Tire wear question

[skinnyguy]

I am coming up on 12,000 miles on the rear tire, it looks like plenty of groove left but the tire is worn a little flat in the center and when I lean the bike on that ridge the back end does a little dance plus I get a slight howling sound. The manual says change the tire at .080 tread depth I think, I don’t think I’m quite there yet but is it time to replace it or good few a few more miles?

[Sorcerer]

Tire pressure, tire pressure, tire pressure.:rolleyes:

[opas ride]

Tire pressure, tire pressure, tire pressure.:rolleyes:

+1,+1,+1...A lot of highway driving at higher speeds can wear the rear tire pretty fast if the pavement is hot and your tire pressure is not at least at 41psi...Regards

[thunder217]

Center flat time to change. I've removed plenty of them with tread left and right but the center was getting flat. That's why the dark side is popular. LOL

[skinnyguy]

Thanks for the replies, I use Garmin tpms sensors, so the the pressures are always good. I run mostly interstate and of course the average speed is 80 mph. I’ll be sending the wheel to the shop this week end.

[F6Dave]

Is that the OEM Bridgestone or another brand? 12K is pretty good for the OEM tire. I've always changed my rear tires at just under 10K. I have an Avon mounted on my spare rim and will be installing it soon. Hopefully it will give me a few more miles.

[skinnyguy]

That is the original Bridgestone

[Cooter]

The only thing between you and the pavement is your tires. Never cut corners on tires and brakes. 12000 miles is good on that tire. Put a new one on asap. You need to watch your air pressure. Get a good dial or digital gauge.

[2wheelsforme]

12K out of a rear tire sounds like you are doing everything right. I usually take them down to the wear markers but if you are getting a bad feel or noise go ahead and change it, you got the goody out of it. Tires are too cheap to try and get an uncomfortable or unsafe extra few hundred miles out of them.

[53driver]

12K out of a rear tire sounds like you are doing everything right. I usually take them down to the wear markers but if you are getting a bad feel or noise go ahead and change it, you got the goody out of it. Tires are too cheap to try and get an uncomfortable or unsafe extra few hundred miles out of them.

+1
You've got TPMS already, so ensure that you are no kidding at 39/41 EVERY TIME for highway cruising.
12k is a great run for most. I get 15-18k out of either the 'Stones or Elite4s.
Yes, if the tire starts talking to you, it's time to listen. ("I get a slight howling sound")
Yes, if the tire starts communicating with you through the bike, it's time to listen. ("when I lean the bike on that ridge the back end does a little dance")
A flat tire on the side of the road - assuming you control it and manage to stop safely with out becoming the cream in a Peterbilt sandwich - will still cost you the price of a tire for a tow.
These are our babies - baby that girl!
Get her some new dancing shoes!
Cheers,
Steve

[rdbonds]

The howling I understand. Mine starts that noticeably at ~4k miles into a rear Bridgestone, when you initiate a lean into a turn. It has to do with the shape of the tread...the treadblocks feather a bit, leading to the moan/howl. If you lightly rub your hand along the tire tread, you can feel it.

You guys are my heroes on mileage for sure. I get 8K pretty religiously on a rear Stone (assuming I don't find a nail first). 11k or so on a front. That said, I do replace mine well before it gets to the wear bars. Maybe I need to work on smoothness more. :)

[olegoat345]

2-3 psi over what sticker says

[F6Dave]

I got an email from Honda Directline. They're having a closeout sale on the Tiregard TPMS system for $80. I'm running that system and it works quite well.

[skinnyguy]

The new tire is on and I'll be off to work soon, it'll be nice to have the B back to its full potential. Thanks for all the replies and advice.

[53driver]

Y'all be mindful of "overfilling" the tires....
My TPMS alarm is set to go off when the pressure hits 51 psi.
When I went across the country, there was one morning where the pressure read 43. A bit of altitude and we where headed down so I wasn't concerned.
The outside air temp rose more than a bit though, and the alarm was going off.
This was on a Dunlop E4.
I called Dunlop Engineering and started a case on when I should be concerned. Was 51 reasonable? Or should I set the alarm threshold higher?
They came back within 12 hours and stated "Do NOT change that alarm. Heed that alarm. Check to make sure that everything you have is accurate, and if so, ensure that your starting pressure is no more than 41."
So for those of you running higher psi, please ensure you are not exceeding 51 psi. Been to enough funerals lately.
Cheers,
Steve

[olegoat345]

51psi? wow that was high. What's the max tire pressure on the sidewall? I'd never exceed that.
I've been running my AVONs at 42f & 44r (per AVON) which is a bit higher than Honda says.
I'm sure different brands have a little different max psi.

[Zteve]

I am coming up on 12,000 miles on the rear tire, it looks like plenty of groove left but the tire is worn a little flat in the center and when I lean the bike on that ridge the back end does a little dance plus I get a slight howling sound. The manual says change the tire at .080 tread depth I think, I don’t think I’m quite there yet but is it time to replace it or good few a few more miles?

Your doing pretty good at 12,000 miles. I'd be half way into the next tire.

[rdbonds]

You're doing pretty good at 12,000 miles. I'd be half way into the next tire.

Me too. :)

[F6Dave]

Since I installed TPMS on my F6B I've been surprised at how much the pressure increases at high speeds on hot days. I run my rear at about 44 PSI, but that often increases to over 50 while riding. At very high altitudes the pressure gets even higher due to the drop in atmospheric pressure.

The same goes for the temperature. The front tire stays just a few degrees above the ambient temperature, but the rear often exceeds 130 degrees.

[98valk]

Here's my 2 cents:

I am convinced that hard acceleration and hard braking have the most effect on tire life.

I run 36/39 psi. I replaced my tires at 17,400 because they were 6 years old and Bridgestone had a sale. They were not to the wear bars yet.

I tried 40 up front for a couple of miles. It was like riding on a rock! I would not give up comfort for thousands and thousands of miles just to get another 10% or more out of a tire. If that is even true. Clearly the lower tire pressure did not wear my tires out faster. :cheers:

[Zteve]

Here's my 2 cents:

I am convinced that hard acceleration and hard braking have the most effect on tire life.

Very true! And that is why I only get 7,000 miles out of a rear tire. I love twisting the torque out of the big girl. 'riding'

[SeaSteve]

Obviously hard riding will cause more "scuffing" of the tires and faster wear than anything else, and BOY is it FUN!

I think the only improvement with increased tire air pressure is...Less tire contacts the road surface. More physical contact means more tire to wear off.

Here's a great Motorcycle Tire Wear (http://www.rattlebars.com/tirewear/) information page.

[98valk]

I think the only improvement with increased tire air pressure is...Less tire contacts the road surface. More physical contact means more tire to wear off.



Less contact area will apply more force to that lesser area, wearing it more. I think it is a wash.

Consider filing a 2x4. If you file a flat area, it will take a lot to make any difference. If you file a corner, you will make a difference quickly. Either way, you are removing about the same amount of material.