Ignorance is bliss...

Jerbear

Jerbear

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Joined
Oct 29, 2020
Messages
18
Age
57
Location
60046
Bike
'95 ST1100, '02 919
Not when it comes to tires ;)
So long story short, had new set of tires installed couple years ago by one of the more reputable dealers around.
Due to some knee issues didn't ride much since that time. Somewhat recently came back to riding the ST and noticed that the bike does not feel as solid as it once did.
I checked and re-checked, tire pressure, wheel bearings and the other usual suspects. I didn't notice anything unusual at that time.
Last night when I found the coolant crust on my radiator (different post), I took a closer look at the front tire. Big flat spot in the center and a lot of uneven wear on the outside radii.
What can cause such weird wear on the tread? It is a Bridgestone Battlax T31 with maybe 2-3K on it.
And now you can also point fingers and laugh at me but only now did I notice that the tire was installed backward. Talk about feeling stupid🥺 and angry at yourself🤬
tire wear.jpg
 
I got that same ridge on the front tire with both a T31 and a Roadsmart 3 between 3 to 5K, seems to be related to the crowning of the pavement, I was told.
 
Flat spot in the center - aka chicken stripe - is due to riding upright. This happens from doing mostly slab riding and not much canyon carving.
Edit. Not sure if its the angle of the photo, but is the front wheel centered in the fender? We had a post recently in which the spacers were flipped, making the wheel not centered.
 
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Jerbear said:
had new set of tires installed couple years ago by one of the more reputable dealers around.
Click to expand...

Jerbear said:
only now did I notice that the tire was installed backward.
Click to expand...

I'm trying to imagine what the less reputable dealers in your area are capable of.

Did you take the bike in, or remove the wheel and take it in? Either way I'd take it back in and ask them to remount it in the proper orientation. If you take the bike in, make sure they mount the wheel properly, hard to tell anything from your picture, but the alignment of the tire to the fender seems kinda weird. Maybe just camera angle.
 
The raised flat center ridge is the result of the edges of the harder rubber compound. If you ride the interstate more, and keep the pressure up, it will get used.

The greater wear on the left side is theoretically due to left turns being longer than right turns in the US, but I wonder why cloverleaf ramps don't compensate.
 
SMSW said:
Flat spot in the center - aka chicken stripe - is due to riding upright. This happens from doing mostly slab riding and not much canyon carving.
Edit. Not sure if its the angle of the photo, but is the front wheel centered in the fender? We had a post recently in which the spacers were flipped, making the wheel not centered.
Click to expand...
Wheel is dead nut in the center, it's the pic angle👍
 
dwalby said:
I'm trying to imagine what the less reputable dealers in your area are capable of.

Did you take the bike in, or remove the wheel and take it in? Either way I'd take it back in and ask them to remount it in the proper orientation. If you take the bike in, make sure they mount the wheel properly, hard to tell anything from your picture, but the alignment of the tire to the fender seems kinda weird. Maybe just camera angle.
Click to expand...
Don't it will give you nightmares;)
I took just the wheels in, I am not comfortable with anyone removing and reinstalling parts of a bike where my life depends on it.
 
Jerbear said:
I took just the wheels in, I am not comfortable with anyone removing and reinstalling parts of a bike where my life depends on it.
Click to expand...
Well, without the actual position of the wheel inside the bike, their mistake seems even excusable...

I'd aid them by sticking a piece of masking tape on the rim, with a hand written [<- DIRECTION] message... ;)

Like I do prior removing the wheels of vehicles I'm not fully familiar with; i.e. DIL's scooter... (who would have been all over me 😁)

IMG_20230311_111112.jpg

(yeah, got my own tire machine... beST € 950,- ever spent...)
 
ST1100Y said:
Well, without the actual position of the wheel inside the bike, their mistake seems even excusable...
Click to expand...
not really, every tire mounter I've ever used will do one of two things, or both:

1. check the directional arrow on the old tire
2. ask "which side is the speedo drive on?" (or chain drive, driveshaft, etc.)

if you removed your own wheel, you'll know the answers to those questions.
 
Crowned roads are a REAL thing.
On certain road and streets, you can actually see the high spot in the middle.
Had several long-wearing tires with visibly more wear on the left side of the tire.
I ride in the USA, and normally in the right-hand lane...
 
dwalby said:
not really, every tire mounter I've ever used will do one of two things, or both:

1. check the directional arrow on the old tire
2. ask "which side is the speedo drive on?" (or chain drive, driveshaft, etc.)

if you removed your own wheel, you'll know the answers to those questions.
Click to expand...
And many rims also have a rotational direction arrow embossed on them.
 
But rotation arrows, whether on tires, rims, or even brake rotors, doesn't mean they can't still put them on backwards.
As we all know.
 
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