I'd say it was time to change them!

[Keith Foster]

Earlier this summer a coworker finally bought new tires for his Suzuki TL1000. I'd been after him to order them for a year or so, well he took his time getting around to it, he pushed it to the last straw I'd say. Actually further than the last straw, as the rear tire would not hold air any longer. He had to trailer it to my place to install the new tires.

 

Have you ever seen someone take a set of tires this far?

[jrt]

Yes, I have seen someone take tires that far. Unfortunately, it blew out on a corner and the passenger, who was a very dear friend of mine, was killed in the resulting accident.

I'm pretty inflexible about tires nowadays. If they are worn- replace them. Tires are cheap, comparatively.

[felix42o]

Yeah, I gotta say that's pretty ridiculous. Tire aren't that expensive...you don't need to buy top shelf tires to be safe. I hate to judge, but if you can't spend the money on basic consumables you probably should re-evaluate your need for a motorcycle.

[gavo]

I've taken a rear Tyre that far, caught me by surprise, the design of the Tyre had no tread in the middle , I was riding straight roads and one minute it looked fine 20ks later canvas was showing through. Had to stay in Mackay overnight (it was Sunday) and buy a new one next day. Some rears can look ok one minute and OMG the next. However I don't see an excuse for the front one. And tyres might not be that expensive in the states but in Aus ----Ouch

[gstallons]

Earlier this summer a coworker finally bought new tires for his Suzuki TL1000. I'd been after him to order them for a year or so, well he took his time getting around to it, he pushed it to the last straw I'd say. Actually further than the last straw, as the rear tire would not hold air any longer. He had to trailer it to my place to install the new tires.

 

Have you ever seen someone take a set of tires this far?

 

 

Cut the tire in a cross section to show him what "thin ice" looks like..... Does his vehicle tires look like this ? Probably not............

[raz]

Have you ever seen someone take a set of tires this far?

Cut the tire in a cross section to show him what "thin ice" looks like..... Does his vehicle tires look like this ? Probably not............

 

That is a very good suggestion and actually I would love to see the picture here too, please? That would be very interesting! Both rear and front.

[gstallons]

4 mm thick.......... Tops !

[felix42o]

I've taken a rear Tyre that far, caught me by surprise, the design of the Tyre had no tread in the middle , I was riding straight roads and one minute it looked fine 20ks later canvas was showing through. Had to stay in Mackay overnight (it was Sunday) and buy a new one next day. Some rears can look ok one minute and OMG the next. However I don't see an excuse for the front one. And tyres might not be that expensive in the states but in Aus ----Ouch

 

I had that happen on my last rear tire, right in the middle. Looked okay till a gas stop near LA and I parked it till I could get a new tire as well. Had to ride on the back of my buddie's ST1300 bank to San Diego, which must have looked rediculous. Two grown men in full gear on a Honda It certainly wasn't to the point it wouldn't hold air though. What do tires cost over there? A set of pirelli diablos cost around, what, $300-350 I guess.

[gavo]

I've taken a rear Tyre that far, caught me by surprise, the design of the Tyre had no tread in the middle , I was riding straight roads and one minute it looked fine 20ks later canvas was showing through. Had to stay in Mackay overnight (it was Sunday) and buy a new one next day. Some rears can look ok one minute and OMG the next. However I don't see an excuse for the front one. And tyres might not be that expensive in the states but in Aus ----Ouch

 

I had that happen on my last rear tire, right in the middle. Looked okay till a gas stop near LA and I parked it till I could get a new tire as well. Had to ride on the back of my buddie's ST1300 bank to San Diego, which must have looked rediculous. Two grown men in full gear on a Honda It certainly wasn't to the point it wouldn't hold air though. What do tires cost over there? A set of pirelli diablos cost around, what, $300-350 I guess.

 

I paid $300 for a rear Michelin pilot road 2, fitted, about 5 mths ago. A front would cost about $250. Sometimes set of tires can be found on sale at around $400-450 I can actually buy at set of tires from the USA and have them delivered to my door for slightly more than the cost of a rear tire here, and lots of people are doing that sort of thing now and not just with tires. This has local retailers crying foul and calling for import duties and customers saying well if they were priced competitively instead of trying to make a million on every sale we would buy locally. After all these same businesses were calling for a free market afew years ago. Seems its not so attractive now

[mznyc]

Uhg-lee, Can't say I haven't see pics of similar condition tires from members on the site.Too many people see the purchase price of a bike,car boat,whatever but don't consider the real cost of ownership.Maintenance,insurance,fuel,quality gear,..

