| Author | Message | ||
     Reuel |
Ya got a point there with the skinny tires. The theory on abusive power spurts is sound. You're just adding another factor when you put skinny tires on it. If you limited your throttle to 34 HP on an XB9 and stuck the same skinny tire on it, I'd guess the tire would last a little longer because you're putting twice as many abusive power spurts per revolution, therefore only half the abusive power. One factor does not exclude another. My next tire will likely be the VS 140/70. | ||
| Berkshire |
"Honey come out here and hold the bike for me!" to the wife " Oh God, NO!!! Unless your girl is tough & sporty, this should only be done as a last resort. You must realize that if SHE drops it, it will be YOUR fault!?  | ||
| Johnnymac |
I still agree with the theory of a singles power delivery being more stressfull on a tire than the smoother delivery of a 6, 4 or even a twin cylinder engine. I would never argue that point. And while I don't consider either theory exclusive of the other, I still say that other singles don't eat tires like the Blast does and therefore I still say the skinny tire is the responsible factor in poor wear mileage on the Blast in particular. | ||
| Johnnymac |
LOL...I suppose a Buell fanboy could take umbradge with our theory. While it crossed my mind that you could make the claim that the Blast was never designed to be owned and ridden by any one owner long enough to wear out a tire. You could also say it's a safety factor built in my Eric Buell to have each owner be required out of necessity to install new tires, thus making the bike safer for the new owner to learn riding. You could also say the Blast was never designed to be a commuter bike and was designed to have no more than a couple thousand miles (more like a couple hundred) put on it in a year. Or even that it was designed to be used as a training bike by rider education facilities and that the skinny tires were designed to be cost effective when replacement was needed. I still say it was poor foresight and bean counters that are the reason for the skinny tires. Compromise is usually weighted towards the lowest common denominator and rarely benefits quality, engineering or performance. Simple, sound engineering could have easily allowed for upgrades and improvements by customers without really effecting the pricing thereby satisfying a broader range of customers and increasing the companies bottom line. When it comes down to it I feel it's just mediocrity and half-assery that is to blame.  Let the flaming begin!   | ||
| Ezblast |
Skinny tires - until as recently as ten years ago where still the favored profile for Formula 250cc racers - they assist in quick transition and handling, and if there is not a lot of power to lay down, are perfect for their mission - of course with more power you want wider rubber to spread the forces so the tire lasts longer, and the Blast - unlike most singles starts laying down its max torque almost from the go. EZ | ||
| Reuel |
THUMP ... pause ... THUMP ... pause ... THUMP ... pause etc. Bad for skinny tires!  Fun as hell! (Message edited by reuel on August 15, 2008) | ||
| Berkshire |
The 120 wouldn't be THAT skinny if mounted on a 3-1/2" wheel - I think they used a narrow wheel on purpose, to make it easier to turn as EZ mentions above, since that would help beginners. "...never designed to be owned and ridden by any one owner long enough to wear out a tire..." yeah, that too!  | ||
| Fast1075 |
All my old thumpers shreaded rear tires..the Honda was especially hard on them...but it made a LOT more power than my Blast..at least when it was eating rubber it wasn't spitting teeth off gears (which it did often)..I killed so many trans parts I wished IT had a trap door  | ||
| Monzaracer |
Ok trying to get more info from Berkshire on the 140/70 Michelin he was trying on rear of his Blast. I really need to up the rear tire life badly. Has anyone talked/ see anymore info on it and how it wears, Ill take a little less stick over more miles right now I am putting about 400-500 a week on my 06 Blast. So far all my issues have been from silly mistakes in past in repairs or lack of knowledge by the tech. I intend to do a lot of my own maintenance but still having warranty helps a lot except when the dealer has to wait for parts. Thanks. | ||
| Reuel |
I'd like to know about it, too. The Avon AM-26 lasts a good bit longer than other tires. | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
Posts moved to the "tire" thread in the knowledge vault: http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/201 64/92908.html?1222492245 HaVe you tried contacting Berkshire? | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
And Welcome Monzaracer! | ||
| Ezblast |
From the reviews I read it lasts a long time on its intended vehicle, however, even though all the other replacement tires have less life, they where considered serious upgrades over the Michelin due to the Mich.'s poor handling ability - fact. EZ | ||
