Tires & wheels
The only parts touching the road, and the purchase you'll repeat most. Hypersport street rubber, trackday DOT-race, or slicks — plus the wheel upgrades (forged aluminum, forged magnesium, carbon) that make every tire work better.
The short answer
Match the tire to the ride, not to the fastest thing in the catalog: hypersport street for road duty, DOT-race for track days, slicks only with warmers. Wheels are the endgame — a forged or carbon set cuts rotating mass you feel in every direction change, at $1,500–$6,500+ a set.
From budget to premium
Where each brand sits on price and reputation — not an endorsement. They're listed because they make parts for this category.
| Brand | Tier | Origin | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| BST | premium | ZA | South African carbon fiber wheels — the rotating-mass endgame. |
| Dymag | premium | GB | British carbon and forged wheels with decades of race history. |
| Marchesini | premium | IT | Forged magnesium race wheels — the MotoGP name on the spec sheet. |
| Michelin | premium | FR | Power 5, GP, and Cup range — street-to-track coverage with MotoGP halo. |
| Pirelli | premium | IT | Diablo Rosso to Supercorsa to SC slicks — the default track-day ladder. |
| Rotobox | premium | SI | Slovenian carbon wheels — the modern alternative to BST at similar money. |
| Bridgestone | mid | JP | Battlax RS11 and R11 — OEM-fitment familiarity at solid mid-shelf pricing. |
| Dunlop | mid | US | The Sportmax line for the Americas is built in Buffalo, NY; the Q5 is the value track pick. |
| OZ Racing | mid | IT | Forged aluminum at mid-premium money — the value entry to real wheel upgrades. |
| Core Moto | budget | US | Florida-built custom braided lines at budget prices; Apex forged wheels are the value set. |
The parts riders compare
Typical US street prices. Most of these are model-specific when you check out — verify fitment for your exact year and market before buying.
| Part | Tier | Typical price | Fitment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa SP V4 set | premium | $560 | standard sportbike sizes — the street-and-track crossover default |
| Michelin Power Cup 2 set | premium | $520 | standard sportbike sizes — trackday DOT with limited street use |
| Pirelli Diablo Superbike slick set | premium | $500 | track only — needs warmers and intermediate-or-faster pace |
| Bridgestone Battlax RS12 set | mid | $510 | 120/70 front with a 180/55, 190/55 or 200/55 rear — track-leaning DOT |
| Michelin Power GP2 set | mid | $500 | standard sportbike sizes — street with occasional track |
| Michelin Power 6 set | mid | $460 | standard sportbike sizes — sporty street riding |
| Bridgestone Battlax S23 set | mid | $460 | standard sportbike sizes — street-first hypersport |
| Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV set | mid | $440 | standard sportbike sizes — aggressive street riding |
| Continental ContiSportAttack 5 set | mid | $420 | 120/70 front with a 160/60, 180/55, 190/55 or 200/55 rear — hypersport street set |
| Metzeler Sportec M9 RR set | mid | $400 | standard sportbike sizes — strong wet performance |
| MOTO-D single-temp tire warmers | mid | $400 | one size: 120 front, 180–200 rear — not for small-tire bikes |
| Dunlop Sportmax Q5 set | budget | $510 | standard sportbike sizes — US-made value track tire |
| Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa SC V4 set | budget | $450 | race compound for track use with warmers; set priced with a 180/60 rear |
Or search “sport motorcycle tires” where you already shop:
Some links may earn Unstocked a commission at no cost to you. Prices shown are typical street prices — always verify fitment and price at the retailer. Model-specific parts (exhausts, rearsets, bodywork) can run 2–3× between bikes — the sheet shows a typical figure.
Read first
- Motorcycle suspension first — springs and sag before power — Before the exhaust, before the tune — why springs and sag set for your actual weight do more than any horsepower mod, and how to buy in at $250 or $2,500.
- Track bike prep: what to upgrade, in what order — The usual track upgrades, in order — tires, brakes, suspension, ergonomics, crash protection, then power — with typical street prices, real failure modes, and what tech inspection actually checks.
Tires & Wheels by model
What each bike's page says about tires & wheels: the brands that fit, the year splits and the gotchas, quoted from the 24 bike pages that have a note on it.
Honda CBR600RR
Stock sizes (120/70, 180/55) fit the full hypersport-to-slick ladder. The RR is famously neutral on Supercorsas — one reason it stays a track-school favorite.
Aprilia RSV4
RF and Factory trims already carry forged wheels; base/RR owners chasing turn-in buy forged aluminum (OZ, Marchesini). Verify front/rear axle specs by generation before ordering.
BMW M1000RR
M Carbon wheels are standard — treat them as a precious part: careful tire changes, no abuse from warmers on damaged rims, and a forged aluminum track set for slicks is the community-standard insurance policy.
BMW S1000RR
Factory M Carbon wheels have community-reported cracking cases on 2019–20 bikes — inspect carefully on any used bike wearing them. For track use, a forged aluminum set (OZ, Core Moto) is cheaper to replace than one carbon rim.
