Newbie issue

[Asher]

Hey im fairly new to motorbikes and have absolutely no knowledge about motorbike tyres.
The issue im having is i live about 40kms out of Christchurch and the roads into town are pretty much straight, giving me a nice big flat spot in the middle of my rear tyre.
My current tyre is a Pirerri Dragon, i have ridden around 3k since buying the bike and it had a good amount of tread when i brought it and now there is almost nothing left.
Is this tyre wear normal? or could it be wearing fast due to age? (i dont know how old it is.)

Could anyone suggest a good replacement? would a touring tyre last longer?

Thanks

[tigertim20]

i dunno fuckall about the pirelli dragon, but touring tyres will give you good mileage.
I ran a michelin pilot road 2ct on the back of my R1, got awesome kays out of it given that I give my bike more beans that I really should on the road and used it to commute etc.

the best thing I found was then even when the centre of the tyre was fucked, but the sides still had good tread, the tyre never really lost its shape which I was impressed with - they tyre handles well its whole life and didnt really pancake like other tyres Ive had did.

Go into your local bike shop and discuss your needs with them. make sure they know they type of riding you do, and what your needs are - they will help you select a tyre that it suited to your needs

[FJRider]

The issue im having is i live about 40kms out of Christchurch and the roads into town are pretty much straight, giving me a nice big flat spot in the middle of my rear tyre.

Straight road running certainly doesn't help tyre life. Neither does hard acceleration ... and braking. Back tyre wear is usually worse than the front tyre. (although I do know of a Duc 916 owner who needed to replace both tyres at 1500 km's)

Try going in and out of the white lines ... it may extend tyre life. (well even tyre wear anyway)

[iYRe]

I've got pirelli night dragons front and rear.. bit of googling suggested 50k life.. but then... mostly in the USA so I doubt they go around corners.

Generally the centre of the tire is harder and longer lasting than the sides..

[Asher]

Thanks for the answers, maybe my tyres are just getting old and brittle.

[FJRider]

I've got pirelli night dragons front and rear.. bit of googling suggested 50k life.. but then... mostly in the USA so I doubt they go around corners.

Generally the centre of the tire is harder and longer lasting than the sides..

If you get more than 10,000 kms from a rear tyre, you're doing well.

Dual compound tyres (usually the touring tyres) are harder in the middle.

The chip seal roads here (as opposed to the concrete yank highways) chew out tyres ... DAM QUICKLY.

[Asher]

I will go to a bike shop tomorrow and see what they suggest.
Seems like the standard rgv tyre sizes are quiet hard to come by; 150/60/17. Can anyone think of a reason why i couldnt fit a 160/60/17?

[35tickets]

I will go to a bike shop tomorrow and see what they suggest.
Seems like the standard rgv tyre sizes are quiet hard to come by; 150/60/17. Can anyone think of a reason why i couldnt fit a 160/60/17?

You should be ok with the wider tyre size, just make sure its not going to make contact with the swingarm or the chain.

There is a bit more choice in a 17" 160/60. If you are looking for better wear in the centre suggest Michelin Pilot Road - they are a dual compound tyre that wear better in the centre

If you can still find them, Bridgestone Battlax are also a good choice

[unstuck]

What pressures you running your tire at? I run pirelli sport demons and they wear fairly quickly when the pressures are just a little off.

[dangerous]

I will go to a bike shop tomorrow and see what they suggest.
Seems like the standard rgv tyre sizes are quiet hard to come by; 150/60/17. Can anyone think of a reason why i couldnt fit a 160/60/17?

go to and only go to Pitlane in Darfield...
I dont reconmend changing factory tyre size, theres reasons for the factory sizes.

[Asher]

What pressures you running your tire at? I run pirelli sport demons and they wear fairly quickly when the pressures are just a little off.

33psi which is what the recommended pressure is.


I understand why it could be better to stick with the factory sizing but its rather annoying when the sizes are hard to come by and there is a huge range just one size up

[paturoa]

If you after more distance out of a rear then I've had good experiences with Pilot Road 2's. Aparently the PR3s are good too.

On my wee strom I got 12,000 out of a PR2. However I got 18,000 out of the original death wings!

[D3ADLYTuna]

33 for the rear could be a little light even tho the bike is light anyway. Have you tried a higher pressure? do you ride it hard or just commuting?
I would suggest playing around with the tire pressures and see how it affects the handling.
otherwise buy a new tire. if you get more than 20,000 kms from a tire then something is wrong haha. i just replaced mine at approx 10,000.
but then i have a heavier and faster bike.

[Taz]

Chuck a car tyre on it.

[tigertim20]

If you get more than 10,000 kms from a rear tyre, you're doing well.

Dual compound tyres (usually the touring tyres) are harder in the middle.

The chip seal roads here (as opposed to the concrete yank highways) chew out tyres ... DAM QUICKLY.

OP has a very light 250, 10k shouldnt be hard to acheive out of a rear at all

33psi which is what the recommended pressure is.


I understand why it could be better to stick with the factory sizing but its rather annoying when the sizes are hard to come by and there is a huge range just one size up

33 seems very low - I run my tyres at 30/30 when cold at the track.
Lower pressure will create more heat, and wear your tyres much faster. i would try playing with the pressure, just a little increase at a time and see how it feels with each change