Why You should Check your Tires

[SkooterG]

Tires are probably the most important safety item on your bike. Running the last fews miles of wear isn't worth the risk. A tire with low tread depth really puts you at risk in the rain. Tread depth is what make a tire work in the rain, why take the risk with your body. If you ever crash and lay in the hospital for awhile this will become cleared to you, I know this first hand. I personally inspect my tires after each ride, it's not that much work. I use a white grease pen to mark the tire so I know for sure when I've make one round I also make sure the valve stem is in the proper location to check the air pressure the following day. Tire pressures should to be checked when the tire is cold and that will take over night. I only ride one up and have set my tire pressures to 36 & 38 and have got good wear. I've also added a tire pressure monitoring system it gives you a lot of comfort when you moving along 80+mph that all is good with the tires and that's a very good feeling.

I bet to differ. The most important safety item on your bike is the mash between your ears. You can crash for many reasons, and I am willing to guess that most crashes that do occur have little to do with the tires, but primarily with that gray mash stuff. And unfortunately, I have some experience here.

And while I agree that running a tire past the wear bars will start to impact wet traction (though not nearly as much as a car tire), here in Arizona that's not something I have to worry too much about. Depending on the brand/model of tire, I have gotten a couple thousand miles after hitting the wear bars on a rear.

Hell you should see the rear Azaro I have on right now. I hit those wear bars a couple thousand miles ago. You can't even tell where they were in a few places.

I have known plenty of Safety Natzis in my day. Much like politicians, they love to prey on people's fear. Personally, I have found common sense and logic are much more useful tools.

 

[meosborn]

Is that what the black lines were - the wear bars? See, I thought they were something on the side of the tire, not something embedded *in* the tire....

If you're talking about the wavy lines that go all the way around the tire then it sounds like you are talking about the difference between the tread rubber and the carcass rubber. Once you see that you have worn out the rubber that was intended to contact the road and are wearing on the rubber that holds everything together.

If you have a chance you should cut this tire with a razor to see a cross section of what is left. Once you see how close to the inner wall the cords are and see how little there is left to hold the air in it will reinforce why you don't want to let a tire get this worn out.

I've done it more than once myself though. Procrastination is a dangerous thing sometimes.

 

[ShawnKing]

Once you see how close to the inner wall the cords are and see how little there is left to hold the air in it will reinforce why you don't want to let a tire get this worn out.
I've done it more than once myself though. Procrastination is a dangerous thing sometimes.

Oh definitely. Now I know what to look for, I'll be more careful in the future.

 

[dcarver]

Tires are probably the most important safety item on your bike. Running the last fews miles of wear isn't worth the risk. A tire with low tread depth really puts you at risk in the rain. Tread depth is what make a tire work in the rain, why take the risk with your body. If you ever crash and lay in the hospital for awhile this will become cleared to you, I know this first hand. I personally inspect my tires after each ride, it's not that much work. I use a white grease pen to mark the tire so I know for sure when I've make one round I also make sure the valve stem is in the proper location to check the air pressure the following day. Tire pressures should to be checked when the tire is cold and that will take over night. I only ride one up and have set my tire pressures to 36 & 38 and have got good wear. I've also added a tire pressure monitoring system it gives you a lot of comfort when you moving along 80+mph that all is good with the tires and that's a very good feeling.

I bet to differ. The most important safety item on your bike is the mash between your ears. You can crash for many reasons, and I am willing to guess that most crashes that do occur have little to do with the tires, but primarily with that gray mash stuff. And unfortunately, I have some experience here.

And while I agree that running a tire past the wear bars will start to impact wet traction (though not nearly as much as a car tire), here in Arizona that's not something I have to worry too much about. Depending on the brand/model of tire, I have gotten a couple thousand miles after hitting the wear bars on a rear.

Hell you should see the rear Azaro I have on right now. I hit those wear bars a couple thousand miles ago. You can't even tell where they were in a few places.

