Tyre issue

[Chris79]

Hi everyone

Noticed something strange last night that gave me a bit of a scare hope someone can shed some light on it please.

I have a 2000 Yamaha Thundercat fitted with Briedgestone Battlax sport tourer tyres. Think they were more or less new when I bought the bike last year. I have done about 6k miles on them mainly commuting to Leeds so mainly A1 and M62 and until last few months taking it pretty steady (given riding over winter and only started riding recently so still finding my way on two wheels). More recently have started to get the bike over on bends and enjoyed the throttle a little more but nothing too silly.

Checked the tyres at weekend and had plenty of tread depth across the tyre and only needed a small inflation, rear was 35psi instead of 36psi as per Haynes. No squaring off that I could see.

Last night coming home stopped at services for petrol and noticed rear looked odd. Closer inspection showed a band running around the middle of the tyre about 2 inch wide darker than rest of tyre and it was a bit sticky to the touch also tyre quite hot. It was also if anything slightly sunk in like a very shallow trench if that make's sense. Checked front and that was the same although not as bad.

Got it home carefully and have checked them periodically last night and this morning. Both tyres now have a clear flat band running in the middle of them and the tread depth on that band has gone from loads of life to quite close to the low wear markers. Looks like someone took a sander to both tyres to make them nice and flat for me.

Did a google search and it seems they have squared off. Does it happen that quick ie within say 50 miles of riding they go from fine to knackered? Or is there something else here that has caused it or accelerated it? Don't want to stick some new tyres on if they are just going to go the same way in days.

Thanks for reading

Chris

[Stu]

I have known some tyres to go from looking fine to cords showing through in 100 miles!

6k isn't too bad a mileage

Can you get some pics

[Chris79]

Thanks Stu for the quick response. At work at present (left bike at home today) but will take some pics tonight when I get home and post them up.

Cheers

Chris

[Hoggs]

Hey Chris! I had this with my old tyres - the rear suddenly went really square really quickly!

Weirdly I had also done around 6k miles on them. (they were Michelin PR2s though - yes 2s they were really old)

Oh that's a point see if you can find the date stamp on them tyre - turns out mine were six years old which probably didn't help - first 2 numbers is the week, second two are the year

http://venturers.org/Tech_Library/attachments/Tire_Date_Code.jpg

[Chris79]

Hi Hoggs

Did not know tyres had the date on them, will check that tonight thanks. Did your front go at same time or was it just the rear? Struck me as a little odd that they both squared off at pretty much the same time, would have thought the rear being subject to greater forces through acceleration would have been affected first. May be given it is larger it just balances itself out

Chris

[JRH]

Not had the fronts square off. On my old GPX the fronts used to wear the shoulders away due cornering. Ended up like a triangle and literally drop into corners. The back used to square off though and would go pretty quick towards the end of life.

[Hoggs]

Front wasn't as bad. It was weird!

[Tango]

Not had the fronts square off. On my old GPX the fronts used to wear the shoulders away due cornering. Ended up like a triangle and literally drop into corners. The back used to square off though and would go pretty quick towards the end of life.

Mine do this too.......plenty of tread left on the front, but the shoulders are starting to wear, so it's dropping into slow corners. But the tyres are not far off 9000 miles.....so I can't complain really. I'll get them to last this year out and look to replace the pair next spring hopefully. ......

[Stu]

Its normal for the shoulders to go on a front tyre as thats the bit thats gripping when steering

its called scalloping or cupping

[Chris79]

Here is a few pictures of front and rear. Front actually looks worse on the pictures.

[Tango]

Pics didn't post mate.

36psi rear?...... is that the spec?....... sounds a touch low to me.......

[Stu]

There is no pics!

36 is fine Bob

the TL and gsxr600 used to run this

although I used to run 38 on the rear on the TL as the rear could move about a bit and a slightly higher pressure helped

[Tango]

Mine runs 40-41psi rear......34-36psi front.........was the same on my Speed 4 when I had it too.......

[Stu]

thats because its middle aged porky blokes that own them

The FJR is supposed to be 42 rear 36 front but the front wanders with that so its a tad higher

anywhere between 36 to 42 is a good place to be

I have never got where manufacturers get the pressures from to be honest as going back a few years I had a 1999 gsxr600 that ran 36 rear yet my mates 99 R6 ran 42 rear! both similar bikes, power and weight

[Tango]

I resemble that remark, Stu!......

Anyway, back on subject........The black line on the OP's original question is probably just the different compound in the centre of the tyre.......harder wearing centre section to try to reduce the squaring off. I've got Michelin Pilot road 3's on my bike and they've worn really well.......may go the same again next time.....or maybe PR4's.......

[Chris79]

This should work (asked the wife to fix it) will post other one in a second

[Chris79]

Second pic

[Stu]

BT021's?

I had a set of these on the FJR when I got it and they was squared off just the same as them and they where awful tyres!

[Chris79]

Yep there the ones Stu. So no issue save for crap tyres then? Looks like some new tyres at the weekend. Any recommendations of good tyres to look for?

Thanks for the help everyone.

[MR_W]

Michelin Pilot road 3 or 4.

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

[bonio]

Didn't ever see a front go square before; that's a new one on me.

[Stu]

michelin pilot road 4's here too

[Hoggs]

If you ride in the wet people say the pr3 is better

[iangaryprice]

I had a Bridgestone BT-021 on the front of my GSX600, it was completely worn out after 6,000miles on the shoulders, Previous tyre was a Michelin Pilot and had done nearly 20,000. I now have Pilot 2's front and rear, after 2,000 miles no noticeable wear.

[Chris79]

Thanks everyone

Looks like I am buying a set of Pilots this weekend then given the unanimous praise for them on this thread and the other one in general chat. (you're not all on commission with Michelin are you? )

Chris