Chicken strips

[Guest Graham in NZ]

In another area on this website, "chicken strips" cropped up and it was explained that in the USA they are the treaded part of tyre sides which never touch the road.

 

Bravery may be an issue in deciding if they touch, but so is tyre profile. The rear tyre of the pre-2002 V11's being a good example of a tyre too-rounded to touch at the extreme tread edges because it's fitted to a too-narrow rim.

 

This is not always a bad thing because the narrower tyre shape helps the bike turn-in faster and feel more planted on gravel roads.

 

Graham

[Guest freddy]

i'm really sorry to say that, but if you go faster this chicken strip will disappear. I've got a friend with a model 2000 who has no strip. You just need to believe you can do it and of course a good road (top is race track).

[gthyni]

.. or use a grinder

[bento]

well, my metzies have a pretty sever side angle on them, so i'd agree with the first post. i'll go farther by saying a cat on a cali was checkin my bike out and saw how far out i'd worn the rerar tire. i believe he said something like, " holy sh!t, you better be careful"

 

i firmly believe i will be scraping my stand before i hit the outer edges of my tire.

[Steve G.]

I've got one of those pre-02 V11s, and have tried my darndest, not to get rid of my chicken strips, but to prevent my bloody side stand and exhaust can from hitting down. I've installed a 160/70 rear tire to lift it up, and to install a proper size tire to the smaller rim the older ones have. The result, I now just touch the left side stand, but intermittent now because 1" [25mm] is now ground off of the foot at the end.

Chicken strips of 1" or more confirm a very conservative rider, any less, and it could be a number of things, like tire size/profile, suspension ride height, bike payload, tire inflation preferences, and different tire manufacturer profiles.

Just checking mine, the front is the shape of a V going over to 1/8" off the edge, and the rear has a large 'safety factor' of about 5/8". Looking at my other bikes, for whatever reason, there appears to be much less of that chicken factor, and yet I ride all my bikes with the same % of what I like to call my safety zone, which is when hard parts grind. Who knows?

Ciao, Steve G.

[al_roethlisberger]

i'm really sorry to say that, but if you go faster this chicken strip will disappear. I've got a friend with a model 2000 who has no strip. You just need to believe you can do it and of course a good road (top is race track).

 

 

Maybe your friend fitted a 160 tire(instead of the 170 stocker), as many have done, that better fits the 4.5inch 00-01 rim

 

If so, that would explain his "success"

[Guest GGuzzi]

Why you guys calling me a chicken

[Baldini]

front is the shape of a V going over to 1/8" off the edge, and the rear has a large 'safety factor' of about 5/8...

SteveG,

 

What size front? I can't figure what you're saying...I've always found rears to get to edge before fronts & seems safer that way.... the 160 should get to the edge easier than the 170 cos profile is flattened out? I've been thru this on my 5.5" rim going to a 170/60 instead of the 180/55. 170 steers better. Both go to the edge pretty quick, I would like a bit more tread, but not more than the front.... I was thinking of going to the 4.5" rim & a 170/60 on my 02, but if it's grounding out with still so much tread left on a 160, the 170 must be worse?

For a given corner speed lean has to be greater on a fatter tyre cos COG is further inboard. But a narrower tyre must give less clearance at a given angle...

How stiff do you run suspension? Is it grounding in flat bends or only on bumps? I believe the Ohlins shock on the Scura is slightly longer than the std V11, which helps ground clearance. You can re-position std cans up & in quite a bit. Sidestand's a pain - once you've ground away the foot watch it doesn't catch the cut out switch...

 

KB

 

PS ...Al, think you got it the wrong way round...? 170 should be more rounded profile...

[al_roethlisberger]

PS ...Al, think you got it the wrong way round...? 170 should be more rounded profile... 

 

 

.... we need a FAQ on this methinks, as it's been beaten to death

 

 

From the several threads I've digested here regarding tire sizing, it seems the following:

 

Optimal sized tires, for optimal profile:

 

4.5 inch rim = 160 (00-01 V11 Sport)

5 inch rim = 170 (not available to OEM Guzzi applications)

5.5 inch rim = 180 (01 RM, 02-present)

 

Although the OEM tire on a 4.5 inch rim equipped bike came as a 170, if you put a 170 on a 00-01 4.5 inch rim, because the tire is a bit too large, the carcass gets "pinched" ever so slightly making for a less curved, but more pointed tire profile.

 

This makes turn in very abrupt, less linear, and makes the farthest edge of the tire more vertical than otherwise.... making it more difficult to actually use this edge to edge. Also, being a more pointed profile, the tire may wear a crowned flat band more quickly, later on making for a harder initial turn in, followed by an even more abrupt transition.

 

Fitting a 160 to the rim makes for a more rounded, and correct, profile... producing a more linear and consistent turn in, and presents a better opportunity to use the tire edge to edge.

