Lucky and Stupid - Confessions of a Negligent Rider

[V7Goose]

Lucky and Stupid. When you think about it, that is about the best you can hope for when stupid is part of the equation. So here's my story.

 

I use my tires too long. Not intentionally, and I'm not proud of it, and for sure I'm not recommending it, but facts is facts. I can explain how it happened, but that doesn't make it right. Closer attention would have prevented it. The problem is that without a center stand, it is just such a pain to carefully rotate the tires and inspect them all the way around.

 

When my tires get close to the wear bars, I THOUGHT I kept a pretty close eye on them. As some of you might know from my past posts, I ride a lot. I'm on the bike virtually every day, and I can often put a thousand or two miles on the bike between washing (when I really get down and inspect everything). So keeping a pretty close eye on the tires usually means I regularly take a look a the open part of the tread below the rear fender or on the front of the bike. I just figured that by looking at that section of the tire every few times I walk up to the bike, random chance would mean that I was seeing all of the tire within a reasonable time frame. Facts prove me wrong. Here's the condition I thought my Avon Venom rear tire was in at 14,000 miles:

[ATTACH]802[/ATTACH] [ATTACH]803[/ATTACH]

 

In these pictures you can clearly see the edge of the wear bar in the middle of the long tread groove that stretches all the way across the tire. The Venoms only have about three of these long grooves, so there are not a lot of places to check for the wear bars. Yes, I know that you are supposed to dump the tires when the wear bars first hit the surface, not when they are gone. My weakness is that I have always wanted to push them to the bottom of the wear bar. Gonna have to change that. When I had my bike in about a month ago for the shock to be replaced, the shop told me that the belts were showing on my rear tire! This was a shock to me, but sure enough, this is what I found when I put the bike on a stand and rotated the tire all the way around:

 

[ATTACH]804[/ATTACH] [ATTACH]805[/ATTACH] [ATTACH]806[/ATTACH] [ATTACH]807[/ATTACH]

 

So it seems that the majority of times I looked at the rear tire I either wasn't really paying attention, or I was seeing the section that still showed the wear bar! How did this happen? The answer is probably interesting, but incidental to my failure to properly inspect my tire often enough. That tire was mounted for me by my dealer as a favor to me after they had to re-do some work. It now seems to me that they mounted the tire and just left the old weights on the wheel from the previous tire. The section that was mostly worn through to the belts was about where the weights were, so the grossly out-of-balance section was being thrown harder against the road on each revolution, and the part that still showed the wear bar was the lightest part of the tire.

 

So, lesson learned, right? Not hardly. I didn't want to let my bike sit while I waited for a new tire, so I mounted an old one that I had around for emergency use. This tire was just to the bottom of the wear bars and very flat, but I figured it was OK for a couple of weeks. And I watched it about the same as I had been watching the last tire! (Told you I was stupid - lesson not learned at all.) Well, at about the second weekend, when I was planing to change the tire, a short notice PGR mission came up, so I thought a while longer would be OK. This mission was over 100 miles away, and the return run was at high speed. All total, I guess I put close to 2,000 miles on this old tire. I'll cut to the chase here. When I pulled into my garage two days ago, I saw this showing on the back tire:

 

[ATTACH]808[/ATTACH] [ATTACH]809[/ATTACH]

 

Yikes! About half the tire has the center section worn through the tread layer with belts showing in a big section, and the other half just looks worn out. Bottom line is that I was very lucky that my negligence and assumptions about the tire condition could have turned very ugly but did not. I'd certainly like to think that I'll be doing closer full-tire inspections in the future, but only time will tell. I'm a bit chagrined that I wasn't watching that second tire closer after what I had just seen on the one before.

 

I thought I'd subject myself to embarrassment and ridicule here because I survived this bit of stupidity only through sheer luck. Next time, if there is a next time for either me or someone else, that luck may not hold. If even one person looks at their tires a little closer, then this has been worth while. One last thought for you. As these pictures make completely evident, these modern tires do NOT have any rubber to spare under the last part of the tread. I have sectioned worn tires in years past, and they always had a thick layer of rubber left over the belts, but neither of these tires have that margin of safety. Don't push them too far! Ride safe,

Goose

[juggler]

You need to repost this in the lessons learned area. WOW, I've never seen tires on a bike that were worn that far. You had darn near nothing but air between you and the ground.

