The CB1100 Community Forum

Hey guys.

When do you change out your tires? I swear I've got a bunch of life left with only like 3500 miles. But lately, my rear tire has been getting a lil' Squirrely.

Maybe it's because the tires aren't completely warmed up yet with the cold weather.

Thoughts ?

Is the rear tire getting flat spotted on the middle tread? My OE tire did and I got the Michelins when I had about 4K on the originals.

When they wear out or when they are getting close and I have a trip coming up. Currently have over 10k on my PR3s and I put 8500 on the original Dunlops before replacing them with the PR3s. Trip coming up in May ( rally) so PR3s will get replaced before then, whether worn out or not.

Mine was doing the same thing from time to time,but lived with it until the wood screw got it.Then it was time for the pr3s nice tires.

Usually ride till the wear bars or until I've got a big trip coming up (even if the tread is okay, it's a lot easier and more common to get flats on old vs. new tires). I also deliberately try not to flat-spot my tires by planning routes that don't involve too much slab, but I get this isn't always possible.

Silly question, but any tire pressure or suspension changes before the squirms? I find even a few PSI can make a huge difference on these bikes.

Thanks guys.. I'll take a look at the tires more closely when I get home this evening. Tire pressure is spot on, I check that pretty frequently.

Redbirds.. Not too sure if I know about flat spots ? Does just the center of the tire get flat ? Kinda confused on this. Please explain if you have a moment.

Kmoney I did switch out my rear suspension to an aftermarket Ikon setup. . .. Hmmm ?? Maybe this has something to do with it.

(03-07-2016, 05:08 AM)JF Coastal_imp Wrote: [ -> ]Thanks guys.. I'll take a look at the tires more closely when I get home this evening. Tire pressure is spot on, I check that pretty frequently.

Redbirds.. Not too sure if I know about flat spots ? Does just the center of the tire get flat ? Kinda confused on this. Please explain if you have a moment.

Kmoney I did switch out my rear suspension to an aftermarket Ikon setup. . .. Hmmm ?? Maybe this has something to do with it.

If you ride on a lot of straight highways, or commute through a route without 'twisties' you will typically wear the center section of the tire flat before you wear out the edges. The result is that instead of having a smooth, round, transition like you would on a normal tire you get a square shoulder. Think of sanding a ball of wood with a sanding block while it's turning on a lathe and then holding the sand paper for a really long time right in the center. You will feel the resulting shoulder whenever you 'hop' over it leaning side-to-side.

Thanks for the explanation Kmoney. I'll most likely develop those, since I live in the south east. Long straight roads, I can only dream of twisties.

The beauty of tires like the Michelin PR3's and other brands of similar ilk JF, is the multiple compounds used. The PR3 rear tire has a center compound designed for long wear, a softer compound next to center and an even softer compound at the tread edge for maximum grip when cornering. These type tires are a boon for us folks dwelling where twisties are scarce, allowing for more fun miles between tire changes.

I've had the opposite experience with dual-compound tires and now try to avoid them. I rarely ride on freeways or straight roads, and with this type of riding, I find the edges on dual-compound tires to wear and cup much more quickly than the center. This creates a very steep transition between the stiff center and the softer edge, ruining the profile. I just installed a set of single-compound T30 GT's on my K1200RS in an attempt to mitigate this. We'll see if they last more than 5000-6000 miles.