New Tire Care - Before It's First Ride

[rhaus]

I have never ridden a street bike far enough to have to replace the tires. I have owned one long enough but I sold it before I had to replace the tires. I think this may change with my present bike, 6000 miles in less than 5 months. Since I live in Tucson I am planning to ride year round. The low temperatures have been in the upper twenties so far, not too bad.

 

 

I have had two friends put on new tires with very poor out comes:

 

One had a lot of damage to the bike but he was fine. He took the bike to a shop and went back later to pick it up, dropped it in front of the tire store, under acceleration.

 

The second had minimal damage to the bike but broke his collar bone. He took the wheel to the cheapest guy in town, picked up the new tire on the wheel up and put it back on his bike. He dropped the bike in front of his driveway, under braking.

 

These were years apart, the second happened last Thursday, but it got me thinking. There is no safe way to ride on a new tire; can't go and can't stop . Maybe I will just go buy me a new bike come spring.

 

In a few thousand more miles I would guess I will need new tires and I would prefer a better experience.

 

My question is what do you do to prevent "new tire” wrecks?

[too old to care]

I never ride fast for the first 50 miles or so, then gradually start leaning it over more and more. Avoid hard breaking for the first 50 miles too. Within 100 miles the tires are scuffed in enough to ride normally. Best place to do this are the back roads.

[randys]

no safe way to ride on a new tire?? Damn, and here I have been doing it wrong and not crashing with all the tires I have replaced.

 

Try riding while being AWARE that you have a new tire. Or take a belt sander and go over the entire curcumference scuffing it up some.

[MachineJoe]

I ALWAYS just buy a new bike when I need only tires. I do the same thing whith my cage. If I wear out the rubber on the brake peddle, why replace it ...... just buy a new cage ..... ok somebody slap me and wake me up

[Edgar]

Scrubbing the new tire with Goo-Gone and a Scotch-Brite pad can help clean up some of the mold release that's on the tire and minimize the break in period, but you've got to take it easy for the first few miles.

[UberXY]

Always do an enormous burnout in front of the shop.

[Joe Frickin' Friday]

My question is what do you do to prevent "new tire” wrecks?

 

As has been noted, simply be aware that you're on a brand new tire, and adjust your riding accordingly. Avoid aggressive maneuvers for the first ten miles or so, as the tire is still coated with mold release agent AND mounting lubricant (typically soapy water if you DIY). After some distance, you still want to ease into harder maneuvers; ten miles of straightline scrubs the center of the tread, but if you suddenly flop the bike to a 45-degree lean, you'll be riding on completely virgin rubber. Better to scrub away a little bit of chicken strip at a time instead of all at once.

 

Belt sander seems like a tedious way to do things. After mounting tires, I ride to an empty lot and ride in slow, tight circles at larger and larger lean angles, with my body leaned far to the outside of the turn; this way you can get the bike leaned over pretty far and scrub near the edge of the tread while minimizing traction requirements.

[skinny_tom (aka boney)]

I've been in the practice of cleaing up my rims and tires after a change but before a ride with simple green and a scrub brush. I get the rim and tire. This gets all the lubricant from the change off the tires and rims (that stuff is like a dirt magnet!) Then I make sure I ride carefully for a while.

[tomk99r11]

You could rough up the surface with course sandpaper. But, the best thing is to ride slowly, avoid sharp high speed curves, etc for a couple hundred miles. No magic to it really.

[Scott A]

Talk about rationalization! I don't think buying a new bike when you need tires will work - the new bike comes with new tires.

[RFW]

A brand new tire has poor adhesion for the first 50 to 100 KM. All it takes is a little common sense and there will be no problems. Ride carefully and avoid hard braking, acceleration, and cornering for that time, ESPECIALLY for the first 10 to 20 KM.

 

Bob.

[rhaus]

Buying a new bike was intended to just be a joke, hahahah, kind of thing.

 

Thank you for all of the ideas. I'll take the riding slowly to heart.

[russell_bynum]

I'll take the riding slowly to heart.

 

It isn't so much about "riding slowly" as it is avoiding situations that will tax the limited traction of the new tire. That means smooth, gradual throttle application, gentle turns, etc. And work up to your normal lean angles gradually.

[ShovelStrokeEd]

I do what Mitch does. Right in the dealer's parking lot. Ride in circles to the left and then to the right, increasing lean angles all the while. Takes maybe 10 or 15 minutes and the tires are scrubbed right to the edge of the tread. I then like go go for a bit of a high speed freeway ride, preferably with bad pavement to really get the carcass up to temperature. Once done, you can pretty much not worry about your tires.

 

Note to self. Keep in mind that the 'bird STILL doesn't like to be pushed hard on damp pavement with a cold front tire.

[ednap]

A lot of people saying the same thing. That's encouraging in itself.

 

Just had a new road pilot fitted to the front of my RT as always I remind myself the tyre is new and ride with that in mind. I honestly think as others have already said just being AWARE is the key and that's all. No need for agressive actions to wear the tyre in faster.

 

Ed

[SageRider]

What SS Ed said!

[rhaus]

So ride with a larger safety margin for a while seems to be the consensus. Attempting to clean the tire first was suggested a couple of times with the caveat to then ride with caution for a while.

 

Thank you every one.

[Jerry Johnston]

I'm surprised this sure-fire answer to your problem hasn't been suggested.....loan me your bike for a couple of hundred miles and I'll fix the problem for you.

[USAF1]

I've been told that Metzler no longer uses the slippery "release compound" that's been famous for "new tire" accidents........

 

Pat

[camfarm]

Best advice already given. 1. Clean up the wheel and tire with something that gets dirt, grease, lubricant. I rub vigorously with a terry towel. 2. Check wheel installation - balanced and true, especially brake rotor clearances, brake functions, and fork tighening. Check cold pressures - dealer service techs don't always do it cautiously. 3. A couple of times around the lot with slight lean, slowly increasing the lean and speed, followed by the same ride as always with intent attention to cornering- gently at first, a little more sharply with each mile - as stated above, you want to add a little more scrubbed zone at a time. 4. Feel the tire grip or slip and adjust speed, lean and route accordingly.

 

Not as easy when cold as when hot or when wet versus dry - roads' surfaces matter.

 

If you merely ride 100 miles (or 50 or 10) without progressively increasing the amount of tire you've scrubbed, you'll just have that 'new' part to deal with someday when you aren't as attentive to the 'newness'.

 

Overall, there's is nothing inherently dangerous about the new tire nor is there any magic to the break-in. Frankly, I am always more concerned about whether the bead is properly seated than the wear in. But I change to new tires about 4 times a year.

[rhaus]

I'm surprised this sure-fire answer to your problem hasn't been suggested.....loan me your bike for a couple of hundred miles and I'll fix the problem for you.

 

That is a very kind offer. I appreciate your willingness to help me out.

[Jim VonBaden]

I've tried Naptha on my tires when new and found it removed all the release agent, and gave them a bit of grip. Then I ride carefully for the first 100 miles or so, working up to full tilt to get the edges.

 

Some may say that it is dangerous to use chemicals, but not if done in a ventilated area with consideration to the use and disposal of the shop rags.

 

Just my

 

Jim

[donbmw]

I would never ride with a new tire with out doing riding to scrub in the new tire. When I was the Service Manager and a Honda/Yamaha Dealer Ship I test rode every bike that the Tech put on tires and told each owner to be carefull for the first few miles but still had a couple rides pull out of the parking lot and give the bike alot of throttle watched them go down. They came back and said that we did not clean all the grease or lube of the tire for them to go down.

 

Don