 

Anyway, this is what I've read, not personally experienced of course

 

 

I could be wrong, and please point out if I've somehow gotten confused, but I believe this is what I recall being clarified in past tire sizing threads

 

al

[Guest Graham in NZ]

Having read all the postings here, it seems that my original posting says it all.

 

While not the fastest rider about, I do touch the (raised from stock) sidestand foot a bit, and similarly with the front of the original muffler, but still have significant chicken strips on the rear tyre because of its very rounded profile on the stock rim.

 

Actually, I don't feel like a chicken at all when riding the V11 because my friends on more powerful bikes admit to having to try hard to keep up on winding roads.

 

Graham

[Woodburn]

Yes, I agree. I have grinded my kickstand pretty well on turns, but I still have about 1/4 inch of chicken strip left. Just won't go any further! I'm running 170 Metzler Roadtecs.

[Mike Stewart]

Yes, I agree. I have grinded my kickstand pretty well on turns, but I still have about 1/4 inch of chicken strip left. Just won't go any further! I'm running 170 Metzler Roadtecs.

Cut the side stand bumper down and then check the rear suspension sag and tighten er up if the sag is too much. I hardly ground the side stand after this was done. Also, with a 160 width tire, the sidestand will rub sooner. This is due to a more narrow tire.

 

Mike

[Flatland Dan]

Actually, chicken strips of 1" or more don't necessarily indicate a conservative rider. It could indicate that you live in Nebraska. Can you say straight roads? <_ later dan>

[Steve G.]

Baldini,

I've always been tough on my front tires. For one, I'm over 250ib, and second, I am in a habit of braking into a corner instead of braking to a corner then letting off. As a result, the stock size front tire I have quickly tend to get quite a bevel on it, with perhaps 1/8" [3mm] of virgin chicken strip left.

My suspension, I must admit has been set up crudely, mainly set up to take my extra weight. Rear spring preload is near absolute maximum, and all other settings front and back are set right at the middle of their respective adjustement values. Of course, my bike has the Marzocchi front, and Sachs rear.

The original equipement tires [bridgestone BT57s] at the back were the 170/60 size, which because of the wheel being too skinny for the tire size, made the profile of the tire somewhat domed, allowing for a rather large "chicken strip". My maiden voyage tour, the spring of '03 , down to Sonomafest at Sears Point, had me grinding hard parts to the point that once I performed a basic rear jump/soft highside [first time ever, holy shit]at 75 mph, which really pissed me off. I had gained and built up a confidence in the machine, and this really buggered it up. Yet, looking at the rear tire, there was still lots of rubber available for even more potential lean angle. Advice taken from this very forum to use a smaller tire turned out to be a good one, for me and my bike anyway. A 160/70, with a taller sidewall to hopefully raise the rear even more.

I would'nt consider changing the front tire size. The rear to me is the rear, but the front tire for me, the front end is where I really feel my bike. I'm a real muscleman when riding, and putting the front into a corner for me is like sticking an ice pick into ice. You're going into the corner Mr. Guzzi, no arguing. And I like the front of my bike, works well, and putting a skinnier front tire would quicken and already quick steering machine. Don't thing I want to make it any faster.

Ciao, Steve G.

[Mike Stewart]

Baldini,

I've always been tough on my front tires. For one, I'm over 250ib, and second, I am in a habit of braking into a corner instead of braking to a corner then letting off. As a result, the stock size front tire I have quickly tend to get quite a bevel on it, with perhaps 1/8" [3mm] of virgin chicken strip left.

My suspension, I must admit has been set up crudely, mainly set up to take my extra weight. Rear spring preload is near absolute maximum, and all other settings front and back are set right at the middle of their respective adjustement values. Of course, my bike has the Marzocchi front, and Sachs rear.

The original equipement tires [bridgestone BT57s] at the back were the 170/60 size, which because of the wheel being too skinny for the tire size, made the profile of the tire somewhat domed, allowing for a rather large "chicken strip". My maiden voyage tour, the spring of '03 , down to Sonomafest at Sears Point, had me grinding hard parts to the point that once I performed a basic rear jump/soft highside [first time ever, holy shit]at 75 mph, which really pissed me off. I had gained and built up a confidence in the machine, and this really buggered it up. Yet, looking at the rear tire, there was still lots of rubber available for even more potential lean angle. Advice taken from this very forum to use a smaller tire turned out to be a good one, for me and my bike anyway. A 160/70, with a taller sidewall to hopefully raise the rear even more.

I would'nt consider changing the front tire size. The rear to me is the rear, but the front tire for me, the front end is where I really feel my bike. I'm a real muscleman when riding, and putting the front into a corner for me is like sticking an ice pick into ice. You're going into the corner Mr. Guzzi, no arguing. And I like the front of my bike, works well, and putting a skinnier front tire would quicken and already quick steering machine. Don't thing I want to make it any faster.

Ciao, Steve G.

Steve,

 

I have a 550 lb spring for the Sach shock if you need one. It was too stiff for my 200 lb weight but it will work well for yours.

 

Mike