Strange tire wear

[Toter]

I have a 15 ES. I purchased it used with Dunlop Roadsmart 3's with according to the previous owner about 2,000 miles. The bike is completely stock and handled like a dream. Since purchasing I have kept the tires aired at 41 front, 42 rear, all solo riding. I noticed, when airing the tires the other day, that they appeared to be getting a strange wear pattern. Rode the North Georgia mountains today and when turning into tight turns I would feel a sort of bumping in the front, kind of like slightly bumpy pavement. It was somewhat unsettling. I checked the front tire at a stop on the ride and discovered this bumpy pattern of wear on the tires. I have been pretty dilligent on maintaining proper air pressure and was wondering if anyone has seen this type of wear pattern on the front tire? The bike handling has definitely changed. I have put about 3,000 miles on the bike since purchasing, so they have about 5,000 miles total. Tread is good on rear tire, with no apparent strange wear patterns. Could this be a defect in the tire? Any thoughts or experience would be appreciated.

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[Redfish]

The FJR can be very hard on front tires. Some do better than others. My Road 5 front looks terrible, very much like yours. Most of us expect some strange wear on the front.

Yours is pretty bad though, worse than any of mine prior to the Road 5.

[Pterodactyl]

Once a tire starts to cup it seems irreversible. The only way I ever found to prevent/delay/minimize cupping is to run 40PSI Or more up front. You’ve done that, but perhaps the damage was done before you bought the bike; and sometimes it happens no matter what you do.

[jwilly]

One thing to consider is checking the pressure with a different gauge. A friend was have tire issues once and he claimed to be running around 40ish PSI in the front, when checked with a different tire gauge the front was near 60 PSI.

BTW: Welcome to the forum! I'm also in GA and ride in the mountains frequently. I'm the Blue bike with the police car behind it...

[raYzerman]

If you connect the dots/bumps, they are forming a line, which is mostly the divide between the dual compounds, center being harder... I've run two sets, similar pressures (42), did not see what you're seeing... wondering if the compounds didn't quite homogenize the way they were intended to.

[NTXFJR]

I ran a Battlax T31 when slabbing cross country in July and put around 8.5k on during that trip. I ran it at 40 psi and the tire developed a similar bumpy wear pattern to your Roadsmart. Like Ray says, it is the transition point on a dual compound tire from the firmer rubber at the center and the softer rubber at the edges. The center compound on my tire seemed to be around 1.75" wide or so. I bumped the pressure to 42 psi and ran it on a trip to the mountains for the last 1200 miles of it's life and the bumpies went away.

[rbentnail]

May want to consider stiffening up the front suspension a little, that sometimes helps, but I've often gotten the wear pattern you show. Differnt tires, different conpounds- doesn't matter.

[danh600]

Damage from low pressure was probably already done when you got the bike.

[Toter]

I will try bumping up the pressure. I was concerned that maybe the tire was coming apart on the inside. I weigh about 250 and usually run the rear at two passenger preload and the damping on std 0. Today, I set to Hard +1. Suspension felt good, but was a little scary when turning in when you transitioned through the bumpy section of the tire. Wouldn't the transition from the the dual compound rubber be in more of a straight line around the circumference of the tire? If the transition is not linear, that would indicate a defective moulding of the tire, in my opinion. Just not sure I understand how this wear pattern would form. The bike never wallowed in the front or exhibited any strange feeling until the bumpy transitions felt today. I can still let go of the bars and the bike will run straight and true with no headhsake. Puzzling

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[FJRoss]

Pattern is similar to what I get on RS3 although not quite that much and at a few more miles. Keep the pressure to at least 40 psi cold. Most dual compound front tires do this. Found the Michelin PR2 fronts to be way worse than this.

[Toter]

Sent the photo and background info. to Dunlop to see what they say. Have had tires scallop before, but never anything like this. I'll post their reply, if I get one.

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[bill lumberg]

Increase pressure. Decrease braking into turns. I’ve had some tires look like that, albeit slightly less severe.

