[wadenelson]

I can tell you how much BETTER a new tire feels, but it's hard to describe what a WORN OUT tire feels like.

Perhaps "unconfident?" Instead of rolling smoothly over onto it's side when you try and corner it "flops' nervously from the chickenstrip onto the sidewall, riding on the square edge it has built up?

It just doesn't feel "right?" Feels "loose?"

anyone else got words to describe?

 

[Walks With The Wind]

Jinky ?

 

[Offcenter]

Mine is getting there. With the worn rear tire it feels like the rear is squirrelly in turns. Sometimes it feels like it's kinda creeping sideways on me. Definitely makes me slow down in the corners.

 

[SemiFast]

When the air is showing, your tire is wore out. :biggrin:

 

[hogcowboy]

Squirrely. Tar snake magnet.

 

[Unkle Krusty]

Squickly

What Hog said.
Squirrely or squickly. Prone to slip on tar snakes.
Some Harley riders tell me when it is time to get a new tar.
They seem to like spending $$.

Unkle Krusty*

 

[mike721]

Why is it that worn tires love to follow tar snakes and cracks? My old tires were doing that, new ones not at all.
Everyone seems to report that this happens but I've never seen an explanation why.

Squirrely. Tar snake magnet.

 

[Metaldoc]

Squirrely. Tar snake magnet.

I noticed improper tire inflation shows up quickly on tar snakes. If my tires are 3-4# low, it gets squirrely in a hurry. Air the tires back up and the bike settles right down. :icon_cool:

 

[hogcowboy]

I noticed improper tire inflation shows up quickly on tar snakes. If my tires are 3-4# low, it gets squirrely in a hurry. Air the tires back up and the bike settles right down. :icon_cool:

That works until you wear them down and create that flat tire that proper amount of air won't help. Out here in the flat plains you develop squared off tires rather easy. That's why I've never gone to car tires. That flat would be there right off the bat.

 

[RonK]

That works until you wear them down and create that flat tire that proper amount of air won't help. Out here in the flat plains you develop squared off tires rather easy. That's why I've never gone to car tires. That flat would be there right off the bat.

--

Don't know what you're talking about. Obviously you haven't ridden on a radial car tire. I do that every day (5-900 miles most weeks) and it's never a problem. The car tire is softer, flexes better in turns, has more side angle tread, and never rides on a "corner" as is inaccurately accused.

I suspect one problem of worn motorcycle tires is that when the tread is worn down, there is less compensation of sideways flexing of the tread. You can imagine what I mean if you imagine riding over an oil covered roadway. You have no side holding ability. You would slide around just as you do over slick tar strips that reduce roadway roughness. That is NOT an inherent problem with car tires.

--

 

[Luvs2Play]

I ride until the tread is shot, and then I put a new tire on. I barely notice the difference. Most of it is mental anyway, but a new tire makes you think it's a better ride, so it is.

 

[hogcowboy]

I ride until the tread is shot, and then I put a new tire on. I barely notice the difference. Most of it is mental anyway, but a new tire makes you think it's a better ride, so it is.

That's true for a lot simply because they don't watch their air pressure. Air pressure causes more trouble than most realize.

 

[Porky]

Bi-polar, Manic-depressive, Psychotic, Schizophrenic, and has the ability to plant thoughts by ESP into the mind of the Rider, never allowing him to have peace of mind:biggrin:

Sam:coffeescreen:

 

[vito]

New tires, like new sneakers when I was a kid, make me go faster! I've never noticed a difference in handling, but then again, I never wait until the old tire is really bad. Good tires are one of the few things I can do to my bike to make my ride safer so I just bite the bullet and spend the bucks. As to tar snakes, I find it is more the tread design of the tire that makes a difference rather than the newness of the tire. I had Dunlops on my last bike that were terrible on tar snakes, even when new, and my current Michelin Commanders seem to not be bothered by the snakes at all.

 

[Unkle Krusty]

Flat spot

What Hog said again.
If the tar does mostly highway work it will get a flat spot. No tread in the middle and plenty on the sides.
If the tyre does all corners the sides will wear. Then you can donate it to an upright rider. I did this often with street legal tyres used at the track.

If the bike that takes the sidecar is not run solo, it will flat spot the tars.

Unkle Krusty*

 

[SemiFast]

I also agree with hog.
When I check my customers tires I sometimes find em as low as 12 PSI.

You can flat spot a tire that is properly inflated with lots of straight line riding. Handling will suffer every time, more on some bikes than others.
High horsepower machines along with a guy that throttles it will do the same to a rear tire.

But if the tire is low on pressure it really squares off in the middle and will have sharp edges on each side of that flat center.
Now that screws up handling big time.

 

[Luvs2Play]

I've worn tires pretty flat, never had a handling problem. If there is tread on the side of a worn out tire when you lean, it will handle the same as a new tire. My only concern is that I may run them too thin for safety. I lean, the bike turns, doesn't matter if it's a new tire or a bald one. It still does the same thing. I don't run mine past the wear strips anyway, no sense in it.

 

[Eye_m_no_angel]

Sometimes it's a matter of what the rider is used to feeling and their riding style. Some guys won't notice much change in the way a worn out, (or low pressure,) tire handles and some will notice every slight change and subtle nuance of difference. I'm one of those that has to really pay attention to notice any difference at all but some of my friends that ride more aggressively are more in tune with their machines. Sometimes the design of a bike's suspension will make the difference in what the rider feels too. Nevertheless, the worn / flattened tire does handle differently then a newer tire.

Like Semi-Fast, I've had people bring bikes in with less then 15 PSI in a tire. "Hey man, I think there's something wrong with my brakes. Can you slap a set of pads on 'er while you have it?"

 

[TennesseeZ]

Squirrely. Tar snake magnet.

Exactly what hogcowboy said!!^^^^^^+1
Ed

 

[TennesseeZ]

Sometimes it's a matter of what the rider is used to feeling and their riding style. Some guys won't notice much change in the way a worn out, (or low pressure,) tire handles and some will notice every slight change and subtle nuance of difference. I'm one of those that has to really pay attention to notice any difference at all but some of my friends that ride more aggressively are more in tune with their machines. Sometimes the design of a bike's suspension will make the difference in what the rider feels too. Nevertheless, the worn / flattened tire does handle differently then a newer tire.

Like Semi-Fast, I've had people bring bikes in with less then 15 PSI in a tire. "Hey man, I think there's something wrong with my brakes. Can you slap a set of pads on 'er while you have it?"

^+1....What Eye say's!!
A LONG time ago a friend admonished me to "Always check your tire pressure before you ride!!,EVERYTIME"...and know what?? There have been a few times I could not for the Life of me explain why....but I would have a REALLY LOW TIRE! and again. no clue why, wouldn't go Low again for a year!
But I can tell when one of mine is not quite right, same with wear, I guess its just 42+ years of riding:71baldboy:
Ed