Tire Change

[JF Coastal_imp]

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 ?

[redbirds_imp]

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.

[the Ferret]

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.

[68lupe_imp]

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.

[kmoney_imp]

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.

[JF Coastal_imp]

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.

[kmoney_imp]

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.

[JF Coastal_imp]

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.

[redbirds_imp]

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.

[LongRanger_imp]

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.