Gravel driveways - SV650.org

03-07-06, 11:27 AM

Can gravel driveways cause your tyres to fail, I just been looking at my tyres and there are loads or cracks where the sharp gravel has cut the tyre.

Has anyone heard of tyres failing due to this, the cracks aren't big but a few are over 1cm long and i'm begining to get a bit worried. The tyre still hold pressure so i'm sure they havnt gone through.

Cheers

03-07-06, 11:53 AM

The D220's I just had replaced (done just over 5000 miles) had these cracks - I get my bike in and out via an alleyway and there's always bits of gravel and broken glass down there which I reckon started off the cracks, coupled with the tyres being a few years old and not a fantastic rubber compund anyway.

With the temperature cycles of riding - heating and cooling, plus the tyre ageing, flexing during use, etc. the cracks will grow over time, plus check that stuff isn't stuck inside the cracks, as that'll penetrate the tyre faster. That was why I changed the Dunlops in the end - they worked alright but they looked like they were on the way out due to the cracks.

What tyres are they/how old are they?

03-07-06, 12:05 PM

Gravel and glass starting cracks in your tyres?

More likely to be the age of the tyre coupled with the sun and other chemicals.

jambo · 03-07-06, 12:19 PM

I'm with Mike, you get the odd sharp bit of flint or something that sticks in the tyres but I wouldn't have thought that tyres in good nick would be getting cut up by gravel

03-07-06, 12:47 PM

Lay some planks down

03-07-06, 12:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SVeeedy Gonzales

What tyres are they/how old are they?

There bt020 and in all fairness the front done 9.5k and is pretty much finished, the rear got some more left though. Both tyres are less than a year old

Do these cracks appear in all tyres then, I just assumed that it was the gravel causing the problems.

northwind · 03-07-06, 12:54 PM

I've got a gravel drive, occasionally the treads'll pick up a stone but never for long. Can't say as I've ever seen any damage- I've occasionally found a wee sharp shard or a bit of glass stuck in a tyre but it could have come from anywhere.

03-07-06, 01:40 PM

Low tyre pressures over an extended period could cause cracks, usually near the edges of the tyre.

Check the accuracy of your gauge, never ever trust garage air compressors readings.

03-07-06, 02:43 PM

I ride my SV on gravel almost daily (gf has a dirty great gravel drive covered in it; not just a few bits of gravel on tarmac). I even spin the back wheel up on it to help with turning quite regularly. I've had a few cuts in my tyres (I can't be sure if they're from the gravel mind), but they really are minor surface ones, with nothing in them and they've disappeared afterwards as the tyre has worn, with no discernable side effects.

I'd look at it this way, even though car tyres are wider and there are more of them, I don't imagine the actual weight of a big car & occupants compared to a bike in terms of contact patch of tyre is wildly different. Cars don't generally have this problem, so I don't think bikes would, either.

03-07-06, 06:28 PM

As tires get to the end of their life they are getting close to the canvas inner construction. This is the most likely time that they will crack as you have described. I think it's because the rubber is so thin it moves around more and stretches causing it to breakdown.

The other reason will be the age of the rubber. Old rubber that is not used will deteriorate over time. Not likely to be the issue in your case.

03-07-06, 11:27 AM	#1
tomjones2 Guest Posts: n/a	Gravel driveways Can gravel driveways cause your tyres to fail, I just been looking at my tyres and there are loads or cracks where the sharp gravel has cut the tyre. Has anyone heard of tyres failing due to this, the cracks aren't big but a few are over 1cm long and i'm begining to get a bit worried. The tyre still hold pressure so i'm sure they havnt gone through. Cheers

03-07-06, 12:19 PM	#4
jambo Member Mega Poster Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Croydonia Posts: 5,376	I'm with Mike, you get the odd sharp bit of flint or something that sticks in the tyres but I wouldn't have thought that tyres in good nick would be getting cut up by gravel __________________ Modern motorcycles are bloody brilliant, enjoy it while we can

03-07-06, 12:54 PM	#7
northwind Moderator Mega Poster Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: In the garage where I belong Posts: 17,083	I've got a gravel drive, occasionally the treads'll pick up a stone but never for long. Can't say as I've ever seen any damage- I've occasionally found a wee sharp shard or a bit of glass stuck in a tyre but it could have come from anywhere. __________________ "We are the angry mob, we read the papers every day We like what we like, we hate what we hate But we're oh so easily swayed"

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03-07-06, 11:53 AM	#2
SVeeedy Gonzales Guest Posts: n/a	The D220's I just had replaced (done just over 5000 miles) had these cracks - I get my bike in and out via an alleyway and there's always bits of gravel and broken glass down there which I reckon started off the cracks, coupled with the tyres being a few years old and not a fantastic rubber compund anyway. With the temperature cycles of riding - heating and cooling, plus the tyre ageing, flexing during use, etc. the cracks will grow over time, plus check that stuff isn't stuck inside the cracks, as that'll penetrate the tyre faster. That was why I changed the Dunlops in the end - they worked alright but they looked like they were on the way out due to the cracks. What tyres are they/how old are they?

03-07-06, 12:05 PM	#3
Mike1234 Guest Posts: n/a	Gravel and glass starting cracks in your tyres? More likely to be the age of the tyre coupled with the sun and other chemicals.

03-07-06, 12:47 PM	#5
thor Guest Posts: n/a	Lay some planks down

03-07-06, 01:40 PM	#8
haggis Guest Posts: n/a	Low tyre pressures over an extended period could cause cracks, usually near the edges of the tyre. Check the accuracy of your gauge, never ever trust garage air compressors readings.

03-07-06, 02:43 PM	#9
Ceri JC Guest Posts: n/a	I ride my SV on gravel almost daily (gf has a dirty great gravel drive covered in it; not just a few bits of gravel on tarmac). I even spin the back wheel up on it to help with turning quite regularly. I've had a few cuts in my tyres (I can't be sure if they're from the gravel mind), but they really are minor surface ones, with nothing in them and they've disappeared afterwards as the tyre has worn, with no discernable side effects. I'd look at it this way, even though car tyres are wider and there are more of them, I don't imagine the actual weight of a big car & occupants compared to a bike in terms of contact patch of tyre is wildly different. Cars don't generally have this problem, so I don't think bikes would, either.

03-07-06, 06:28 PM	#10
Stig Guest Posts: n/a	As tires get to the end of their life they are getting close to the canvas inner construction. This is the most likely time that they will crack as you have described. I think it's because the rubber is so thin it moves around more and stretches causing it to breakdown. The other reason will be the age of the rubber. Old rubber that is not used will deteriorate over time. Not likely to be the issue in your case.