Why you should check your tyres more thoroughly than I have been doing...

[slofox]

Hell's bells - I knew the tyres were getting a little worn (10,000km on them) but it wasn't until I had a real close look this morning that I discovered what you see below.

My garage was flooded last October and a lot of silt was deposited. Which means that when I roll the bike out before checking tyres, there is crap on them. Today I cleaned it off to have a real good look and voila...

Memo to self: Don't be a lazy bugger...



It's a month since the last good look...better I do this check more often...

[BoristheBiter]

10,000km on the middle of the tyre you mean.
From that picture it looks like the rest of the tyre is untouched.
What sort are they?

[slofox]

10,000km on the middle of the tyre you mean.
From that picture it looks like the rest of the tyre is untouched.
What sort are they?

The rest of the tyre is not untouched...

They're BT016's

[BoristheBiter]

The rest of the tyre is not untouched...

They're BT016's

I thought so.
I only get just on 6K on mine, mind you that is including a track day or two.

[oneofsix]

once that flat area forms it goes quick. A lot of highway riding? I always feel I have only used halve the rubber when the middle goes due to mainly motorway riding, frazing razing commuting but have to work to live.

[steve_t]

Holy crap. U need a new tyre now? I have a brand new BT016 in my garage waiting to go on in the next few months but you can buy it if you need one ASAP. I still have no idea where I'm gonna go to get it mounted

[slofox]

I don't often ride straight roads but they always square off at the back. The front is scalloped to hell this time - which is also the usual pattern. But this time the scalloping is much worse on one side than the other - the right hand side. Which surprises me because I always feel more comfortable in left handers than right. The dude at Cycletreads reckons it's due to road camber but I wouldn't know.

Last set did 9000km. No track days though. I was trying to squeeze a little more out of this set...doubt I'll do that again..

Really appreciate your offer steve_t but it's all in hand for tomorrow, thanks...

Lucky I have a "tyre fund" which will just about cover everything...just about.

[Latte]

Holy crap. U need a new tyre now? I have a brand new BT016 in my garage waiting to go on in the next few months but you can buy it if you need one ASAP. I still have no idea where I'm gonna go to get it mounted

They go on your rims man

[oldrider]

Hell's bells - I knew the tyres were getting a little worn (10,000km on them) but it wasn't until I had a real close look this morning that I discovered what you see below.

My garage was flooded last October and a lot of silt was deposited. Which means that when I roll the bike out before checking tyres, there is crap on them. Today I cleaned it off to have a real good look and voila...

Memo to self: Don't be a lazy bugger...

It's a month since the last good look...better I do this check more often...

Rule Number one: Check tyres and chain at the end of every days ride!

Rule number two: Check (and/or inflate) tyres then check the whole bike before every ride!

Rule number three: Live long and continue riding as long as you "physically" can! (fuck Nick Smith and ACC $$$$ liars!)

[george formby]

I don't often ride straight roads but they always square off at the back. The front is scalloped to hell this time - which is also the usual pattern. But this time the scalloping is much worse on one side than the other - the right hand side. Which surprises me because I always feel more comfortable in left handers than right. The dude at Cycletreads reckons it's due to road camber but I wouldn't know.

Last set did 9000km. No track days though. I was trying to squeeze a little more out of this set...doubt I'll do that again..

Really appreciate your offer steve_t but it's all in hand for tomorrow, thanks...

Lucky I have a "tyre fund" which will just about cover everything...just about.

My front wears harder on the right too and after much debate the road camber argument stacks up for me. Sadly I square off my rear as well despite the effort I put into cornering & the lack of straight roads up here. I always feel slightly hard done by replacing a tire with 50% of it's tread still legal. I don't really give a toss about the middle, it's the edges were I need the grip.

[oneofsix]

My front wears harder on the right too and after much debate the road camber argument stacks up for me. Sadly I square off my rear as well despite the effort I put into cornering & the lack of straight roads up here. I always feel slightly hard done by replacing a tire with 50% of it's tread still legal. I don't really give a toss about the middle, it's the edges were I need the grip.

I discovered it pays to have some rubber in the middle quite few years back. I thought I was checking my tyres, I would look at them every morning as I walked past and there was plenty of rubber on the rear, pity it was only on the sides in the end . When the rear tried to pass the front twice the same day I had a look for oil or something on the wheel . The canvass kind of gave the hint that the problem was lack of rather than something attached to the wheel that was the issue.

[george formby]

I discovered it pays to have some rubber in the middle quite few years back. I thought I was checking my tyres, I would look at them every morning as I walked past and there was plenty of rubber on the rear, pity it was only on the sides in the end . When the rear tried to pass the front twice the same day I had a look for oil or something on the wheel . The canvass kind of gave the hint that the problem was lack of rather than something attached to the wheel that was the issue.

I used to have a CB750 that felt like that with new tires! Something to do with a hinge in the middle apparently.

I did not mean to be that extreme it still needs to have rubber on it

My biggest fear when the tread is worn to the limit is punctures. As already stated, from being worn to fooked is not long at all.

[slofox]

I find it interesting just how the front and back tyres wear. The picture shows what the rear has done - worn out in the middle.

The front is exactly opposite. The centre is still pretty good but the shoulders are totally fooked - to the extent that the worst side (right) has no tread grooves left at all.

So how come the sides wear off the front and the centre wears off the back?

Maybe there's a swivel in the middle of the bike so that the front tilts and the back doesn't...

[george formby]

I find it interesting just how the front and back tyres wear. The picture shows what the rear has done - worn out in the middle.

The front is exactly opposite. The centre is still pretty good but the shoulders are totally fooked - to the extent that the worst side (right) has no tread grooves left at all.

So how come the sides wear off the front and the centre wears off the back?

Maybe there's a swivel in the middle of the bike so that the front tilts and the back doesn't...

I would guess that under acceleration the weight comes onto the back tire as it is being driven & the bike being stood up causing the wear in the middle. On the front the weight comes on under brakes & cornering causing the sides to wear. Riding along in a straight line the front is just rolling, not a lot of friction.

IMHO

[phill-k]

Took the vulcan in for a service at the Kawasaki dealership here in Whangarei a couple of weeks ago, knew the rear was getting close and had been checking it regularly, mechanic did his stuff but then informed me he would not test ride the bike, I had been planning to go the following day to Cycletreads on the shore and wanted it serviced for the warranty first. Bugger only thing they had was an ME880 had the back put on and they ordered a front to match, missed the ride and didn't want to check what the extra cost was but finally checked cycletreads prices and discovered the price we agreed to was $10 a tyre less, feel bad about the fact I was going to Ak but then the excuse for the ride was a big part of it.
Funny that I have also had to replace two radials on the wagon and the cost of both of those didn't even come near the rear tyre.