when is my front tire worn out?

[mfp4073]

Bridgestone spitfires. I replaced the rear about about 10k back in jan, front still looks normal. Currently about 16-17k on it. Still plenty of tread. I do have a longer tank (/7 style) and often scoot back putting more weight on the rear. From what I see, that isnt normal for bike tires!

[DAKEZ]

From my experience... When you start to question it (as you have) it is time to replace it. It is silly to gamble with your life to squeeze miles out of a front tire.

Rear tire? I will wear them smooth at times...

[perterra]

I normally wait until I can see the air in the tire, then replace it. But if you wait until the air falls out you might have to walk. Thin line.

[JimVonBaden]

It is fairly normal to fo two for one front to rear. Your mileage is not abnormal.

Jim

[spafxer]

Originally Posted by perterra

I normally wait until I can see the air in the tire, then replace it. But if you wait until the air falls out you might have to walk. Thin line.

So, if I use Nitrogen my tires will last forever?

[mfp4073]

Originally Posted by spafxer

So, if I use Nitrogen my tires will last forever?

I hear the tuners are using oxygen, because well...its one more.

[rivercreep]

Originally Posted by mfp4073

Bridgestone spitfires. I replaced the rear about about 10k back in jan, front still looks normal. Currently about 16-17k on it. Still plenty of tread. I do have a longer tank (/7 style) and often scoot back putting more weight on the rear. From what I see, that isnt normal for bike tires!

I have to ask...
Do you work at a Government job?
I only ask because where I work retail, EVERY time there's one of those obscure Holidays when most of the public still has to go to work, I get more Customers than usual that always seem to ask me questions that have the most obvious answers, and every time I ask = they are always involved in Govt. in some shape or form.

Here's some helpful hints on how to tell.
1. Dry rot/cracking/hardening of the rubber.
2. Trouble maintaining air Psi. in a tubeless tire (accelerated air loss)
3. When your tread gets to an unsafe level of wear.

[mfp4073]

Originally Posted by rivercreep

I have to ask...
Do you work at a Government job?
I only ask because where I work retail, EVERY time there's one of those obscure Holidays when most of the public still has to go to work, I get more Customers than usual that always seem to ask me questions that have the most obvious answers, and every time I ask = they are always involved in Govt. in some shape or form.

Here's some helpful hints on how to tell.
1. Dry rot/cracking/hardening of the rubber.
2. Trouble maintaining air Psi. in a tubeless tire (accelerated air loss)
3. When your tread gets to an unsafe level of wear.

Well, I have in the past..... but currently no.


Someone stated that getting a 1:2 wear ratio was normal, and that looks like what I am seeing.

But yeah, no dry rot, no low tread, no headshake (my metzlers did that).

[jules083]

Originally Posted by mfp4073

Well, I have in the past..... but currently no.


Someone stated that getting a 1:2 wear ratio was normal, and that looks like what I am seeing.

But yeah, no dry rot, no low tread, no headshake (my metzlers did that).

Sounds good then. I typically don't 'push' the front much, and if its getting close and I'm doing the rear ill swap it. Last one I changed on the road king looked ok, but it was cupped with about 15,000 on it so I changed it.

I'm getting a small collection of half tread tires I swapped out for trips and such, I need to start using them the rest of the way up.

[peterman]

I'm with Dakez,, I wear out the rears pretty thin sometimes.
But I have never hit the wear bars on a front tire, dual sport or street.
You have one wheel, and one wheel only, that steers and does most of the stopping,,tires are cheap compared to emergency room visits.
Unless you are like OldMonkeybut and ride around on the rear wheel all the time,,keep yer fronts fresh.
Oh,,and when you find a really good deal on tires you like,,buy and extra set for the shelf,,just in case! (Brand new TKC80 rear with 80 miles onnit,,KaPow! carriage bolt! Damn!,,,,I plugged it, and rode it 'til it was plumb wore out, but skeery riding on a plugged tire for the next few thousand miles!)
Measure your remaining tread depth,,look at where the wear indicator bars are, and keep an eye on them.
Or just buy a new tire and dispel your concerns.

Oh Yeah,, on a '74 R90S, you should be burning thru rears left and right==============if yer doin the bike any justice!

[markk53]

Apparently no one mentioned looking at the side tread of the front tire. That is the wear point, not the center. You can have good tread depth in the center and have the tire bald to either side of that center groove. I've seen it numerous times on sportbikes. If you are getting thin on tread to the right or left side of the front tire, it's time to consider replacement.

Then there is the tread cupping. Again it will be on either side of the tread on a street tire with a center groove. On dual sport tires and sport tires it may show up on the center tread. Cupping can occur for a number of reasons like under inflation, but the fact is it will occur regardless. The forces on the tread from both braking and simple rolling down the road are the same direction and cause the tread blocks (no matter how big) to roll the leading edge (first edge to hit the ground) under and wear the trailing edge more than the leading edge. Thus the front edge is raised up and eventually can be even visibly noticable. When it gets bad enough the tire should be replaced.

By the way this cupping effect is also part of what causes head shake whenever you let go of the bars and coast down in speed. The cupping causes an alternating tug on the steering. When it is bad enough you can even feel the light shaking in the handlebars when coasting or braking down. I had that with my last front tire on the Zephyr. I could feel the shake, not an impending danger, just a light shake. New tire and it's gone.

Summary - On a front tire keep an eye on the wear side to side from the center and keep an eye on the cupping too.

[Snapper]

For me, it's when the profile starts getting too pointy turning the handling to crap.

[rdwalker]

Originally Posted by Snapper

For me, it's when the profile starts getting too pointy turning the handling to crap.

Heh, heh, I've done pointy in the past and now I have a new one: square raised ring. How's that for you?
I am thinking this is all because I used wrong type of oil.


Handling is bad no matter if pointy or square. Time for a new one, huh?

[opmike]

I usually replace the tires when one or all of the following have occurred (in no particular order):

1) I'm at the wear indicators
2) Noticeable degradation in ride quality and/or grip
3) Tires are obviously misshapen, cracking, warped, deformed, etc.