bartonmd Posted July 28, 2006 Share Posted July 28, 2006 With, I don't know... 4k on my front Power, it's cupping right off the center on both sides... Not badly, but it's still beginning to cup... I was at Trav's place yesterday and his front has 5k on it and is CUPPED AS SHIT! I don't feel it riding on mine, nor does it do anything I wouldn't want it to do, but does anybody else have a front Power that's cupped?? Either way, I'll probably keep running them, because I LOVE the way they handle, and I've had the front Pilot Road slide on me when cornering in a cold rain, and the Powers are SOOO much better when it's cold and wet! Yes, it's a big, heavy, bike, and you can expect most fronts to cup a little bit, but I'm just curious if anybody else experienced this?? BTW, I've been running 42 in the front most of the time, unless I'm SERIOUSLY out running corners or something... Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XXBIRD Posted July 28, 2006 Share Posted July 28, 2006 I'm saying nothing but just referring... I have never understood why riders seem so pre-occupied with what is simply normal tire wear. Tire scalloping is a normal consequence of tire use. This is particularly true for big, heavy sport-touring rigs like the Blackbird. All tires eventually scallop, *all* tires. It's just that some tread patterns make for pronounced scalloping, often relatively early in the tire's life. Two examples of this would be the front tires of the Dunlop 220 and the Bridgestone BT-020. Both are excellent tires - indeed, the dry grip of the D220 is phenominal - but both display significant scalloping fairly early in their treadlife. Other tread patterns do not lend themselves to such severe scalloping. A couple examples of this would be the Pilot Road and the Avons, though again, as you reach the end of it's service life, you'll see scalloping in these tires, too. Now, all the above having been said.... this is a completely pointless thread, in that tire wear is *extremely* specific to a rider, his riding style, and riding environment. We can't look at a picture of a used, worn out tire and draw a conclusion that the tire brand as shit. It may, in fact, be a crap tire for one person's style/environment, but it might also be a phenominal tire for someone else who rides differently and/or rides in completely different riding conditions. Tire threads are very similar to oil threads, chain lube threads, etc, etc. There is no "one best - fits all" of any of these. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bartonmd Posted July 28, 2006 Author Share Posted July 28, 2006 Yeah, and I hadn't worried about it on mine, because it feels fine to me, but Travis says his are starting to make actual vibration when he's leaned over, so I figured I'd ask... Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squareman357 Posted July 28, 2006 Share Posted July 28, 2006 I guess I'll see how they act. The plastic is still warm on the credit card from ordering a set of Pilot Powers for the ZX. 4500 miles and the stock BT014's are toast. Front still "ok" I guess, but the rear is at the wear bars. Figure I can still commute on it until the PP's arrive. We'll see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xrated Posted July 28, 2006 Share Posted July 28, 2006 42 is WAAAAY to high for the Powers. I would try about 32/32 on the street and if you ever get into a Track Day/agressive riding situation try 29F/26R. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bartonmd Posted July 28, 2006 Author Share Posted July 28, 2006 42 is WAAAAY to high for the Powers. I would try about 32/32 on the street and if you ever get into a Track Day/agressive riding situation try 29F/26R. Do what?? They're already hotter while commuting on the slab than the Roads were running corners! I got them to start the beginnings of balling up on the sides doing Brown County at 42/42 with the wife on the back, and they get close to balling up in Brown County with me solo running 36F/37R, and that's just me out riding by myself, not trying to keep up with anybody... MIke Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squareman357 Posted July 28, 2006 Share Posted July 28, 2006 29/26 seems awfully low? I don't usually let my tires get lower than 36/36 and I usually run at 42/42 as well. I got 10K out of a set of Avons with nary a problem, running at 42/42. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bartonmd Posted July 28, 2006 Author Share Posted July 28, 2006 29/26 seems awfully low? I don't usually let my tires get lower than 36/36 and I usually run at 42/42 as well. I got 10K out of a set of Avons with nary a problem, running at 42/42. That's what I was thinking... Those sound like the kind of numbers you'd run on a 350lb race-rep... Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xrated Posted July 28, 2006 Share Posted July 28, 2006 That's the numbers that Monte at STT told me to run respectively......street and track. Sorry, that's all the info that I have. BTW, 42 is the max. tire pressure recommended by the Michelin. That will get you a Hard ride, maximum mileage, and not near enough grip for the bike. The Powers are a Track/Street tire similar to the Pirelli Diablo Corsas and are made to run at lower pressures to acheive the grip that they are capable of. If you are going to run 42, just be careful that you don't spin up the rear tire or push the front in an agressive riding situation. Hope that helps Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bartonmd Posted July 28, 2006 Author Share Posted July 28, 2006 That's the numbers that Monte at STT told me to run respectively......street and track. Sorry, that's all the info that I have. BTW, 42 is the max. tire pressure recommended by the Michelin. That will get you a Hard ride, maximum mileage, and not near enough grip for the bike. The Powers are a Track/Street tire similar to the Pirelli Diablo Corsas and are made to run at lower pressures to acheive the grip that they are capable of. If you are going to run 42, just be careful that you don't spin up the rear tire or push the front in an agressive riding situation. Hope that helps hmmm... told you to run on your 'RR or on your 'bird?? I'd believe that on the RR, because it weighs 100lbs less than the 'bird, but they get HOT just riding around, not even cornering with 35psi in them on the 'bird... I've actually had them to the edge of the rear, hanging off, with 42 in them, and gotten pretty hard on the gas in second, at 5k, while leaned over like that, trying to get the rear to start to drift, and no dice... Hell, I was TRYING to be ham-fisted and get them to do something stupid, and have yet to do so... With 5 miles on the rear (still shiny from the release compound), and 42.5 psi in it, on an concrete on-ramp on a ~65 degree morning, I went 3/4 throttle in second at ~4500 while leaned over, and the chassis did some STRANGE things, but the tires didn't blink. Hell, even at 42psi in a ~45 degree rain with about 2 miles on them from my house in the morning, I STILL haven't been able to get them to do something out of the ordinary... I could at least kindof spin the Road rear out of a corner in that situation... Just my observations... Mike Edit: BTW, I'm talking about the regular Powers, that are the all-temperature, all weather, street tires that do well at the track... The ones that, off Michelin's website get 3 stars for commuting, 5 stars for sport riding, 4 stars for highway, and 2 stars for track riding... I don't have the new "2ct" or the "power race" or anything... http://two-wheels.michelin.com/2w/front/af...838〈=EN Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toynut Posted July 28, 2006 Share Posted July 28, 2006 Uhhh, Barton, Five miles on Brand New rubber and your already hanging off the bike, and pushing it hard through the corners??!! :icon_duh: Easy does it , will ya! Sheesh...... :icon_shocked: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bartonmd Posted July 29, 2006 Author Share Posted July 29, 2006 Uhhh, Barton, Five miles on Brand New rubber and your already hanging off the bike, and pushing it hard through the corners??!! :icon_duh: Easy does it , will ya! Sheesh...... :icon_shocked: Yep... I wouldn't do that to a front, but the front had already been on there for ~1500-2000 miles, so it was good and worn in, and I had done several corners on the way to the interstate and was VERY suprised at how they reacted (pleasently suprised)... I would NOT have done the same thing on Pilot Roads or Avons, but these tires are CRAZY about the amount of really "wrong" stuff you can do to them, and the chassis is doing all kinds of fucked up things, and the tires stay firmly planted with no drama AT ALL! I am positively AMAZED with these tires! Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squareman357 Posted July 30, 2006 Share Posted July 30, 2006 Uhhh, Barton, Five miles on Brand New rubber and your already hanging off the bike, and pushing it hard through the corners??!! :icon_duh: Easy does it , will ya! Sheesh...... :icon_shocked: Yep... I wouldn't do that to a front, but the front had already been on there for ~1500-2000 miles, so it was good and worn in, and I had done several corners on the way to the interstate and was VERY suprised at how they reacted (pleasently suprised)... I would NOT have done the same thing on Pilot Roads or Avons, but these tires are CRAZY about the amount of really "wrong" stuff you can do to them, and the chassis is doing all kinds of fucked up things, and the tires stay firmly planted with no drama AT ALL! I am positively AMAZED with these tires! Mike Well I like that...I feel more comfortable with my purchase with a few folks saying the like the grip and handling of the tires. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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