Drifting on a V Strom 650

[SMSW]

I recently posted this on the Stromtrooper website and received a few responses. Since there seem to be at least a few V Stroms in the garages of ST members, I thought I might get more feedback here. I will add that the PO changed the front sprocket to a 17 tooth from the stock 15. This should reduce my available torque when I open the throttle at low ground speed and decrease my revs at highway speeds.

This is what I wrote:
"I recently mounted new Shinko 705's on my V. The other day I made a left turn by mistake and my riding partners continued straight, so I immediately U-turned and then I turned left back onto the main road. This was a wide (2 lanes in each direction), clean, well maintained state route and as I leaned into the turn, I probably added too much throttle. It felt like the bike's rear end was drifting out. This was all a very comfortable sensation - not scary in the least.

A couple of points. I am not a 'hot' rider by any means; I prefer to ride slower thru the twisties so that I can SEE and enjoy the country I am riding through - not get the adrenaline pumping by carving the turn as fast as possible. My other ride, an ST 1300 will, when I hit a painted line or tar snake on the road and am leaned over in a fast curve, slip on the paint in a fast skid (I have Pirelli Angel GT's on this bike). This lateral 'drift' is not pleasant, is only the 4 to 6" width of the paint, is over almost before I know it, and is a marked contrast to what the V Strom exhibited.

The Shinko's are obviously not high performance street (only) tires, and had about 250 miles on them. It is possible they were not fully scuffed in and I was over onto the new rubber.

Has anyone else experienced this kind of behavior on the bike? With these tires? Obviously I am going to be more careful w/ that throttle in tight curves in the future, but this experience sort of reminded me of what I did on my bicycle 40 or more years ago."

 

[Larry Fine]

Reminds me of something I remember reading when radial car tires were still a relatively new technology. It said that race cars did not use radials, because they slip a lot suddenly when traction is exceeded, whereas bias-ply tires begin slipping slowly and controllably.

 

[Upt' North]

Tyres are run in by putting heat cycles into them and also the gradual increase in brake, acceleration and cornering forces. Your tyres should have been well and truly bedded in after 250 miles. BUT, if this was the first time you had actually leant over that far then there could have been releasing agent/grease/tyre soap still on there. My typical ride back home from the tyre fitter chap is about 70 miles and mine are scrubbed by then with marking more or less to the edges.
Upt'North.

 

[Igofar]

Take your ST out on a dirt track, or old high school gravel running track, and do a few laps, you'll get used to the rear end stepping out, that way it won't surprise you when it moves a bit.
I'm getting used to steering with the throttle on these desert roads

 

[BakerBoy]

...The other day I made a left turn by mistake and my riding partners continued straight, so I immediately U-turned and then I turned left back onto the main road.
...
Has anyone else experienced this kind of behavior on the bike? ...

Yes, on a rare occasion. Two thoughts: 1) you should be paying more attention to the Nav instructions, and 2) if they were good riding partners, they would have followed you!

 

[SMSW]

Yes, on a rare occasion. Two thoughts: 1) you should be paying more attention to the Nav instructions, and 2) if they were good riding partners, they would have followed you!

Lol. Think herding cats. We were all headed to the same campground about 10 miles up the road and all knew the way - they later said they had no idea why I turned...I had discovered a road with maybe 50 straight yards total in about 4 miles and wanted to show it to them. This was in WVa near New Cumberland.

 

[Lowndes]

I have a Sv 650S, but I don't have many miles on it, unfortunately. Some of the bmw guys I ride with have used Stinko tires and all agree on the unpredictable loss of traction with them, but after the break in.
After a bad experience on a new rear tire in 1967, I always take a piece of #40 (very coarse) sandpaper to the entire traction surface of every new tire, just knock the shine off the surface, and have not had traction problems with new tires since.

 

[ChucksKLRST]

I have over 80000 miles on Shinko 705s on two V-Strom 650s, a 2009 and a 2014 model. Never had an issue with the tires on pavement. Stuck like glue in the Rocky Mountain twisties. Worked well in the dirt also.

 

[Ron]

I have never experienced the new tire slide on the rear or the front (thankfully).

My old riding buddy was scared to death of this happening. Before mounting a new tire he had a routine. Every new tire was scrubbed with a scrub brush and red brake kleen. Then dried with a heat gun to dry the brake kleen and heat the tire to melt the mold release. We were riding 18K-20 K miles a year, so any ill affects of the brake kleen didn't manifest.

 

[TPadden]

I have a Sv 650S, but I don't have many miles on it, unfortunately. Some of the bmw guys I ride with have used Stinko tires and all agree on the unpredictable loss of traction with them..I always take a piece of #40 (very coarse) sandpaper to the entire traction surface of every new tire, just knock the shine off the surface.

I have to raise the B.S. flag; BMW guys... “all agree”, NEVER happened.

Never had a problem with Shinko’s and NEVER sanded any new tire... but I never had a bike that I didn’t have many miles on either. Think I’ll go dirty up some oil .
Tom

 

[SMSW]

Take your ST out on a dirt track, or old high school gravel running track, and do a few laps, you'll get used to the rear end stepping out, that way it won't surprise you when it moves a bit.
I'm getting used to steering with the throttle on these desert roads

It was not intimidating, Larry. In fact, as I said, years ago I used to hit the front brake on my bicycle, unweight the rear end and skid it around to make turns. I also did it on sand or dirt in the road. Not the same thing as on a mc, but this recent slide felt stable and controllable, and since it was at a relatively slow speed, it was not frightening. Next time I find a gravel or dirt road I intend to try it - at low speeds.