Why it pays to clean your vehicle

[Boriqua]

Got a new helmet last week and decided to hit some twisties through the desert. Went about as fast as my old man skills, strength, bravery and bike would give me and in that it got good and dusty.

Yesterday I decided to give it a good clean and found this

http://www.boriqualeather.com/Suzi tech/tire.JPG

and found it repeated about 5 more times on the rear

http://www.boriqualeather.com/Suzi tech/tire.JPG

I have always said that you find the problems when you clean your stuff. Evidently I didnt clean often enough but those splits werent there just 2 months ago. Same with my wifes car. I only find all the issues when I give it a clean and top up the fluids. Then I notice the crack in the headlight or windshield and any other issues.

Blow outs in the car suck .. it would have really sucked had this blown out on the highway.

 

[GS1150Pilot]

Are those Avons, by any chance?

 

[Boriqua]

Are those Avons, by any chance?

They read Michelin pilot Activ. The tread is at least very 1/4 in deep .. nowhere near worn tires. I know rubber out here takes a beating but .. these are falling apart.

So far I am liking the Shinko Tourmaster I put on the front last year so I am going to replace the back with the same. There is a tube in there so hopefully I can make it to the shop without getting stuck. Still deciding if I shouldnt just remove the wheel and throw it in the trunk of the car.

Headed to eastside perfomance from S Ellsworth and Broadway. If I ride there I will just crawl down Main street instead of hoping on the 60.

 

[Nessism]

Kind of goes without saying that the tire should be replaced, but I wonder what the real risk is? Has anyone ever heard of a motorcycle tire blowing apart on the road due to rubber cracks?

A friend had a Metzler on his 850 that had hundreds of craze cracks all over it before the tire was half used up. He continued to ride it and frankly, I couldn't fault him.

 

[Boriqua]

Kind of goes without saying that the tire should be replaced, but I wonder what the real risk is? Has anyone ever heard of a motorcycle tire blowing apart on the road due to rubber cracks?

A friend had a Metzler on his 850 that had hundreds of craze cracks all over it before the tire was half used up. He continued to ride it and frankly, I couldn't fault him.

I dont know how much meat is below the tread. I have had Craze cracks from old tires getting dry in the sidewall but these are pretty deep and I dont recall ever seeing them in the tread like that. I had plans for a little trip on wednesday but man I would hate to drop my bike. Its running so nice.

 

[LAB3]

Don't think I'd go much further than needed on that, I don't heal near as fast as I used to!

 

[Brendan W]

Kind of goes without saying that the tire should be replaced, but I wonder what the real risk is? Has anyone ever heard of a motorcycle tire blowing apart on the road due to rubber cracks?

A friend had a Metzler on his 850 that had hundreds of craze cracks all over it before the tire was half used up. He continued to ride it and frankly, I couldn't fault him.

You know how this works.
Ride on them and get a blowout and you are a dumbass.
Ride and actually learn something and no one wants to know.

 

[TeamDar]

Flex-Seal it. LOL

 

[Boriqua]

Flex-Seal it. LOL

Owww man I didn't think of that and now I have to take all the duct tape off. Gonna be a pain to get all the goo off my rims

 

[Wingsconsin]

Tires can AGE out faster than they wear out -
SUN exacerbates this process as the UV deteriorates rubber
If those are OLD (with still decent tread life expected) they may none-the-less be "used up"
I like to wear mine out before they age out ; but as I get older it seems my mileage goes done each year too...?
The tires on my 850 are going to be done after this year so they are about 5 years old
And the rubber on my Wing is done at 3 years and 16K miles.
A deep in the tread crack came mean heat damage as well - low pressures combined with high road temps can cause issues -
Checking tires and pressures before every ride is a good practice I like to try -
Buy a new one and ride on ...!

 

[Carter Turk]

Did a few trackdays in 2012 with Pilot Active rear and a Dunlop front on the Kat
I still have the tire and used it until mid summer last year when I killed the engine on the Kat.
I swapped rims as the Kat had a newer Sport Demon on the rear and now is just sitting there forlorn in the garage engineless.
No issues with cracking, though I live in the NW.

 

[GS1150Pilot]

They read Michelin pilot Activ. The tread is at least very 1/4 in deep .. nowhere near worn tires. I know rubber out here takes a beating but .. these are falling apart.

So far I am liking the Shinko Tourmaster I put on the front last year so I am going to replace the back with the same. There is a tube in there so hopefully I can make it to the shop without getting stuck. Still deciding if I shouldnt just remove the wheel and throw it in the trunk of the car.

Headed to eastside perfomance from S Ellsworth and Broadway. If I ride there I will just crawl down Main street instead of hoping on the 60.

I liked the old owners of Eastside, even though they overcharge for everything.

 

[Boriqua]

I liked the old owners of Eastside, even though they overcharge for everything.

I decided to change it myself .. still in process but .. its a nice day out so why not and I dont have to drive anywhere.

 

[GS1150Pilot]

I decided to change it myself .. still in process but .. its a nice day out so why not and I dont have to drive anywhere.

Hear, hear!