okey dokey let's talk tires...

[OZVFR]

20 hours ago, PhotoAl said:

and I was thinking Rossi IIIs were for pavement.  Learn something every day.  🙂

 

I don't like compromising road grip by catering to poor quality dirt roads 😃

Most of my multi day rides involve stints on the dirt, sometimes very bad ones which usually turn out fun (sometimes not).

All my mates have gone to adventure bikes, I refuse. They'll have to pry 17" wheels from my cold dead hands.

What I have noticed is the trend for new tyres to have a lot softer carcass than they used to.

I went 30 years without getting a puncture, my riding style hasn't changed but punctures now seem regular.

 

[Grumpy Goat]

8 minutes ago, OZVFR said:

I went 30 years without getting a puncture, my riding style hasn't changed but punctures now seem regular.

In those 30 years do you feel that grip has increased ...?

[OZVFR]

21 minutes ago, Grumpy Goat said:

In those 30 years do you feel that grip has increased ...?

No comparison, tyres today are light years ahead both in grip and feedback. 
Everything has a trade off. 

[Grumpy Goat]

2 hours ago, OZVFR said:

No comparison, tyres today are light years ahead both in grip and feedback. 
Everything has a trade off. 

I totally agree and am glad you admitted as much ... 😉

[Wintersdark]

I often wonder, is there just more junk on American roads? Or maybe just particular regions? I mean, I ride with a pretty wide circle of people regularly, on and off road, and with the exception of the odd pinch flat or REALLY extreme off-road mishap, I can't recall anyone I know getting a flat in the last decade.  I know it's got to happen - not saying it doesn't - but it's really uncommon.  I literally don't know anyone who carries a tire kit for road riding unless they're going on a long trip and even then it's uncommon.

But there's a few people here who report very common punctures.  Meanwhile, here I am, some 30 years of daily riding in (typically 15k per year, so not extreme but good mileage), and the only flats I've had on a motorcycle are due to riding on WILDLY outdated tires (80's bikes being rebuilt, before they have new rubber) which is simple failure for being old.  

And above? Needing THREE plug strips?  What the heck are people riding over that needs three plug strips?  I've had a couple nails in car tires over my life, but all required a lot of reaming just to get one strip in.

I think I ought to hug the next street sweeper I see.

[Grumpy Goat]

1 hour ago, Wintersdark said:

I often wonder, is there just more junk on American roads? Or maybe just particular regions?...

Wasn't until I moved here that I saw all sort of crap on the road that I have never seen ... matresses, recliners, angle iron, parts of cars, etc. etc. I got several punctures here with various kinds of nail and once with a small allen wrench, if you believe that ... punched 2 hotes in my tire!

[Wintersdark]

1 hour ago, Grumpy Goat said:

Wasn't until I moved here that I saw all sort of crap on the road that I have never seen ... matresses, recliners, angle iron, parts of cars, etc. etc. I got several punctures here with various kinds of nail and once with a small allen wrench, if you believe that ... punched 2 hotes in my tire!

Seems crazy to me.  If I saw an armchair on the side of the road, that would lead to wild speculation at work.  Why was it there? How did it get there? 

 

Makes me wonder.  Does that happen here, and cities are just REALLY on the ball cleaning it up?  But I never see that stuff even out of town, surely the highways guys can't be that well funded?  

On the flip side, though, it's really normal to see teams of people out picking up trash on medians and such, so maybe they are.

I'm pretty sure you'd get a steep fine if found dumping garbage on the road though.  

Huh. Well, whatever the cause, I'm sure as hell glad that getting a flat is so uncommon here.  I don't mind patching a tire, but I'd really rather not have the hassle.  And tires are silly expensive here 

[PhotoAl]

On 6/23/2023 at 6:19 PM, OZVFR said:

I don't like compromising road grip by catering to poor quality dirt roads 😃

Most of my multi day rides involve stints on the dirt, sometimes very bad ones which usually turn out fun (sometimes not).

All my mates have gone to adventure bikes, I refuse. They'll have to pry 17" wheels from my cold dead hands.

What I have noticed is the trend for new tyres to have a lot softer carcass than they used to.

I went 30 years without getting a puncture, my riding style hasn't changed but punctures now seem regular.

 

It's amazing the stuff that is on the roads these days.  I try and avoid driving or riding on interstates thru large cities.  Think part of it is the folks today that just "send it", sure just throw that refrigerator in the back of my Dodge RAM truck and I'll go flying down the road at my normal high rate of speed.  No need to strap it down, gravity works....

The Michelin Road tires have always had a flexible carcass but the Road 6 is stiffer than the predecessors.  I've hit a number of road construction areas over the years where the road is maybe gravel and sometimes just dirt.  Almost went down in South Dakota 4 years ago when I hit a dirt stretch.  One short spot was dry and soft like soft sand.  Still don't know how I kept it up.

