Wierd tire wear

[raz]

When I bought my Sporti in 2006, the front tire had much more wear on its left side than the right side and center. That was a Pirelli Dragon. I thought it looked wierd, like the PO had done some 500 miles in a roundabout. Anyway I just bought a new MEZ6 and forgot about it. Today I just replaced that for another one and after looking carefully at the used one I'm puzzled.

 

The left side, again, had WAY more wear than the right side. Actually, while the left side (at something like 30 degrees from center) was the reason I had to replace it, the center tread still had 2 mm at the worst spot. The worst spot on the left side was much more close to 0 mm than any other integer. The average at that same "angle" was maybe 1 mm. The same angle on the right side of the tire showed less wear than the center, which is more like what I would expect.

 

Now, where I live the roundabouts will wear the left side and the highway ramps will wear the right side. But I almost never ride on highways and not much in roundabouts either. I do seek bendy roads but I'm pretty sure my roads average about the same amount of right bends as left ones Oh, and that worst spot with almost no tread at all. That is really just a coin sized spot. I am pretty darn sure I would remember locking my front wheel in a left turn for a couple of hundred meters without going down or off the road. Are my neighbours playing games with me, using an angle grinder?

 

So my friends, how is this possible? What could cause this uneven wear? I can't figure it out. Even if my frame was seriously bent and my swingarm maximally out of adjustment, I don't think it could produce wear that far off the center (I'm not sure that would produce excessive tire wear at all?). And I'm pretty sure I would feel something was wrong...

 

Edit: unsorted additional facts:

• my rear tires show no uneven wear at all. The center is the limiting factor there, despite my struggle to avoid straight roads
  
• my steering bearings are in great shape
  
• that last wheel had between 32 and 36 psi during all of the 9,845 kms it lasted
  

[rocker59]

Did the previous owner attend trackdays with the bike.

 

Depending on the track's layout, I could see this happening...

 

Or, maybe he's one of those guys that "lives for the roundabout"...

[raz]

Did the previous owner attend trackdays with the bike.

 

Depending on the track's layout, I could see this happening...

 

Or, maybe he's one of those guys that "lives for the roundabout"...

Dunno, but the last tire was entirely ridden by me! I replaced the tyre a year ago and just now I replaced it again. And this one showed the same wear pattern.

 

But I found some answers (should have searched before posting):

http://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=5356

http://www.rattlebars.com/valkfaq/tirewear/

 

The latter link is very interesting reading.

 

It don't explain the completely bald spot though.

[Steve G.]

If you spend some time on a highway/freeway, and you ride in the slow lane, the tire wear will be dictated where you are riding in the lane, near the crown, on the left side of center, right side of center, and how much 'crown' your roads have in your area.

Steve

[FuelCooler]

I'm with Steve G. on this one. Sounds like a road crown wear pattern.

Cheers,

Steve

[BRENTTODD]

I'm with Steve G. on this one. Sounds like a road crown wear pattern.

Cheers,

Steve

[VA Sean]

I hate to suggest this... but if the tires are showing significant wear patterns on one side with all riding being "normal", wouldn't that suggest something rather ominous, such as a bent frame?

[mark.gilmore]

This is my take.My tyres wear more on the right side, as we ride on the left side of the road I think it is further around a right hander than a left hander.Especially if u stay wide in the corner like I do keeping away from on-coming traffic.Only by a few metre's,but it all adds up at the end of the year.

[Steve G.]

I hate to suggest this... but if the tires are showing significant wear patterns on one side with all riding being "normal", wouldn't that suggest something rather ominous, such as a bent frame?

 

 

Moto Guzzi, like other 'shafties', has the advantage over chain drive bikes, alignment wise, as the rear wheel is fixed. I've had a bent bike before, and the tire wear is not so much on the left or right of the tire, but generally a very quick wear out, right across the pattern.

But, it's possible.

Steve

[Skeeve]

When I bought my Sporti in 2006, the front tire had much more wear on its left side than the right side and center. ...

The left side, again, had WAY more wear than the right side. Actually, while the left side (at something like 30 degrees from center) was the reason I had to replace it, the center tread still had 2 mm at the worst spot. The worst spot on the left side was much more close to 0 mm than any other integer. The average at that same "angle" was maybe 1 mm. The same angle on the right side of the tire showed less wear than the center, which is more like what I would expect.

 

Now, where I live the roundabouts will wear the left side and the highway ramps will wear the right side. But I almost never ride on highways and not much in roundabouts either. I do seek bendy roads but I'm pretty sure my roads average about the same amount of right bends as left ones Oh, and that worst spot with almost no tread at all. ...

So my friends, how is this possible? What could cause this uneven wear? I can't figure it out. Even if my frame was seriously bent and my swingarm maximally out of adjustment, I don't think it could produce wear that far off the center (I'm not sure that would produce excessive tire wear at all?). And I'm pretty sure I would feel something was wrong...

 

Accelerated wear on the left side of the front tire is normal for all countries were you drive on the right; vice versa for left-side drive countries.

 

This is due to several combined factors: the way motorcycles steer, angle of the road due to road "crown" for drainage [high road crowns typical in places w/ a lot of precipitation], and the fact that speeds are higher for left turns than right [vice versa for LH countries].

 

Nothing unusual here, nothing to see, move along, move along.

 

BTW, if you try to set up your route so that they're all right turns [or as much as is practicable], it will help even out the wear. I try to do this as a matter of course, since it's legal to turn right on red lights here, so I don't get trapped waiting for a green as often as I would if I were waiting in the left lane for a sensor that has been purposely adjusted by the numbskulls in the city engineering depts. around here to only register a semi-trailer hauling a load of rebar...

[Richard Z]

I have developed the same tire wear too. I have to agree to disagree with the road crown wear. I think that road crown is a major factor in my tire wear. Up until the end of last fall, everything was fine. The last 1000 miles on the bike since have been long rides with a passenger on Major two lane highways. That's when the wear started. All the riding prior to that was city riding. So I really have my reservations that it's turning radius that is the major cause of my wear. I first thought it might have been a tire defect. However after looking at it more, my rear tire has started to wear a flat section right in the middle about 2" wide. Probably caused by the extra passenger and luggage and a straight ride for a distance.

 

I guess I'll have to rent the track again and fix my tire wear.

 

The Bridgstone Battle AXE's are about to become the Battle EX's

 

Any suggestions on what to replace them with. I really like the looks of the Dunlop D616. Any thoughts?

 

Thanks to the original thread starter. It sure helped me out with the same problem.

 

Richard Z.

[Alex-Corsa]

The Bridgstone Battle AXE's are about to become the Battle EX's

 

Any suggestions on what to replace them with. I really like the looks of the Dunlop D616. Any thoughts?

 

Thanks to the original thread starter. It sure helped me out with the same problem.

 

Richard Z.

 

Michelim Pilot power , excellent spot tyre with exceptional grip on the wet.

Metzeler M3 also sport tire warms very quick wears not so quick , excellent over all grip faster geometry than the pilots

Metzeler M1 warms up fast and keeps warming up very stable but wear quicker than the previous. Fast geometry as well.

Metzeler Z6 well tested and a long beek performer.

Bridgestone BT21 NEW sport tourer tire with 2 different rubber mixes. soft at the edges bit harder in the middle

works very well.

[antonio carroccio]

Alex, glad to see you on the forum again.

[Dimitris]

Alex, glad to see you on the forum again.

He is back....and.........refreshed...heheh..

[antonio carroccio]

Did he have got the blondie?