Front chicken strips

[blue tiger]

     Let me start off by saying I hate that freakin' name. I'm out on my Monster almost everyday, usually fighting idiot's in cars and heavy traffic. You have to be brave just to survive my commute. Anyway I'm looking forward to scheduling a track school next summer (you wouldn't believe my work schedule if I told you) and have a few questions. I was always a cruiser guy until this spring when I bought my Monster (A Tricolore so obviously an S4rs) and honestly had no idea what a "chicken strip" was. Now that I have had the pleasue of exquisite suspension and sticky tires I've been exploring the limits of my cornering abilities. The bike is set up with standard ride height and stock Pilot Powers. The suspension was tuned by the dealership for my weight by an Ohlins certified suspension tech. I run stock tire pressure. I didn't have to wait long to make the last bit's of unused tread on the REAR tire all but dissappear. Ther is maybe 1/32 of unused tread on both sides of the rear and it is gone in some sections of the tire. The front has pretty large strips, like maybe 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch. I'm not obsessed I just hate the idea of all that unused rubber.

Here are my questions.

1. Is it normal for more unused rubber to be left on the front ?

2. Is less front wear a result of turning in to slowly ? I feel this may be it as I play it conservative on the street when turning in but usually pour on the coals as I am powering through the turn.

3. The shop offered to lower the front trees a little to make it a bit more "snappy" but I declined as I really like the way it handles right now. Would this be a good idea or not.

4. Could this be an air pressure issue. I run them at the stock indicated tire pressure.

I've had this bike since early May. I've got about 2500 miles on it. I promised myself I would take a year to learn everything about this bike and how to ride it. I have about 75,000 miles on other bikes but nothing of these capabilities. I have some months to go so I doubt I will try any suggestions that I think involve more risk than already exist in motorcycling.

I'm not trying to get my knee down or do anything to rid myself of what's on my front tire. I'm looking for input regarding my bikes set up and my cornering technique. I know for a fact I am turning in slower than I need to for safety and am wondering if this is why I am wearing less on the front than the rear.I know only so many ideas can be put forth with out video or seeing my technique but this is all I've got. An suggestions or ideas (like ride how you want and don't worry about it, that's my motto anyway  ) would be awesome. I honestly must say it's a freakin' awesome motorcycle that I love to ride !!!

[NuTTs]

Congrats on the Tricolore, I've had a couple of S4Rs and I truly do miss that Testastretta riding experience..

Here are my questions.

1. If you're riding on the road, not track then yes it is perfectly normal to have "chicken strips" on the front tire. Don't get obsessed by it. A lot of it is down to your bike's suspension geometry.. think of it this way, both tires will work to their end limit if both are turning/leaning at a similar rate. On a race track you will get to the edge but, be careful. I've had a few lowside experiences and have friends who have shared the same experience.

2. Is less front wear a result of turning in to slowly ? I feel this may be it as I play it conservative on the street when turning in but usually pour on the coals as I am powering through the turn. On the street keep riding as you are, don't push it too hard until you know your bike very well. A track day with a riding course will make you ride better and help setup your bike for your riding style.

3. The ground clearance on this bike is low anyway.. don't touch the front end too much. I'd rather raise the rear.

4. Don't vary tire pressures from what the manufacturer recommends unless you go onto a race track.

Just enjoy the bike, the Monster Rs is an amazing bike. Beware though, it can and does bite back!

NuTTs

[psycledelic]

Why do chicken strips have the influence that they do on people?  I am in no way criticizing because I had, have, had the same obsession with them.  It is really funny how the people that poke fun at my strips also have them, but may be a little smaller, but the guys I ride with that have eliminated theirs completely (mostly from the track) could care less (as long as I somewhat keep up and don't slow them down to much).  They just keep wanting me to go with them to a track day.  I have come to terms with the fact that trying to scrub all of the chicken strips off my tires on the street is dangerous, but I still find myself attempting it now and again on the backroads. 

