A motorcycle tire improved in transient characteristics when leaned is disclosed, wherein the tread portion has a unidirectional tread pattern comprising: inside oblique main grooves disposed on each side of the tire equator staggeredly, inclined to the axially outside toward the intended rotational direction (R) at an angle of 5 to 30 degrees with respect to the circumferential direction, and each having an inner end (Ai) at a distance of 0 to 30% of the half tread width (W) from the tire equator; and outside oblique main grooves 11 disposed on each side of the tire equator staggeredly, inclined to the axially outside toward the counter-rotational direction at an angle of 10 to 60 degrees with respect to the circumferential direction, and each having an inner end (Bi) axially inside the outer end (Ao).