ISO 10231:2025

Motorcycle tyres - Test methods for verifying tyre capabilities

This document specifies test methods for verifying the capabilities of tyres for motorcycles. The test methods presented in this document are not applicable for gradation of tyre performance or quality levels. This document is applicable to all motorcycle tyres.

Pneumatiques pour motocycles — Méthodes d'essai pour la vérification de l'aptitude des pneumatiques

Le présent document spécifie des méthodes d’essai destinées à vérifier l’aptitude des pneumatiques pour motocycles. Parmi les méthodes d’essai spécifiées, seules certaines peuvent être requises, selon le type de pneumatique à soumettre à l’essai. Les essais sont effectués en laboratoire, dans des conditions contrôlées. Le présent document comporte un essai de résistance permettant d’évaluer l’aptitude de la structure dans la zone de la bande de roulement par rapport à l’énergie de rupture. Un deuxième essai, l’essai d'endurance, évalue la résistance du pneumatique dans les conditions d'utilisation à pleine charge et à vitesse modérée sur de longues distances. Le troisième essai, l'essai à haute vitesse, évalue l'aptitude du pneumatique dans les utilisations à vitesse maximale. L'essai d’expansion dynamique évalue l’expansion maximale du pneumatique sous l'effet des forces centrifuges à la vitesse maximale supportée par le pneumatique. Les méthodes d'essai présentées dans le présent document ne sont pas destinées à établir des niveaux de performance ou de qualité. Le présent document s’applique à tous les pneumatiques pour motocycles.

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 19-May-2025
• ICS: 83.160.10 - Road vehicle tyres
• Technical Committee: ISO/TC 31/SC 10 - Cycle, moped, motorcycle tyres and rims
• Drafting Committee: ISO/TC 31/SC 10 - Cycle, moped, motorcycle tyres and rims
• Current Stage: 6060 - International Standard published
• Start Date: 20-May-2025
• Due Date: 20-Jun-2026
• Completion Date: 20-May-2025

Relations

• Revises: ISO 10231:2022 - Motorcycle tyres - Test methods for verifying tyre capabilities
• Effective Date: 24-Jun-2023

Overview

ISO 10231:2025 - "Motorcycle tyres - Test methods for verifying tyre capabilities" defines standardized laboratory test methods used to verify the structural and operational capabilities of motorcycle tyres. Applicable to all motorcycle tyres, the standard specifies test equipment, preparation procedures and pass/fail criteria for strength, endurance, high‑speed and centrifugal growth tests. Note: these methods are for capability verification and are not intended to grade performance or assign quality levels.

Key topics and technical requirements

• Scope and applicability
  • Applies to all motorcycle tyres; not for performance gradation.
  • References ISO 4223‑1 for terminology.
• Test equipment (Section 4)
  • Test drum: smooth steel cylindrical drum, diameter 1.7 m ± 0.017 m or 2.0 m ± 0.02 m; surface width exceed tyre width.
  • Plunger: cylindrical steel with hemispherical end, diameter 8 mm ± 0.2 mm; displacement and force indicators ±1% full scale.
  • Inflation gauges: max scale ≥ 500 kPa, accuracy ±5 kPa.
  • Test axle run‑out controls and specified slip/camber tolerances for endurance/high‑speed tests.
  • Contour outline device for centrifugal growth measurements.
• Strength test
  • Not applicable to radial‑ply tyres.
  • Plunger penetration at 50 mm/min ±2.5 mm/min; record force and penetration at break at multiple circumferential points.
  • Breaking energy calculated per formula in the standard and averaged across test points.
• Endurance test
  • Tyre conditioned to ≥35 °C; run continuously at ≥80 km/h under specified load/time blocks:
    • 4 h at 100% maximum load rating
    • 6 h at 108%
    • 24 h at 117%
  • No cooling; inflation pressure unchanged during test.
• High‑speed test
  • Not applicable below 130 km/h speed capability.
  • Prescribed inflation pressures by speed symbol and tyre version (examples: M–P = 250 kPa; T–V = 350 kPa for standard load).
  • Load applied during test and conditioning requirements documented.
• Centrifugal growth test
  • Measurement accuracy within ±1% full scale; contour device and axle control required.

Applications and users

ISO 10231:2025 is used by:

• Tyre manufacturers - to verify design robustness and production quality.
• Independent test laboratories - to perform repeatable capability tests for clients.
• Regulatory authorities and type‑approval bodies - to confirm tyre safety characteristics.
• R&D and quality engineers - for development validation, failure investigation and comparative testing.

Keywords: ISO 10231:2025, motorcycle tyres, tyre testing, endurance test, high‑speed test, centrifugal growth test, strength test, tyre verification.

Related standards

• ISO 4223‑1 - Definitions of some terms used in the tyre industry (normative reference cited by ISO 10231:2025).

