Front Tyre Wear Query
 

Quick Intro: I ride the Nurburgring a lot, 270 laps last year, approx 225 on the GSXR, as well as TDs at Spa, Zandvoort and Zolder. Now let the story begin:

My last weekend at the Ring 2009 was great, great weather, great company, great lap times, an amusing weekend etc.

What was not so great was the wear to my front tyre. Normally I get 2+ weekends from a rear and more from a front.

The last weekend I did about 41 laps on a new front and it is just about beyond what I'd call safe for riding on.

The tyer in question is a BT-002, soft front 120/70.

The weekend was end of August, hot during the day but cold first thing. On the Friday I did a few laps scrubbing in the new tyre, came in measured hot pressure and let down to bridgestone recommended hot pressure (I can't remember what that is, something like 28-30 PSI IIRC).

I then went out and did 2 laps, with some flagging at an accident. I then went out again for a storming session, new PB BTG in the lowish 8s, new Juanjo time (race chrono) best of sub 8.

A great weekend followed., lots of laps, plenty in the mid 8's etc. No complaints from me about the bike.

Just looking at the tyres I took off after 41 laps and the front is done in on the right shoulder, it has really fifty penced pieced with a pronounced wearing/scrubbing, feeling the tyre it is remarkably thin here.

A clear view of the RHS with wear:

http://inlinethumb04.webshots.com/22...600x600Q85.jpg


A view of the LHS much less extreme wear:

http://inlinethumb60.webshots.com/45...600x600Q85.jpg

Some more shots of the digging out of the RHS:

http://inlinethumb27.webshots.com/43...600x600Q85.jpg

http://inlinethumb13.webshots.com/14...600x600Q85.jpg

Notice how it almost "troughs" on the RHS:

http://inlinethumb55.webshots.com/46...600x600Q85.jpg

The pics really don't do true justice, but I was wondering if there is any possible reasons for this extra wear over normal, somepossible ones follos:

1) My pace was slightly faster (but not that much really, and a lot below what these tyres/this bike could do).

2) My cornering lean angle is too static, only ever roll to a certain angle on the bike and no further, causing this ramp effect in the tyre.

3) The tyres were too low in pressure on the cold mornings, or too high in pressure on the hot afternoons, I only set my pressures once and then felt happy, leaving it for the rest of the weekend.

4) It was an old stock tyre, bought in the UK, but they had stopped being produced.

5) There is some deficiency in my bike's suspension.

Some conmbination of the above.

Am I expecting too much from my tyre? Is there some other explanation? Answers on a post card, or reply below...

Not terribly interesting but it's winter.....

Re: Front Tyre Wear Query
 

Hot tear Tim. Not enough Air in the tyre. See more info here...
http://www.feelthetrack.com/tire-wear.html
also look fopr the video where he explains tyre wear on Youtube. (search "two clicks out")

Re: Front Tyre Wear Query
 

Chears for that Berlin, it could well be the case.

Re: Front Tyre Wear Query
 

Looks fairly average to me Tim. Don't forget that as soon as you take the tyre off the rim the profile changes so don't worry about the "digging" or "troughs". Wear like that on a front tyre is often indicative of heavy braking cranked over and if you think your way around the ring (like you don't know the way!) there are several places where you're gong to be doing that on the right hand side (into Aremberg for example, or Bergwerk) from quite high speed. Of course it might also be that you're better on right handers that lefts.... which is typically British of you!

Re: Front Tyre Wear Query
 

The Ring always wears tyres a lot more on the RHS, so that's not my concern, more the rate of wear compared to all of my other trips, I thought the type of wear may be a clue to why it was accelerated this time. It could be that I was just being more aggressive that weekend, or could be some pressure/suspension set up.

Re: Front Tyre Wear Query
 

I suspect it's just the way you are going that little bit quicker, unless you have specifically changed a tyre/suspension setting. Generally when we learn our way around a track we get down to a base time fairly quickly, then we trim bits off it by trying that little bit harder in places. Getting on the throttle harder and sooner (the slow in quick out approach) is the safest and most popular way so rear tyres get a hard time at first, then we try braking harder and later but keeping the same entry speeds, before finally when we get really confident somewhere (and the Ring takes years to get here) we start going in hard on the brakes. This last stage is the hardest on the front tyre as you are often scrubbing/drifting it all the way to the apex, and it may be that you have now arrived here, hence the sudden increase in your front tyre wear.
Far be it for me to tell you how to ride the Ring Tim, but if you are at this point you're going to need lady Luck on your side because eventually you're going to need some reserve going in to deal with the unexpected, that's what makes the ring so unique and exciting, and a killer!

