For tyres, it's always a question of compromise. And this doesn’t just refer to a tyre’s construction (its structure) and the quality of the rubber, but also the tread pattern. As we've seen, a tread pattern helps improve necessary performance aspects in a given context, but comes at a cost.
If a tyre performs well on wet surfaces thanks to its tread pattern, its dry performance will be worse than what it would be if it were totally smooth. We therefore have to find the best compromise between these two different designs to allow riders to use motorbike tyres that are road legal, but still perform well on both types of surfaces.
So, when designing a tread pattern, we have to find just the right balance between the advantages and drawbacks. For example, it's important that a tyre wears in a regular way, equally on both wheels.
Added grip in the wet
MICHELIN specialises in 2D and 3D sipes, one of their own inventions. Sipes are deep cuts in a tread pattern which substantially improve a tyre’s performance.
They have significantly improved safety on wet roads, on top of the already improved grip on this type of surface offered by silicon-based compounds. Essentially, the role of the sipes is to disperse the thin layer of water on the ground in order to keep the wheel dry and improve grip in wet conditions.