| Berkshire |
Sorry, I've been away from civilization for a while... There is a thread here about the Mich GS tire - all available info is posted there. The short version is that I didn't have it on there long enough to tell much of anything. I noticed the 140 size made the back of the bike a little taller, but with the larger size front tire and/or some front fork preload spacers, that would be a good thing. I did some quick swerving back & forth, like racers warming up their tires, and it felt a little odd - most likely due to the ride height/fork angle change and not an issue I'd think would be specific to the Mich. I didn't notice any other handling issues, and didn't ride any severe twisties. Once I noticed that the combination of the narrow Blast wheel and the 140 tire made it so that only about 1/2 of the tread would ever touch the road, I figured I might get about twice the mileage with a wider wheel, so I took the Mich off and went back to an MT75... at the rate I'm wearing thru the Pirelli's, I think the wheel widening would eventually pay for itself with increased tire life, but the initial investment is substantial. | ||
| Johnnymac |
How are you figuring that only half the tread would "ever" touch the road? At any given time or simply usable tread from edge to edge? My 140/70 goes nearly all the way across, for usable tread, with chicken stripes only 1/2" or less on either side. The increased tire height allows for a tighter lean angle and I just noticed yesterday that at one point I leaned the bike over far enough to scuff up the drive belt. Not the pulley but the "teeth" on the outside of the belt hit the ground at one point due to the extra lean angle. With the stock tires I think the pulley guard hits before the belt does. | ||
| Berkshire |
Useable from edge to edge - scraping the pegs on both sides and then looking at how much of the tread is still virgin. I took measurements and pics of my 140 Mich GS and 120 MT75's, and other people posted measurements and pics from other tires. All the pics from 140's showed wide strips. I used the measurements to make cross-sections in CAD, which are posted in the "wider wheels" thread. A 140 does give more height than a 120, but measurements show less useable tread width due to the increased curvature caused by the sidewalls being pulled in, so the extra tallness occurs at a narrower width. When leaned over, the width translates into height, so these things basically cancel each other out. Both the belt and the guard can get road rashed with a 120 MT75. Measurements and pics should come from tires that are pretty much new, but ridden enough to show how far they'll lean each way. The profile will get flatter and the strips get narrower as the miles go by and the center tread starts to wear down, but by then the tire's lifespan is running out. Look at all the brand-new and almost-new tread on the sides that's left over when the middle of the tire is worn out and needs to be replaced - I'd like to be able to use some of that "leftover" rubber, and using more of the rubber should mean longer life. | ||
| Ezblast |
Those are not wide strips - I see plenty of bikes here in Cali - land of twisties - with as wide and wider. Also your leaned over contact patch is wider. EZ | ||
| Ezblast |
And on any tire with over two to three hundred miles on it your center contact patches are almost the same. With the correct size getting the nod. EZ (Message edited by ezblast on October 12, 2008) | ||
| Crackhead |
I don't understand how a tire can be taller when mounted on different size rims. The tire has a max circumference because of the metal cords. I defiantly see how it changes profile and shape due to rim width. | ||
| Reuel |
Blast tires do not have metal cords. Next question! | ||
| Berkshire |
Also, the cords run back & forth from one bead across to the other, not longways around the tire. | ||
| Snuggyph1 |
I've been VIPER-ized! Thanks to all for your knowledge and wisdom. I finally pulled the trigger on some new rubber. Now, it's time to wash it on up, winterize and store as the snow starts to fall. Next up: INTAKE!     | ||
| Ezblast |
Very nice! EZ | ||
| Smyrna5 |
Should I replace this tire? It was supposedly almost new when I bought the bike last year. I haven't yet put 1,000 miles on it. The cracks where there when I bought it from my son, who had it put on at the dealership where he bought the bike used. Its the stock Dunlop and has no cracks on the sidewalls. As a new rider (scheduled for the MSF course Feb 13), I am not yet carving any canyons - more just easy cruising to about 45 mph and practicing basic stopping, turning and swerving. Was it just an old tire, or did something else cause the cracks? http://www.atlantamusclecars.com/Buell_Tire1.JPG http://www.atlantamusclecars.com/Buell_Tire2.JPG http://www.atlantamusclecars.com/Buell_Tire3.JPG Should I wear that Dunlop out some more or go ahead and order the Avons? By the way - how the heck do I get my message to appear under a new topic? (Message edited by smyrna5 on February 03, 2009) (Message edited by smyrna5 on February 03, 2009) (Message edited by smyrna5 on February 03, 2009) | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