[raYzerman]

Agree with upping the pressures, adjusting the damping a little firmer. Ride where you can have some curves and moderate lean angles until the tread shows better wear, but this is going to take a while.... ride it until it's worn out, doubt there's any structural issue with the tire itself. The bumpiness is a combo of pressure and damping.

[Hppants]

I've never seen that on any motorcycle tire. I'd be interested in hearing what Dunlop says.

Regardless, since you are new to the FJR, let me save you IMMENSE FRUSTRATION. Let me rescue you from almost certain chemical dependency. Let me share with you the benefit of our experience.

When it comes to FJR tires, there is NO holy grail.

Now then, be advised: you will read wonderful eloquent tales of riders getting 10, 15, and even 18,000 or more miles out of their tires. And while I am in no position to call "mule fritters", "horse hockey", "buffalo begels" or anything of the sort on these claims (eat your heart our Col. Sherman Potter), I highly doubt them, to say the least.

This much I know to be true. It's a bog 'ole heavy bike that has GOBS of torque and kind of teases you to push it in situations where you should at least consider the ramifications. If you are weak like Jwilly, a few others, and myself, then you will push it and you will be either rewarded 100 fold, or not. But if you do push it, no matter what the others tell or sell you, you will be lucky to get 7,000 miles out of a set of tires. And based on where you live, I'd even question that estimate.

So the FJR eats tires. And the tires are stupid expensive. And no matter what you read, the car tire will not hold the rim bead when it is deflated. Whether you think that is unsafe or not is for you to decide. But ya gotta pay if you want to play. So I pay.....

[wheatonFJR]

I do not complain about the traction that keeps me upright and gives me thrills. I bought a $15,000.00 bike...tires are a wearable item that makes the ride fun.

[bill lumberg]

Great advice here. Everything else will last damn near forever. Keep throwing rubber at it and ride it like the hounds of hell are chasing you.

[wheatonFJR]

Great advice here. Everything else will last damn near forever. Keep throwing rubber at it and ride it like the hounds of hell are chasing you.

If you are riding with Tommy, jwilly, or Mr. Lumberg they are...

[danh600]

Wouldn't the transition from the the dual compound rubber be in more of a straight line around the circumference of the tire?

When mine start to go you can clearly see the band of harder compound rubber. However, it is more in a straight line like a band. Doesn't look like your tire. I think because I ride so many straight roads the inch or so just outside the hard compound goes off quite a bit. So there is a noticeable raised area.
I don't get any kind of bumps like that.

I use to get cupping on the outside, but get less of that now that I run higher tire pressure.

If the owner put 2k on it and you put on 3k that tire owes you little. You are throwing at the most 30% of the tread away.

Personally I would get a new tire, but then again I am not one to get all the good out of a tire. I have never run one to the cords. I have run them to the wear bars but no further.

[Redfish]

If the owner put 2k on it and you put on 3k that tire owes you little. You are throwing at the most 30% of the tread away.

Personally I would get a new tire, but then again I am not one to get all the good out of a tire. I have never run one to the cords. I have run them to the wear bars but no further.

THIS!!!

If you are already unhappy and you have just recently bought that bike you owe it to yourself to get a new tire. What the heck, get two new tires. New tires always feel better than old tires, why ride on something that you are worried about? If I were worried that my front tire was not structurally sound that would suck the happiness out of every ride I took.

[Toter]

Here is the answer I got from Dunlop Customer Care.

"Hi Mr. Beckett,
 
The front tire is showing a cupping / uneven wear condition, this is not defect. The bumps develop because the tread pattern is actually breaking up the cupping and becomes concentrated in those areas. This wear condition is something we see as a result of mainly upright riding on certain bikes. If you could estimate…what percentage of the reported 5,000 miles were upright?"

I would estimate that 50% of the miles are in the mountains. Myself and a couple of guys ride twice a week or more if weather permits. Very little interstate travel. Hell I've ridden this bike in the twisties more than any other bike I've had. I'm not a peg scraper, but damn sure not all upright, and enough spirited cornering for me. I sent them my 50% estimate. Will see what they say. Looks like the last set of Dunlops for me at this point. Don't need lumps!


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