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Motorcycle Tire Specification Guide - How to Read and Use Tire Specs for Export Calculations

Learn how to read motorcycle tire specifications (e.g. 90/90-18, 3.00-17), why they matter for loading plans, and how our tools auto-parse specs into actionable packing data.

2026-05-15 · 3 min read

Motorcycle Tire Specification Guide: How to Read and Use Specs for Export Calculations

Understanding tire specifications is critical when building an accurate loading plan. Let's break down what tire specs mean and how they affect your container volume calculations.

What Does a Tire Specification Mean?

Motorcycle tire sizes are written in two formats, Metric and Imperial. Both express the same geometric property but use different conventions.

Metric Format (Most Common)

Example: 90/90-18

  • 90 — section width in millimetres (2.6 inches). This is how wide the tire is from sidewall to sidewall.
  • 80 — aspect ratio (% of section width that becomes sidewall height = 80% of 90mm = 72mm sidewall).
  • -18 — rim diameter in inches (the wheel this tire fits on).

How it affects packing: A wider tire (larger first number) takes more volume per bundle. An aspect ratio closer to 100% means a taller sidewall, which can stack slightly less efficiently due to the larger footprint of each round section.

Imperial Format Used in Many Export Markets

Example: 3.50-17

  • 3.50 — section width in inches (89mm). This is common for African and Middle-Eastern markets.
  • -17 — rim diameter in inches (the aspect ratio defaults to 100% meaning sidewall = section width).

Why Imperial matters for you: Many of our loading plan tool users serve African, Southeast Asian or Middle Eastern distributors. Those markets have different standard specs (e.g. 2.50-17, 3.00-18) and may need TL tubeless packs instead of TT bundles.

How to Enter Specs in Our Tools

Auto-Parse Mode

Our calculator accepts specs like 90/90-18 or 3.00-17. Try entering your spec and our auto-parser extracts section width, aspect ratio and rim diameter. No manual calculations needed.

Input: 90/90-18
Parsed: Width=90mm, Aspect=90%, Rim=17inch
Result: Ready for volume calculation

Manual Mode

If your supplier only gives partial info—say "width ≈ 75mm"— you can enter dimensions manually in the calculator. This gives approximate results that are fine for early-stage planning; confirm with the factory before booking.

Specs Commonly Exported from China

SpecSegment / Common BikeTypical Use Case
90/90-18Honda CB, Haojue HJ125125cc underbone commuter bike
3.50-10Tricycle / mini cargo trikeThree-wheel delivery vehicle rear wheel
3.00-17Yamaha YB125, Classic bikesAfrican dual-purpose motorcycle export
80/90-14Moped scooter spareCity riding in Africa & Middle East
70/80-16Honda NSR125, ScootersUnderbone and commuter variants

Tip: Use our spec landing pages to quickly find the loading plan calculator for any spec size. For example: /tire/90_90-18/loading-plan/ or /tire/3.50-17/loading-plan/

Why Specs Matter in Packing Volume Estimates

Each spec determines:

  1. Circular cross-section diameter — affects how many can fit side-by-side in a crate or pallet layout.
  2. Tire width (section width) — dictates the outer dimension of each bundle when stacked.
  3. Bundle gap — larger specs usually have 5–7% gap per bundle; smaller specs may only need 3%.

Our loading plan calculator includes a lookup table of common motorcycle tire specs, so you don't have to enter every dimension by hand. The results are still estimates.

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