Best motorcycle tyre warmers

Updated: 15 August 2023

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 a sportsbike at a trackday 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.

Racefoxx Basic Tyre Warmers

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Racefoxx is one of the specialists in motorcycle tyre warmers and its products are aimed at amateur racers. This, the basic offering, has no sophisticated temperature controller having a fixed setting of 80°C and only fits up to a 160-section rear tyre.

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)

Cons

Limited settings

Oxford Digital Tyre Warmers

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These warmers are designed for trackday riders and club-level racers, are from respected British clothing and accessories brand Oxford and come with a variety of appealing features at a reasonable price.

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

Cons

Not as 'snazzy' as some

MPW Race Dept Analogue Tyre Warmers

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These warmers are aimed very much at racers, are a proven, rugged design yet, by having a simpler, analogue controller, are great value too. They're made in super-tough Cordura to ensure a long life, are pre-shaped to fit the tyre perfectly, then attached with Velcro straps and cords.

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

Cons

Less-known brand

MotoGP Pro Series Standard Tyre Warmers

Price: £183.99

www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk

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If you want to emulate your Grand Prix heroes either in racing or at a trackday, how better than to use some official 'MotoGP' tyre warmers? These are officially sanctioned by the sport's governing body, come with pukka 'MotoGP' logos and although a more basic offering without an LCD digital display, are more than up to the job.

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 which 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

Cons

Lacks sophisticated control

Oldbones Tyre Warmers

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A more budget, non-branded, non-digital set of tyre warmers but at a more affordable price making them appealing to occasional trackday riders or club racers. As with some other more basic designs, there's no digital display or controller, so only warms tyres to a pre-set 80°C.

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

Cons

Little sophistication

MotoGP Digital Tyre Warmers

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Here's another set of tyre warmers from the MotoGP brand, but this time a slightly pricier, more sophisticated upgrade that features and LCD digital display. The tyre warmers themselves are effectively the same as MotoGP's more basic offering, so are ruggedly built, comes with a useful carry case and so on, but this time they also feature a more sophisticated LCD digital display and controller.

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

Cons

Pricier than some

MPW Race Dept Digital Tyre Warmers

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Another set of tyre warmers from specialist performance brand MPW but this time being its more sophisticated (and slightly more expensive) digital version. As with the analogue versions, they're aimed at seasoned trackday fans and more serious racers, are made in the same durable Cordura material and are pre-shaped to fit the tyre.

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

Cons

Steeper price

Racefoxx Pro Digital Tyre Warmers

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As with other brands such as MotoGP and MPW, tyre warmer experts Racefoxx offer both analogue and higher-spec digital versions of its warmers, with this being its more premium offering u2013 and, yes, at nearly £300 they have the price to match.

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

Cons

Premium price

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By Jim Blackstock

Product Tester for MCN and sister publication RiDE Magazine - Jim began riding motorcycles in the late 1980s while working in an automotive repair garage after earning a Mechanical Engineering degree. Initially, he used bikes for practical purposes but later shifted to cars, starting a publishing career in the early 1990s focused on car modifications and product testing. After a stint in PR and Marketing for major motorsport teams and events, Jim returned to publishing and joined RiDE Magazine in 2017 as a Production Editor. His expertise in product testing soon led him to oversee the magazine’s product content. Rediscovering his love for motorcycles, Jim earned his license through the Direct Access process and now enjoys riding his KTM 790 Adventure across various terrains.