Overall Guzzi owners are older and wiserer than the standard squid racer boys but no excuse for that from anyone with half a wit.Let me guess,he wears and $100 helmet.Joe Rocket jacket,jeans and maybe sneakers on a good day.I tell newbies if it's too hot or inconvenient or you cant afford to wear fully armored gear,armored boots,gloves and a full face helmet then you shouldn't be riding.

Gonna be 90 and humid tomorrow but I'll be wearing heavy ass full Vansons with heavy race armor.I value my bones and skin more than my comfort,oh and my tires will be in good condition,when they aren't I dont ride,...

[Baldini]

...Gonna be 90 and humid tomorrow but I'll be wearing heavy ass full Vansons with heavy race armor.I value my bones and skin more than my comfort...

 

Me too, but there's always a trade-off - discomfort distracts & that which you have protected yourself against becomes more likely to happen. Comfort's important too!

And there's perceived risk where you will take more risk if you feel more secure.

 

One real hot day, T shirt & jeans, I had a worn front blow out & spit me off. After the gravel rash I got from that I wear proper gear & check tyres.

IME you're far more likely to pick up a puncture when a tyre is run towards limit.

 

KB

[gavo]

Uhg-lee, Can't say I haven't see pics of similar condition tires from members on the site.Too many people see the purchase price of a bike,car boat,whatever but don't consider the real cost of ownership.Maintenance,insurance,fuel,quality gear,..

Overall Guzzi owners are older and wiserer than the standard squid racer boys but no excuse for that from anyone with half a wit.Let me guess,he wears and $100 helmet.Joe Rocket jacket,jeans and maybe sneakers on a good day.I tell newbies if it's too hot or inconvenient or you cant afford to wear fully armored gear,armored boots,gloves and a full face helmet then you shouldn't be riding.

Gonna be 90 and humid tomorrow but I'll be wearing heavy ass full Vansons with heavy race armor.I value my bones and skin more than my comfort,oh and my tires will be in good condition,when they aren't I dont ride,...

 

That sounds just a little snobby don't you think. Before the latte swilling set got into bikes it was a means of transport for the common man, a pudding helmet and what ever you have on and this is still the case for millions around the world, these are real motorcyclists not the crowd that have $1000 helmet,$2000 leathers and $30000 bike the take to a mechanic to pump up the tyres and then they only ride to the local cafe. So he only has a $100 helmet, he's made some effort.

Oh and when you pull on your xyz brand heavy leathers , Armour etc and its really hot , remember more people die from heatstroke than bike accidents

[gstallons]

One good drop will cure anyone from wearing flip-flops, shorts, no helmet & a wife beater.. There is (or was) a photo on Rotten.com with the caption "Nothing gets between me and my Harley" The pic shows a man's face wth a missing jaw, nose and everything between. I guess a face down highway crash with lots of pavement. UGH. Anyone riding sans helmet after that is on their own.

[mznyc]

That sounds just a little snobby don't you think. Before the latte swilling set got into bikes it was a means of transport for the common man, a pudding helmet and what ever you have on and this is still the case for millions around the world, these are real motorcyclists not the crowd that have $1000 helmet,$2000 leathers and $30000 bike the take to a mechanic to pump up the tyres and then they only ride to the local cafe. So he only has a $100 helmet, he's made some effort.

Oh and when you pull on your xyz brand heavy leathers , Armour etc and its really hot , remember more people die from heatstroke than bike accidents

 

Nope not at all.Ive ridden 100's of K's miles, X-country,Europe,hundreds of touring trips,thousands of day rides,15 years of riding in Manhattan all year round,in 30+ years,started in my early teens, and the only thing that is important to me is that EVERYONE ,stranger or friend gets home in one piece.Doesn't matter what brand of bike or gear your ride or wear,lotta other good companies other than Vanson.I just pulled out my first street jacket a Fieldsheer tonight stashed in the back of the closet.Inexpensive,but very well made and saved my ass a couple of times.But it is commonly excepted to wear cheap gear as "good enough".I make a decent living now,but for most of my life I was a starving musician that lived week to week,but when I got back into street bikes,I scrimped,saved,worked extra hours,sold junk I didn't need to get quality gear,by doing a lot of research to get stuff on closeouts as I'd seen what happens to people who dont.And this was before the internet.Now you have the biggest store at your fingertips for new or used gear if you can't afford new.That cheap light weight crap that's sold on the web should be banned,but most people look at price as how to judge value.

