Tire wear indicators?

[Guaps]

What does the wear indicator on a tire look like?  Is it that small bridge of rubber that connects some of the tread on my tire, or is it something embedded in the rubber that will show up when I wear the tire down enough? 

Thanks!

[carlosbarrios]

It's that small bridge of rubber that connects some of the tread.  The tire is "done" once the tread is worn down to the same height as the bridge.

[Slide Panda]

IF you look in the tread grooves there will be a little bridge down in that groove.  Once the tires worn to the point that is now meeting the road then it's time for new skins.

Though if you do a lot of highway riding aka straight the tire may wear out before you hit the wear bars since you'll have run out the center of the tire and the bars are off to the sides a bit,

[ScottRNelson]

What does the wear indicator on a tire look like?

This tire is at the wear bars and needs to be changed.  I think this one was two tires ago and I'm about at that point again.  I think I need a new rear tire at least once a year on average. 

[dlearl476]

It's that small bridge of rubber that connects some of the tread.  The tire is "done" once the tread is worn down to the same height as the bridge.

+1

Scott's pic is good, but I just got back from WSBK and my front is cooked.  Might be able to make a good pic of it as well, along with the new tire waiting to go on.

[Desmo Demon]

The tire is "done" once the tread is worn down to the same height as the bridge.

That does seem to be the general conscensous for a lot of people, but my wife and I routinely run ours down to look like this old rear tire of hers.....or worse...



We usually run them until there are bald sections or cords are showing. The only time we may change them out before this is if they start to slide on us.

[A.duc.H.duc.]

That does seem to be the general conscensous for a lot of people, but my wife and I routinely run ours down to look like this old rear tire of hers.....or worse...



We usually run them until there are bald sections or cords are showing. The only time we may change them out before this is if they start to slide on us.

That's pretty much what I do too.

[Desmo Demon]

That's pretty much what I do too.

With the cost of tires and how many we go through, we need to get as many  miles out of them as we can. This is a picture of our spare tires from October....all of them are gone, now...



A few weeks ago when Cycle Gear had the sale on Diablos ($169 per pair) I *had* to buy four sets of them. If I could have swung some more money, I'd have bought a few more sets.

[mitt]

That does seem to be the general conscensous for a lot of people, but my wife and I routinely run ours down to look like this old rear tire of hers.....or worse...



We usually run them until there are bald sections or cords are showing. The only time we may change them out before this is if they start to slide on us.

it is pretty scary though to take a utility knife and cross section the tire when they are that gone - you are trusting your hide to less than a millimeter of material...

I change them closer to Scott's pic.

mitt

mitt

[carlosbarrios]

Yeap, I wait till they are like Scott's, and then do a burn out till they look like desmo demons

Of course, make sure you are close to home, and already have a new tire waiting for ya.

[Desmo Demon]

it is pretty scary though to take a utility knife and cross section the tire when they are that gone - you are trusting your hide to less than a millimeter of material...

A utility knife won't do much all all to those steel cords, but yes......we run them like this all the time. You should see the tire I just took of the wife's R1 and the one I took off my ST2......and we run mis-matched tires, and I'll patch them and reuse them (I once patched a tire three times by the time I threw it away), and I've run used tires, and tires that are up to seven years old, and only change tires out in pairs when both are worn out, and any other "taboo" that you can think of concerning tires.

When we've run through 18 tires last year, 14 the year before, and we are already up to something like 8 tires this year, we get the most we possibly can out of them. Now, if we only rode 2000 miles a year and a set of tires lasted 10k miles, I'd probably think a lot differently, but I believe we have a pretty good understanding of how the bikes handle and what to look out for when the tires get below the wear bars. Look at it this way, during each month of the year, we are riding on at least one tire that is below the wear bars....that's EVERY month.

Of course, make sure you are close to home, and already have a new tire waiting for ya.

I have my own tire changer and the 748, ST2, R1, and the Paso have a spare set of rims. I'm still casually looking for a spare set of rims for the GSXR.....and maybe now for the Monster.

[Speeddog]

DesmoDemon, you guys ride a *lot*.
I understand you want to get your money's worth out of 'em.
You obviously watch them carefully, as you've gone *right* to the edge repeatedly, and apparently haven't had a problem.

For the *average* rider I see come into my shop, Scott's picture defines worn out.
Unless they're very vigilant, riding beyond that is flirting with disaster.
Rear tires wear very quickly past that point.

[mitt]

A utility knife won't do much all all to those steel cords, but yes..

I was able to cut my tire in half relatively easy if you go with around the circumference and not across it.

mitt

[herm]

here is a really good close up of the "wear bars"

[Desmo Demon]

I was able to cut my tire in half relatively easy if you go with around the circumference and not across it.

Cool....I'm going to change out another couple of tires this week. I'll have to try that with one of them. It may make for a good wall hanging.