Re: Front Tyre Wear Query
 

What were your new hot pressures after you let some air out?

It will change more than with just amount of air directly, as less air will allow more flex.

Re: Front Tyre Wear Query
 

I honestly can't remember, but they were from Bridgestone for this specific tyre/compound. I'm thinking I set them on a hot afternoon, so when going out on a cold morning the diffrence was too great and they were too low in pressure.

I.e I caused a lot of the wear in a few laps.

Re: Front Tyre Wear Query
 

Looking at K6-600 fork valving, it seems pretty light. But that is about as far from an experienced and scietific viewpoint as you can get. Not least because yours could be totally different :-P

Re: Front Tyre Wear Query
 

My front bridgestone has gone the same was as this tyre after 5000 miles or so! all done on the road.

Re: Front Tyre Wear Query
 

ive seen alot of tyres....with loads worse wear than that after a couple of sessions..

Re: Front Tyre Wear Query
 

This is my rear tyre after a particularly nasty tank slapper last year....

http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/d...7/DSC00024.jpg

Re: Front Tyre Wear Query
 

That just looks bald?

Re: Front Tyre Wear Query
 

it was fine when i set off i promise!

Re: Front Tyre Wear Query
 

Cause an effect. I can't think of any possible way a tank slapper, however horrific and drawn out could wear a tyre like that. However, picking up a slow puncture has let me wear a tyre out much faster than normal, and this, together with the low pressure has caused some odd handling characteristics.

The Diablo, like the Z6 has no continuous centre tread pattern which means people sometimes don't realise how worn the centre is until you break through to carcass.

My guess is they tyre was low on tread and/or pressure and the tank slapper was the first symptom you picked up on with the rear tyre issue.

Just a thought.

Jambo

Re: Front Tyre Wear Query
 

God knows, possibly. All i know is it was fine when i set off, and 50 miles later when i stopped to check it (and change my pants) it looked like that. Came over the crest of a hill and hit a rut, my mate who was following at the time said he saw my back tyre shoot about 3ft either way of the centreline and me bounce out of the seat, he was convinced i was a goner as was i!
Don't really know much about tyres (as you have probably guessed), just wondering, how safe was it to ride in that condition?

Re: Front Tyre Wear Query
 

That's the correct answer.

tactcom7, it may have looked fine but I guarantee, if you had looked closer, you would have seen the tyre was well worn :)


Cheers
Ben

Re: Front Tyre Wear Query
 

Why would it just wear on that small patch though? I had to ride it another 50 miles back home and it didn't get any worse.

Re: Front Tyre Wear Query
 

We spend more time upright on the road so the centre obviously wears/had worn at a greater rate....jeez, I sound like an **** that is trying to show someone how to suck eggs. You just had more rubber left, off centre

On way back, you probably took it much much easier as well. That was perhaps why it seemingly didn't get any worse.

There was a member(Matt I think) on here who had a similar situation with the tyres on his SV1000, IIRC . Tyre were Z6s .

A similar occurance with someone else on an SV650, come to think of it. I can't remember his name but he lives(lived atleast) in Barry lol.


Cheers
Ben

Re: Front Tyre Wear Query
 

It's o.k Ben I appreciate the advice :) I meant how come it only happened around such a small circumference of the tyre (about 12 inches)
The plan was to take it easy back but I had some scooby up my **** for a bit and it all got a little silly lol

Si

Re: Front Tyre Wear Query
 

nutter :p


Cheers
Ben

Re: Front Tyre Wear Query
 

It's got to go somewhere, like he says these tyres have no tread in the middle, so the other (nominally) 28" of tyre could have been fag-paper thin, just that 12" band tore first.

Should be fairly obvious from the fact that the start of those sipes has been worn away to nothing?

Re: Front Tyre Wear Query
 

What's a sipe?

Re: Front Tyre Wear Query
 

Groove in tread for water to be forced out of

Re: Front Tyre Wear Query
 

Seems an unecessarily posh word for 'groove'!

Re: Front Tyre Wear Query
 

I was just talking to someone (read: some other geek) about tyres, grooves go around circumference, sipes go outwards.

Re: Front Tyre Wear Query
 

I'll try and remember that, might come in handy for a pub quiz somewhere. :)

Here's one for you, on aircraft tyres, the large lip on the outside which deflects water outwards is called chine.

Re: Front Tyre Wear Query
 

Don't remember that, remember to change your tyres before they're completely effed!

Re: Front Tyre Wear Query
 

Roger that!

:)