I wonder if the exhaust on his bike was stock?See at lot of that,upgrades that do little for performance ,but make a nice noise.Yet tires look like that.A friend of mine who's in his 40's did just that,spent a thousand bucks on a pipe yet went on a long trip with friends and guess what?, had a nearly bald tire blow out on him.He was fine but delayed him and his riding mates a day,I always teased him about his gear.Cheap jacket,jeans with chaps, ,and work boots.Finally he bought some better stuff,expect for armored boots.Soon after he crashed,walked away relatively unscathed except for his feet!By the way he thanked me for pestering him.

If that's snobbery,call me a snob please.

If wearing the best gear you can get,which we all can with a little ingenuity ,saves you,then the end justifies the means in my book

Oh and in all those miles in riding in deserts and +100F temps in NYC I've never had heatstroke.Know what my limits are and make sure I don't push them.Take breaks,drink lots a water! Especially the kind with hops and barley at the end of the day

[Stormtruck2]

That sounds just a little snobby don't you think. Before the latte swilling set got into bikes it was a means of transport for the common man, a pudding helmet and what ever you have on and this is still the case for millions around the world, these are real motorcyclists not the crowd that have $1000 helmet,$2000 leathers and $30000 bike the take to a mechanic to pump up the tyres and then they only ride to the local cafe. So he only has a $100 helmet, he's made some effort.

Oh and when you pull on your xyz brand heavy leathers , Armour etc and its really hot , remember more people die from heatstroke than bike accidents

 

Nope not at all.Ive ridden 100's of K's miles, X-country,Europe,hundreds of touring trips,thousands of day rides,15 years of riding in Manhattan all year round,in 30+ years,started in my early teens, and the only thing that is important to me is that EVERYONE ,stranger or friend gets home in one piece.Doesn't matter what brand of bike or gear your ride or wear,lotta other good companies other than Vanson.I just pulled out my first street jacket a Fieldsheer tonight stashed in the back of the closet.Inexpensive,but very well made and saved my ass a couple of times.But it is commonly excepted to wear cheap gear as "good enough".I make a decent living now,but for most of my life I was a starving musician that lived week to week,but when I got back into street bikes,I scrimped,saved,worked extra hours,sold junk I didn't need to get quality gear,by doing a lot of research to get stuff on closeouts as I'd seen what happens to people who dont.And this was before the internet.Now you have the biggest store at your fingertips for new or used gear if you can't afford new.That cheap light weight crap that's sold on the web should be banned,but most people look at price as how to judge value.

I wonder if the exhaust on his bike was stock?See at lot of that,upgrades that do little for performance ,but make a nice noise.Yet tires look like that.A friend of mine who's in his 40's did just that,spent a thousand bucks on a pipe yet went on a long trip with friends and guess what?, had a nearly bald tire blow out on him.He was fine but delayed him and his riding mates a day,I always teased him about his gear.Cheap jacket,jeans with chaps, ,and work boots.Finally he bought some better stuff,expect for armored boots.Soon after he crashed,walked away relatively unscathed except for his feet!By the way he thanked me for pestering him.

If that's snobbery,call me a snob please.

If wearing the best gear you can get,which we all can with a little ingenuity ,saves you,then the end justifies the means in my book

Oh and in all those miles in riding in deserts and +100F temps in NYC I've never had heatstroke.Know what my limits are and make sure I don't push them.Take breaks,drink lots a water! Especially the kind with hops and barley at the end of the day

 

Not as easily done as said. I would love a pair of armoured boots. I wear a 10 1/2- 11 EEEE boot. In the states the only one I can buy is a Redwing Box Toe boot that will actually fit. Have you ever seen a set of Sidi's that went to EE let alone EEEE? If so please inform me. I will buy them instantly. I am 5'11" tall, weigh 255 am not what you would call fat, but certainly thick bodied. Waist is 42, chest 58, inseam 29". Off the rack clothes, yeah right. Yes I look like the good Lord built me on a preholiday Friday out of left over pieces parts. I would love a full set of leathers, boots, and I do have an Arai Profile helmet. I just can't find theses items to fit. Unfortunatly Omar the tent maker does not make clothes in leather.