Avon Roadrider cracking Again

This is bad news. My roadriders (rear) were on backorder from motorcycle superstore and should be here today or tomorrow. I will keep a close look at their wear as well once they are mounted.

Ditto, I have a set due here tomorrow from Dennis Kirk. Will look closely at them for shine and hairline cracks, and will also check the date.

This is bad news. My roadriders (rear) were on backorder from motorcycle superstore and should be here today or tomorrow. I will keep a close look at their wear as well once they are mounted.

[bwringer]

I've never seen a problem with my RoadRiders either (130/90-17 rear and 100/90-19 front/rear mounted on the front). I've also dealt with other sizes on friends' bikes and never had a problem.

A problem confined to a certain size or sizes certainly points to a manufacturing defect.

[Bill C.]

Sidewall cracking

I just picked up two roadriders, a 100-90-19 with a date code of 42/08 and a 130-90-17 with a date code of 41/08. Sidewalls do not have any shine to them. I looked with a flashlight and did not see any cracks. I will be getting them mounted next week and let everyone know how they work out.

[posplayr]

Avon Roadrider

I just recently bought and installed some road riders on my 81 GS750E. I got them out of a place in Arizona (not sure who at the moment).

Sizes:
100/90-19 with date code 42/08
and
130/80-17 with date code 36/08

Tire look alright, but there is already the start of sidewall shine and small subsurface hairline cracking (front tire only and primarily on one side). It is not cracking at the surface, more like dried paint cracking on at least the front tire. The Avons have about 35 miles on them and I put them on 2 weeks ago. Date codes are saying these tires are about 6 months old.

This is unusually, as the using a flash light and looking real close I don't see the same thing on the Pirelli Sport Demons. I know the shine and slight cracking was there when I got the tires. I will be watching it.

Pos

[themess]

That defect is almost certainly not due to age, but to improper construction. Exactly like the tires you returned several weeks ago. In your place, I would spend the money to return the new ones to TU, and order a different tire as a replacement.

I would also wonder why they still have tires that are 3+ years old in their warehouse.

Contact Avon directly, as Brian suggested, and attach the photos. If you haven't notified DOT, do it now, again with the photos.

Someplace near the date code there is another code, which identifies the factory in which the tires were made

U.S. DOT Tire Identification Number
This begins with the letters "DOT" and indicates that the tire meets all federal standards. The next two numbers or letters are the plant code where it was manufactured, and the last four numbers represent the week and year the tire was built. For example, the numbers 3197 means the 31st week of 1997. The other numbers are marketing codes used at the manufacturer's discretion. This information is used to contact consumers if a tire defect requires a recall.

The following site links to the codes in current use:

http://www.harriger.com/tires.htm

I've got a new set on a Z1R and the front tire keeps going flat if parked for a week or so. No cracking on the sidewals but something is going on with the bead.

Yes, it is almost certainly a bead or valve problem. Fill the tire back up to recommended pressure Spray with with soapy water and look for the leak. If the leak is at the bead, the three likely causes are a kinked or damaged bead on the tire, a dirt rim where the bead seals, or a damaged rim.

Bead wire is very stiff. When it is bent, it doesn't easily return to its original shape. Dismounting a tire usually puts a slight kink in the bead, and the tire won't seal well after that.

The rubber that surrounds the bead also can be damaged easily. Small cuts or abrasions can keep it from sealing to the rim. This rubber is very hard, so small imperfections make a big difference.

Improper use of steel tire irons can damage the sealing surface of a rim. The sealing surface should be clean and completely smooth.

Some manufacturing defects in a tire result in air loss, but those defects are rare. The innerliner of a tire is the surface that holds the air in. If it is cut, air can bleed out in several days. It is only about 0.03" thick.

They look dry as if it's been sitting warehoused for awhile??? have a tire sales place look at it if you know somebody.

i got my avons from bikebandit and both where less than 1 year old. one was less than 6 months if they sent you anything then a 2 year old tire, they sent you crap stock i agree what was said earlier, write avon directly about what happened, i would be surprised if they didn't do anything about it. good luck.

I think this needs a sticky as the Avon tires I have are also starting to crack, I will keep an eye on it, but I am shopping and not for Avon's.

I wonder if this is a more global issue with Avon?

If those tires have been in a warehouse that long, I wonder if they are stored near the utility panel such as where the power comes in the building. Nice fresh ozone from electrical devices or electric motors will wreak havoc on a tire.

[greg78gs750]

hang on here. you sent that tire back and they sent you an EVEN OLDER TIRE? um, i call bull**** on that.... i'm not saying that is necessarily the issue, but i would be hacked if i got a tire more than, say, a year old.

[salty_monk]

The figure you quote are for old tech tyres. I don't know what you should be running at but Avon recommends (on their website) 36f & 42r for my 1000G/E under all running conditions.

I ran mine at 36r (high speed solo continuous or around town two up according to Suzuki) 28f for a long time without the probs you are experiencing though.

I am only 160 / 165 though. My wife is only 100 & really it was only here who rode pillion & generally around town etc.

Maybe improper storage, perhaps UV as stated above...

Dan

[argonsagas]

The dates suggest one was made in late 2005 and the original in mid-2006, so the newest is closing in on three years old.

Five years is usually the recommended limit.

Sunlight and the presence of ground-level ozone affect tire "aging", while on the shelf, through hardening of the rubber compound. Having the same failure on tires that were manufactured so many weeks apart may mean improper storage.

Contact the manufacturer directly and give them the same description you gave here, plus the photos.

Whether it is tire defect or defect caused by and/or conributed to improper storage, this is something the manufacturer needs to deal with, as the retailer is their representative, and unsafe tires should not be sold to the public.

I've got a new set on a Z1R and the front tire keeps going flat if parked for a week or so. No cracking on the sidewals but something is going on with the bead.

How heavy are you? 32PSI seems a little low...

Dan

32PSI is recommended for dual riding, normal conditions. 28 for solo, 32 for dual normal. 36 psi for high speed continuous solo and 40 dual riding high speed continuous.

As for my weight, I am not a lightweight, that why I hedge with 32 psi for my riding. In a sense, 32 is a very useful psi for most tire applications.

Should I be running higher pressures? I tend to follow the owner's manuals for this info and try to not let them get low.