Ducati Panigale V4
The S already has forged aluminum wheels, so gains are smaller than on base models. Carbon (BST, Rotobox) and forged magnesium (Marchesini) are the upgrade tiers — $3,000–6,500+ per set, the most expensive single decision on the bike.
Kawasaki ZX-10R
Stock wheels are heavy for the class; forged aluminum (OZ, Core Moto) is the common upgrade, and used ZX-10RR Marchesini take-offs appear in classifieds — community-reported to fit same-gen 10Rs, verify offsets and rotors.
Suzuki GSX-R1000
Forged aluminum (OZ, Core Moto) drops meaningful rotating mass on a bike this heavy-wheeled; magnesium and carbon are race-budget territory. Wheel swaps also change TC behavior slightly — recalibrate expectations.
Yamaha R1
This is the platform where wheel money makes sense: OZ forged aluminum as the value tier, Marchesini magnesium and BST or Rotobox carbon above it. Typical street price runs $1,500–6,500 a set — buy captive spacers with them.
Ducati Panigale V2
Ships on Diablo Rosso Corsa II. Supercorsa SP for track-day crossover; SC compound slicks with warmers only once you're consistently fast.
Honda CBR500R
120/70-ZR17 front, 160/60-ZR17 rear (Honda). Rims are 3.5 in front and 4.5 in rear on 2022+ bikes. Check that your tire choice is made in a 160/60.
Honda CBR650R
120/70-ZR17 front on a 3.5-inch rim, 180/55-ZR17 rear on a 5.5-inch rim (Honda Europe spec). Honda's US spec sheets do not name the OE tire.
Kawasaki Ninja 650
120/70-17 front and 160/60-17 rear. The 160 rear is narrower than supersport sizes, so race-compound choice is limited. Dunlop Sportmax Roadsport 2 is OE from 2020.
Suzuki GSX-8R
Dunlop Roadsport 2, 120/70ZR17 (58W) front on a 17 × 3.5 in rim and 180/55ZR17 (73W) rear on a 17 × 5.5 in rim (Suzuki).
Suzuki SV650
The 160/60 rear is the catch: many modern race compounds skew to 180+. Q5s and Supercorsas exist in SV sizes; some racers swap to a 5.5-in rear wheel to run 180 slicks (community-reported, race-build territory).
Triumph Daytona 660
Michelin Power 6 on 2024–25 and Metzeler M9RR from 2026, both 120/70 ZR17 front and 180/55 ZR17 rear on 3.5 and 5.5 in wheels, the same widths as the Trident's.
Yamaha R9
OE is Bridgestone Battlax Hypersport S22 in 120/70ZR17 and 180/55ZR17, a street tire. Any race or trackday tire in the standard supersport sizes fits.
Honda CB500F
120/70-ZR17 front, 160/60-ZR17 rear (Honda); rims are 3.5 in and 4.5 in on 2022+ bikes. Confirm your tire choice is made in a 160/60.
Suzuki GSX-8S
Dunlop Roadsport 2, 120/70ZR17 (58W) front on a 17 × 3.5 in rim and 180/55ZR17 (73W) rear on a 17 × 5.5 in rim (Suzuki), the same as the 8R.
Triumph Trident 660
Michelin Road 5 through 2026, in 120/70 R17 and 180/55 R17 on 3.5 and 5.5 in cast wheels. Any sport or sport-touring tire in those sizes is a direct swap.
Honda Grom
Street: stock-size sport rubber is limited but adequate for 9.7 hp. Race: PMT slicks and Mitas race compounds in 12-inch sizes are the grid standards — sourced from minimoto specialty shops rather than big retailers.
KTM 390 Duke
OEM-spec rubber is the first thing to go. Sport tires in 110/70-17 and 150/60-17 are cheap by big-bike standards — the 390's sizes make premium rubber an affordable habit.
Kawasaki Ninja 300
110/70-17 front, 140/70-17 rear (Kawasaki). Confirm your tire choice is made in a 140/70 before choosing a brand.
Kawasaki Z400
110/70-17 front and 150/60-17 rear. OE is the Dunlop Sportmax GPR-300; any sport or race tire in these sizes fits.
Yamaha MT-03
OE at the 2020 launch was Dunlop Sportmax GPR-300 in 110/70-17 and 140/70-17; Yamaha's later spec pages name no brand. Any modern sport or race tire in those sizes fits.
Also in the upgrade order for: Kawasaki ZX-6R, Suzuki GSX-R600, Yamaha R6, Honda CBR1000RR, Suzuki GSX-R750, Aprilia RS 660, Yamaha R7, Aprilia Tuono 660, Ducati Monster, Ducati Streetfighter V4, Honda CB650R, Kawasaki Z650, Kawasaki Z900, Triumph Street Triple 765, Yamaha MT-07, Yamaha MT-09, Kawasaki Ninja 400 & Ninja 500, Yamaha R3.
Prices are typical US street prices at publish time and drift with sales and supply — verify at the retailer. Fitment is advisory: always confirm the exact part number for your year, generation and market before buying.