Uneven Front Tyre (Tire) Wear

[Gunshots]

The tires on my R3 were replaced around 9,000 miles. The fron tire was "cupping" and the back tire was just getting a little to bald. A long-time garage owner told me that the front tire cupping was due to improper inflation; however, I always kept the proper air pressure in the tires. He then suggested that perhaps I should put an extran two lbs of air in the tire to prevent cupping. On the new tires I have an extra two lbs of air pressure and the tire seems to be wearing evenly. Hope this helps.
T-Rex

What is Proper. Triumph says 34 if I recall correctly Metz. list maximum tire pressure a t 41. I run the 41 and have stopped most of the cupping issue,

 

[HeR3tic]

Another quick question is, which side of the road do you drive on? Since you have more wear on the right side of the tire, I'm going to bet that you drive on the left side of the road. This is just a theory mind you and no hard science involved also no tires where harmed in making this theory...

The balance of CADfather's statement is not where I'm going with my carrying on of the theory.
The crux of the observation, as to which side of the road is most traveled is that which brings me into the fray. As a recent convert to the darkside I will state affirmatively, there is an inherent lean that is pronounced by the fatty that otherwise (keeping it stock) would not have been felt. The crown on the local byways and hiways do impart more wear on one side versus the otherside as is clearly amplified by the a darkside rear.

The apparently softness of the Metz enables no felt leans, it's sloughing off and is round profiled (minimizing or negating the need to lean), on the same crowned byways and hiways that a fatty forces on you. In other words, you experience the crowned roads more with a darksider.

 

[Gunshots]

Ya.. What he said.
Ride the darkside for a while and you will have a complete new awareness of steering geometry, lean angle and crown of the road..

 

[Danny]

Digger

Had to have the bike in for tyre change at 8,000 kms. Both tyres worn on the right side. Cannot work it out exactly but suspect it is a fault with the design. Has to be. Brother's Rocket had the same issue at 12,000 kms.
Workshops are telling us improper inflation. Find that hard to believe as my tyres have the right pressure. Never had a problem with tyres like this before on any bike. Every bike I have ever owned in 40 years have worn in the centre.

 

[monsterider]

Replaced my first rear Metz at 6,000 mi for the darkside. The front was changed out at 8100 mi, badly cupped on the left side while maintaining proper tire pressure. The second Metz will be coming off this spring with under 9000 miles with the majority of the wear on the left side. Not so much of the pronounced cupping like the last one but definitely more wear. Trying a Dunlop D404 this time. I have noticed the bike does have a more obvious lean into the road crown with the Darkside, small price to pay for no noticeable tire wear after 10,000 miles. Lean is less noticeable with sweetums on the pillion.

 

[CanberraR3]

Personally I think the road crown would have only a little to do with it. More likely it's caused by which side of the road you ride on. Now don't get all uppitty until you hear me out.

Most wear on the front tyre occurs on the sides and not the centre which means that most of the wear on the front tyre occurs when turning. When you ride on the left, all corners you take have you travelling a shorter distance when turning left than when turning right. This means that the bike is leaning over for longer and probably faster in right hand turns - hence the extra wear on the right. The reverse occurs when you ride on the right hand side; most wear will be on the left and I bet it happens even if there is a small or no road crown.

The rear tyre wears differently. Most of the wear is down the centre due to accelleration. I'd imagine that unneven wear on the rear would be caused by a combination of the turning effect and probably a bit more by the crown of the road than the front.

Just my theory but it is illogical to say that uneven wear (ie on one side more than the other) could be caused by underinflation.

 

[bruce aussie]

Personally I think the road crown would have only a little to do with it. More likely it's caused by which side of the road you ride on. Now don't get all uppitty until you hear me out.

Most wear on the front tyre occurs on the sides and not the centre which means that most of the wear on the front tyre occurs when turning. When you ride on the left, all corners you take have you travelling a shorter distance when turning left than when turning right. This means that the bike is leaning over for longer and probably faster in right hand turns - hence the extra wear on the right. The reverse occurs when you ride on the right hand side; most wear will be on the left and I bet it happens even if there is a small or no road crown.

The rear tyre wears differently. Most of the wear is down the centre due to accelleration. I'd imagine that unneven wear on the rear would be caused by a combination of the turning effect and probably a bit more by the crown of the road than the front.

Just my theory but it is illogical to say that uneven wear (ie on one side more than the other) could be caused by underinflation.

Agree with you Canberra in Aust they seam to wear on the right side and the blokes in the states complain about wear on the left.

 

[Battersea]

Another quick question is, which side of the road do you drive on? Since you have more wear on the right side of the tire, I'm going to bet that you drive on the left side of the road.

Funny this should come up on here but I spent hours reading about the same thing on another forum (cant remember which) but a poster there proved that tyres wear more on the side nearest the crown of the road.

Its all to do with distance travelled which can be significantly different. The wider the roads the greater the wear differential, i.e. big wide roads like in the US are different to the sidewalk sized roads we have in the UK.

If you think about it, if you normally ride on the left, when you take a 90° left turn with a radius of 20ft you travel 31.5ft, coming the other way with say a radius of 40ft you travel 63ft - twice as far.

 

[STRIPES]

Long time no see.

My R3 has done about 12000 miles and recently I inspected the front tyre, to find that
the tread wear is noticeably greater on one side. (Don't remember which)

What could cause this?

Riding style?
Incorrect bike assembly?
The tyre itself?

Any ideas guys?

Thanks

Try moving your junk to the other side of your shorts.

 

[nolton]

Try moving your junk to the other side of your shorts.

LMAO!!!!!

I just strap 5lbs to the other leg, LOL!!