% life after wear bars PR4GT

Thought I would start a new thread. A bit of background.
- put new PR4GT's on and then left on a Colorado, Oregon, N. Calif loop.
- 4,000 miles I am almost at the wear bars of the rear. Yeah, I know......lighten up on the throttle....but the roads are so good!!!!
- half of that 4,000 was 2 up.
- I am now one up but with 2500 miles to go.

Question:
Does anyone have any idea of the percentage of their tire life they had left once they got to the wear bars. I realize that the number of miles is relatively meaningless because of so many variables but if you have a percentage, then I could make a good guess as to whether or not I can make it home.

If I can't......anyone got a good idea on where to get it replaced in southern/central Oregon or NW Calif?

Thanks
Rod

Your &**_#@@$^^%$ed
sorry for the lingo,im pretty sure you won't make it.
I haven't gone to far after wear bars.On a pr 3 I went about 400 miles from wear bars to seeing white strands
good luck with a new tire.

Riding on tires after the wear bars have been reached can cause a loss of traction in wet or curvy conditions.

Not nearly as far as we would like.

It's not worth the worry over it and then there is the cost of a dealer-installed tire on the road.

As above, if you're at the wear bars at 4k you're going to be on cord in about 500 miles. You're never going to make another 2,500 miles.

Hi Rod, you're having to much fun!
Has the thin centre line tread worn way or have you just hit the off centre wear bars?
The PR4GT I took on our BC trip had just hit the off centre wear bars and by the time we got home the thin centre tread was almost gone. that was a 750 mile trip, 6000 miles in total on that tire. I just took a saw to that tire and found 5mm of rubber remaining on centre, a new tire has 8mm of thread depth in the thin centre tread, if the tire is manufacture symmetrically that tire could have gone another 3,750 miles in my hands!

If you want to ride up to the WA/BC border, you can send a tire up to my warehouse there and bring it across the border to Vancouver and get it installed and balanced here. Art from Red Deer did that a few years ago. Just not sure on your tire on the mileage you got left. Maybe post a pic on here for us to study and give you a ball park figure.

sky.high said:

Hi Rod, you're having to much fun!
Has the thin centre line tread worn way or have you just hit the off centre wear bars?
The PR4GT I took on our BC trip had just hit the off centre wear bars and by the time we got home the thin centre tread was almost gone. that was a 750 mile trip, 6000 miles in total on that tire. I just took a saw to that tire and found 5mm of rubber remaining on centre, a new tire has 8mm of thread depth in the thin centre tread, if the tire is manufacture symmetrically that tire could have gone another 3,750 miles in my hands!

Click to expand...

Martin,
I have just hit the off center wear bars. The shoulders of the tire look like they would get me home but the PR4's have a rep of hitting the wear bars and then soon after, the cords. This is one of the reasons I am looking at another brand of tire. 5,000 miles is just not enough in my book, despite how good the tire handles during the first 2/3's of its life (the last 1/3.....well not so much). If I read your post correctly, it looks like there is a lot of rubber left on the center, after the wear bars. (5 mm
or 60+% of what is on top of the wear bars. Not sure I want to be the test dummy on this soI am going to try and find a tire and a shop that will swap it out for me down here. It just detracts from the fun of the ride if you always have the tire worry in the back of your mind. Been finding some great roads (obviously). I think that yesterdays run across the NE portion of Oregon is what cooked the tire. God's own little racetrack!!!!!!

Al Gully said:

If you want to ride up to the WA/BC border, you can send a tire up to my warehouse there and bring it across the border to Vancouver and get it installed and balanced here. Art from Red Deer did that a few years ago. Just not sure on your tire on the mileage you got left. Maybe post a pic on here for us to study and give you a ball park figure.

Click to expand...

I will try and post a pic tomorrow.
Thanks for the offer but I am a long way from Vancouver.

5000 miles is about as much as i ever get from a rear. Long trips always demand new tyres for me - i made the mistake once of thinking i had enough tread. I hadn't and had to leave the bike in Scotland, get a train home and go back with the trailer. I could have bought 2 sets of tyres for the cost of train fairs, petrol and hotels. Its gutting to replace tyres that have only 3000 miles on them, but the alternative is more expensive, potentially dangerous and ruins the trip!