New topic is not available at this thread location and not really necessary. You've posted in the right place! While I cant say for sure but...it looks like its a (non stock) 130/80-16 Dunlop tire which usually wont fit without contacting the swingarm. Its probably hitting the swingarm at high speeds. If the marks are only in a short section of tire, you may have rats (cant tell that well from the picture). If thats the only 'wear' spot I'd say its okay to run it. No offense intended: The stock Dunlops suck. The oversized tire you have is better, but its still no Pirelli or Avon. New Blasts come with Pirelli's now. | ||
| Smyrna5 |
Thanks Gearhead. The cracks and missing chunks go all the way around the tire. I never even thought about rats. My son kept the bike in his rental house garage, but from the looks of it rats probably come with the place. He did ride it every day for several months, so I am sure the tires got rotated each day. I didn't even know rats ate tires lol. I have read most of the messages on this board since joining, so I already knew the Dunlops suck and was planing on replacing them with the Avons anyway. I don't think the swing arm shock support has received the hammer modification yet, and figured since the tire was on it when I got it, it was probably the right size. I will check that for sure now and probably go ahead and get the grinder or hammer out and get it ready for the Avons anyway. I am taking the "experienced rider" course in 10 days since the instructor said if I have read several books such as "Twist of the Wrist (which I have), could start the bike, use the clutch and ride it down the dealership plus however many miles I have ridden on 6-8 gas fillups, without getting killed or dropping it, I would probably get about as much out of the one day range course as the beginners course with two days of classroom, the Harley dealership tour, and one day of learning to find the friction zone (his words not mine) followed by the range day I will be getting. They do require that you supply your own street-safe bike so I don't want to get denied admission for that tire, and I especially don't want to ride it if its unsafe. (Message edited by smyrna5 on February 03, 2009) | ||
| Fast1075 |
I'll bet the tire is rubbing the shock bracket at speed! | ||
| Smyrna5 |
Gearhead, and Fast: Your analysis was spot on. I checked the swing arm and it has a bunch of melted rubber chunks. Interestingly, the shock support doesn't seem to have as much, but it may have fallen off easier. At least the tire wasn't installed by a Harley dealer (who would hopefully have known better), but a generic used motorcycle dealership that I will not trust in the future. My cars and bikes never see dealerships after the first sale anyway, but I think I will tell my son to be careful since he has a tendency to pay for mechanic work. I am calling Chaparral now to order the Avons. Thanks again guys. http://www.atlantamusclecars.com/SwingArmRubber.JP G http://www.atlantamusclecars.com/SwingArmRubber2.J PG I am pretty sure I did not put that rubber there, but my son got clocked at 90 mph by the police (expensive ticket there) before he decided he needed a faster metric bike and sold the the Blast. (Message edited by smyrna5 on February 03, 2009) | ||
| Reuel |
Bend that bugger like it should be bent with the hammer, and ride it until it's out of tread. Then, get a good tire. If you're going to do hard core cornering, change it now. If not, wear it out first. | ||
| Smyrna5 |
Many thanks to those who helped me with my tire issue (and that includes those who have posted on it in other threads). This forum is great. I got my new rear Avon mounted last week (after "adjusting" the rear shock mount with a 3# hammer) and before my MSF course. I didn't mount the new front yet, but didn't want any problems with the instructors and the old tire. I waited until after the course, lest I drop the bike, to mount my new Napoleon bar end mirrors. Replaced my broken throttle control cable plastic thingy today, so I no longer have cruise control. Wow - its like a different bike now. Passed my Experienced Riders MSF course and am now the proud owner of a full motorcycle license. http://www.atlantamusclecars.com/DSC00024.JPG http://www.atlantamusclecars.com/DSC00025.JPG http://www.atlantamusclecars.com/DSC00026.JPG http://www.atlantamusclecars.com/DSC00027.JPG (Message edited by smyrna5 on February 21, 2009) (Message edited by smyrna5 on February 21, 2009) |
