Flat Spot

Hondo64d · Oct 18, 2008

My Battleax 020 rear tire (OEM) has a noticeable flat spot wearing on it. I don't do wheelies, or burnouts. The tires have about 6K miles on them. I have kept the tires inflated at factory recommended levels (36r, 33f), as I weigh about 172 butt-naked.

On my next set of tires, should I bump up the pressure to minimize the flat spot?

Thanks,

John

Jman · Oct 18, 2008

Do you lean alot into turns when riding or use a lot of winding roads?

Scab · Oct 18, 2008

Is this one isolated flat spot on the tire, or are you saying the tire has developed a flat spot on the profile that runs the circumference of the tire? If this flat spot runs the circumference of the tire, and the tire has 6k on it, count yourself lucky. Most will flatten out long before that mileage. If it is taking that long for a flat spot to show, I would say your pressure is correct.

cv_rider · Oct 18, 2008

Is that flattening out along the profile a problem, or indication that the tires need to be changed? I'd think as long as the wear indicators are okay, the tires are as well.

damnpoor · Oct 18, 2008

A flatter section on the center of the tread is normal. You go straight a lot more than you lean over. Naturally the part of your tire that is on the pavement the most will wear faster.

Hondo64d · Oct 19, 2008

I appreciate the replies. Not quite to the wear indicators yet, but it won't be long. Most of my ride is commuting, and unfortunately, the route does not have a lot of twisties. Since the consensus seems to be that a flat spot is normal, I'll continue with factory recommended pressures.

Thanks,

John

taki · Oct 19, 2008

ive got the same problem, i commute to work, and not many twisties around here (KC). i just put on a BT021 which has dual compound rubber, so hopefully it will fend off the center flat spot that happens early when commuting.

Hellgate · Oct 19, 2008

Hi John, I bet a lot of it is from your big two up weekend. I noticed that my rear tire was flatter from a weekend of my wife and full saddle bags. Its just part of the game unless you mount a true touring tire. I have about 4,600 miles on my stock 020.

Hondo64d · Oct 20, 2008

I appreciate the confirmation. I'll stick with the factory recommended inflation levels then.

On a different note, I don't see how those Diablos are going to outlast the 020s. They are noticeably softer when doing the fingernail test. But, as I said in the other thread, at the performance level they give, and the price they are at, who cares?!

John

FZ1inNH · Oct 20, 2008

Well, if it is a softer tire you put on and you're still only driving all straight lines, it just means you'll wear out the center faster.

There are tires specifically made for touring that are really hard in the center and softer on both sides for cornering. If your rides are sans curves, you may want to go that route and have a longer lasting set of tires.

Good luck!

Scab · Oct 20, 2008

There are so many different tires available that it can get quite confusing. For me, it comes down to what is most important in a tire. Just getting high mileage is not what is most important to me. The FZ is just not a heavy bike and the tires that can provide a lot of mileage do so at the expense of grip. Being a cyclist of limited skill, I have at times put the bike in a situation that is, let's say, "borderline" for my skillset. If, at times like this, you are riding on a tire with limited ability to "grip" the road, then a crash is the likely outcome. Sure, if I could guarantee that my bike would never be in this situation, then give me long-life and lots of mileage. But I can't guarantee that and at times actually even intentionally push my envelope. So I personally prefer to buy tires a little more often but have that extra "grip" should I make an error or push my skills, and need it to bail myself out of a bad situation. I try to choose a tire that makes a reasonable compromise of grip vs. mileage. For me, if I can find mileage of say 6k or so, with pretty-darn-good grip, I'm in.
Sure, I can easily find tires that will run up the miles on the odo, but I have a desire to twist it on occasion and I have completely lost my desire for the paramedics to pick me up out of the ditch anymore. I'm getting old and I just don't heal as fast as I used to.

Hellgate · Oct 20, 2008

Hondo64d said:
I appreciate the confirmation. I'll stick with the factory recommended inflation levels then.

On a different note, I don't see how those Diablos are going to outlast the 020s. They are noticeably softer when doing the fingernail test. But, as I said in the other thread, at the performance level they give, and the price they are at, who cares?!

John

I agree, the Diablo is a softer tire, but it looks to be a very good one. I plan to keep my 020s in case I pick up a nail or cut the Diablos.

I'd like leave the 020s for another 2,000 miles or so, but I have a track day this Sunday and I'd like to have a bit better/newer tire.

mabbott · Oct 29, 2008

If you mostly commute, (I feel like a Metzler Pimp today) I would buy a multi-compound tire like the Roadtech Z6. There are other tires that are similiar, but once I found these I did not have the need to keep looking. Unless you are "very aggressive" when riding the street you won't need anything more than these tires. I have used these on the track and I use them regularly in the twisties. I have never been to the point where my tires saved me, if you are pushing yourself past your limits/abilities tires aren't going to be there to save you.

billm · Oct 29, 2008

Scab said:
There are so many different tires available that it can get quite confusing. For me, it comes down to what is most important in a tire. Just getting high mileage is not what is most important to me. The FZ is just not a heavy bike and the tires that can provide a lot of mileage do so at the expense of grip. Being a cyclist of limited skill, I have at times put the bike in a situation that is, let's say, \\"borderline\\" for my skillset. If, at times like this, you are riding on a tire with limited ability to \\"grip\\" the road, then a crash is the likely outcome. Sure, if I could guarantee that my bike would never be in this situation, then give me long-life and lots of mileage. But I can't guarantee that and at times actually even intentionally push my envelope. So I personally prefer to buy tires a little more often but have that extra \\"grip\\" should I make an error or push my skills, and need it to bail myself out of a bad situation. I try to choose a tire that makes a reasonable compromise of grip vs. mileage. For me, if I can find mileage of say 6k or so, with pretty-darn-good grip, I'm in.
Sure, I can easily find tires that will run up the miles on the odo, but I have a desire to twist it on occasion and I have completely lost my desire for the paramedics to pick me up out of the ditch anymore. I'm getting old and I just don't heal as fast as I used to.

Excellent - couldn't have said it better!:rockon:

Flat Spot

Hondo64d

Junior Member

Jman

Metamorphic

Scab

Nobody special

cv_rider

Junior Member

damnpoor

Junior Member

Hondo64d

Junior Member

taki

Junior Member

Hellgate

Moto Demi-God

Hondo64d

Junior Member

FZ1inNH

********* w/ Twisted Fate

Scab

Nobody special

Hellgate

Moto Demi-God

mabbott

Junior Member

billm

Junior Member

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