Read Tyre Size

Along with the Manufacturer’s name and the name of the tyre (ie Firehawk TZ100), there will be a set of numbers and letters that relate to the size of the tyre, like this: 205/65R15

A tyres profile relates to the depth of the sidewall (the wall at the side of the tyre). Higher performance vehicles are usually fitted with tyres that have narrow sidewalls, or lower profiles. The profile is expressed as a % of the tyre’s width. For example our 205/65R15 tyre has a profile or sidewall that is 65% of the 205mm (width). A low profile tyre is generally 45 or below and down to as little as 30 in the ultra high performance segment (such as the Wide Oval). The benefit of low profile tyres is that they give you greater control and better handling when cornering, but the trade off can be a slightly more bumpy ride. Also, going to a lower profile on the same size wheels alters the speedometer reading so you’ll need to increase the tyre and wheel diameter size.
All tyres carry a speed symbol in the form of a letter indicating the maximum speed for which the tyre is intended. The table below shows which speed goes with each letter.