Riding Fast Wears Out Tires Fast?

[Guest goldVFR]

Some folks think their tires are wearing out too quickly because they are really good riders, riding 110 percent at the twisties.

I bet how hard your ride is one of the factors on tire wear, but not a significant one. The list probably goes something like:

- Tire compound / structure / pattern

- Bike+rider+gear+(passanger) weight

- Tire pressure

- Riding with a lot of stop and go - versus cruising for many miles

- how hard the rider is hitting the twisties

thoughts?

[skuuter]

Some folks think their tires are wearing out too quickly because they are really good riders, riding 110 percent at the twisties.

I bet how hard your ride is one of the factors on tire wear, but not a significant one. The list probably goes something like:

- Tire compound / structure / pattern

- Bike+rider+gear+(passanger) weight

- Tire pressure

- Riding with a lot of stop and go - versus cruising for many miles

- how hard the rider is hitting the twisties

thoughts?

Also a "little bit" of tire spin coupled with bike "drift". Smooth, less abrupt on/off throttle, more air pressure on trips all adds useable miles to tires......... :thumbsup:

[TimC]

Sounds like a good list, but I'd like to add this:

From what I know, hard acceleration and braking also take tolls on tires, with the rear tire esp. taking a lot of abuse from abrupt acceleration. Every time you twist the throttle hard, the rear tire is working to maintain grip - or losing it ever so slightly and re-attaining grip. Like doing a very tiny burnout. I believe that's why Hayabusas and other high-powered sportbikes go thru rear tires so quickly.

[gradus]

Sounds like a good list, but I'd like to add this:

From what I know, hard acceleration and braking also take tolls on tires, with the rear tire esp. taking a lot of abuse from abrupt acceleration. Every time you twist the throttle hard, the rear tire is working to maintain grip - or losing it ever so slightly and re-attaining grip. Like doing a very tiny burnout. I believe that's why Hayabusas and other high-powered sportbikes go thru rear tires so quickly.

I agree with this. My buddy rides a Duc 999 and his tire wear is directly related to how hard he gets on the gas coming out of turns. It's easier to tell on bikes with that much power. On our rides, I'm usually faster through the turns, but his tires take a lot more damage.

[jeremy556]

Some folks think their tires are wearing out too quickly because they are really good riders, riding 110 percent at the twisties.

That is a pretty silly thing to think. There is a lot more to being a "really good rider" than going fast.

[skuuter]

Some folks think their tires are wearing out too quickly because they are really good riders, riding 110 percent at the twisties.

That is a pretty silly thing to think. There is a lot more to being a "really good rider" than going fast.

I agree. I ride fast sometimes, but for sure not all the time. When you meet riders that log a lot of miles per year, and have been doing it for years and years, you can bet they're good riders. Speed is a "catagory", not a measurement of skill in the day to day survival of street riding. Most anyone with years of experience can go "fast" if need be, because most of the basic skills required have been "acquired" over the years. Most have learned how to stretch tires and other equipment also......... :thumbsup:

[dude]

Some folks think their tires are wearing out too quickly because they are really good riders, riding 110 percent at the twisties.

That is a pretty silly thing to think. There is a lot more to being a "really good rider" than going fast.

What if i "think" I'm riding fast? :blink:

[Alien VFR]

Wheelies don't help rear tire tread life... But at least the front gets a break!

[melvis]

Some folks think their tires are wearing out too quickly because they are really good riders, riding 110 percent at the twisties.

That is a pretty silly thing to think. There is a lot more to being a "really good rider" than going fast.

What if i "think" I'm riding fast? :blink:

That explains why I'm chewing up my tires so quickly... :salesman:

[Guest 767fixer]

the faster you are, the more loading you place on the tire. add weight and even more load. kkkKen has a large load but not much speed so has moderate tire wear. i have almost none

[Bad Boy]

An average rider trying to keep up with a fast pace will expend rubber much faster than an experienced rider do to braking more before corners, slower corner speed, and having to hammer the gas coming out of the corner to catch up. Where a experienced rider is maintaining a more even pace.

[tbzep]

Engine braking also speeds rear tire wear. Our V-4's have more engine braking than the average I-4, so all else being equal, our rears should wear faster than an equally powerful and heavy I-4....especially when spending more time in lower gears at higher RPM's. I hopped on Hurricane249's CBR-1000RR last year and the thing felt like it was going into neutral when I let off the gas compared to the VFR.

Because I like to ride "the pace", I don't do much braking before entering a curve. The sides of my front tires wear out long before the centers. However, due to acceleration and V-4 engine braking, my rear wears out almost evenly with some tread left near the very edges. I accelerate at all lean angles...I like to feel the rear drift a little. However, I ride the bike in places that aren't twisty just as much as in the twisties, which leaves a bit more tread in the last inch or so of the tire. If I lived on the other side of the state, I bet my rear would look nearly new in the center when worn out on the sides....You lucky bastages!

Road surface texture and temperature plays a major part in tire wear also. I rode about 1,000 miles in Canada last year with very minor wear on the Strada tires I had on at the time. 1,000 miles on the coarser textured and higher surface temperature roads down here in TN would have eaten at least 1/3 of my rear tire, probably more...especially if I spent as much time without leaning as I did up there. There are at least twice as many curves in Eastern Canada as there is in Florida....unfortunately we only found three of them. Maybe I can go back someday and find the other three. :blink:

Rear tire wear is directly proportional to the right wrist for the most part, but riding styles, pressures, bike/rider weight, road conditions and all the other stuff mentioned do play a significant part.

