So the front tire on my S4R is basically smooth down the middle (PP2ct). A couple hints of rain grooves. My new set (Road2's) won't be here til early next week. Normally I'd park it and ride my FSE but there's a Duc night at the Harley hotel Thursday.
My choice is either just ride the baldy, or swap on a PP that's been sitting outside for about 8 months which does have relatively better tread.
My thoughts are since it's the front, as long as I'm not too hard on brakes it won't really take much wear for 150 miles. While there's no weather checking on the PP I'm not sure what, if any, rubber breakdown occurs when exposed to weather that long.
Thoughts?
I highly doubt anyone on this board is going to tell you to ride a bald tire or put on an old one with a slightly better tread thats been sitting around for a long time.
The only rational answer you're going to get is "go buy a new one".
Of course. Which is why I ordered em.
Checked the current tire real well and it's not really as bad as I thought. yeah there's bare minimum of grooves left but it'll be fine.
I know old time racers used to age their tires in the sun for a couple months but I'm pretty sure modern tires don't like that ;)
Do what you are comfortable with and ride with it.
Quote from: EEL on August 11, 2009, 09:02:25 AM
I highly doubt anyone on this board is going to tell you to ride a bald tire or put on an old one with a slightly better tread thats been sitting around for a long time.
I won't tell anyone to do it, but I do it all the time. If I have a long ride coming up and don't think a tire will make it, I'll mount a new one and then remount the old one when I get back. I've bought tires for $5 that were on the wear bars and squeezed another 400+ miles out of them, I've run new tires with old, two different brands, tires that have been patched more than once, and even tires that were more than 7 years old. Heck, I've got racing slicks on my 748 that I am running on the street and before have run some Supercorsa Pro SC2 racing tires......and I have no issues with seeing bald sections or cords on my tires......but I don't have any issues with it. You may, though. ;D
[evil] Go for it and live dangerously [thumbsup]
One of the best riders in our group started a fast, 200-mile ride with a worn-to-almost-treadless-in-the-middle rear tire. He had new tires waiting at the shop, but decided to try and squeeze one more ride out of this one.
About half way through the mountains (20 minutes after we all stopped for a break) a fellow rider pulled him over and showed him the 2-inch wide patch of steel cords coming through the tire along a 2 foot long strip. Fortunately, the only bike shop in 30-miles was near where he stopped.
He was riding quite fast in a really rural, very hilly, wooded and twisty area -- a blowout could have been fatal.
yeah I rode it. No biggie. Pretty much just freeway so not like there was a lot of stress on it. My new front probly wont be in til monday tho the rear arrived wed at the shop.
Dynabeads come in Monday so it's pretty good timing.
I'm guessing I'll have a ride Sunday tho since I'm a bit over on my valve adjustment it won't be an epic day or anything ;)
I used to have a first gen FZ1 and was proud that I got 15,000 out of the factory BT020. After it was taken off, I wasn't so glib. It was like two halves of a tire were connected with an inch of thin rubberized cloth. There was no rigidity at all and when laid down, the center band just folded. There were no cords or blisters showing when it was taken off. A twig would have gone through it at speed. These tires are as thin and light as they can be. Don't mess around.