CEAT CrossRad Dual-Purpose Tyre Review: Tested Across Highways, Heat and Ghats

By: Aashish Bhardwaj

My last run between Mumbai and Delhi on my BMW G 310 GS happened during peak summer. What should have been an adventure ride quickly turned into an endurance test — for both the motorcycle and the rider. With temperatures soaring up to 48 degrees Celsius, long riding hours under a blazing sun pushed everything to its limits.

While both the bike and I survived the journey, it was only after reaching Delhi that I realised who bore the biggest brunt of it all — the tyres.

A closer inspection revealed multiple fine cracks across the tyre sidewalls. The tread depth was still healthy and didn’t immediately warrant a replacement, but the visible ageing raised concerns about safety and reliability on future long rides.

Also Read: Blog: Cross-Country Motorcycle Ride in Peak Summer? You Must Be Joking!

Tyres, in many ways, are to a motorcycle what a string is to a kite. You may soar high, but you always need an anchor to keep you from drifting away. Reaching home safe and satisfied depends as much on your tyres as it does on your riding skills.

Balancing on two wheels is inherently unstable, and while modern electronics react within microseconds, the first line of defence is always mechanical grip. This becomes even more crucial on mid-spec and entry-level motorcycles, where advanced aids like cornering ABS and traction control are either limited or completely absent.

CEAT CrossRad Installation

The CEAT CrossRad — a dual-purpose adventure touring tyre — emerged as a promising replacement for the factory-fitted rubber. With a claimed 70 percent road bias and 30 percent off-road capability, it seemed well suited to a touring motorcycle like the BMW G 310 GS.

Availability in the same specifications as the OE Metzeler Tourance made the decision easier on paper. In reality, sourcing the tyre wasn’t straightforward. Multiple dealers expressed regret over non-availability, and an online delivery return (entirely my fault) delayed things further. Eventually, with some help from the CEAT brand team, I managed to secure a set.

Fitment was smooth, and the CEAT Tyre Shoppe offered a professional, hassle-free experience with nothing to complain about.

Also Read: CEAT Introduces Sportrad and Crossrad Tyres in Indian Market

Day 1: Highway Is Home

The ride from Ghaziabad to Navi Mumbai was split into three days, with two overnight halts planned and an average distance of around 500 km per day. Day one took me from NCR to Bhilwara, covering approximately 570 km.

The highways out of Delhi offered excellent tarmac, allowing sustained high speeds and giving the tyres a proper warm-up. Occasional road construction zones with scraped surfaces, loose gravel and uneven patches did test stability, but the wider cross-section and deep grooves of the CrossRad ensured consistent grip.

Even over gravel-strewn sections, the bike remained planted, with no unsettling slides or skids. After a major halt at Jaipur, the remainder of the day was an almost continuous run. Despite the long distance, day one felt effortless and confidence-inspiring.

Also Read: Eurogrip Beamer Tyre Review: 1,500 km Highway Test

Day 2: Some Dirt Along the Way

Exiting Bhilwara towards Chittorgarh the next morning meant tackling dusty, pothole-ridden city roads. While the CrossRad isn’t a street tyre in the conventional sense, it is designed to handle constantly changing surfaces typical of cross-country touring.

CEAT claims the silica-blended compound and unique tread pattern ensure even pressure distribution across the contact patch, improving grip on loose surfaces and mild trails. On real roads, this translated into predictable behaviour and good feedback, even over broken patches.

Chittorgarh marked the first halt of the day, complete with Rajasthan’s famous pyaz kachoris for breakfast and a quick visit to the historic fort. The next 450 km were largely uneventful, barring frequent rumble strips that served as reminders to check luggage mounts.

Single-lane highways, heavy commercial traffic and the absence of street lighting made the ride increasingly tiring. A long dinner halt at Khandwa helped recharge before a late-night check-in at Maheshwar, wrapping up a demanding second day.

Having crossed over 1,000 km by then, it was safe to say the CrossRad felt every bit as competent as the OE Metzeler Tourance when it came to highway touring.

Day 3: Twists and Turns

The final leg from Maheshwar to Navi Mumbai offered some of the most enjoyable riding of the trip. The winding roads around the Igatpuri ghat section, paired with smooth tarmac, allowed the tyres to truly shine.

High-speed cornering felt natural and confidence-inspiring. The rounded tyre profile, combined with thick, continuous rubber on the shoulders, encouraged deeper lean angles without a hint of instability. Even at triple-digit speeds through sweeping bends, the bike felt composed and secure.

A closer look at the tread pattern reveals open-ended grooves extending to the shoulders, designed to channel away water, slush and loose mud — an advantage during mild off-road trails and wet conditions.

Also Read: TVS Eurogrip Duratrail EB+ & Terrabite EB+ Tyre Review

Verdict

At the end of the journey, the odometer read 1,593 km. Over three days of long riding hours across highways, broken roads and twisty ghats, the CEAT CrossRad never once felt short of grip or confidence.

While I didn’t get the opportunity to test the tyres in heavy rain or hardcore off-road conditions, the asymmetrical tread pattern and deep transversal grooves suggest strong all-round capability. Being developed locally, these tyres are also likely to handle extreme Indian weather better and age more gracefully than many imported alternatives.

Priced significantly lower than comparable international options, the CEAT CrossRad delivers solid highway performance with the added bonus of mild off-road capability. For riders looking for a dependable, value-for-money touring tyre, this one feels like a no-brainer.