Tyre issues

[Jaghund]

Just got myself a pair of new Pirellis for my 1000RX, and was having a ball down Taranaki way with them until I noticed some very fine cuts appearing on the rear tread, like someone had been at it with a scalpel.

Started off only noticing small crescents, say 5mm long, but regular around the whole tyre, about 30-40mm off the centerline of the tyre parallel to the centerline. Now I have them up to 10-12mm long in places, again regular around the whole tyre (but funnily enough only on one side of the center it seems).

They have only done about 1500km, and while it was a quick trip, I am no GP racer so barely beaded them up at all.

The rear is a "Route" cruiser type of tyre (vs the Speed Demon front end) which I was a bit sceptical about at first, but which has proven to handle well (if a little less grippy than I would prefer).

So....

1. Does anyone know what is causing this?
2. Is this something I should be worried about i.e. will it get worse and give me safety issues?
3. Should I be able to take them back to Mr Haldane and get them to give me a new rear tyre - hopefully one that won't do this?

Any advice welcome and appreciated.

[Mystic13]

Sounds like the carbon strip. They have them on the Michelin Pilot Power. So after a little tyre wear a line starts to appear. Like a cut with a blade. As the tyre wears a little more you will see the cut goes right around the tyre.

So most bike shops had no idea what it was. Finally a bike shop said "Yep" normal. they install a carbon strip in the tyre that runs around the tyre. The Mich. was off centre as well. Apparently the idea is they're there to deal with static electricity so you don't get a build up of the stuff due to the compounds they use in modern tyres.

Sounds plausible. The cut stayed right till the end of the tyre life. I also saw it on other Michelin tyres. It's the sort of thing that you can't miss once you know about it.

I can't remember who told me about what the strip is. I deal with 4 places and any of them could have told me and the other 3 had no idea.

You talk about little crescents. My lines and the ones I've seen on other Michelin tyres are a straightline. And all left of centre from memory. I run a Pirelli Corsa III on the rear now and it has no line.

I don't know if this is what you have but it sounds like it. If Haldanes don't know I'd get them to phone the importer or do it yourself. Their tyre guy should know.

[Jaghund]

No, I don't think that is it. The cuts/cracks are intermittent though regular, and happen at varying distances from the centerline of the tyre. Thanks anyway for the suggestion.

If I can find out camera, I'll take some pics and post them here. Worth a thousand words.

Hey, how do I edit my details to get rid of the "L Plate" tag? When I got my first wheels there was no such thing as L plates, and I jumped from Prov to full licence back in 1982.....

[AllanB]

L-Plate just means that you are a newbee here and have not many posts or bling. Get posting :2thumbsup

I'd take the tyre to a bike shop or bike tyre seller and ask - sounds weird. I ran the Pirelli Route on a old 750 Kawa and there were no cuts as you describe.

Carbon strip - I've that on my PR2's runs down the centreline (well slightly off set) - I was told by Cycle Treads that they all get that (and the ones I've seen have) but he said it was a moulding join line. No worries, normal.