How do people get so many miles out of their tyres?

Originally Posted by Sid Squid

It's not about speed, it's about smooth - learn to ride right and you'll get the best out of the bike, and the consumables. I got 8000 from a Road Attack rear on an SV1000.

Also bear in mind suspension - a knackered shock will kill a tyre extra quick

Erm, I'm smooth and I got 750 miles out of a Pilot Sport rear and 1300 out of a Viper Sport rear. The Viper sport front was also on its way at 1300 miles.

Tyres wear through contact with the roads. The *quicker* you put power through the rear tyre, the faster it wears. You can be smooth and use lots of power or you can be smooth and take several minutes to reach cruising speed and nurse the tyre through it's life.

Fronts wear out due to cornering friction. The faster you ride through the corners and the further the tyre is over, the more quickly it wears. The scrubbing forces are greater.

So, if you accelerate slowly and take it easy in the bends, your tyres will last. The more you wind it on and the further you lean, the faster they will wear. Of course, those that are abtupt will be adding the power through the tyre even more quickly

Steady Eddies will get longer out of their hoops than those who go for it. smooth or not.

I never take any heed of what others claim for their tyres until I've seen them ride and their size. And then I can extrapolate how many miles I'd get based on how I ride in comparison.

C

Well I don't know what I'm doing wrong / right but I get loads of miles out of tyres.

7000 out of the original BT014's on my GSX-R600 and I'm now on Pilot Power 2ct's that have done around 5000 miles including 4 laps of the Nurburgring and a trackday - they're certainly worn but I'll get another couple of thousand out of them.

Am I really that slow? How people can go through a rear in 1500 miles on the road is beyond me, unless it's a stupidly soft tyre only ridden in hot weather.

[fizzwheel]

Originally Posted by carty

7000 out of the original BT014's on my GSX-R600

Blimey.. I didnt even get that out of a front 014 on my 750...

Best I got from a rear was 1800 miles and that included the period of running the bike in.

I'm not a very smooth rider and I messed up the rear profile with a few trips on the A303 on days. The front also cupped quite badly and the profile got messed up.

I really think as Sid says its about being super smooth, especially on the transition from braking to throttle and also with lines. Rider weight I suspect has alot to do with it as well.

I'm not really bothered I enjoy my riding and thats all thats important to me.

[ophic]

No-one's mentioned local road surfaces yet? That's gotta have a huge impact on tyre life. The vast majority of my miles are on smooth motorways.

Originally Posted by ophic

No-one's mentioned local road surfaces yet? That's gotta have a huge impact on tyre life. The vast majority of my miles are on smooth motorways.

Most of mine are on rural roads, bits of everything, super grippy corner stuff, usual sharp top layer stuff and some smooth negative surface tarmac

After the revelation that I seem to be getting much less wear on my bike even though I don't think I ride that serenely I wondered if engine braking was a factor? I am quite heavy on that, maybe with the engine speed relative action of the braking its less harsh on the tyres perhaps?

I use the brakes infrequently, usually only for the slow speed stopping as scrubbing off speed is mainly engine braking.

Anyone else the same? or do most make big use of the brakes?

[mister c]

I tend to get about 4 - 4500 miles out of a rear. Front would probably do a few thousand more, but with special offers on tyres as they are, I end up buying a pair.
I'm running a pair of Mez3 atm which I bought off a mate for £50. They are 10 years old & a bit scary handling wise, but they did me over winter. The old SV will be getting treated to some new boots very shortly
Mine are mainly used on fast A roads with a lot of sweeping corners.

[ophic]

Originally Posted by Brettus

I use the brakes infrequently, usually only for the slow speed stopping as scrubbing off speed is mainly engine braking.

Anyone else the same? or do most make big use of the brakes?

I engine brake a lot, dropping a gear or 2 to scrub off speed when i'm slowing down rather than needing to stop in a hurry, when obviously i'd use the brakes. Also with doing lots of motorways, some days I do the whole 55 miles to work without touching the brakes at all. My pads tend to last

My tyres are still legal though getting close, possibly another months (450 miles) wear and they are the originals, 7.5K miles commuting 30 miles on potholes.

Ive got 021's and my front at 2000 - 2300 miles was close to wear bars im now at just under 3000 miles on them and the front has started to point a bit in the middle and still close to wear bars but rear looks like its just left the shop! I mainly fun ride i take a trip to college via a ten mile trip through back roads rather than 2 miles from my house

Originally Posted by fizzwheel

Best I got from a rear was 1800 miles and that included the period of running the bike in.

When you say 'best you got from a rear' do you mean the whole tread was knacked or was it just the middle was down to the wear markers? You must have been going seriously quick in a straight line to wear them out that fast mate As I say I just can't understand it