WTF: Tire Lumps?

[RVB1019]

While inspecting my tires today, I discovered what I can only describe as a pair of lumps running all around the center of the front tire. I tried to take a picture to post but I couldn't get a clear shot. I'm running 42 in this tire.

My question- With the holiday weekend coming, I'd hate to sit the bike if I don't have to. How unsafe is it to ride in this condition. I'm not talking taking it on the twisties at 90 mph but riding it at normal highway speeds.

I didn't feel a difference in the ride on the way home. But if this has been a developing problem, I might be used to it and not be able to feel it.

Any thoughts?

[UncleRock]

Go get the tire changed,
Sounds like you may have poped one of the belts, if that is the case the tire will degrade at an amazing rate.
Its wed. you can get a tire before the weekend.
Rock

[BUGKILLER]

Don't ride on any tire that you describe as having lumps. It's just not worth getting killed or killing someone else. By the way what part of Long Island are you in? I lived in Port Jeff for a short while and then Greenlawn. Worked in Farmington and then Oyster Bay. I was a chef back then and much younger. Loved the countryside and the people.

[dshealey]

While inspecting my tires today, I discovered what I can only describe as a pair of lumps running all around the center of the front tire. I tried to take a picture to post but I couldn't get a clear shot. I'm running 42 in this tire.

My question- With the holiday weekend coming, I'd hate to sit the bike if I don't have to. How unsafe is it to ride in this condition. I'm not talking taking it on the twisties at 90 mph but riding it at normal highway speeds.

I didn't feel a difference in the ride on the way home. But if this has been a developing problem, I might be used to it and not be able to feel it.

Any thoughts?


Without a picture it is impossible to know what you are seeing. It MAY be normal feathering, often erroneously called "cupping", where each tread block takes on an angled wear pattern, making the tire have a "saw-toothed" appearance looking at it from the side, and if you run your hand over the tread back to front and then front to back you will feel the difference.

If it is actually "blisters", where the tread seems to be seperating from the inner casing, that is another matter entirely.

[strsout]

Without a picture it is impossible to know what you are seeing. It MAY be normal feathering, often erroneously called "cupping", where each tread block takes on an angled wear pattern, making the tire have a "saw-toothed" appearance looking at it from the side, and if you run your hand over the tread back to front and then front to back you will feel the difference.

If it is actually "blisters", where the tread seems to be seperating from the inner casing, that is another matter entirely.


I second that.
If we could see a picture would be better.
ALL (and I mean ALL) my BT020 I ever used develop it after 3K to 4K miles and it stays there for the rest of the life of that tire (about 8K total).
I ask here and also asked my dealer and have been receiving all most strange responses, from "you are breaking your bike on the turns" to "you are accelerating your bike on the turns", to "this tire will going to blow in 10 seconds, run", and of course the famous "if it was a Metz880 it would not happen".
The botton line is: I don't know what causes it on the BT020, but I have been riding consistently 4K miles with it on the front tire, for about 8 sets of BT020.
My best guess so far is because I ride a lot on Southern California, and many roads here are cemment paved, with joints every 10 feets. Every time I go over one of those joints it do a little demage on my tire. Thats is my version of the fact and I'm stick with it :)

[RT_COOP]

I looked closely at your bike photo in your avatar and think I could see the lumps, but it looked like cellulite to me.

[messenger13]

WE NEED PICS!!!
And what brand of tire is it?

[RVB1019]

It was a Bridgestone 020. I went to the dealer this morning and got two new ME880s.

I tried taking a pic but the bulges weren't visible.

So far, so good. I know new tires are still a little slick coming from the factory. How long before their "scrub in"? I rode the 50 miles home nice and easy but really want to open her up over the weekend.

[RVB1019]

Tire Run-In

New motorcycle tires require a "run-in" or "scuff" period to break in. New tires should not be subjected to maximum power, abrupt lean-over or hard cornering until a reasonable "run-in" distance of at least 100 miles has been covered
- SouthWest Motorcycle tires website

Seek and ye shall find!

