advice please..

[Mark@KnobbyKnife]

This is Jennifer Mark's wife....

A lady has called about a press release in regards to us.

She needs to know the technical term for Knobbies on dirt bike tires.

She says it sounded like slang. Mark is the under the gun at work and I have no idea. Any ideas? It wouldn't be tread would it?

[Ron731]

Ill say tread block or blocking will that work?

[HNR_Engineer]

Strange question but a knobbieknife is used to cut the tread into a tire or alter the tread on an existing tire.

[Mark@KnobbyKnife]

Thank you thank! So tread can be used in place of the word knobby. I will let the lady know.

[OLHILLBILLY]

In other motorsports your product is known as a "tread groover" Dirt track stock cars use them extensively to cut grooves in the tread of they're tires. So yes, I supposed tread would be the word. Since that is essentially what the word "knobbie" is referring to, the style of tread pattern of a dirt bike tire.

[Swede73]

Waffle makers?

[Black Bandit]

Yeah, but a knobby Knife is used to sharpen up, your knobbies, or give them a new edge.

A thread knife carves patterns in rubber.

If I had a knobby that had a rounded edge I could use the knobby knife to put a new sharp edge on the knobby. If you have a rubber tire with no tread patter in it, you could use the thread groover to make a pattern.

They are different.

[Mark@KnobbyKnife]

I just heard back from a guy we work with from racerxonline. He says he has never heard it called anything but knobbies. I will gather up the information that you guys have given me and let her decide. It's not a big deal to me, but she was in a panic...needing it right away.

Thanks guys!

[tech24]

aren't they called knobs? Or even tread knobs?

[Johnny_On_The_Spot]

a "tread lug" is the technical term

[CaptainKnobby]

On a dirt bike,the tires are called knobby tires.......all ways has been as far back as the sixties. Tread tires is what is on your car,truck,suv ect it is a tire that has a treaded pattern so water,snow,mud ect can escape.

On a treaded tire you can cut grooves in it to make a pattern to alter the tire for diferent kinds of gripping and water excavation.

On a knobby tire (which has knobs) that are all ready put on from the mold from the factory (which you cant remove them) unless you cut them off but why would you do that to a new tire. Anyways, on a knobby tire you just shape the knobs to have a better biting edge ........"Hence" sharpen

Thats the way it is......

[Johnny_On_The_Spot]

On a dirt bike,the tires are called knobby tires.......all ways has been as far back as the sixties. Tread tires is what is on your car,truck,suv ect it is a tire that has a treaded pattern so water,snow,mud ect can escape.

You're thinking of sipes- that is what evacuates water.

Regardless of the tread design- the engineering term is lug

quick google search even brings this up: http://www.durotire.com/chinese_trad/products/motorcycle/motorcycle_sport.php

[CaptainKnobby]

I'm just going to keep calling them knobbys. Sounds better to me that way than going up to someones bike and looking at their tires and saying "Nice lug tire you got there" sounds gay to me.

[DrDuke]

I'm just going to keep calling them knobbys. Sounds better to me that way than going up to someones bike and looking at their tires and saying "Nice lug tire you got there" sounds gay to me.

...Says the guy with Knob in his name! Hahah!

No I agree, they are knobs. But really, there probably isn't a real formal term for them so I'd just use whatever most magazines are using.

...Now that I think about it...Wouldn't "Nice knob you got there!" sound gay too? haha..

I dunno, lug reminds me of lug nut on a car..

[Chickenhauler]

Plural (as in a tire full of them)-knobbies.

Singular-Knob.

knob (nb)

n.

1. A rounded protuberance.

2.

a. A rounded handle, as on a drawer or door.

b. A rounded control switch or dial.

3. A prominent rounded hill or mountain.

knobby [nɒbɪ]

adj -bier, -biest

having or covered with small knobs; knobbly

[Johnny_On_The_Spot]

I dunno, lug reminds me of lug nut on a car..

It sounds funny, but it is the real technical term used in industry. "Knobby" is a slang term used - like if I called a cylinder a "jug", or a divergent cone pipe a "megaphone."

[Ronus]

if its a press release to the moto community , jsut call them knobbies , thats how we all know them