[Slide Panda]

1. Is it normal for more unused rubber to be left on the front ?

Totally.  It's an aspect of the bikes geometry and the nature of coutersteering.  As Nutts noted, you'll only hit the very edges of the front tire if you're running out on the ragged edges of what the bike can do.

2. Is less front wear a result of turning in to slowly ? I feel this may be it as I play it conservative on the street when turning in but usually pour on the coals as I am powering through the turn.

See above. 

3. The shop offered to lower the front trees a little to make it a bit more "snappy" but I declined as I really like the way it handles right now. Would this be a good idea or not.

Raise the rear like Nutts said.  It will have the same effect of reducing the rake angle.  Steering will be faster, but go too far and the bike will feel nervous/unstable.

4. Could this be an air pressure issue. I run them at the stock indicated tire pressure.

Probably not. 

I'm not trying to get my knee down or do anything to rid myself of what's on my front tire. I'm looking for input regarding my bikes set up and my cornering technique. I know for a fact I am turning in slower than I need to for safety and am wondering if this is why I am wearing less on the front than the rear.I know only so many ideas can be put forth with out video or seeing my technique but this is all I've got. An suggestions or ideas (like ride how you want and don't worry about it, that's my motto anyway  ) would be awesome. I honestly must say it's a freakin' awesome motorcycle that I love to ride !!!

Monsters are sporty, but not 'hyper' sports bikes.  DSS monsters would always run out of lean angle by hitting hard parts before they ran out of tire, when they were in stock trim.  Even the S*R models have had udders scrape when being ridden hard.  The pegs are a little lower, the exhaust's a little wider than you'd find on something like the 1098 so hard bits tend to touch down earlier.

Also, chicken strips aren't as telling as one might assume.  You can take a lot of lean angle off your bike by positioning your body so your weight is inside the turn.  So for the same turn at the same speed, you'd use less lean, and have wider strips.  Conversely, a nervous rider who shys away from the turn and puts their body on the outside will require more lean for the same turn and speed, and have smaller strips as a result... Ponder than one.

[sh]

Focus on your riding and the strips will work themselves out.  Don't force it and don't make yourself do things you aren't comfortable with or ready for just to get rid of them.

If you just want to know why they exist, I think the other posters covered it.

[arai_speed]

In all my years or riding, I have only been able to completely remove the front tire chicken strips once, and that was in a race track with me leaning the hell out of the bike (R1)

In subsequent track days, I've tried to keep the bike upright as much as possible and I try and hang off  a bit more.  This has the effect of leaving a nice chicken strip in the front tire and no chicken strip in the rear.  I'm still going fast and have my knee on the ground and feel more comfortable as I have more contact patch with the pavement. In short, removing the front chicken strip is not that important and not a indicator of speed.  If you are trying this on your Monster you might start to drag hard parts before you get to edge of the front tire or worst, you might start to drag your ass on the pavement  

Good luck and happy riding!

[blue tiger]

Awesome responses as always from this board.

Just went on a nice little 200+ mile ride with a friend from work. He has a k1200rs. We went down to the twistiest portion of our fair state (around Hoosier Natl Forest) and burned up the backroads. I didn't worry about those strips 1 iota. It was totally cool but I had to fill up 3 times. Felt like I was pretty near my personal limit for street riding. Nothing squirrely or weird feeling, just that smooth sense of speed !!! The thing was just on rails. Felt just totally fantastic but I'm tired now !!

My friends bmw is a pretty cool machine....I walked away from him in the turns !!!

Ciao fellow riders

[NuTTs]

Felt like I was pretty near my personal limit for street riding. Nothing squirrely or weird feeling, just that smooth sense of speed !!! The thing was just on rails. Felt just totally fantastic but I'm tired now !!

Good to hear man, glad you're enjoying your bike. Now the best advice i could give you is take that ride you had as THE limit and back off a notch. That makes sure you're not gonna get yourself into trouble or end up in a ditch.

