A pneumatic tire for a motorcycle in which partial abrasion is suppressed by making the slip component of a tread lubber in the circumferential direction of tire as uniform as possible in the ground contacting plane. A cushion rubber layer 38 having elastic modulus lower than that of the tread rubber 30 is arranged on a spiral belt layer 22, and an inclination belt layer 24 including a cord inclining at an angle of 45 to 90 degrees to the circumferential direction of the tire is arranged on the cushion rubber layer 38. Consequently, shear deformation of the cushion rubber layer 38 during traveling can be transmitted to the tread rubber 30 after being smoothed by the inclination belt layer 24. As compared with a case not provided with the cushion rubber layer 38 and the inclination belt layer 24, shear deformation of the tread rubber layer 30 can be reduced relatively because shear deformation occurs in the cushion rubber layer 38 in place of the tread rubber 30; and since the slip component of the tread rubber 30 in the circumferential direction of the tire becomes substantially uniform in the ground contacting plane, partial abrasion can be suppressed.