How dangerous is this?

[WanderBird]

I've had my BMW since just prior to Christmas, but didn't really start riding it till New Year. Have done 5000 glorious KM's since then - including crown range, dunstan trail, and last weekend through the Haast Pass, over the Arthurs and home. 1150 kms all up on that one.

Last night a neighbour, who is a mechanic asked how many wheelies I did to create that big bald spot. When I looked, I nearly fell over! MOST of the tyre is fine at 4.5mm but one 9" patch didn't measure to even 1mm. It looks like my bald uncles head. I thought about all the twisties I had been on.......

The point is that it had a new warrant issued in Dec. The testing station didn't pick it up, and neither presumably had the bike shop. I hadn't either, despite having lovingly cleaned it by hand more than once. I guess each time, by coincidence, the bald spot was on the ground.

The rear tyre is obviously wearing unevenly - but even with that 5000 km's wouldn't wear it to that level, would it?
I got a verbal 3 month warranty from the bike shop, my feeling is it should be replaced for nothing.

Any thoughts on this please?

[Pwalo]

I've had my BMW since just prior to Christmas, but didn't really start riding it till New Year. Have done 5000 glorious KM's since then - including crown range, dunstan trail, and last weekend through the Haast Pass, over the Arthurs and home. 1150 kms all up on that one.

Last night a neighbour, who is a mechanic asked how many wheelies I did to create that big bald spot. When I looked, I nearly fell over! MOST of the tyre is fine at 4.5mm but one 9" patch didn't measure to even 1mm. It looks like my bald uncles head. I thought about all the twisties I had been on.......

The point is that it had a new warrant issued in Dec. The testing station didn't pick it up, and neither presumably had the bike shop. I hadn't either, despite having lovingly cleaned it by hand more than once. I guess each time, by coincidence, the bald spot was on the ground.

The rear tyre is obviously wearing unevenly - but even with that 5000 km's wouldn't wear it to that level, would it?
I got a verbal 3 month warranty from the bike shop, my feeling is it should be replaced for nothing.

Any thoughts on this please?

I don't think any warranty is going to cover you for wearing a tyre out over 5k of riding.

I've heard a lot of people say that the roads in the SI are very abrasive. Besides, as you know, there are a lot of variables that can affect tyre wear. What sort of pressures were you running? What sort of load were you carrying? Did you lock up the rear tyre at some stage?

Just get a new tyre and enjoy your riding.

[WanderBird]

Cheers - thats why I posted, I have no idea what is considered reasonable wear.

Why do tyres wear in only one place?

[MSTRS:Me]

A tyre will wear in one place, I believe, if it has had a serious lock-up that created a flat spot, which continues to wear at an accelerated rate OR if the tyre was seriously 'deformed' insofar as it had a high spot at time of fitting, which will wear more quickly as the tyre rotates and tries to become more evenly circular.
I think.

[WanderBird]

No lock-ups since I have had it.......I'll talk to the bike shop, see what they reckon.

Hope I don't have to buy another tyre every 5K!!

[Blue Velvet]

What type of tyres? Make, model etc.

[WanderBird]

Bridgestone 180/80 17"
Probably Japaneses, called Trail Wine 152 Radial

What is considered 'normal' kms from a tyre?

Oooops thats 130/80

[WanderBird]

I've been talking to folk who know a lot more than I about acceptable wear on tyres. I had no idea that you can chew through them so fast! No problem, I will buy another. Thanks for the input

I'm still mystified as to why it would wear so unevenly across the middle of the tire in just one place tho...

[Blue Velvet]

I had a Trail Wing 202 on my dual purpose bike. Sold it after 7000k and it still had enough tread for the next warrant but only just, in some parts of the tyre.

The 152 looks less knobbly than the 202, which is a mostly on/semi off road tyre.

[nigelp]

Bridgestone 180/80 17"
Probably Japaneses, called Trail Wine 152 Radial

What is considered 'normal' kms from a tyre?

Oooops thats 130/80

I had the same tyre on the back of my freewind and I got about 5500 until it was pretty much stuffed. I have replaced it with E-07s that reportedly have very good mileage (10,000km +).

[Transalper]

....When I looked, I nearly fell over! MOST of the tyre is fine at 4.5mm but one 9" patch didn't measure to even 1mm. It looks like my bald uncles head.....

Photos... photos... we like photos.
I'd really like to see a photo of the spot of concern.
Also going to assume you mean Bridgestone Trail Wing 152 as I get no results searching Trail Wine 152.
As they say #1-Tyre pressures, then anything like wheel alighnment, balancing, which tyres you have etc etc.

A lot of Dual Sport tyres only last 5000km give or take, knobs get that ballpark too, the e07 mitas (as mentioned for example) usually goes 10000km plus, there are others that go further like that too.

[homer]

have you thought of the fact that the wheel may be out of balance
or it could have a flat spot in the wheel somewhere

[WanderBird]

I've come to realize since my first post, that tyres can chew out really fast - being kinda new, I had no idea! Still mystified as to the uneven wearing though.....

anyhoo, here are a couple of pics - the bald spot covers around 7" of the circumference.

[Ocean1]

Stop thrashing the arse off the poor old cicle, yer a menace.

And where's these alleged pic's?

[WanderBird]

Opps, don't know what happened with the pics.

I have got the tyre sorted, after reading the ADV tyre thread, I have a Mitas 07 going on today. I'll talk to the bike shop about why it is bald in just one place. Maybe thats normal, and I know diddly squat