Motorcycle tyres are made from natural and syntheric rubbers and other chemicals are used to bond them together.
Petrol does have the ability to degrade a tyre but it’s unlikely to do so.
The real petrol risk
If you ride over petrol, let’s say on a petrol station forecourt, the biggest risk is a loss of traction, causing you to tip off your bike and damage it or yourself in the process. If you do get petrol on your tyre, we advise you use a cloth or tissue paper to clean off as much of the residue as possible. Diesel is more oily than petrol, even more of a hazard and harder to clean off. Once the visible petrol or diesel has been removed from your tyre, ride gently for the first few miles and the tyre’s contact with the tarmac will clean off most of the remaining residue.
Petrol damage
As mentioned above, petrol is unlikely to cause a material weakness in your tyre, as long as you don’t leave it on there. If your tyre is sat in a pool of petrol, diesel or oil for a prolonged period of time (for example while being stored in your garage) it’s likely the tyre will absorb some of the fuel and it’ll be very hard to remove it from the tyre. The best bet here is to replace the tyre.
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