L's Angels Ride to the Naki (Feb 9/10) 2013

**haydes55** · 6th February 2013, 19:00

For those more experienced than myself with new tires. I've never had a new tire on a bike before. Should I get it put on friday and spend the arvo scrubbing it in or wait til i get back from the ride? The wear on my current tire is just the middle of the tire down to the bottom of the tread. The sides have tonnes of tread left.

**Maha** · 6th February 2013, 19:15

Originally Posted by haydes55

For those more experienced than myself with new tires. I've never had a new tire on a bike before. Should I get it put on friday and spend the arvo scrubbing it in or wait til i get back from the ride? The wear on my current tire is just the middle of the tire down to the bottom of the tread. The sides have tonnes of tread left.

New Tyre Hayden, scrub it in. Would hate for the existing tyre to no longer exist part way through the trip, that would be and arse for you.

**Mongolian** · 6th February 2013, 19:42

Originally Posted by haydes55

For those more experienced than myself with new tires. I've never had a new tire on a bike before. Should I get it put on friday and spend the arvo scrubbing it in or wait til i get back from the ride? The wear on my current tire is just the middle of the tire down to the bottom of the tread. The sides have tonnes of tread left.

Scrubbing in a new tire doesn't take too long, you will probably have the meat of it done by the time you ride from the bike shop to home then too the bp on Saturday, just do be careful on the gas and on corners for the first few k's and then you should be sweet. I am assuming its a back tire? fronts are pretty much the same just make sure you don't forget they are slippery when you leave the bike shop and you should be fine.

**Phreak** · 6th February 2013, 19:55

Sorry for only just adding my input to this fine thread, I've been keeping my eye on it on and off for a wee while now...

I feel I have to share some valuable info I learnt from my track day a couple of months ago concerning "scrubbing in tires"... A very very VERY experienced instructor told me it's not such a big issue anymore with the new tires, and the way they're manufactured. Basically all you need to do is go for a ride on new treads, be aware they'll be a little slippery at first, but once they have heat in them they'll be fine. To ensure you're getting good heat into them, accelerate as per normal then brake softly (but with enough pressure to slow down), on a straight section of road, repeat this a few times to build up the heat in the tires (I found it easy enough to alternate front then rear brake each time). Once you have heated the tires up to a good temp you can safely say they are scrubbed.

The reason for people believing you need to very gradually scrub in new tires is that the manufacturers used to use a silicon sealant between the rubber of the tire and the mould that the tire was formed in, hence when tires were put on bikes this sealant needed to be worn off in a safe manner before full paced riding could be undertaken. Nowadays, tires are manufactured without the need for the silicon sealant, but with only a very fine "glaze" that wears off once the tires are heated up.

I hope that makes sense, it's pretty much word for word what I was told at the last A.R.T. day at Hampton Downs.

Feel free to correct me if you think I'm wrong though!

How to scrub in new tires - ehow article I just found, explains it a little better than I did...

**nzspokes** · 6th February 2013, 20:17

Originally Posted by Phreak

Sorry for only just adding my input to this fine thread, I've been keeping my eye on it on and off for a wee while now...

I feel I have to share some valuable info I learnt from my track day a couple of months ago concerning "scrubbing in tires"... A very very VERY experienced instructor told me it's not such a big issue anymore with the new tires, and the way they're manufactured. Basically all you need to do is go for a ride on new treads, be aware they'll be a little slippery at first, but once they have heat in them they'll be fine. To ensure you're getting good heat into them, accelerate as per normal then brake softly (but with enough pressure to slow down), on a straight section of road, repeat this a few times to build up the heat in the tires (I found it easy enough to alternate front then rear brake each time). Once you have heated the tires up to a good temp you can safely say they are scrubbed.

The reason for people believing you need to very gradually scrub in new tires is that the manufacturers used to use a silicon sealant between the rubber of the tire and the mould that the tire was formed in, hence when tires were put on bikes this sealant needed to be worn off in a safe manner before full paced riding could be undertaken. Nowadays, tires are manufactured without the need for the silicon sealant, but with only a very fine "glaze" that wears off once the tires are heated up.

I hope that makes sense, it's pretty much word for word what I was told at the last A.R.T. day at Hampton Downs.

