New tyres - read this!

http://www.cameronautotech.co.uk/tyres%20text.htm

I wish I had, it might have helped prevent me falling off my (thankfully fairing-less) ZX6R half a mile from the bike shop turning right at a T junction! Straight back to the bike shop, tail between legs, for a new indicator and general checkover. Here's the bulk of the link above if you cba to read it all:

Thankfully, very few people crash on new tyres, but in virtually every case we have been notified of it can be put down to lack of care by the rider. Over the years we have found that if a crash occurs it is often that it is more often than not after a new rear tyre has been fitted, usually within the first mile, invariably at low speed and generally when the rider is making one of the three following manoeuvres:


• Pulling out onto the road when leaving the fitting bay.
• Turning right when pulling out of a T-junction.
• On a low speed roundabout


In these cases, riders have been leaning their bikes over far more than they realised and combined with an opening throttle, the new smooth tyre with its reduced traction levels can spin up with obvious results. These crashes usually happen at low speeds because the forces acting upon the tyre are lower than a higher speed and therefore it is far easier for a tyre to lose traction.

[Luckypants]

I had to sign a disclaimer that I had been informed of this last time I got tyres... already knew about scrubbing in though

Originally Posted by Luckypants

I had to sign a disclaimer that I had been informed of this last time I got tyres... already knew about scrubbing in though

I have to sign that disclaimer every time I get tyres. Although Buckley are a little over the top "scrub in for 200 miles, then check/adjust pressures and chain tension" but they have to cover themselves I suppose.

I knew it, but I wasn't quite aware of the reality of how bad they could be! When I had the new tyres on my last bike it was way more forgiving. Anyway, lesson learned.

[flymo]

For use on track I normally give them 4 or 5 laps to bed in before I give it the berries. I did scare the crap out of myself a few years ago at Anglesey circuit on a brand new set of Bridgestone 090's. I must have ridden 300 yards when I leaned over and opened the throttle, followed by a huge rear wheel slide that threw me into the air and back onto the bike . Perfect acrobatic sequence and then just carried on regardless the guy behind me must have wondered what the hell was going on.

I find it best to just ease them in gently, leaning a little further each time.

[northwind]

I learned to ride on a 125 cruiser with tyres apparently made of recycled fizzy drinks bottles, one of the mechanics who did a tyre for me said "Best advice I can give you is with these is to never go around a corner again" Some tyres are definately much worse than others, the Metzeler M1 was, I thought, a bit temperamental and took a while to settle. but when I got my first Roadtecs fitted I was back up to speed after about 20 minutes riding.

A Tyre needs to be seated on the wheel. This is not fully achieved when fitting the tyre and it needs to be ridden on with caution to complete the process.

Just me, or does that sound like aload of ********?

[Luckypants]

Sounds like BS to me

I thought the slippiness of new tyres isn't cos they're smooth but cos they have the remnants of the mould release agent on the the surface layer of rubber.

[northwind]

Not all companies use mold release goop though.