strange tire wear

Joined
Oct 7, 2008
Messages
81
Location
Montreal, Quebec
Bike
2007 ST
Definitely need a new rear tire (existing is Michelin pilot 3)

Wondering if the wear on the tire to be changed is normal or what could explain the wear pattern

It is mostly on the left side ...looking at bike from the rear, the left side of the tire is worn to the cord...the right side looks like it has several thousand miles left on it

Any explanation
 

Attachments

paulcb

- - - Tetelestai - - - R.I.P. - 2022/05/26
Rest In Peace
Joined
Jun 4, 2013
Messages
4,652
Location
Celina, TX
Bike
'97/'01 ST1100 ABSII
STOC #
8735
In right side drive countries, left turns are significantly longer and faster than right turns, so more wear on left side. Is your front tire also wearing more on the left than the right?
 
Last edited:
Joined
Jan 8, 2011
Messages
7,066
Location
Arizona
Bike
2007 Honda ST1300A
Typical dual compound tire wear.
Try some pirelli angel GT tires no cupping at end of tire life.
 

dduelin

Tune my heart to sing Thy grace
Site Supporter
Joined
Feb 11, 2006
Messages
9,642
Location
Jacksonville
Bike
GL1800 R1200RT NC700
2024 Miles
006739
STOC #
6651
In right side drive countries, left turns are significantly longer than right turns, so more wear on left side. Is your front tire also wearing more on the left than the right?
This plus crowned roads tend to wear MC tires faster on the left side. It's typical and normal.
 

paulcb

- - - Tetelestai - - - R.I.P. - 2022/05/26
Rest In Peace
Joined
Jun 4, 2013
Messages
4,652
Location
Celina, TX
Bike
'97/'01 ST1100 ABSII
STOC #
8735
This plus crowned roads tend to wear MC tires faster on the left side. It's typical and normal.
IMO, I don't think crowned roads have too much to do with left side tire wear. They're generally not near crowned enough as the wear is usually much higher on the tire. Plus, roads are generally crowned but it's not consistent/even across the lane, i.e. there are often other subtleties that wear both sides of the tire. My .02.
 

BakerBoy

It's all small stuff.
Joined
Jan 31, 2008
Messages
5,454
Location
Golden, Colorado
STOC #
1408
That is about as dramatic of a difference as I recall seeing. It seems likely to have been operated underinflated some amount. Speculating: possibly the curing/vulcanizing step didn't have that side of the tire at proper temperature for proper cure time at the factory. Plus left hand turns are longer and faster than rights, results in more wear on the left side of the tire, which in turn allows the left side to flex more, and wear more. Seems to be the sum of a number of 'shades of gray'.

More importantly... did you enjoy the miles? :)
 

Slydynbye

Will ride for Pie
Joined
Sep 3, 2007
Messages
1,598
Location
Fremont, California
Bike
2000 ABSII
STOC #
7331
Check the Weight you carry in the Saddle bags? Right side heavier?
Also do you use a Cruise control? If not do you ride with both hands on the bars or just one.
 
Joined
Apr 22, 2011
Messages
1,149
Age
68
Location
Camarillo, Ca
Bike
2006 ST1300A
2024 Miles
002552
Left side wear is due to the crown of the road. It falls 5 inches in 10 feet of width. Flat straight city streets are the worst. I have noticed on my commute the right hand lane has more tilt than the left lane. The gutter side it is very pronounced. I am trying to stay closer to the middle of the road where it is flatter to see if this reduces this effect. Look at the cars in front of you and notice how much they lean toward the curb. When you are on a bike you are level the cars are not...
 
Joined
Sep 22, 2015
Messages
1,282
Location
Wasaga Beach, Ont. Canada
Bike
'04 ST1300 Blue STar
Do you have a traffic round-about (traffic circles) or two,, on your normal driving routes ?? I noticed unexpected large left side wear on my front tire,,, that I can only attribute to my tendency to have fun on those !! cat'

Definitely need a new rear tire (existing is Michelin pilot 3)

Wondering if the wear on the tire to be changed is normal or what could explain the wear pattern

It is mostly on the left side ...looking at bike from the rear, the left side of the tire is worn to the cord...the right side looks like it has several thousand miles left on it

Any explanation
 
Joined
Aug 11, 2013
Messages
3,508
Location
kankakee
Bike
R1200rt
I don't get it, from what I can see from the picture the center of the thread is wore down to nothing. That tire should have been changed long before the cord came thru the tire. There are pages upon pages of reasons why tires wear more on one side.. did you know in Great Britain, most tire complaints are abnormal wear on the right side ..
 
Joined
Sep 4, 2013
Messages
8,115
Location
Cleveland
Bike
2010 ST1300
That is about as dramatic of a difference as I recall seeing. It seems likely to have been operated underinflated some amount. Speculating: possibly the curing/vulcanizing step didn't have that side of the tire at proper temperature for proper cure time at the factory. Plus left hand turns are longer and faster than rights, results in more wear on the left side of the tire, which in turn allows the left side to flex more, and wear more. Seems to be the sum of a number of 'shades of gray'.

More importantly... did you enjoy the miles? :)
I'm not sure if variable curing/vulcanizing is possible. From what I understand of the process, the mold is heated with steam (or was, at one point). Said molds are massive, and I would think uneven heating would be eliminated by the heat conductivity of the metal and the time the raw tire spends in the mold.

Methinks the OP needs to stop driving around in circles.
 

BakerBoy

It's all small stuff.
Joined
Jan 31, 2008
Messages
5,454
Location
Golden, Colorado
STOC #
1408
I'm not sure if variable curing/vulcanizing is possible. From what I understand of the process, the mold is heated with steam (or was, at one point). Said molds are massive, and I would think uneven heating would be eliminated by the heat conductivity of the metal and the time the raw tire spends in the mold.

Methinks the OP needs to stop driving around in circles.
I understand your point, but I also am quite experienced in complex manufacturing processes--all processes are pushed to maximize output and stuff gets missed. For example, it is easy to not have processes at proper temperature or compounds exactly on target when starting back up from an outage, and it gets missed given all the confusion during such a restart. However, I don't know how much variation in temperature or compounds might be required to affect the vulcanization...hence why it was speculative.

But back to the original post and picture, I'm thinking (still) that the most likely initiator was low tire pressure at some point.
 

sky.high

Site Supporter
Joined
Sep 22, 2009
Messages
599
Location
Calgary
Bike
The Honda of the day
STOC #
9052
Obviously I'm having a senior moment, considering I've the rear wheel of to change the rubber I don't know what I wasnt thinking..... Agreed next
 

sky.high

Site Supporter
Joined
Sep 22, 2009
Messages
599
Location
Calgary
Bike
The Honda of the day
STOC #
9052
Must be an X BMW owner....LOL... Next
Wash you're mouth out! there are 5 Honda bikes in my garage and no room for BMWs, I did take a closer look at my two sports bikes they also have more wear left than right although nowhere near as noticeable as the ST

Here's one of my 'end of life' RP2, there goes that left side wall .... again, thankful the RP4GT side wall is tough enough to stand half a chance of wearing out the centre a little more
 

Attachments

Last edited:
OP
OP
DunanyQC
Joined
Oct 7, 2008
Messages
81
Location
Montreal, Quebec
Bike
2007 ST
Possible answer.Had new pilot 4 s installed.My new service guy (SC motosport...is part of superbike racing team on weekends saw that the muffler clamp on that side was broken.Thinking that extra heat on tire on that one side could have been he culprit
 
Top Bottom