Feel free to correct me if you think I'm wrong though!

Next time you go to Drury tyres, ask how many customers have not made it across the road after fitting new tyres...........

Even though they remind you at least twice and theres a big sign saying to be careful.

**frogfeaturesFZR** · 6th February 2013, 20:17

Yip, thats it pretty much, couple of heat cycles and your new tyres are good to go. After that just don't try to be Rossi before you get them a bit warmed up.

**frogfeaturesFZR** · 6th February 2013, 20:18

Originally Posted by nzspokes

Next time you go to Drury tyres, ask how many customers have not made it across the road after fitting new tyres...........

Even though they remind you at least twice and theres a big sign saying to be careful.

Cycletreads are the same.

**haydes55** · 6th February 2013, 21:19

Originally Posted by Phreak

Yada yada yada

Cheers for that.

I've just been sweating it that I'll have to scrub it in over a few slow rides before it would be safe to take on a long trip.

Obviously I'm more worried than need be.

Also this trip has just gotten better for me!

Made a deal on Trademe, swapping my bike for a BMW F650 in New Plymouth and riding that back (if we are both happy with each other bikes etc.).

Fun ride on awesome roads.

Hanging out with the gang.

New toy.

(If he's REAL nice he would let me keep both?

)
Do all the fun roads again on a comfier bike the next day.

(I offered to chuck the new tire on as a deal sweetner

)

**Gremlin** · 7th February 2013, 01:19

Originally Posted by haydes55

For those more experienced than myself with new tires. I've never had a new tire on a bike before. Should I get it put on friday and spend the arvo scrubbing it in or wait til i get back from the ride? The wear on my current tire is just the middle of the tire down to the bottom of the tread. The sides have tonnes of tread left.

It's not so much long or short rides, it's getting rid of the first layer on the tyre. It also depends what the tyre is. Being a dual purpose bike, if you're putting knobblies or the like on, I've found they perform better on the road once they've been run through gravel.

Otherwise, for road tyres, the first few km are the most important and it gets easier from there. Be gentle on the throttle and progressively lean the bike more and more. You'll see the wear on the tyre start to appear as you scrub the shiny surface off and then once you've got rid of it, you're good to go.

Worst experience for me was either running in new tyres for my boss on his Blackbird (1100cc) in the pouring rain - even the mechanic wouldn't take it for the post-service run around the block, or new knobblies on my 250kg GSA... first corner with the bike squirming sideways wasn't pleasant...

**Maha** · 7th February 2013, 10:09

Scrubbing in tyres is not a science, its common sense.

More importantly, Te Kuiti has promised us Sunshine and 27 degs for Saturday.

**bluninja** · 7th February 2013, 10:54

Originally Posted by Maha

Scrubbing in tyres is not a science, its common sense.

More importantly, Te Kuiti has promised us Sunshine and 27 degs for Saturday.

I guess I'll have to go home-Whangamomona-Uhura-Te Kuiti for lunch then

and back to NP the other way with you nice peeps.

**Maha** · 7th February 2013, 11:48

Originally Posted by bluninja

I guess I'll have to go home-Whangamomona-Uhura-Te Kuiti for lunch then

and back to NP the other way with you nice peeps.

Oh very nice, I have yet to do the Forgotten H/Way...was thinking a three dayer (Auckland-Taupo/Taupo-NP/NP-Auckland) taking in SH 43 on day two...at some stage.
But not with 20 bike though...maybe 6-8 would be suffice.

**nadroj** · 7th February 2013, 11:48

We went thru from Stratford to Taumaranui yesterday on day 3 of the motorcycle tour for the masters games. The road is in mint condition to the Taumaranui turnoff but sand in places from the turnoff to Taumaranui if you go that way for fuel.

**bluninja** · 7th February 2013, 13:05

Originally Posted by nadroj

We went thru from Stratford to Taumaranui yesterday on day 3 of the motorcycle tour for the masters games. The road is in mint condition to the Taumaranui turnoff but sand in places from the turnoff to Taumaranui if you go that way for fuel.

Thanks for the heads up, but I get 450-500 kms on a tank, so as long as I fill up when I leave home I should be good for the whole trip (but I'll fill up in Te Kuiti).