Uneven tyre wear

Hi all.
I was alarmed to find yesterday that my 08 fz6 actually has suffered major wear to the right side of both tyres. The back is not too bad (still legal) but the front certainly is unroadworthy. (see pic attached)

I also noticed some minor cupping on the rear tyre on the same (right) side.

Now what I have checked is
- Pressures. As i weigh over 100kg i normally have 38-39 in both.
- Wheel alignment. Ok so i have not yet been to the garage and had them checked properly but my real axle position is spot on.
- Triple Clamp. I have checked all bolts and they are all tightened.

The bike has just passed 10000kms last week and most of my riding is (regretably) city commuting. I love to hit the mountain roads on the weekends but never as much as i would like.

The tyres are the stock BT's, and my riding style is mostly mundane but at times i may get enthusiastic with the corners.

The roads that i mostly ride on are generally decent quality and i almost never ride on gravel. (i know any other sports bike rider will know why)

I perform frequent maintenance on my bike so I am surprised i didnt spot this earlier.

Now I was initially alarmed to see this wear but it wasnt until I read the info on Motorcycle Tire Wear that I stopped to think that perhaps this is normal.
I should also point out that here in Oz we drive on the left, and his point on left side wear is applicable to USA/right lane)

Keen to hear if anyone can offer any comments at all.

Oh yeh and anyone have any recommendations for a good all round tyre? (I think i recall reading here many of you have liked the Michelin Pilots.)
Probably wont be getting these again.

Thanks.

heath_AU

That's strange, not where I'd expect to see wear. I've got got 8000+ miles (13000+Km) with almost no wear. The thing I noticed, and it may be an illusion from the camera angle, but why can I only see your right fork tube? If you get farther back and look straight on, can you see both, evenly distanced from the front wheel/tire? I'd check to see if the left side of the fork is ok if it doesn't look better than in the picture.

If most of your riding is city commuting, then the right side of the tyre will always wear out first - camber of road. The road (for us in Australia - we ride on the left hand side of the road) will angle down from the centre of the road towards the gutter, therefore the right side of the tyre is getting more contact with the tarmac. Makes sense?.....

Yours is exceptionally worn though. You shouldn't have let it get that bad :spank:


EDIT: Mike had this problem a few years ago when we lived in the suburbs and he commuted to the city every day.

I agree with Karen,my last bike did the same thing,mostly the front.
I was city commuting also.Since I changed jobs and work in the hills now I get even wear.
Roads,not the bike mate :thumbup:

Replace the tires.... they're toast.

You might consider running the OEM tire pressure for single riders..... you aren't really heavy enough to run max pressure. A slightly 'softer' tire will tend to give you more traction.

If you are getting cupping on the rear tire, the wheel is not maintaining road contact as well as we would like. That's either the shock's performance, or the tire's, or the combination of each.

I'll trust the OZ contingent, on which side the tires wear out on due to road camber.

Your toilets don't work right, either. The 'swirly' part runs backwards.

I was going to say the exact same thing as Kazza. I had the same type of wear, only on the left side of my tires (since we drive on the "right" side of the road over here...LOL). It's definitely the camber of the road causing it.

BTW, LMAO at RJ2112 comment about the toilets "swirling" the wrong way! That completely cracked me up!

RJ2112 said:

Replace the tires.... they're toast.

You might consider running the OEM tire pressure for single riders..... you aren't really heavy enough to run max pressure. A slightly 'softer' tire will tend to give you more traction.

If you are getting cupping on the rear tire, the wheel is not maintaining road contact as well as we would like. That's either the shock's performance, or the tire's, or the combination of each.

I'll trust the OZ contingent, on which side the tires wear out on due to road camber.

Your toilets don't work right, either. The 'swirly' part runs backwards.

Click to expand...

Ive actually been told by some guys in that industry that tell me minor cupping (or scalloping) is a normal wear characteristic in bikes and is related to the slight shearing motion when leaning over when the suspension is under load (which changes the geometry)
But thats not a great concern as that was only minor and on the rear (which is still ok for now)
I will be getting the front fixed REAL soon!

Oh and yes the pressure is fine. I weigh 130kg and i sometimes ride with some cargo.
Thats the receommended pressures according to the manual (confirmed by independent mechanic)

Cheers

chuckfz6ryder said:

That's strange, not where I'd expect to see wear. I've got got 8000+ miles (13000+Km) with almost no wear. The thing I noticed, and it may be an illusion from the camera angle, but why can I only see your right fork tube? If you get farther back and look straight on, can you see both, evenly distanced from the front wheel/tire? I'd check to see if the left side of the fork is ok if it doesn't look better than in the picture.

Click to expand...

Yep its just the camera angle. Reckon id be having some bigger issues than just minor tyre wear if my forks were out by that much. LOL

I have since learned that this situation appears to be caused by -

- Frequent inner City driving (which means that right turns are usually twice as long - and faster - than lefts)

- Road camber (which i think would have only affected wear closer to the centre)

- Cheapest shabby rubber yamaha could find to put on a bike to keep the price down. Guess i cant complain too much about that as the fz was more down the entry level end of the market.

- Having a big hefty bastard (of around 280lbs) on top all day and at times even a pilly.

Either way I am looking to get me some Michi Pilots. The new ones are supposed to be the way to go.

EDIT: Oh yeh, and for the ones with keen eyes i was incorrect. I dont have the BT's as stock. They are in fact Dunlop D252's.

heath_AU said:

- Cheapest shabby rubber yamaha could find to put on a bike to keep the price down. Guess i cant complain too much about that as the fz was more down the entry level end of the market. Not necessarily. I think you said you had stock BT-020's? If so, those aren't inexpensive tires (I had them stock, too.) Price a set of them now and they're as expensive as the newest sport-touring tires.

- Having a big hefty bastard (of around 280lbs) on top all day and at times even a pilly. I can definitely understand what you're saying here! I'm about 240 lbs (before gear), and it probably doesn't help much!

Either way I am looking to get me some Michi Pilots. The new ones are supposed to be the way to go. It sounds like you're talking about the Pilot Power 2ct? If you're looking for anything near the wear you've gotten out of these (mileage), then those aren't the way to go. That's a pure sport tire and will probably wear out in about 4000 miles or so. For higher mileage, try the BT-021's or newer BT-023's. That's all I'll use now is sport-touring tires. I've never had a slip and can push my limits pretty well.

Click to expand...

I'm typing this sentence because I have to enter something or it won't let me post my response above...lalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalala...

:BLAA:

Well i am now about 120kms into my brand new set of Michelin Pilot Road 2CT's and so far im ecstatic.
They look the business and have a MUCH different feel than the stockies.
The profile is much rounder and has less centre flat profile (on the rear mostly) which makes the bike SO much more manouverable. In fact when i first rode away on the new rubber is almost felt like both the front and the rear wheels pivoted slightly to give me the sort of feeling as a car with 4 wheel steering (rear countersteer)
Of course it didnt take long to get used to this feeling and now tip-in when cornering is effortless.

Will post another update down the track.

Sexy new rubber shown below -

Oh yeh and CCHOUSEKY i think you may have confused the Pilot Road 2CT with the Michi Pilot Pure's. The Pilot Road's are a sport/touring tyre and not a full sport tyre.
Sure, they are more sport than touring but def not full sport. (Or so Michelin tell me)
Cheers.

Wear like that can be caused by a bad fork seal as well.