I have known plenty of Safety Natzis in my day. Much like politicians, they love to prey on people's fear. Personally, I have found common sense and logic are much more useful tools.

Wanna buy some used tires from me, feller? :rofl:

 

[Capt. Bob]

I liked the part about the high schoolers washing the bike. :dirol:

 

[ShawnKing]

I liked the part about the high schoolers washing the bike. :dirol:

That's about the only way my bike ever gets washed.

The kids usually do a crappy job of washing it but they always seem to have fun washing a bike and I don't mind giving ten bucks to a good cause.

 

[Zorlac]

"I use a white grease pen to mark the tire so I know for sure when I've make one round"

WOW, I'm low tech, I spit on em.

That wouldn't have happened with a car tire Shawn.

 

[SkooterG]

The kids usually do a crappy job of washing it but they always seem to have fun washing a bike and I don't mind giving ten bucks to a good cause.

Dude, you ain't fooling anybody.

 

[wfooshee]

Wanna buy some used tires from me, feller? :rofl:

Those are used??!??!??! :lol:

 

[wheatonFJR]

The kids usually do a crappy job of washing it but they always seem to have fun washing a bike and I don't mind giving ten bucks to a good cause.

Dude, you ain't fooling anybody.

:lol:

 

[OBFJR]

The kids usually do a crappy job of washing it but they always seem to have fun washing a bike and I don't mind giving ten bucks to a good cause.

Dude, you ain't fooling anybody.

:lol:

You read my mind!!!

 

[Fred W]

I want some pitchers of these high skoolers. I betcha they were all cheerleaders wearing bikinis.

PS - someone wanna 'splain to me the use of the grease pencil. I am sariously cornfuzed.

 

[MEM]

I also make sure the valve stem is in the proper location to check the air pressure the following day.

I'll bite .... what's the proper location for the valve stem ? I'm happy if it's located where I can maneuver fingers and gauge. Am I missing something ?

ME

 

[happyPuppy]

wfooshee, yes mine are the BT 21's. The back tire seems to be wearing well, it is odd as I have never had a front wear out before the rear, so I figured the sides of the rear were shot as well. Looking closer at it, I should be able to get a few thousand more out of the rear.

 

[ShawnKing]

I want some pitchers of these high skoolers. I betcha they were all cheerleaders wearing bikinis.

There's a picture on the site at the link I posted. And you're right - they were all hot, nubile, young cheerleaders wearing bikinis and getting all wet and soapy...

Seriously....look at the picture...

 

[ndivita]

Wow!! I guess it's I must be pretty anal from all of the years of flying choppers, but I check EVERYTHING on my bike prior to a ride. I usually spend at least 5 minutes do a pre-flight of my bike.

*****************************************************

Ya know, I've been a private fixed wing and ppc pilot for a number of years, and the one thing that I've learned about flying is that helicopters CAN'T fly.....



I have heard it said that a helicopter is a collection of parts flying in close formation....

.....they are so ugly, the earth just REPELS them!!

:yahoo:

 

[Fred W]

I want some pitchers of these high skoolers. I betcha they were all cheerleaders wearing bikinis.

There's a picture on the site at the link I posted. And you're right - they were all hot, nubile, young cheerleaders wearing bikinis and getting all wet and soapy...

Seriously....look at the picture...

OK, I'll bite...

Yikes!! Either you are a pedophile, or when you say they were "hot" you meant it was 90 degrees out and they were sweating profusely. I'm hoping it was the latter.

 

[Tenchi]

I ran wide on a corner after losing traction with tires I knew were way too worn. 'Nuff said really.

I keep a very close eye on the tires now. Then again, I live in the PNW, where the weather is rainy and the drivers are crappy.

 

[ShawnKing]

Yikes!! Either you are a pedophile, or when you say they were "hot" you meant it was 90 degrees out and they were sweating profusely. I'm hoping it was the latter.

LOL Neither - it was just a cheap ploy to get you to go to my web site...

 

[kolonial72]

I'm with Fred, waiting on an explanation of the white grese pencil idea.