I spotted the problem with about 1mm to go. I though i was ok. We had a 200 mile ride out before our last day and i checked again before setting off home. About 0.5 mm. 50 miles later they were almost down to the bars in the centre. We rode another 30 miles to a town with a railways station. It was late Friday afternoon before a long bank holiday weekend.

I was told that these dual compound tyres have a harder layer in the centre and as this wears off, it reveals the softer compound underneath. This wears down much faster of course. Plus the fact that the tyre has a smaller diameter and is rotating faster than when the tread was new, and will be hotter as a result for the same speed.

One concern for me is the consequence of riding on a tyre that hasn't enough tread to be safe. In the event of a spill, say due to being on a wet road with no tread, i have no control over where the bike ends up - it isn't just my own life that is at risk.

jfheath said:

5000 miles is about as much as i ever get from a rear. Long trips always demand new tyres for me - i made the mistake once of thinking i had enough tread. I hadn't and had to leave the bike in Scotland, get a train home and go back with the trailer. I could have bought 2 sets of tyres for the cost of train fairs, petrol and hotels. Its gutting to replace tyres that have only 3000 miles on them, but the alternative is more expensive, potentially dangerous and ruins the trip!

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+1 Mr Heath.
I was fed up looking at my tyres wishing the last mm to disappear. Knowing I was planning another trip to Scotland if the weather gods allow, I also knew the tyres would be ready to change just as the weather guessers said "scorchio".
They're getting done at Hartlepool on Thursday, two new T30's will help me sleep.
As an aside last 023's have about 5500 miles on them and are probably good for another 500 tops.
Upt'North.

Hi Rod I took a saw to that tire as I had no intention of using it again, I would only trust it for a few hundred miles at time being prepared to limp home, no fun and the profile as you say is very squared of by then, enjoy your new tire

Now is this thread timing or what?

Last Thursday I was looking over my 2012, getting it ready for my ride up here to Hillsboro Oregon. It looked "ok", but then I pulled out the maintenance record.. let's see..I have 11,300 miles on the bike now, and I replaced the tire at 1,500....What? Am I kidding myself?
So I, left on Saturday night and when I got to my motel room 200 miles away and because I had to ride over a little dirt, it showed how much tread I didn't have Left!
When I got up to Lodi to meet up with Dave, I called Justin to order me a tire! We'Lloyd be mounting tomorrow night, after it comes in.

My PR4GT have now 25.000+ km.
Will change them by the end of the month at about 26k.
What al relief in relation to Brigdgestone BT023 and T30.
16 k at the most...
Not to speak about Metzeler Z6 or Z8. 10 k max.

Tires are like rolls of toilet paper.......the closer to the end....the faster it runs out...! Don't take the risk....!!!!!

ToddC

April.... 3006 miles into a trip. Brand new PR4GTs Front and rear.....






I feel your pain. Normally a set of PR4GTs cost me less than $300 shipped. While on the road the local dealer cost me $360 just for a rear.

jfheath said:

Plus the fact that the tyre has a smaller diameter and is rotating faster than when the tread was new, and will be hotter as a result for the same speed.

Click to expand...

Spot on! I was just mentioning this to a friend and think many riders don't realize or forget this bit. My ST buddy (an excellent rider) wrings every last inch out of his tires for around town back and forth use. No bad weather no speed no antics. Still my GW buddy and I cringe.

For the road it's always fresh tires but around town... :04:

nerSTeve said:

April.... 3006 miles into a trip. Brand new PR4GTs Front and rear.....

Click to expand...

WOW! 3006mi! I assume some spirited riding and fully laden? Ouch!

10 day trip, no top box, just the smuggler..... and yeah.... fun ride.

My buddy just one day later on his 2005 ST had similar um...issues.



it sucks having to detour 50 or so miles to the nearest shop that has a tire that fits when you're having so much fun.

ST Gui said:

Plus the fact that the tyre has a smaller diameter and is rotating faster than when the tread was new, and will be hotter as a result for the same speed.

Click to expand...

While technically true.. if that .0% make sa measurable difference in heat then you are probably also measuring your drag ratio with arms and elbows tucked in.
I'm calling BS... for the casual MC rider like most of us are... the smaller diameter will not generate any more signifigant heat to contribute to faster wear.