Front Tire Wear Impacting Steering

[rogerc60]

I always had to run 2 PSI extra on front Pilot Road front tires to lessen the uneven wear.
Same thing for my wife.
I finally gave up and switched to Dunlop Road Smart tires.
We don't have the strange front tire wear with the Dunlops.

I've had the same experience with tires on my 2003 R1150RT, same brands of tires.

I can't speak to the issue of uneven wear on your wife.

 

[gregfeeler]

I did go through several pages of the search on this, then stopped.
I share a photo and my sketch of the impression of the tire cross-section.
I did own an F850 GSA and now own an R1250 GS, an R1250 R and an R nineT Scrambler. Although only back into bikes 2.5 years ago after several decades away, I have now ridden close to 60k miles. But only experiencing the subject line issue of the R with Michelin tires.

2023 R1250R with Michelin Road 5 GT Tires. Currently around 16k miles on the tires and not yet to wear bar, but getting close. I do monitor TPM/TFT and although my pencil pressure gauge, versus my Dewalt portable air compressor, versus the bike TPM all read different by a couple psi, I tend to keep the tire pressure within +/- 1 psi based on TPM/TFT.

You can see the photo of the tire. And my sketch, where I have shown a smooth cross-section profile and the dashed line angled profile. My eye view of the tire profile is more like the dashed line, although the drawing may be exaggerating the degree.

When the tire is cold and I just start to pull away from the house and am turning at a slow speed, the steering seems to want to take control from me and pull in and I have to kinda fight it back out. Has been doing so for quite some time. I wonder if this is a result of the transition from the flat crown to the flat side across the break in curvature? Once the tire warms up and I am riding at speed and going into curves I really don't feel anything.

I also have a Kawasaki KLX 300 that had very odd, notchy, steering when new. On the break in service the technician indicated he had to grease the steering head and that the head bolt was too tight from the factory. When I had the R1250 R in for the 12,000 mile service I asked them to check the steering and they claimed it was fine. I had asked the same at the 6,000 mi service but they did not test ride "because it was raining".

So, what do you think. The flat crown to flat side across the break in curvature is causing it to pull and tuck in harder?

I know this problem and have had it several times, mostly, but not always, with Michelin tires. Yes - this tire wear pattern is the cause of your bike wanting to fall into corners as the tire rolls from that flat center strip onto the cupped out area on either side.

So, how do I know about this? Back in 2003 I had a set of the original Micheline Pilot Road tires on my K1200RS when I made a 5,000 mile cross country trip, mostly on Interstates. Several sections were at sustained speeds 30 to 50 mph above the posted speed "suggestion". When I got home my bike wanted to fall over in a corner, and when I checked the front tire I found an extreme case of your wear pattern: the center 25cm was a flat as a pancake with the area on either side scooped out at least 3mm. I called Michelin and the conversation when like this:

ME: Hello, I have a problem with my Michelin motorcycle tires.

MICHELIN: Ok, I'll connect you to our motorcycle tire guy.

TIRE GUY: How, can I help you?

ME: I have a weird wear problem with my front Pilot Road. It has about a 1" flat spot in the center and ...

TIRE GUY interrupts: ...and it's scooped out on either side? (Obviously already aware of the problem.)

ME: Yes, and it's like that on the back, just not a bad.

TIRE GUY: Please have you dealer call me.

So, my dealer calls the Tire Guy and Michelin gives me a new set of tires - mounted and balanced.


I did some research and found out that high speed rated motorcycle tires have some design feature to keep the tire from expanding at higher speeds from centrifugal force. Many companies use a non-expanding belt around the center of the tire. As your speed increases the center of the tire can not expand because of this belt, but the areas to either side can expand and as your speed increases they extend more and more eventually past the surface of the tire center. Naturally, those protruding areas are quickly worn down to the same level as the non-expanded tire center. At rest this wear pattern is clearly visible. I've asked tire reps at the Mechlin (and other brand) trailers at the MOA Rallies about this and they would either grudgingly confirm or just smile.

 

[smswy]

I know this problem and have had it several times, mostly, but not always, with Michelin tires. Yes - this tire wear pattern is the cause of your bike wanting to fall into corners as the tire rolls from that flat center strip onto the cupped out area on either side.

So, how do I know about this? Back in 2003 I had a set of the original Micheline Pilot Road tires on my K1200RS when I made a 5,000 mile cross country trip, mostly on Interstates. Several sections were at sustained speeds 30 to 50 mph above the posted speed "suggestion". When I got home my bike wanted to fall over in a corner, and when I checked the front tire I found an extreme case of your wear pattern: the center 25cm was a flat as a pancake with the area on either side scooped out at least 3mm. I called Michelin and the conversation when like this:

ME: Hello, I have a problem with my Michelin motorcycle tires.

MICHELIN: Ok, I'll connect you to our motorcycle tire guy.

TIRE GUY: How, can I help you?

ME: I have a weird wear problem with my front Pilot Road. It has about a 1" flat spot in the center and ...

TIRE GUY interrupts: ...and it's scooped out on either side? (Obviously already aware of the problem.)

ME: Yes, and it's like that on the back, just not a bad.

TIRE GUY: Please have you dealer call me.

So, my dealer calls the Tire Guy and Michelin gives me a new set of tires - mounted and balanced.


I did some research and found out that high speed rated motorcycle tires have some design feature to keep the tire from expanding at higher speeds from centrifugal force. Many companies use a non-expanding belt around the center of the tire. As your speed increases the center of the tire can not expand because of this belt, but the areas to either side can expand and as your speed increases they extend more and more eventually past the surface of the tire center. Naturally, those protruding areas are quickly worn down to the same level as the non-expanded tire center. At rest this wear pattern is clearly visible. I've asked tire reps at the Mechlin (and other brand) trailers at the MOA Rallies about this and they would either grudgingly confirm or just smile.

Great Info. Makes sense. I suppose since I now have over 16,000 miles on the tires and the tread is not yet to the wear bars, where I can see wear bars, I should not complain. Am currently looking to buy new tires and deciding if I want to stay with Michelin or change to Dunlop.

 

[gregfeeler]

Great Info. Makes sense. I suppose since I now have over 16,000 miles on the tires and the tread is not yet to the wear bars, where I can see wear bars, I should not complain. Am currently looking to buy new tires and deciding if I want to stay with Michelin or change to Dunlop.

Hope that was useful. FWIW, I have been running the Dunlop's and I love them. I think it's always good to change up once in a while to see if you can find something you like better.