[strsout]

While inspecting my tires today, I discovered what I can only describe as a pair of lumps running all around the center of the front tire. I tried to take a picture to post but I couldn't get a clear shot. I'm running 42 in this tire.

My question- With the holiday weekend coming, I'd hate to sit the bike if I don't have to. How unsafe is it to ride in this condition. I'm not talking taking it on the twisties at 90 mph but riding it at normal highway speeds.

I didn't feel a difference in the ride on the way home. But if this has been a developing problem, I might be used to it and not be able to feel it.

Any thoughts?



This is my front tire after 2000 miles trip. The tire has about 6.000 miles on it.

[dshealey]

That is pretty normal for 6,000 miles on the front BT020 radial. I tried both higher and lower pressures, not a whole lot of difference, but what difference there was showed higher pressure to be better.

I had a couple of the front Avons, but they handled worse at 6,000 miles for me than the 020 worn as your picture shows. The Avons have a harder center tread, with really soft side treads. The sides scrubbed away badly for me, leaving the center ridge standing proud. That was worse in the twisties for me. Higher mileage on straight highway riding though.

[messenger13]

Even when I had the B'Stone BT-020 on the rear of my LT, I had the Avon on the front. I loathe the tread pattern of the front BT-020. I've even switched on my Ninja. I use the 020 on the rear, but the BT-054 on the front. I don't think the 020 can take the hard braking that the LT (due to it's weight) or my Ninja (due to it's speed) applies to the front tire. I've yet to see one wear nicely withOUT feathering.

[RonKMiller]

This is my front tire after 2000 miles trip. The tire has about 6.000 miles on it.

Wow! Not good.

I am going to try these in my next set of tires:

http://dynabeads.com/application.htm

and run nitrogen as well.

I am trying to convince myself that by having perfectly balanced tires over the life of the tire, cooler temperatures, less oxidation and more consistent inflation pressures I'll get 30K miles out of a set. :rolleyes:

With no (ahem) feathering... :D

[strsout]

Wow! Not good.

I am going to try these in my next set of tires:

http://dynabeads.com/application.htm

and run nitrogen as well.

I am trying to convince myself that by having perfectly balanced tires over the life of the tire, cooler temperatures, less oxidation and more consistent inflation pressures I'll get 30K miles out of a set. :rolleyes:

With no (ahem) feathering... :D


Is it true?????
I never had hear about such a thing, but their advertise sound pretty good.
Almost too good...
Any one here are using it?

[RonKMiller]

Is it true?????
I never had hear about such a thing, but their advertise sound pretty good.
Almost too good...
Any one here are using it?

We'll see.. I like the hype enough to buy into it. I'm pretty convinced the reason we get such poor mileage is that motorcycle tires become unbalanced fast...

[Mopos]

We'll see.. I like the hype enough to buy into it. I'm pretty convinced the reason we get such poor mileage is that motorcycle tires become unbalanced fast...

So, did you get to try them yet??

[meese]

So, did you get to try them yet??Yeah Ron, where's the data? :)

[FredR]

I have been reading this thread with interest especially about the poor front tire performance on the bt020 at approx 6k miles. I have been kicking mine now for the past couple of weeks since I started reading this thread and with just over 5700 miles I see no unusual wear; ie no cupping, bubbling or feathering. I am just curious, could the change in the rake on the 05/06 resulted in better front tire wear or are there 05/06 owners experiencing this early wear. Oh I have not ridden 2UP on this bike either, could that be a factor?

[dgl57]

I have ordered and am ready to put a new set of 020's on and I am willing to give the bead's a chance, the price is not bad and the way I see it I have nothing to loose.
My last "current" set of tires was me880's and got good mileage in my opinion but felt that I did give up some traction mostly in the rain and on tar snakes I had a few times that the pucker factor was high