Standards Content (Sample)

International
Standard
ISO 10231
Fifth edition
Motorcycle tyres — Test methods
2025-05
for verifying tyre capabilities
Pneumatiques pour motocycles — Méthodes d'essai pour la
vérification de l'aptitude des pneumatiques
Reference number
© ISO 2025
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, or required in the context of its implementation, no part of this publication may
be reproduced or utilized otherwise in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or posting on
the internet or an intranet, without prior written permission. Permission can be requested from either ISO at the address below
or ISO’s member body in the country of the requester.
ISO copyright office
CP 401 • Ch. de Blandonnet 8
CH-1214 Vernier, Geneva
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.iso.org
Published in Switzerland
ii
Contents Page
Foreword .iv
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 Test equipment . 2
5 Testing. 3
5.1 Strength test .3
5.1.1 General .3
5.1.2 Preparation of tyre .3
5.1.3 Test procedure.3
5.2 Endurance test .4
5.2.1 Preparation of tyre .4
5.2.2 Test procedure.4
5.3 High-speed test .4
5.3.1 General .4
5.3.2 Preparation of tyre .5
5.3.3 Test method .5
5.4 Centrifugal growth test .6
5.4.1 General .6
5.4.2 Preparation of tyre .6
5.4.3 Test procedure.6
6 Requirements . 7
6.1 Test sample .7
6.2 Strength test .7
6.2.1 General .7
6.3 Endurance test .7
6.4 High-speed test .7
6.5 Centrifugal growth test .8
Annex A (normative) Enveloping curve for contour of tyre for centrifugal growth test . 9
Annex B (informative) Tyres suitable for speeds over 240 km/h .10
Bibliography .11

iii
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards
bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out through
ISO technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical committee
has been established has the right to be represented on that committee. International organizations,
governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work. ISO collaborates closely
with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of electrotechnical standardization.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are described
in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular, the different approval criteria needed for the different types
of ISO document should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the editorial rules of the
ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www.iso.org/directives).
ISO draws attention to the possibility that the implementation of this document may involve the use of (a)
patent(s). ISO takes no position concerning the evidence, validity or applicability of any claimed patent
rights in respect thereof. As of the date of publication of this document, ISO had not received notice of (a)
patent(s) which may be required to implement this document. However, implementers are cautioned that
this may not represent the latest information, which may be obtained from the patent database available at
www.iso.org/patents. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
constitute an endorsement.
For an explanation of the voluntary nature of standards, the meaning of ISO specific terms and expressions
related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO's adherence to the World Trade
Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), see www.iso.org/iso/foreword.html.
This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 31, Tyres, rims and valves, Subcommittee SC
10, Cycle, moped, motorcycle tyres and rims.
This fifth edition cancels and replaces the fourth edition (ISO 10231:2022), which has been technically
revised.
The main changes are as follows:
— clarification of the tolerance for plunger diameter (see 4.2);
— clarification of the tolerance for slip angle and camber angle in endurance and high-speed test (see 4.4).
Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards body. A
complete listing of these bodies can be found at www.iso.org/members.html.

iv
International Standard ISO 10231:2025(en)
Motorcycle tyres — Test methods for verifying tyre
capabilities
1 Scope
This document specifies test methods for verifying the capabilities of tyres for motorcycles.
The test methods presented in this document are not applicable for gradation of tyre performance or
quality levels.
This document is applicable to all motorcycle tyres.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content constitutes
requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references,
the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
ISO 4223-1, Definitions of some terms used in the tyre industry — Part 1: Pneumatic tyres
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the terms and definitions given in ISO 4223-1 and the following apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminology databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https:// www .iso .org/ obp
— IEC Electropedia: available at https:// www .electropedia .org/
3.1
bead separation
breakdown of bond between components in the bead area
3.2
belt separation
parting of rubber compound between belt layers or between belts and plies
3.3
chunking
breaking away of pieces of the tread
3.4
cord separation
cord parting from adjacent rubber compounds
3.5
cracking
parting within the tread, sidewall or inner liner of the tyre extending to cord material
3.6
inner liner separation
parting of inner liner from cord material in the carcass

3.7
open splice
parting at any junction of tread, sidewall or inner liner that extends to cord material
3.8
ply separation
parting of rubber compound between adjacent plies
3.9
tread separation
pulling away of the tread from the tyre carcass
3.10
test rim
rim on which the tyre is fitted for specific testing and, unless specified otherwise, approved or recommended
or permitted in one of the regional tyre standards for a tyre of that size designation and type
3.11
test drum speed
peripheral speed of the steel test drum
3.12
maximum load rating
load carrying capacity corresponds to load index on the tyre
4 Test equipment
The test equipment consists of items 4.1 to 4.5.
For the tyre centrifugal growth test (see 5.4), the measurement equipment accuracy shall be within ±1 % of
full scale.
4.1 Test drum, cylindrical driven flywheel (drum) having a diameter of 1,7 m ± 0,017 m or 2,0 m ± 0,02 m.
The surface of the drum shall be of smooth steel. The width of the test surface shall exceed the overall width
of the test tyre.
For the test drum, the loading device may be a dead-weight cantilevered system with a hydraulic system
or with any other equivalent system. The loading capacity shall be adequate for the requirements of the
procedure and the accuracy shall be within ±1,5 % of the full scale.
For the test drum, the speed capability of the equipment shall be adequate for the requirements of the test
methods. The accuracy of the test drum speed shall be within ±3 % of the full scale.
4.2 Plunger, cylindrical steel plunger of sufficient length with a hemispherical end and a diameter of
8 mm ± 0,2 mm.
For the plunger equipment, the loading device shall be of hydraulic type or an equivalent system with a
maximum load capacity adequate for the requirements of the test methods. Indicators of displacement and
of force shall be provided with an accuracy within ±1 % of full scale.
For the plunger equipment, the speed of the displacement shall be controlled with an accuracy within ±3 %
of the full scale.
4.3 Inflation pressure gauges, with a maximum scale value of at least 500 kPa and an accuracy
within ±5 kPa.
4.4 Test axle, for the tyre centrifugal gro
...