Pilot Road 4 GT tires disintegrating?!

[BkerChuck]

Just replaced tires on my wife's BMW F800ST and her front, a continental, looked remarkably like that on the left side only. Tire pressure as stated here several times is key to good tire wear and longevity. I'm on my third set of PR2s and just put those on the F800ST based upon my experiences with them. I've been getting 13-14.5k out of them on the FJR inflated to 41 front 43 rear.

I took pics of her tire and showed them to a couple of techs I used to work with just to get another opinion. Primary issue listed was a faulty tire or improper air pressure but one alternative theory was given that I hadn't considered before. It is possible though unlikely to have a weak fork spring on one side allowing the tire to load unevenly regardless of riding style or tire pressure. If that fork has leaked in the past and you've used the seal mate trick it could also have a lower oil volume affecting suspension action. Admittedly these options are unlikely but were brought up as possible.

Put new tires on, keep eye on air pressure and if in a few thousand you start seeing an issue delve deeper.

 

[BigOgre]

It is possible though unlikely to have a weak fork spring on one side allowing the tire to load unevenly regardless of riding style or tire pressure.

That's it! The bike only has one fork leg on that side.

 

[John d]

That is not the first time I have seen that. It just boils down to riding style. You can change that but why bother if your having fun. Trial braking more into right handers than left handers would definitely cause that, or you just really like the on/off ramps. With 9000 miles on them you got more than your monies worth IMO, and less miles per tire equals more fun per mile. I don't think anything is wrong with the tire itself or the bike.

 

[Harald]

I usually wear out the right side of my fronts like your tire. It must be the gravitational pull here in the Pacific Northwest.

Actually, in my case the problem is that I commute on my FJR and my normal route just happens to involve more right turns that I can hot rod on vs left turns. Too many fun spoiling cagers on most left turns for some reason.

Um, so that means when you ride home from work, you're making more . . . left turns?

Nice try, but horrible traffic on the way home forces me to go home a different route than to work. And the one really nice 180 degree left turning highway off ramp is almost always clogged with cars, although occasionally I can slow some to allow a gap to develop ahead of me and then hammer it until I have to slow for traffic again.

 

[Mr_Canoehead]

I took pics of her tire and showed them to a couple of techs I used to work with just to get another opinion. Primary issue listed was a faulty tire or improper air pressure but one alternative theory was given that I hadn't considered before. It is possible though unlikely to have a weak fork spring on one side allowing the tire to load unevenly regardless of riding style or tire pressure. If that fork has leaked in the past and you've used the seal mate trick it could also have a lower oil volume affecting suspension action. Admittedly these options are unlikely but were brought up as possible.

I don't think so - the wear is so far over on the tire that no amount of differential deflection in the fork could cause that. It would have to deflect significantly (inches) more on one side than the other. If it did, you would have crashed many times over or at very least broken something in the axle assembly.

 

[Fred W]

I agree. That wear pattern is not due to any fault with the bike or tire.

 

[Redfish Hunter]

It is possible though unlikely to have a weak fork spring on one side allowing the tire to load unevenly regardless of riding style or tire pressure.

That's it! The bike only has one fork leg on that side.

If that is the case then every standard suspended Gen3 FJR should be doing that. All the damping functions take place on one side. Those bikes would be showing some crazy one sided wear.

 

[Bill Lumberg]

You need to add some counter-clockwise loops in the cul-de-sac.

 

[art miller]

"If you are average weight and do not ride 2 up there is no need to run GT tires."
Give me a few more months and I think I am going to disagree with this. I wore out a set of GTs. Now I am on a

set on Non-GTs. I think I am going to get about 75% of the mileage out of the non-GTs compared to the GTs.

I think the small up charge on the GTs might just be worth it for the extra mileage.

I do have to admit I haven't notice any difference in the handling when comparing the two.

As they say your mileage might vary.

You did not state if you ride 2 up and nothing about weight. Both factors will affect tire wear.

 

[Fred W]

You did not state if you ride 2 up and nothing about weight. Both factors will affect tire wear

Yes those two factors, and literally dozens of others.

 

[Steel_Gin]

I have two 270 degree sweepers to the right on my way home from work and I do enjoy them. Wonder if the previous owner had something similar to that. When the tire is getting close to replacement you can see the wear difference between both sides of the tire. I have read many times when the Pilot Road tires start to go they can go fast so I tend to replace mine about a 1000 or 2000 early. I'll get caught in the rain from time to time and eeking out every last mile out of them isn't worth it to me.

I am running Pilot Roads as well, a PR4 on the front (PR2 before that) and a PR2 on the back soon to be a PR4. Put a new set on and see how they fit your riding style and get the mileage out of them you expect.

 

[danh600]

"If you are average weight and do not ride 2 up there is no need to run GT tires."

Give me a few more months and I think I am going to disagree with this. I wore out a set of GTs. Now I am on a

set on Non-GTs. I think I am going to get about 75% of the mileage out of the non-GTs compared to the GTs.

I think the small up charge on the GTs might just be worth it for the extra mileage.

I do have to admit I haven't notice any difference in the handling when comparing the two.

As they say your mileage might vary.

You did not state if you ride 2 up and nothing about weight. Both factors will affect tire wear.

Never 2 up. I am about 195. At times loaded bags and gear but usually not. That's why I was disagreeing. Pretty

light load for an FJR, but I am still seeing a big mileage different between the GT and non GT.

 

[jayke]

Came home from work to a flat PR4 rear.. That's 2 flat rears plus a flat front in just over a year. . I'm done with PR4's

 

[user 8909]

Came home from work to a flat PR4 rear.. That's 2 flat rears plus a flat front in just over a year. . I'm done with PR4's

I wouldn't be blaming the tires, perhaps it's the roads or the area that you're riding on/in?

 

[Uncle Hud]

jayke posted: Came home from work to a flat PR4 rear.. That's 2 flat rears plus a flat front in just over a year. . I'm done with PR4's

Gotta agree with kieefjr. Nails in your tire aren't caused by the tire itself -- unless the tire's somehow gotten magnetized enough to attract metal objects.

Riding through construction areas (building construction, houses, bridges, but not road construction) or on a route where a work truck might spill screws and other metal stuff .... that will cause flat tires.

 

[Madmudder]

 

[wheatonFJR]

Came home from work to a flat PR4 rear.. That's 2 flat rears plus a flat front in just over a year. . I'm done with PR4's

???

WTF.

 

[SacramentoMike]

Came home from work to a flat PR4 rear.. That's 2 flat rears plus a flat front in just over a year. . I'm done with PR4's

I wouldn't be blaming the tires, perhaps it's the roads or the area that you're riding on/in?

Or sneaking out of that parking garage. The one with the one-way spike strip. :lol:

 

[samamoto]

I was waiting and waiting for that Roadtech 01 HWM version to be in stock for several weeks, they always give a week or two ahead "available" and I see nothing changed since late April. I finally decided to go with PR4 GT before the cords on my PR3 started to be seen.

 

[jayke]

I loved the PR4's, but they don't like me. No visible nails in either rear. Both were probably in the last 25% of life but I've ran PR2's and PR3's down farther than that for years with no problems over the same roads. Both PR4 rears (1 GT) were toast by 4500 miles.