Slippery new tires. Can I sand the surface?

[pretbek]

When you just have new tires, you take it easy, or go ride 8's in a parking lot to get the slippery silicone (or whatever it is) layer off of the tread.

Could you get the same effect by sanding the tires lightly?

I ask because I was just worried about this:
What if -after riding for a few weeks- I haven't worn off the slippery layer on the very edges. When I then scrape the pegs in a turn, won't I be running on that untouched slippery stuff?

 

[Chris Parker]

When you just have new tires, you take it easy, or go ride 8's in a parking lot to get the slippery silicone (or whatever it is) layer off of the tread.

Could you get the same effect by sanding the tires lightly?

I ask because I was just worried about this:
What if -after riding for a few weeks- I haven't worn off the slippery layer on the very edges. When I then scrape the pegs in a turn, won't I be running on that untouched slippery stuff?

Dennis,

To be honest with you, I have had more than my fair share of new tires in the last 7 years (I have lost count, my latest this past Friday because of nail in the rear tire)... All you need to concern yourself with is taking it easy the first hundred miles or so, ride at 6th/10ths your normal speed and work your way up to the first 100 miles or so of mixed riding (moderate curves and straights)... I wouldn't worry about scuffing up the tires, unless you were going to be riding in the rain those first 100 miles or so (from the dealer, you know) or going racing.

My advice is to just ride reasonably and with more care than you may normally think about doing in any given situation.

Chris

 

[Blrfl]

When I then scrape the pegs in a turn, won't I be running on that untouched slippery stuff?

It's okay, Dennis... The reduced friction in the tire will be more than made up for by the foot peg. :crackup

--Mark

 

[Rob Hephner]

If you are seriously worried about it, just wash your tire with Dawn dishwashing soap and you will be good to go.

 

[Snoweyowl]

When you just have new tires, you take it easy, or go ride 8's in a parking lot to get the slippery silicone (or whatever it is) layer off of the tread.

Could you get the same effect by sanding the tires lightly?

I ask because I was just worried about this:
What if -after riding for a few weeks- I haven't worn off the slippery layer on the very edges. When I then scrape the pegs in a turn, won't I be running on that untouched slippery stuff?

You can but just ride conservatively for the first 100 miles. Bike mag did an article on just this subject awhile ago using different methods. Believe 2 of them were sandpaper and a wire brush. Wire brush did the best job. But then they also said why not just ride.

 

[Mandel]

It's not like the new tires are "slippery." Just don't take them to the limit for the first few hundred miles. When I get new tires I usually go out for a 200+ mile ride and then forget about them. I've never had them lose traction. I sure wouldn't scrape off any tread; that would just mean I'd need new tires sooner.

Mandel

 

[crazykz]

I've done this a couple times when I've had to ride in the cold rain with brand new tires.

I get the 90% isopropyl alcohol and a green course scrub pad for stripping paint and has a handle on it. I pour alcohol over the tire and then scrub them. It doesn't look like it does much but once the alcohol dries the tire is scored and a little sticky.

Curt

 

[wjbertrand]

100 miles scrub in should be adequate with a bit of a safety margin. I don't think sanding alone is enough to go out a scrape pegs immediately. Running the tire through some heat/cool cycles also seems to be important to performance. You should still be careful, so I don't see the point. In my experience, I can feel the tires "come in" after about 40-50 miles of gentle riding on a twisty back road. I can tell because the tires gradually become more communicative, whereas at first they feel a little vague. I haven't actually had a new tire slip on me but then again I'm pretty careful for the first 50 miles or so.

I think it may take longer to get confident with new tires if you mostly ride straight lines after fitting them. A quick run up to and back from the Rock Store or up 33 and back 50-60 miles seems to do the trick.

Having said all of that, I think part of the tire break in period is just me getting the feel for the new tires. Where the actual tire break in is complete and my confidence level is complete is probably a pretty wide, fuzzy line.

Lastly, I'd rather ride that rubber off than leave a pile, however small, of wasted rubber dust in the garage!

