When Do You Change Tyres ?

If you're using the bike regularly and expect wet rides I'd change at around 2-3mm. With pleasure riding only in fine weather I've run tyres right up to the markers and even just past on occasion. Coincidentally I'm just about to change mine with useable tread left as I'm not happy with them on wet roads.

 

What he just said.
Not worth the risk at this time of year

 

Squared off tyres are the worst in the wet if you're happy with their feel run them to the legal limit

 

Does that count for both tyres? It’s just that my front tyre has already down to 2 mm after only 3,200 miles. As I understand it , front tyres are manufactured with less tread to start with. The reason I ask this basic question is that I’m very new to this game and my bike.

 

Agree, I am an Observer with the IAM and constantly discuss tyres and minimum tread with the associates under my observation. It would be bad form if I were to promote safe tyres if my own were dodgy. So, when mine are nearing the 1 mm limit I will fit new. At this time of year I would probably be looking at new tyres when the old ones have 2 mm left. As a side, once I have new tyres I feel so much more confident and I feel my riding improves.

Tread carefully guys.

 

No proof but I have long suspected that tyres supplied on many new bikes are not quite to the same spec as replacements, not least tread depth. Ditto chains a link too short. Most people order ‘same again’ so it’s an easy route to profit.
I went from just legal to illegal metalwork on display in one day/260 miles on an OEM rear that had done 4,800 when I set off. I had no idea until I parked up on thankfully dry roads. I thought it would last into December!

 

Sometimes the tread level belies how much rubber is left on the carcass. An 'oops' moment below.

 

My very point! I had just run up the M74 and over the Devil’s Beeftub when I discovered my ‘deficit’

 

dont have any snow ,no ice ,and not a lot of rain run ,run the rear till its bald .but not the front ,change at legal depth dont want to blow a front tyre. the weather your way is so much different ,I dont think I would ride on any tyre to worn or under legal

 

Thanks for that. Yes I do keep a check my pressures. I run them at 33 and 36 psi, front and rear respectively. When I last checked my pressures I thought it would be a good idea to measure the tread depths. I did this so I could work out when might need to replace them.The front tyre tread depths were 1.93, 2,06 and 2.56 mm relating to average depths over several readings on the centre, shoulder and edge. The rear tyres were 4.18, 4.96 and 5.66 mm respectively. I’ve ridden 1,000 of my bike’s 3,200 miles and they appear to be very similar to when I got them.

So according to some it looks like I might need new tyres shortly. Just out of interest, what is the tread depth on a brand new set of Pirelli Phantoms? And does anyone have experience of Avon Storm 3D’s? I do understand that if I wish to change manufacturers I have to change both tyres.

Thanks for all of your advice and comment so far.

 

This is probably worth a separate thread, but I think there may be some truth to this in some cases. It is alluded to in the context of Japanese OE tyres in the 44Teeth review of the GSXR 1000 R. I think the OE Bridgestone S20s on my 2012 Fireblade were inferior to their aftermarket replacements. On the other hand, the OE Pirelli Supercorsas on my Speed Triple RS and current Aprilia Tuono were both used on track days and I'm confident they are the same as aftermarket.

Back on topic, I take my tyres down to the wear markers

 

I take mine to beyond wear limit marker in centre and close to side wear marker's. Last rear I changed because it got punctured. At almost wear limit. I have run tyre's until inner belt's are on view when touring and next tyre shop is a 1000km away.

 

Tyres stop performing long before they are at the legal minimum. I would start to lose feel and confidence in tyres on my 1200RT, which I sold to buy the Bonneville, with round 2mm tread left on the rear. They would have done around 6k at that point and I always replaced them as a pair. As my Bonnie is new to me I have not ideal how long the tyres will last. Reading how bad the OE rubber is supposed to be I may change them after a couple of thousand miles.

I usually went for Bridgestone on the RT and my 1250 Bandit is currently shod with BT023's.

What do most of you go for on your T120's?

 

A punnet of chips, by the sound of things.

I’ll get my coat.......

 

My new Street Twin, like the Bonnie, had the poor handling Pirelli Phantom tyres.
I contacted Triumph about the pathetic 3mm tread depth on the front and after several reminders they admitted it was just 3.3mm.
So if you play safe and change at 2mm, Happy Riding on the tiny 1.3mm you can use. I dumped both tyres and fitted Avon Road Riders, with 5mm front tread.

 

I'd like to put a slightly different point of view. I only ride for my own fun, and not for transport or commuting. I suspect many of us are the same.

I love the feel of new tyres, and start to lose confidence when the profiles go off. If I ride till they're borderline illegal, I might get 5500 out of a rear sport touring tyre, but I really don't enjoy the last 1000 to 1500 miles. Assume a rear tyre costs 110 quid (close enough and makes the maths easy) that's 10 quid per 500 miles. If I chuck them off at 4000, I'm maybe losing 20 to 30 quid's worth of wear, but I get the joy of always riding on good tyres for the price of a tank or two of fuel a year.

Fronts are cheaper and go longer, so the cost of keeping them fresh is even less. I might push to 6000 and use two fronts to three rears, but as often as not I've swapped them as pairs.

If I was riding a bike to save money, I'd be on a 125... or in a diesel Panda.

 

This Fortnine video is worth watching re OEM tyres:



If you can't be bothered, the summary is...

Regular Pirelli Phantom is made in germany and has 5mm depth, OEM supplied version is made in Brazil and has 3mm depth.

OEM is cheaper (so manufacturer can reduce price or maximise profit), quieter (so can have have slightly louder/higher performance engine and still meet noise regs) and lighter (smoother ride because of lower unsprung weight)

What's worth remembering with bike tyres and wet weather riding is that, unlike car tyres, the profile is more critical than the tread depth. The leading edge of a car tyre is straight, so relies upon the tread to allow the water to escape to the sides.

The leading edge of a bike tyre is rounded so it cuts through the water like the bow of a boat.

Key to the grip from the tyre is contact with the road (achieved substantially through tyre shape) and the grippiness of the rubber. The rubber becomes grippier as it warms up, so the tread is there to let the rubber flex and warm up. The less tread, the less flex, the less warming, the less grip.

Of course sporty tyres have a very grippy compound so need less flexing/warming which is why some sports road tyres are almost bald but still work reasonably well in the wet.

The other factor in grippiness is age, as older tyres are less flexible and the rubber hardens, they don't get the heat into them and they don't grip.

So where does this get us?

1. a lack of tread depth does not necessarily mean a lack of wet grip.
2. 2mm on an OEM tyre may be better than 2mm on an aftermarket tyre as the profile will be better
3. Old tyres should be replaced well before the 1mm legal limit as they will be far past their best.
4. Those that change their bikes regularly and never get to buy new tyres never get to experience the best tyres.
5. The 30 year old Continentals that are on my R65 should really be changed before I ride it again.