Best motorcycle tyre warmers

Motorcycle racing fans will be familiar with ‘tyre warmers’, the electrically-heated blankets used to warm tyres up to optimum temperatures before the start of a race – but they’re now also widely available to the public for use on trackdays or amateur racing, too.

The principle, of course, is that tyres are designed to work best and offer the most grip when warmed up to operating temperature which, in normal use, takes a few laps of riding.

However, with warmers they’re optimised from the get-go, improving not only racing performance but also trackday safety, enjoyment and prolonging the life of your tyres.

But there’s also a wide variety of brands, prices and features out there, some from well-known names, others with sophisticated temperature controls and features.

Related: Motorcycle trackday essentials

So, what’s out there, what do you get for your money and which – if you’re a racer or committed track day addict – should you go for?

Here’s our pick of some of the current best to help you decide.

It’s aimed more at Supermoto than superbike riders but is ruggedly built, has wide straps and an extended fixing tape, has sandwich thermal insulation and comes with either a carrying bag or hard case.

Pros:

Durable construction

Specialist brand

Well rated (among Supermoto riders)

Con:

Limited settings

They are CE approved, come in a handy carry case, fit up to 120/70 x 17 (front) and 190/55 x 17 (rear) tyres, are made from a heat-resistant fabric reinforced with nylon and are super-easy to use by having a digital LCD display (held in a clear pocket), controller with three temperature settings and an automatic thermostat cut-off.

Pros:

Respected brand

Easy-use features

Decent price

Con:

Not as ‘snazzy’ as some

They use two red and green LED indicators to indicate when warming and up to temperature and, usefully, also come with an analogue, three-way temperature controller. They’re CE-certified, too.

Pros:

Rugged design

Three settings

Decent price

Con:

Less-known brand

They come with either a UK three-pin or EU two-pin plug, fit all sportsbike tyre sizes, come with a storage bag, heat the tyres up automatically to 80°C with is then indicated by a green LED (red if getting up to temperature) which is then thermostatically retained until the warmers are removed or switched off.

Pros:

Great brand

Simple operation

Useful carry bag

Con:

Lacks sophisticated control

There’s also no fancy branding or extra features such as a carry case. But they’re well-enough made, come in a variety of colours and do the job for those not demanding the latest or flashiest.

Pros:

Great value

Straightforward design

Easy to use

Con:

Little sophistication

This allows the user to specify the exact temperature required over a range of 40-99°C and displays the tyre temperature in real time so the user can tailor the temperature required according to weather or time constraints.

Pros:

Great brand

Accurate control

Well rated

Con:

Pricier than some

This time, however, there’s also a more sophisticated LED display and controller which allows you to choose your preferred temperature according to conditions and displays the tyre’s temperature in real time. They’re also being used by some of the UK’s leading race teams.

Pros:

Respected brand

Sophisticated control options

Durable construction

Con:

Steeper price

That’s justified, however, by the spec: an LED digital display allows both bespoke temperature tuning and a continuous real-time display of temperature; they’re ruggedly constructed, fit all superbike tyres, come in a variety of colours and are highly rated as well. They also come with a two-year warranty and your choice of either soft or hard carry case.

Pros:

Great features

Quality reputation

Two-year warranty

Con:

Premium price

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