for trials-specific grip.

None of these are gamble-on-it brands. People have been running them for years, so fit and wear life aren’t really in question. Need a rear tire before your next trip, or just replacing something worn out — this is where to look.