kroc Posted July 18, 2016 Share Posted July 18, 2016 I am just shy of 7,000 km on my 2015 FJ-09 that I bought at the end of March 2015. Two relatively long trips, one to Meridian, Idaho and back to Lacombe, AB (about 3,000 km) and the other out to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and back to Lacombe (about 1,000 km or so). Lots of short 100 km trips around Lacombe, Gull Lake, Bentley, etc. in central Alberta. My rear tire is starting to wear out and has the typical flat portion on the rear tire that is reflective of a lot of straight highway rides. Not a lot of curves where I am located. There is about 1-2 mm of tread left above the wear bar markers on the rear tire. Any thoughts in terms of how much longer (how many km) I can go before having to change the tire out. Trying to get the most out of the tire before replacing so as to not agitate the "banker". I am thinking about a 1,600 km round trip out to Melfort in eastern Saskatchewan and back. Thanks for your thoughts and advice. Kelly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
root Posted July 18, 2016 Share Posted July 18, 2016 I'd say you're borderline. What kind of performance are you wanting on your trip? Many twisty roads? Rain expected? I was in a similar situation a few months ago with a ~1200 mile / 1900 km round trip to the Tail of the Dragon. I was going to be doing a lot of twisty roads so I wanted good tires. It was worth it to me to buy a new tire. The particulars of your upcoming trip may warrant a different outcome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member britelitebob Posted July 18, 2016 Premium Member Share Posted July 18, 2016 I am just shy of 7,000 km on my 2015 FJ-09 that I bought at the end of March 2015. Two relatively long trips, one to Meridian, Idaho and back to Lacombe, AB (about 3,000 km) and the other out to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and back to Lacombe (about 1,000 km or so). Lots of short 100 km trips around Lacombe, Gull Lake, Bentley, etc. in central Alberta. My rear tire is starting to wear out and has the typical flat portion on the rear tire that is reflective of a lot of straight highway rides. Not a lot of curves where I am located. There is about 1-2 mm of tread left above the wear bar markers on the rear tire. Any thoughts in terms of how much longer (how many km) I can go before having to change the tire out. Trying to get the most out of the tire before replacing so as to not agitate the "banker". I am thinking about a 1,600 km round trip out to Melfort in eastern Saskatchewan and back. Thanks for your thoughts and advice. Kelly Trying to use up a tire on a long trip is risky, especially with sport touring tires. When they get down near the wear bars some of them will go really fast and may leave you hunting for a tire out in the boonies on a Sunday. I've had it happen to me and I can tell you that you'll feel like a idiot, especially if your with some friends that have to wait on you. BLB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kroc Posted July 18, 2016 Author Share Posted July 18, 2016 I'd say you're borderline. What kind of performance are you wanting on your trip? Many twisty roads? Rain expected? I was in a similar situation a few months ago with a ~1200 mile / 1900 km round trip to the Tail of the Dragon. I was going to be doing a lot of twisty roads so I wanted good tires. It was worth it to me to buy a new tire. The particulars of your upcoming trip may warrant a different outcome.Thanks. Being the trip is from central Alberta to eastern Saskatchewan, not a lot if any twisty roads. All paved and fairly straight with some swooping curves. I tend to err on the side of caution. The trip is for work, but any chance I get to put some miles on I try to take the bike. It has been quite rainy here, but the forecast (for what it is worth) looks to be fairly sunny). I think I might leave the bike at home and take a work vehicle. Will ride the bike locally around Lacombe and save up for a new rear tire. Will go with the factory one, i.e. Dunlop SportMax D222 sport touring radial tire 180/55-ZR17. The front tire is still in great shape, but when it needs to be replaced I will likely also need to do the rear again so I might look at some different tires. Thanks again. Kelly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kroc Posted July 18, 2016 Author Share Posted July 18, 2016 I'd say you're borderline. What kind of performance are you wanting on your trip? Many twisty roads? Rain expected? I was in a similar situation a few months ago with a ~1200 mile / 1900 km round trip to the Tail of the Dragon. I was going to be doing a lot of twisty roads so I wanted good tires. It was worth it to me to buy a new tire. The particulars of your upcoming trip may warrant a different outcome.Good point. The piece of mind of having a good tire means one can enjoy the ride rather than worrying about your tires. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
root Posted July 18, 2016 Share Posted July 18, 2016 I'd say you're borderline. What kind of performance are you wanting on your trip? Many twisty roads? Rain expected? I was in a similar situation a few months ago with a ~1200 mile / 1900 km round trip to the Tail of the Dragon. I was going to be doing a lot of twisty roads so I wanted good tires. It was worth it to me to buy a new tire. The particulars of your upcoming trip may warrant a different outcome.Thanks. Being the trip is from central Alberta to eastern Saskatchewan, not a lot if any twisty roads. All paved and fairly straight with some swooping curves. I tend to err on the side of caution. The trip is for work, but any chance I get to put some miles on I try to take the bike. It has been quite rainy here, but the forecast (for what it is worth) looks to be fairly sunny). I think I might leave the bike at home and take a work vehicle. Will ride the bike locally around Lacombe and save up for a new rear tire. Will go with the factory one, i.e. Dunlop SportMax D222 sport touring radial tire 180/55-ZR17. The front tire is still in great shape, but when it needs to be replaced I will likely also need to do the rear again so I might look at some different tires. Thanks again. Kelly I was under the impression the D222 was an OEM only tire. I replaced it with a Dunlop Roadsmart 2 which has the identical tread pattern as the D222 except it's deeper so it will last longer and its dual compound so it won't flatten as quickly as the D222 but still offers good grip while leaned over. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
letsride Posted July 19, 2016 Share Posted July 19, 2016 The factory Dunlops had 5/32" of tread depth when they were new and the wear bars are at 1/32". I'd agree that you're borderline. Best to have a little margin for a trip as tire wear is not always linear. Around town or short trips, I'd keep on riding but I usually have the next tire bought and sitting in the garage waiting to be mounted as soon as it's needed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member paladin Posted July 19, 2016 Premium Member Share Posted July 19, 2016 The less rubber you have on the tire the more prone your are to flats. If in doubt replace the tire. I am running Michelin RP 3, front and back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skipperT Posted July 19, 2016 Share Posted July 19, 2016 Any dual compound tire, like the Michelin pilot road 3 or 4, or the Dunlop Roadsmarts - would be a better choice for you, based on the amount of straight roads you say you typically ride on. (IMHO) They are more durable in the center of the tire, and softer on the edges for good handling in corners. So you get the best of both worlds. FWIW, I got almost 12k out of my stock front. Most of that commuting miles. Rear was almost 8k. I check my tire pressures once a week, which many riders do not. This will prolong the tread life. Skip Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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