 

[pretbek]

Thanks everyone for the responses, that was very helpful.
Gotta love this forum. :bow1:

A quick run up to and back from the Rock Store ... seems to do the trick.

Yay, I actually understand that reference!
Up until last year November, when I found my ST1100 at its previous-owner-to-be in Thousand Oaks, I hadn't even heard of the Rock Store.
But when I went to pick up my MC, the previous owner (Hal, STOC # 309, for those who know him) and I went for a ride of a couple of hours to "warm me up" for my ride home to Pennsyltucky. That ride included a visit to the Rock Store. ...So now I am a member of the in-crowd.

 

[RTETR]

Ride easy for the first couple hundred miles... slow down and enjoy what you pass by... then you're good to go... I never rub, or sand, or scuff... just allow some break in time and let them breath a litttle and you are set for another few thousand miles of enjoyment.

 

[Dave in MN]

Re: Slippery new tires. Can I sand the surface? Yes

Motorcycle Consumer News did an article about roughing the surface of new tires in the past year or so. They compared several techniques for scuffing the sides just enough to remove the shiny new-tire glaze. IIRC they concluded that a wire brush would do the best, and quickest, job.

 

[wjbertrand]

Thanks everyone for the responses, that was very helpful.
Gotta love this forum. :bow1:


Yay, I actually understand that reference!
Up until last year November, when I found my ST1100 at its previous-owner-to-be in Thousand Oaks, I hadn't even heard of the Rock Store.
But when I went to pick up my MC, the previous owner (Hal, STOC # 309, for those who know him) and I went for a ride of a couple of hours to "warm me up" for my ride home to Pennsyltucky. That ride included a visit to the Rock Store. ...So now I am a member of the in-crowd.

Cool, turns out I know Hal very well. We ride to WeSTOC together just about every year. In fact we (along with Don Huntley and Alan Hunt) rode out to Willow Springs this past Saturday to watch the vintage bike road races there. You have a very unique and beautiful blue ST1100 there!

 

[puddlejumper]

I heard Armour All works well.

Oh ya, right after a fresh rain fall. No No No, just kidding folks. A recipe for disaster

 

[ccryder]

I just weave back and forth at 40-50mph for about 5-10 miles on the backroads that I know. After a 2-3 heat cycles my tires seem good to go. Just be careful when they are cold and not scuffed, can be as slick as snot.

Neil S.

 

[Cincykz]

I go easy for about 15-20 miles, then I'll 'warm the tires' in a slalom for a few dozen passes, then I'll ride them pretty much normal. I usually have them to about to the edge by the end of the first ride (50-200 miles). I don't wait on them for too long, because you never know when you'll need full traction or lean angle. I've tested first day tires to see when they slip, and it is a little earlier, but if it's up to temp for a few minutes and not one the very few first rotations that far off center, they stick fine. The one time one slipped on me, it was the front, and I was asking for it. Corrected pretty easily, but it did slip with less notice than a properly scrubbed in tire. I generally run a pretty traction conservative line, and am pretty smooth on the throttle, especially at lean.

To answer the question though, barring a special circumstance, I don't see manually roughing a tire surface being worthwhile.

 

[SMSW]

I go easy for about 15-20 miles, ...
To answer the question though, barring a special circumstance, I don't see manually roughing a tire surface being worthwhile.

This is an old thread from 2007. Note the date stamp on each post at the top in light gray font.

 

[Cincykz]

Huh - I swear it was on the home page right at the top! I guess it wasn't! Lol

 

[TPadden]

I go easy for about 15-20 miles...

Go easy for about 15-20 years; at your age you can afford to.

 

[jfheath]

Not one to miss out on being in a 14 year time warp, I wouldn't bother sanding the tyres. But sometimes those moulding spikes can take a long time to wear down or break off. And just when you think the tyres are well scrubbed in, you lean over onto a surface of rubber needle roller bearings.
Goodness, that makes you sit up pretty quickly.

 

[RaYzerman]

The mold release compounds are water-soluable, so I just wash the tires with a bit of dish soap before I put them on the bike... Scuff them in a bit and you're good to go.