[larolco]

22 hours ago, Wintersdark said:

I often wonder, is there just more junk on American roads? Or maybe just particular regions? I mean, I ride with a pretty wide circle of people regularly, on and off road, and with the exception of the odd pinch flat or REALLY extreme off-road mishap, I can't recall anyone I know getting a flat in the last decade.  I know it's got to happen - not saying it doesn't - but it's really uncommon.  I literally don't know anyone who carries a tire kit for road riding unless they're going on a long trip and even then it's uncommon.

But there's a few people here who report very common punctures.  Meanwhile, here I am, some 30 years of daily riding in (typically 15k per year, so not extreme but good mileage), and the only flats I've had on a motorcycle are due to riding on WILDLY outdated tires (80's bikes being rebuilt, before they have new rubber) which is simple failure for being old.  

And above? Needing THREE plug strips?  What the heck are people riding over that needs three plug strips?  I've had a couple nails in car tires over my life, but all required a lot of reaming just to get one strip in.

I think I ought to hug the next street sweeper I see.

Shoulder riding is bad for punctures. It's where all the crap ends up. I really try to avoid it but a bunch of years ago when a major bridge on my route was being replaced, I would ride the shoulder every day to cut commute time down by a good hour. I had more punctures in that year than I have had in all my other other 30 years of riding combined. I think I had one tire that I had to plug 6 or 7 times! I remember one of them was on a tire that wasn't even yet scrubbed in! I was also ticketed for riding the shoulder once, but it was the cost of doing business in those days. Since those days I have always carried a rope plug kit and a compressor. 

Edited June 27, 2023 by larolco

[PhotoAl]

Was going to Barber a week ago, Saturday noticed a full sized refrigerator on the left side of I20.  Next to the concrete wall.  It was just over the line so if drivers were not careful they would it it.  Sunday it was on the right shoulder with a big dent in it!  Interstate is 3 lanes wide and the merge lane just running out as the road goes downhill and to the right!  Years ago was on a local street going around a left hand curve.  Flatbed truck going the other way, a takedown chain with the big screw ratchet and handle came flying off the bed and into my lane!  Fortunately was just in front of me and slid to the side of the road.  Couple of months ago police in front of my house wanted to see me.  "Did you Ring doorbell camera pick up the black Toyota SUV that ran destroyed the across the street neighbors BRICK mailbox"?  Sorry but it didn't I told them, I'm wondering how do you hit a brick mailbox on the right side of a very slight curve to the right.  Told the officers "well I wonder if she got the text sent".  It was a she because neighbor heard it and looked outside and saw her stop and get out and look then drive off.  Think it may have been a high school student on the way to school - wonder how it went explaining to parent how the Toyota was smashed.  Mailbox was quickly rebuilt so wonder if the parent came by later and took care of it.

We drive and ride on the streets with these folks.  

[INDYST]

On 5/14/2022 at 1:06 PM, dpippin said:

Here's the Road5's with 4,934 miles on them

Even the old MSTA guys ride hard.

[2and3cylinders]

2 hours ago, INDYST said:

Even the old MSTA guys ride hard.

That sucks I get 6.5 ~ 8k miles on Bridgy T32 every set

I hope I get a LOT better than 5k on the pair of R5 I have in attic stock along with a set of RS3!!!

[OldBikers]

After 8,500 miles on the OEM T32s I decided to get new Road 6s before my trip to the BRP.  I have had excellent results with the Road 4 and 5s in the past. 

[PhotoAl]

My experience with the Road 6s was very good.  Rear had 8,000 miles on it when I sold the bike and was still good, would have not taken a long trip on it but descent amount left.  

In all the years I rode a motorcycle only had two punctures.  First was on my FZ6 not long after I got it  rear was older and needed to go so was a good excuse.   Took my BMW F800GT in one time for service, they called me and said I had a screw in the rear tire.  Of course they removed it and it went flat!  I wound up going and getting the wheel and having Cycle Gear mount my used "spare".  I rarely used more and 2/3 of the life of the rear so always had the old tire which was less than a year old.  Dealer would not mount a used tire.  In over 150,000 miles of riding all over the US those are the only punctures I've had.  I almost never get a flat in any of my cars but our daughter who works downtown seems to get a nail or something a couple of times a year.

Something that seems to keep punctures from happening is always carrying a tire repair kit and a small air compressor LOL.

[OldBikers]

Well all was going well with the new tires except someone either ordered a 19" front or the warehouse messed up

Regardless, there was my bike on the lift with a new Road 6 in the rear but no tire or wheel up front.  The shop gave me a good deal on a front Power 5 so we put it on.

Either it's my imagination or the Power 5 is nice and grippy after 120 miles so it's a keeper as far I'm concerned.