when do you change your tyres?

[hovis]

my rear is nearly down to the wear band in the middle, so i know its due, but last time i got it replaced, the fitter was surprised i was changing it so soon, he said most people would get another 500-1000 miles out of it.

[Baph]

How quickly will you cover 500-1000 miles? What tyre is it? (some go off quicker than others).

Personally, I change the tyre when the grip starts going, regardless of how much tread is left.

[hovis]

its a michy pilot sport, it still feels good, i only got it fitted in june, (i did write down the milage when i fitted it, but cant find it)

[carty]

Personally I would have changed it at the point it was when we returned from the Ring trip! It's fine for dry but if you get caught in the rain you don't have a lot of water dispersal left in that tread!

[timwilky]

change it when you become concerned.

some seem to wait until it has tipped over the point where it is now a safety issue. Others when they loose confidence. you know it ain't worth the risk.

[hovis]

Personally I would have changed it at the point it was when we returned from the Ring trip! It's fine for dry !that was the plan, as i thought it would be toast, but it was ok on the MM weekend
but if you get caught in the rain you don't have a lot of water dispersal left in that tread!what would that result in? would it be ok at slow speeds, or in a straight line?

it was wet when coming home from the 80miles wostershire(?)
but it felt fine, and i kept it down to less than 100mph

[ThEGr33k]

When it gets a bit too flat, I do a lot of motorway miles :(. I run PR2's so they last ages. The rear is starting to cause the bike to fall over into corners and not flow into corners... But as long as I feel they are gripping then ill be happy. Besides I still have a tiny little bit writing to rub off the edge of the tyres... :p

currently my tires are on about 6K miles.

[Dangerous Dave]

I tend to change them whebn the rim starts to make sparks on the road...

Seriously, it is safety more than anything. Leave it too long and it could be an accident waiting to happen.

[Ceri JC]

In the case of rear tyres, when you can see horizontal cracks in the tyre just above the point where the mesh starts to show. In the case of front tyres, when they get so 'peaked' (opposite of squared off) that turning/handling is heavily comprimised (for me this happens quite a while before the tyre is actually worn out).

[muffles]

what would that result in? would it be ok at slow speeds, or in a straight line?

it was wet when coming home from the 80miles wostershire(?)
but it felt fine, and i kept it down to less than 100mph

Well the tyre has to contact the tarmac rather than water, right...so when the tyre lands on the water on top of the tarmac, it has to push it somewhere so it can get through to the tarmac and grip. Part of the way it can do that is to push it into the grooves that form the tread on the tyre. I reckon with a slick tyre, what happens is that up to a point you grip just fine, as the whole tyre pushes water to the sides, past the edge of the tyre. I think there'll be a point past which you will aquaplane - and that will be aquaplaning completely, which if you had tread might not happen (only one part of the tyre might aquaplane, separated by the tread, if you have tread showing).

So I reckon you'll basically go from the grip being fine to zero grip when you have a slick. It wouldn't be progressive at all. Might be wrong though, waiting for someone to correct me :D

[hovis]

i will "risk" it till next weekend then

it felt fine on monday at high speeds in the wet

[Grinch]

I change mine when people start pointing out they are getting a bit iffy, then I argue about it and normally do it about a week after that. The Russ at my local tyre place moans and says I get to much life out of my tyres and its not good for his business, lol.

[carty]

I agree with you muffles. Whilst there is a little bit of tread in the middle it will be fine but as soon as it is slick it *could* compromise the wet weather grip. You'll probably be fine so long as you're not hooning it but,.. well,... I've seen you ride :) You hoon!

[Drew Carey]

That puts a scuper to my "hoonaage" plan on Saturday!!! lol.

[hovis]

That puts a scuper to my "hoonaage" plan on Saturday!!! lol.

i dont have to hoon to keep up with you though

:smt039

[Drew Carey]

Yeah whatever. lol

[neio79]

i dont have to hoon to keep up with you though

:smt039

realllly could have sworn, on the way back form the MM you were behind me and Drew all the way ;)

[hovis]

realllly could have sworn, on the way back form the MM you were behind me and Drew all the way ;)

yeah..... funny that, its what normaly happens when you dont know where your going and you have to follow somone

but did you see me kick everyones ass on the 1st stage......... poxy ducati in my way then, i though it rude to over take him, as he was leading
:p

[Nemo]

The legal limit on a motorbike is 1mm but most garages will pass it with less i have seen them nearly bald!!

[ThEGr33k]

The legal limit on a motorbike is 1mm but most garages will pass it with less i have seen them nearly bald!!

TBH thats just silly imo. :rolleyes:

[edsurf2004]

Hey, My back tire definitely has 3 or so mm left on it. But today I was coming down a hill, and these two girls in an slk mercedes (****ed off b/c my engine was completely out roaring their car) stopped in nearly the middle of the street. I pulled and stepped on the brakes and my back tires started skidding. I did not fell like I pulled the brakes that hard. So I let og of the brakes seen the road was clear and went around them. then I turn the corner, and on the next block a car pulls out in front of me. Same thing happened again and my back tire locked and skidded for a bit. I went aroudn that one too but it left me concerned. I have only about 5000 miles on it. The ridges on the tires seem completely fine. What do you guys think?

[yorkie_chris]

http://www.applefritter.com/images/zombie_1-9316_640x480.jpg

The harder you brake with the front, the less grip the back has. Stop locking it up!

[gettin2dizzy]

When they start squirming over lines in the road as soon as it gets a bit damp.

[yorkie_chris]

I change mine when they've got "3 points and £60" written all over them. The front a little before, as losing the front just from being banked over tends to hurt quite a bit and be rather inconvenient.

[edsurf2004]

sounds good. I'm pretty new to riding, only done maybe 30 miles. but the town i live in is really hilly.

[yorkie_chris]

You just need to be more careful with braking. The back will slide easily because weight transfers to the front wheel as you brake.

You need to progressively apply the front brake to weight the front tyre. Apply the back brake gently, if at all.

[edsurf2004]

wait. from your first answer, it seemed like you were suggesting i should use less of the front brake and more of the back.

but I get it now.

thanks a bunch for the advice

[Rocket]

Wait until the secondary wear indicator starts to show - the canvas. Primary wear indicators are for puffs and people with too much money to buy rubber with.

[kurtis.randle]

Change them when thy go FLAT .haha

[kurtis.randle]

As were all twits and give stupid awnsers ill tell you what the book says ,recomended change is 2mm so there should be some grip left all round the tyre untill about now. But legal is 1mm. Off course unless of bad slits and and odd wear .

[yorkie_chris]

The 2mm guideline is for shedding water, less than that you are risking aquaplaning. Of course this can happen sideways, resulting in tarmac surfing.