 

Glad you survived to tell your tale.

[Yammer Dan]

Thats what my Avon looked like with 7656 miles on it.

[Guest JGorom]

Hoochie momma...you haven't been riding on tires...you've been riding on the cords!

 

Yes...useful info and a good heads up! I've been waiting on a Rivco center stand (blem) for awhile now (hopefully they will have one with this next batch coming in)...I know what a pain it is to constantly have to move the bike to either find the valve stem or to clean or inspect the tires.

[saga5]

Goose,

It takes a good man to fess up to being negligent (twice no less) .

You may never know how much you posting this may help others to look closer at their tires.

A big thank you, and so glad you were able to dodge a big mishap.

 

I can see where a center stand could make checking the WHOLE tire easier.While on the Death Valley Ride, my friend Jack has a center stand on his bike, and I noticed him spinning his rear tire to check it after we arrived in Pahrump. It made a impression on me for sure, even tho I'll confess I've never yet moved my bike to inspect the whole tire, and guessing we're not alone in that department, and your post got my attention

 

I'd also like to thank you for making that PGR run even tho you knew you had tire issues. ^5 to you

 

Jerry

[Guest HdHtr]

I ride daily, from commuting to work to travel around NorCal to satellite offices and then on weekends ... well I ride of course!!

 

I have been guilty of extending a tire way too far as well. Conversely I am a fanatic when it comes to tire pressure. At Susanville there were a half dozen bikes with tire pressures in the 20's and one at 16 lbs (turns out this one had a nail in the tire which was discovered before it went flat!).

 

We only got two, I too have learned my lesson ... the 'I can get another thousand out of this one' has gone!! This is a great reminder, check the whole tire and do more than glance at it!! Thanks!

[Tartan Terror]

Dont do that again. I want you around so we can ride together some day!

[venturejockey]

Confession is good for the soul. And in your case the backside as well. Perhaps I should amend this to say, Your confession is good for OUR back sides. THANKS!

[GeorgeS]

There are a few things I could say, but I'll keep my mouth shut on this one.

 

Think Safty, would sum it up !!

 

Good Rideing

[hipshot]

i see no need for ridicule,or harrassment on this one ,goose!

you may have very well saved someone's life with your confessions!

jmho.

just jt

[BOO]

Hey Goose,

 

Since you like to get the most use possible from your tires I have a spare I could sell you, actually probably just send it to you for the cost of postage.

No threads showing either.

I have enclosed a picture for your consideration.

:stirthepot: :stirthepot:

Jerry

 

 

 

Lucky and Stupid. When you think about it, that is about the best you can hope for when stupid is part of the equation. So here's my story.

 

I use my tires too long. Not intentionally, and I'm not proud of it, and for sure I'm not recommending it, but facts is facts. I can explain how it happened, but that doesn't make it right. Closer attention would have prevented it. The problem is that without a center stand, it is just such a pain to carefully rotate the tires and inspect them all the way around.

 

When my tires get close to the wear bars, I THOUGHT I kept a pretty close eye on them. As some of you might know from my past posts, I ride a lot. I'm on the bike virtually every day, and I can often put a thousand or two miles on the bike between washing (when I really get down and inspect everything). So keeping a pretty close eye on the tires usually means I regularly take a look a the open part of the tread below the rear fender or on the front of the bike. I just figured that by looking at that section of the tire every few times I walk up to the bike, random chance would mean that I was seeing all of the tire within a reasonable time frame. Facts prove me wrong. Here's the condition I thought my Avon Venom rear tire was in at 14,000 miles:

[ATTACH]802[/ATTACH] [ATTACH]803[/ATTACH]

 

In these pictures you can clearly see the edge of the wear bar in the middle of the long tread groove that stretches all the way across the tire. The Venoms only have about three of these long grooves, so there are not a lot of places to check for the wear bars. Yes, I know that you are supposed to dump the tires when the wear bars first hit the surface, not when they are gone. My weakness is that I have always wanted to push them to the bottom of the wear bar. Gonna have to change that. When I had my bike in about a month ago for the shock to be replaced, the shop told me that the belts were showing on my rear tire! This was a shock to me, but sure enough, this is what I found when I put the bike on a stand and rotated the tire all the way around:

 

[ATTACH]804[/ATTACH] [ATTACH]805[/ATTACH] [ATTACH]806[/ATTACH] [ATTACH]807[/ATTACH]

 

So it seems that the majority of times I looked at the rear tire I either wasn't really paying attention, or I was seeing the section that still showed the wear bar! How did this happen? The answer is probably interesting, but incidental to my failure to properly inspect my tire often enough. That tire was mounted for me by my dealer as a favor to me after they had to re-do some work. It now seems to me that they mounted the tire and just left the old weights on the wheel from the previous tire. The section that was mostly worn through to the belts was about where the weights were, so the grossly out-of-balance section was being thrown harder against the road on each revolution, and the part that still showed the wear bar was the lightest part of the tire.

 

So, lesson learned, right? Not hardly. I didn't want to let my bike sit while I waited for a new tire, so I mounted an old one that I had around for emergency use. This tire was just to the bottom of the wear bars and very flat, but I figured it was OK for a couple of weeks. And I watched it about the same as I had been watching the last tire! (Told you I was stupid - lesson not learned at all.) Well, at about the second weekend, when I was planing to change the tire, a short notice PGR mission came up, so I thought a while longer would be OK. This mission was over 100 miles away, and the return run was at high speed. All total, I guess I put close to 2,000 miles on this old tire. I'll cut to the chase here. When I pulled into my garage two days ago, I saw this showing on the back tire:

 

[ATTACH]808[/ATTACH] [ATTACH]809[/ATTACH]

 

Yikes! About half the tire has the center section worn through the tread layer with belts showing in a big section, and the other half just looks worn out. Bottom line is that I was very lucky that my negligence and assumptions about the tire condition could have turned very ugly but did not. I'd certainly like to think that I'll be doing closer full-tire inspections in the future, but only time will tell. I'm a bit chagrined that I wasn't watching that second tire closer after what I had just seen on the one before.

 

I thought I'd subject myself to embarrassment and ridicule here because I survived this bit of stupidity only through sheer luck. Next time, if there is a next time for either me or someone else, that luck may not hold. If even one person looks at their tires a little closer, then this has been worth while. One last thought for you. As these pictures make completely evident, these modern tires do NOT have any rubber to spare under the last part of the tread. I have sectioned worn tires in years past, and they always had a thick layer of rubber left over the belts, but neither of these tires have that margin of safety. Don't push them too far! Ride safe,

Goose

[Rolling Barcalounger]

Man thats gittn yer money's worth outta them tyres. I would not worry too much just be wary about HOT weather and rough roads. I ride a bunch too. I usually wear down to the cords all the time. Them damn tyres are expensive. Just a few things to remember once the wear bar is gone...NEVER RIDE IN WET RAINY ROADS. WATCH FOR SAND AND GRAVEL IN ROAD ESPECIALLY ON A CURVE. TAKE SHORT TRIPS AND NEVER FAR FROM HOME OR A FRIEND. RIDE A LITTLE S L O W E R. DO NOT BRAKE VERY HARD. KEEP OFF HOT AND ROUGH ROADS. and in case if you do get a flat on a bald tire take a can of tire sealant "AIR IN A CAN" A small bottle of rubbing alcohol. 80 grit sand paper and those big round 3 inch patches and small tube of rubber cement. That will git yer beezzer home. Enuff said.

[Gained]

Must be some type of award you could get for stretching things out that far. We'll have to think on that one. Maybe the Golden Halo? On the other hand, perhaps you could do us a favor... we'll send you our St. Christopher medals for special blessings since your travels seem to have a certain something watching over them.

[Guest Brianwgn]

Goose,

Post like these are nice to get once in a while, they wake us up a little on safety.

 

I will check my tires more often with center stand (freebirds version) down.

 

Thanks, Brianwgn:goodpost:

[V7Goose]

Hey Goose,

 

Since you like to get the most use possible from your tires I have a spare I could sell you, actually probably just send it to you for the cost of postage.

No threads showing either.

I have enclosed a picture for your consideration.

:stirthepot: :stirthepot:

Jerry

Hey, thanx Jerry!! That tire looks like it is probably good for another 10,000 miles or so! :rotfl: