[MGG]

I was talking to a Harley owner last night who said he changes tires every 8 thousand miles. I changed every 6 thousand on my scooters but thought you would get much better ware on a large motorcycle tire. I was expecting to get 15 or 20K. Is that unrealistic?

mgg

 

[charlesskelter]

Unrealistic for any bike I've owned. Most of mine are pretty much toast by 5k.

 

[whiskers52]

Most of the time, between 8000 and 10000. It also depends on the speed rating, the higher the speed rating the lower the miles.

 

[Rock270]

my experience has been around 6-8k on rear and 8-10 on front.

this all depends on the weight, torque and horsepower of the bike and "how hard you ride."

hard takeoffs and hard cornering causes much more wear, especially if the tires are made of softer rubber compounds.

air pressure is very important too, on front tires I have seen one side wear more than the other side and I have been told incorrect tire pressure can cause this or improperly torqued front axle bolts can also cause this type of wear. some have even stated that driving habits such as harder cornering favoring lefts turns and not so hard on right turns can also affect uneven tire wear.

harder compound rubber made tires do last longer but the ride is a bit more harsh and has less ability to stick to the road.

this is what I've learned down through the years on many different bikes but i'm certainly not an expert on anything.

maybe a more knowledgeable member will chime in with better facts about your post.

 

[charlesskelter]

That's a good point. I tend to buy softer tires for added grip for more spirited riding. My front tires have a tendency to cup before wearing out. I've been told this is due to favoring one side more aggressively.

 

[Rock270]

the Suzuki m109r I had a few years ago went thru back tires every 3-4k miles.

that thing had mega torque and would spin the rear tire just under hard acceleration.

 

[MGG]

WOW! Thanks to all that posted. This is a surprise to me but glad I know what others are doing and what to expect.

mgg

 

[Rock270]

yeah, tires are cheap....blowouts are not.


and road rash hurts like ....well....fire!

 

[tdcmoto]

You are spot on

my experience has been around 6-8k on rear and 8-10 on front.

this all depends on the weight, torque and horsepower of the bike and "how hard you ride."

hard takeoffs and hard cornering causes much more wear, especially if the tires are made of softer rubber compounds.

air pressure is very important too, on front tires I have seen one side wear more than the other side and I have been told incorrect tire pressure can cause this or improperly torqued front axle bolts can also cause this type of wear. some have even stated that driving habits such as harder cornering favoring lefts turns and not so hard on right turns can also affect uneven tire wear.

harder compound rubber made tires do last longer but the ride is a bit more harsh and has less ability to stick to the road.

this is what I've learned down through the years on many different bikes but i'm certainly not an expert on anything.

maybe a more knowledgeable member will chime in with better facts about your post.

100% in agreement all I have to stress (which you said) is Make sure your tire pressure is correct check .it at least every 2 weeks

 

[revolution-x]

I check my pressures every time I ride.


Is this an overkill?

 

[Rock270]

I check my pressures every time I ride.


Is this an overkill?

I normally check mine once a month or so, especially if there is big temperature changes in the weather or if I feel any difference in the handling.

but, I really don't ride everyday, I may go a week or so between rides.

i'd say do what you feel comfortable with but do keep a pretty close eye on things like that, especially if you ride a lot.

I have even thought of filling my tires up with nitrogen.

it is supposed to be more stable and have less flucuation in pressure changes. a mere 2 lbs of change can affect tire wear and in some cases handling.

 

[Haulin on a Lo]

I check my pressures every time I ride.


Is this an overkill?

I had a rear blowout three weeks ago riding on some Pirilli Night Dragons. My tires were bumped to 42 before I left. I think if you ride your bike hard enough, yeh check them before every trip. I caught the whole incident on my GoPro ... managed to not lay it down and road it out.

 

[tdcmoto]

**** no

I check my pressures every time I ride

Is this an overkill?

Smart Man
I do also but too often I see bikes coming in with 18PSI and people dont know, if they at least check periodically ,then they are better off than the rest

 

[bbally]

For tires and length of service you really have to try different tires til you find a set that works for you.

My Vrod always gets about 5500 out of a tire, and rides best with an Avon set on it. Due to the way I ride, the weight I load on the bike and the heat I ride in out here in the dessert.

My FLSTFB rides best with Dunlop American Elite. Gets almost 8500 on a rear tire. Again due to the way I load the bike, drive it and the temperatures I ride in this fits best for my riding on a dollars per mile and performance basis.

5600 on the XG750 tire from Michelin so far... about half shot..... so it may be "the tire" I stay with......

Point is, keep the pressure up on your tires...... don't be afraid to test different tires on the bike... and then stick with the one that works for you.

 

[Nowgfstcat]

It really depends on the bike and the type of tire.

I just got the street so no idea yet
Had a 883 superlow and the soft tires on that max was 7k
My road king currently has 18,500 on front and rear and they are still at 5/32.

Check your tire pressure often. That makes a huge difference

 

[Schwabbii]

What should the pressure be on the tire? I know I should probably know this, but I dont :/

 

[DocC3]

34 psi front, 42 psi rear. I check them before every ride. Part of the routine pre-ride safety check.

 

[dwelch]

I normally check mine once a month or so, especially if there is big temperature changes in the weather or if I feel any difference in the handling.

but, I really don't ride everyday, I may go a week or so between rides.

i'd say do what you feel comfortable with but do keep a pretty close eye on things like that, especially if you ride a lot.

I have even thought of filling my tires up with nitrogen.

it is supposed to be more stable and have less flucuation in pressure changes. a mere 2 lbs of change can affect tire wear and in some cases handling.

I used to race cars not bikes but we only used nitrogen in our tires because how little the pressure would change compared to air. I have also been considering switching to it on my 500 because after riding hard on warm days I can feel the handling change from the pressures going up.

 

[Nowgfstcat]

I had nitrogen put in the last set of tires on my sporty before i traded it in, and i got the worst wear with the nitrogen believe it or not. Just my experience to share with everyone for what it's worth.

 

[Rock270]

I had nitrogen put in the last set of tires on my sporty before i traded it in, and i got the worst wear with the nitrogen believe it or not. Just my experience to share with everyone for what it's worth.

wow, that's surprising to me.
wonder what was the cause?