Have fun! 

[TCK!]

I'll sell you some of my take offs. Then you'll have no worries about strips.

120/70 Front and 180/55 rear; plenty of tread with that gummed up rubber look free of charge

[ScottRNelson]

The tread on all of the different brands of tires that I've used wraps around much further on the front tire than on the rear.  I just put a new set of tires on my bike a week ago and the old front still had half an inch of shiny surface at the edge, but the rear was well used.

In breaking in the new tires, I went from shiny new to totally scrubbed in at the rear in about 30 miles.  But the front had about 5/8 inch of shiny rubber on the edge and I'm not the least bit concerned about it.  Too many riders are concerned with lean angle rather than how to get through a corner the quickest and/or safest possible.  I quit worrying about "chicken strips" years ago.

Here's my rear at 32 miles, scuffed in all the way to the edge:


And here's the front with the shiny edges:


Old worn out tires with 6000 miles on the front and 4000 on the rear.  Who cares that the edges of the front are still unused?

[Xiphias]

I've never given the much thought to it at all. On the track the rear chicken strips disappear and the front ones are still there. I only worry about specific corners and lap times....

[Ducatista]

1. Is it normal for more unused rubber to be left on the front ?

Yes.  Well, let me qualify that.  It depends.  It depends entirely on your pair of tire sizes.  A 620, for example, will have narrower chicken strips on the front than on the rear, since they have that skinny rear. 

2. Is less front wear a result of turning in to slowly ? I feel this may be it as I play it conservative on the street when turning in but usually pour on the coals as I am powering through the turn.

No, it's just your tire geometry.  You can scrub all the way to the outer edge on the rear and still have 1/2" or so left on the front.  Not to say that my tires look like that or anything.

3. The shop offered to lower the front trees a little to make it a bit more "snappy" but I declined as I really like the way it handles right now. Would this be a good idea or not.

I wouldn't lower anything.  If anything, raise the rear.  You'll also increase your ground clearance for turns that way, but you shouldn't be coming close to rubbing hard parts on the street anyway. 

4. Could this be an air pressure issue. I run them at the stock indicated tire pressure.

Just run the recommended pressure.  Check your tires weekly at a bare minimum. 

I wouldn't be too concerned with chicken strips.  Your bike will get more flickable with a more conical tire profile.  This comes with a cost of stability at high speeds, but you may find it turns in better.  Just have fun, ride your own ride, and don't worry about what people see on your tires.

[teddy037.2]

1. Is it normal for more unused rubber to be left on the front ?

Yes.  Well, let me qualify that.  It depends.  It depends entirely on your pair of tire sizes.  A 620, for example, will have narrower chicken strips on the front than on the rear, since they have that skinny rear. 

ah... and I was just starting to think there was something wrong w/me or my bike 

[b.]

1. Is it normal for more unused rubber to be left on the front ?

Yes.  Well, let me qualify that.  It depends.  It depends entirely on your pair of tire sizes.  A 620, for example, will have narrower chicken strips on the front than on the rear, since they have that skinny rear. 

so then i have nothing to worry about regarding the setup of my bike (not that i could change anything) or my riding style?  my front tire is scrubbed to the edge, but i have a half inch of unused rubber on each side of the rear tire.

thx,
b.

[ellingly]

so then i have nothing to worry about regarding the setup of my bike (not that i could change anything) or my riding style?  my front tire is scrubbed to the edge, but i have a half inch of unused rubber on each side of the rear tire.

thx,
b.

My girlfriend had that on her R6. Comes down to being possibly a bit high at the back, adding a bit more rake and making the front turn quicker. Which is partly the solution to 'front chicken strips' - drop the nose of the bike or raise the back. Or turn in a bit faster. For the road, I'm more comfortable running out of lean at the back than the front, so I'll live with a more striptastic front.

There's nothing wrong with having strips at either end. If it feels good for you, then the bike is handling, and that's all you can really ask for suspension .