Every product card in our catalogue carries short badges. Being short, they come without explanation. Here is what each one means.
TL and TT — this is not a preference
- TL — tubeless
- TT — tube type
⛔ You do not choose between these two; your wheel decides which one you need. Fitting the wrong one is not a matter of preference but a safety problem.
As a rule, spoked wheels require a tube — air escapes through the spoke holes; spoked rims built to be sealed are the exception. If you are unsure, ask your dealer.
REINF — reinforced
A version with a reinforced carcass so it can carry a higher load. You will meet it on heavier scooters and in loaded use.
⚠️ It does not mean "better", it means different: the reinforced version of a size has a stiffer sidewall. The load index your machine requires is stated in its owner's manual.
M+S — the most misunderstood badge
M+S stands for "mud and snow". But what it says is narrower than people assume:
⛔ M+S is NOT a certificate of winter performance. It is a declaration based on the geometry of the tread pattern — the manufacturer states that the pattern meets that definition. It does not have to have passed a snow traction test.
The tested marking is 3PMSF: the three-peak mountain snowflake symbol. That symbol requires passing a standardised snow traction test.
⚠️ You will see the M+S badge in our catalogue where the product is marked as such. If you are looking for a certified winter tyre, the marking to look for is 3PMSF. Winter tyre requirements, and which marking satisfies them, also vary by country; check the rules where you are.
Compound
Our catalogue uses four grades: Supersoft · Soft · Medium · Hard.
A softer compound holds the surface better but wears out sooner. With a harder compound the balance reverses. There is no "good" and "bad" between them; there is a job.
As we wrote in the Climber XC-R article: buying the wrong compound is the commonest reason to think a tyre is poor.
The OE marking
It indicates the version a motorcycle manufacturer fits at the factory. It is information of a different kind from a review; what it says and does not say is set out in our article What you can learn about a tyre beyond the reviews.
Position
Front · Rear · Universal. On most motorcycles the front and rear tyres are different sizes; read them separately. If you cannot read a size, our article How to read your tyre size exists for that.