[tbzep]

kkkKen has a large load

Too much information!!!! :blink:

[Dutchy]

kkkKen has a large load

Too much information!!!! :blink:

KKKKen "been running down the road"???

:blink: :P

[Guest]

Some folks think their tires are wearing out too quickly because they are really good riders, riding 110 percent at the twisties.

I bet how hard your ride is one of the factors on tire wear, but not a significant one. The list probably goes something like:

- Tire compound / structure / pattern

- Bike+rider+gear+(passanger) weight

- Tire pressure

- Riding with a lot of stop and go - versus cruising for many miles

- how hard the rider is hitting the twisties

thoughts?

You left out a big one...road surface ! Here in Texas we have very rough roads, chip seal, embedded gravel and roads are like a file. I'm lucky to get 2000 miles out of a rear tire and I heard folks here have done 8000 ! Matter of fact I went down 3 weeks ago in loose gravel on the CBR and was stuck under bike for 1/2 hour and then a guy rode up on his Duc DS1000 and did the same thing and almost hit me. No warning signs posted at all and I think this should not be legal and is a dumb ass idea in the 1st place. They are literally laying down marbles on our roads they expect us to embed and remove, chips the paint on your bike and car, cracks windshields, and on a 2 wheel vehicle then what ?

Edited September 25, 2007 by Oily

[Baileyrock]

To many variables IMO, but I like to get every last bit from my tires(PP's) and they never slip on me until the cords show. :blink:

PP rear with 2k miles. Still good for another ride.

end of life! This tire never stepped out until the cords showed.

[Guest 767fixer]

I hopped on Hurricane249's CBR-1000RR last year and the thing felt like it was going into neutral when I let off the gas compared to the VFR.

you ought to ride the GSXR with its slipper clutch

[skuuter]

Fastest wear to least wear for me: (1) railing (2) touring (3) riding (4) commuting............ :blink:

[Guest]

The list probably goes something like:

- Tire compound / structure / pattern

- Bike+rider+gear+(passanger) weight

- Tire pressure

- Riding with a lot of stop and go - versus cruising for many miles

- how hard the rider is hitting the twisties

I meant to say 'in order of importance'. Based on some of the feedback, I guess maybe da list is (in order of importance):

- Tire compound / structure / pattern

- Bike+rider+gear+(passanger) weight

- Tire pressure

- Bike horsepower - assuming the rider uses the HP available

- Riding with a lot of stop and go - versus cruising for many miles

- Road conditions

- how hard the rider is hitting the twisties

umm, :wheel: I dont belive V4's have more engine braking than I4's. the factors there are:

- number of cylinders & valves

- compression ratio

- crankshaft+flywheel mass

basically the more cylinders& valves and compression ratio, the more engine braking. heavier crankshart+ flywheel means less engine braking.

anyway I gotta stop making silly lists and get more riding done. I think the thought of the ending riding season is gettin' to me.

[jeremy556]

I meant to say 'in order of importance'. Based on some of the feedback, I guess maybe da list is (in order of importance):

- Tire compound / structure / pattern

- Bike+rider+gear+(passanger) weight

- Tire pressure

- Bike horsepower - assuming the rider uses the HP available

- Riding with a lot of stop and go - versus cruising for many miles

- Road conditions

- how hard the rider is hitting the twisties

I don't think you can really list them in order of importance, as any one could outweigh all the others combined. For instance, if you run with 15PSI in your tires, they are going to wear out very quickly regardless of everything else on the list. I bet Rossi would destroy a set of tires very quickly regardless of the rest of the list also.

[tbzep]

umm, :goofy: I dont belive V4's have more engine braking than I4's. the factors there are:

- number of cylinders & valves

- compression ratio

- crankshaft+flywheel mass

basically the more cylinders& valves and compression ratio, the more engine braking. heavier crankshart+ flywheel means less engine braking.

anyway I gotta stop making silly lists and get more riding done. I think the thought of the ending riding season is gettin' to me.

That's what I used to think, but every V-4 I've ridden had more engine braking than any I-4 I've ever ridden (with similar displacements). The twins I've ridden also had more engine braking than any four cylinder bike I've ridden of similar displacement.

BTW, you forgot gear ratios and displacement in your equation.

[Birdman]

Let’s summarize everything into a formula:

tf(v/2)(sbd)(36x22x36)(nbc/fox/cbs/abc)

divided by HP(wt)(stop)(vfrd)(go)

+ mc(hammer) – psi(#%&**@!!!)

You need to include vfrd in the equation or you will end up with the secret sauce recipe for a Big Mac.

:unsure: :goofy: :goofy:

Incidentally, I posted this gag before somebody laid out a real calculation here. :goofy:

[VFR4Lee]

Do a track day on new tires. Tell me you can't see the wear from about 200 miles. :goofy:

It'll be real obvious. A racer wears out tires in under 100 miles. It's mostly down to the pilot how long a tire lasts. :unsure:

[Lee 2002]

I would put tire pressure at the very top of the list in terms of importance.

50 miles of underinflated (out of necessity, don't ask me how I know) can burn through 3/8 inch of tread.

[dude]

Let’s summarize everything into a formula:

tf(v/2)(sbd)(36x22x36)(nbc/fox/cbs/abc)

divided by HP(wt)(stop)(vfrd)(go)

+ mc(hammer) – psi(#%&**@!!!)

You need to include vfrd in the equation or you will end up with the secret sauce recipe for a Big Mac.

:unsure: :goofy: :goofy:

Incidentally, I posted this gag before somebody laid out a real calculation here. :goofy:

:lol: