testrider Posted July 13, 2008 Share Posted July 13, 2008 Hi all, I just received the 2 Michelin PR tires from sportbiketrackgear.com. This is the 1st time I have the Michelin and 1st time I mail order tires: - See the attached picture, there are 2 lines running along the rear tire in the complete circumference. Are these normal? (The one in the center I'm pretty sure is normal as it looks like a raised mold line but the one on the left looked like a small indent that runs even into the void between the threads) - There is no yellow or red paint marking the light spot of the tire like other brands? - There was no packing/wrapping whatsoever inside the box. They just put the 2 tires inside a cardboard box. How do the other vendors ship tires? Thanks for any comments. -mike- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redbird Posted July 13, 2008 Share Posted July 13, 2008 No experience with the Roads, but the Powers I've mounted have had a similar line on them, though admittedly not as pronounced as your picture. No, no balance mark on Michelins. Annoying, and no, they're not close enough for it not to matter. I've gotten tires in every form from just a tire with a label stuck on it, to completely shrink wrapped, to banded and boxed. and weighing twice what they needed to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
testrider Posted July 13, 2008 Author Share Posted July 13, 2008 Since the left line runs along the whole circumference of the tire and even into the depth of the voids between the threads, may be that's the way it is from the factory? I can't see how it got on it any other ways. Since it's obvious and passed their factory inspection, can I assume that's normal? Since Pilot Road are so popular here on XX, I wonder what other people see? Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rcskisfast Posted July 13, 2008 Share Posted July 13, 2008 I'm on my second set of roads and I don't remember seeing those lines on mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Posted July 13, 2008 Share Posted July 13, 2008 I've seen lines like the one on the left in PRs before, but not the one on the right; that looks like a crack in the photo and, if that's the case, I'd say the tire was defective. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FiXXation Posted July 13, 2008 Share Posted July 13, 2008 Those look pretty much like the three sets of Pilot Roads I have put on. Sometimes there is paint in the rub mark (to the left), and sometimes not. The wavy lines, are, IMHO, layup lines due to the way that Michelin builds their green tires before they are cooked. You will find that the rub mark goes away, but the layup lines will be slightly visible for the life of the tire (especially if you wash it and look for them). I've balanced the bare wheels before mounting the tires, and in my limited experience, the PR's have needed very little, if any, adjustment after mounting. Some say that the bar code sticker on the tire bead should be lined up with the valve stem. I've lined it up, and not, with similar results. I think the packaging/wrapping of the tires depends on where they were distributor sourced from originally. SWMotoTires.com sends them in a box also, but they may have different vendor wrapping and stickers on the individual tires. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EVLXX Posted July 13, 2008 Share Posted July 13, 2008 I've seen those lines on 3 different PR rears now... It must be something to do with the way the rubber is injected, or seemed, or something... but in any event, it's never caused a problem that I know of. In fact.... one is on my Rear PR right now... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
testrider Posted July 13, 2008 Author Share Posted July 13, 2008 I've seen those lines on 3 different PR rears now... It must be something to do with the way the rubber is injected, or seemed, or something... but in any event, it's never caused a problem that I know of. In fact.... one is on my Rear PR right now... Thank you all, I appreciate your inputs and comments. I was worried that the new tire I received might be defective but you all now put my mind at ease :-) I also saw the same lines on kneedraggers.com's web site: http://www.kneedraggers.com/details/Michel...MICHELIN-4.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CxBXR Posted July 13, 2008 Share Posted July 13, 2008 The PR2's do not have that embeded line, does have 2 normal paint lines on the though. The Michelin's puts a small Barcode on the bead, as to where the "heavy spot" lyes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
testrider Posted July 13, 2008 Author Share Posted July 13, 2008 The Michelin's puts a small Barcode on the bead, as to where the "heavy spot" lyes. Is that right? I do see the bar codes on the tires, just didn't know that's 'heavy spot' indicator too. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redbird Posted July 13, 2008 Share Posted July 13, 2008 The Michelin's puts a small Barcode on the bead, as to where the "heavy spot" lyes. I thought the same thing, but after mounting and balancing a few Michelins, I'll have to agree with others that say it's not a balance marker, but simply some sort of production code that's placed at random in reference to balance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CxBXR Posted July 13, 2008 Share Posted July 13, 2008 Agreed the barcode may not have any revelance to balancing, but that is what I heard from a "pro-racer" & decided I would share. Here is another reference About 2:45 in Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TJ1137 Posted July 14, 2008 Share Posted July 14, 2008 I just put those tires on my XX 2 days ago. They did not have any of those marks in them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silverbird2 Posted July 14, 2008 Share Posted July 14, 2008 I am not sure about the PR's but the PR2's and PP's contain so much silicone that they build up static charge and therefore have a strip that runs around the tire that somehow serves as a ground. I think that is what the line on the left is. It is a little more pronounced than I am used to seeing but it is in the right place Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Para045 Posted July 15, 2008 Share Posted July 15, 2008 I am on my second PR2 rear and both had a thick coloured line around the tyre and both had what looked like a split appear once some wear was on the tyre just to the right of centre where your "ridge" of rubber is - No problems with either Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldgeezer Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 I'm on my 4th set of Pilot Roads and the last set I purchased looked exactly like yours with a single irregular line around the curcumference of the rear tire. My previous 3 sets did not, and I always purchase from the same supplier (ridedirect.com). I was concerned, fearing a manufacturing defect, but after 500 miles or so, the line scuffed away completely. Everything's cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
testrider Posted July 22, 2008 Author Share Posted July 22, 2008 I'm on my 4th set of Pilot Roads and the last set I purchased looked exactly like yours with a single irregular line around the curcumference of the rear tire. My previous 3 sets did not, and I always purchase from the same supplier (ridedirect.com). I was concerned, fearing a manufacturing defect, but after 500 miles or so, the line scuffed away completely. Everything's cool. Thank you all, I'm going to keep them. My current tires are Bridgestone Battlax BT-57 (the only brand/model I have been running since 1999 and I'm on my 4th set) and have about 9500 miles so I will replace soon. The BT-57 lasted a long time for my type of riding (commuting and long trips with occasional twisties.) They lasted an average of 11k-12k miles when they hit the wear bars. How do the Pilot Road compare to the BT-57? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slowrideCX Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 I'm on my 4th set of Pilot Roads and the last set I purchased looked exactly like yours with a single irregular line around the curcumference of the rear tire. My previous 3 sets did not, and I always purchase from the same supplier (ridedirect.com). I was concerned, fearing a manufacturing defect, but after 500 miles or so, the line scuffed away completely. Everything's cool. Thank you all, I'm going to keep them. My current tires are Bridgestone Battlax BT-57 (the only brand/model I have been running since 1999 and I'm on my 4th set) and have about 9500 miles so I will replace soon. The BT-57 lasted a long time for my type of riding (commuting and long trips with occasional twisties.) They lasted an average of 11k-12k miles when they hit the wear bars. How do the Pilot Road compare to the BT-57? I ran through 2 sets of PR's and averaged about 7500 miles + or - I loved those tires the only reason I don't have them on now is I just wanted to try something else to see what is out there and also $$$ played a little roll in buying. I'm cheap. I have a tendency to be heavy on the throttle at times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TuffguyF4i Posted July 25, 2008 Share Posted July 25, 2008 The line on the right is the parting line of the mold. Dead give away is the 'flash' of rubber that sticks up. The line on the left? Not really sure. Are these tires the dual compound tires? Maybe this is how they either identify one tire type from another, or it is another material. My pilots don't have the line and they are not the dual compound type. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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