tyre wear

**Motu** · 23rd June 2004, 09:32

Yeah,I'm talking more car tyres here - there are too many variables in a motorcycle to get even wear over the whole tyre.A car tyre is supposed to sit flat on the road - so any wear started by wheel alignment or inflation pressures will stay with the tyre for it's life,of course there are exceptions,but just running correct pressures won't cure underinflation wear.The same could and does apply to bikes,but the nay stories would probably outweight the yea stories.

**Dr Bob** · 23rd June 2004, 10:56

I would always run my tyres in the direction of rotation indicated by the arrow regardless of construction or theory. Mainly because if an insurance inspector is looking over the remains of my bike I don't want them to find any reason to hold off paying out.

**vifferman** · 23rd June 2004, 11:00

Originally Posted by Dr the Bob

...if an insurance inspector is looking over the remains of my bike I don't want them to find any reason to hold off paying out.

Good point.

**Dr Bob** · 23rd June 2004, 11:02

As to tyre inflation, I was in the service station a month ago putting air in the tyres of my ute. The ute has 8 ply commercial tyres on the back that are rated at 65psi. An inexperienced couple (recent migrants who seemed uncertain about these sorts of 'technical' issues) pulled up in a generic ex japan saloon. In broken English the guy asks me how much air I am putting in my tyres as he is unscrewing the plastic valve covers. Oooh boy was I tempted to be mean - but I restrained myself.

**Gixxer 4 ever** · 23rd June 2004, 12:55

Originally Posted by Dr Bob

I would always run my tyres in the direction of rotation indicated by the arrow regardless of construction or theory. Mainly because if an insurance inspector is looking over the remains of my bike I don't want them to find any reason to hold off paying out.

So true. We get lost in the theory some times. Good point and they will

**Kickaha** · 23rd June 2004, 18:05

Originally Posted by Dr Bob

As to tyre inflation, I was in the service station a month ago putting air in the tyres of my ute. The ute has 8 ply commercial tyres on the back that are rated at 65psi.

Yes they are rated to 65 psi but there is no need to inflate them to that unless carrying the maximun load the tyre is rated for (about 750kg per tyre)

Bike tyres wearing on one side I would have said road camber as well,depending on the area as some places have more camber than others due to higher rainfall and to promote water runoff.

**Dr Bob** · 24th June 2004, 12:56

Originally Posted by Kickaha

Yes they are rated to 65 psi but there is no need to inflate them to that unless carrying the maximun load the tyre is rated for (about 750kg per tyre)

....

I normally have them at 50, but I could still have been mean.

**Motu** · 24th June 2004, 13:23

People have no idea about tyre pressures - 4x4s have a reputation for bad handling,but if you checked the tyre pressures of every one that went past you'd get a hell of a fright.Because they are big and soft you can't tell if the presures are low just looking at them - it's not uncommon to find 15psi left front,65psi right front,20psi right rear 55psi left rear - they just blow them up eh,yeah,that looks about right.

**vifferman** · 24th June 2004, 14:07

Originally Posted by Motu

People have no idea about tyre pressures - 4x4s have a reputation for bad handling,but if you checked the tyre pressures of every one that went past you'd get a hell of a fright.Because they are big and soft you can't tell if the presures are low just looking at them - it's not uncommon to find 15psi left front,65psi right front,20psi right rear 55psi left rear - they just blow them up eh,yeah,that looks about right.

Indeed.
We used to have a Pajero with Dunlop Adventurers on the back, which IIRC were 8-ply. I was driving from Tauranga to Hawera one day, and the handling was a bit wallowy in the corners. "Hmmmm ... feels like one of the back tyres is a bit flat. Better stop at the next garage."
Trouble was, the next garage happened to be at PioPio, and the tyre was thoroughly cooked by then, and starting to delaminate. But still didn't look flat.
A car probably would've crashed in the same circumstances.

One morning on the way to work, I told a woman in a BMW that her tyre was flat (completely). She just nodded, and carried on driving, down Onewa Road, over the bridge, down Fanshawe Street, into the CBD. F&$@wit. I was really disappointed she didn't crash off the bridge into the harbour. She shouldn't have had a license (and probably didn't - it was probably a photocopied restaurant menu).

**750Y** · 24th June 2004, 14:19

interesting thread as i've never had a tyre wear more on one side except for track days. if it happened to me i'd be looking at geometry ie swingarm/wheel alignment or perhaps looking at my riding particularly when turning right compared with left from a bodyweight & throttle perspective.
i guess it makes sense (the camber explanation) but i'd be picking it's pretty minor. or the roads some are riding are majorly cambered and/or they're riding near the gutter and/or doing a lot of straight lines on a coarse surface.

**DEATH_INC.** · 24th June 2004, 14:27

You gays have all failed to mention the main killer of the r/h side of our tyres.......ROUNDABOUTS!
They're all over the place now and you'd be surprised how much wear you can put on yer tyres by hauling around a few......

**750Y** · 24th June 2004, 14:55

Originally Posted by DEATH_INC.

You gays have all failed to mention the main killer of the r/h side of our tyres.......ROUNDABOUTS!
They're all over the place now and you'd be surprised how much wear you can put on yer tyres by hauling around a few......

i hope that was a typo 8-)