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Uneven tire wear

Romain

Active Member
My Sporty will need a new front tire shortly after 7000+miles.
It's the original tire, HD branded (who manufacture these?).

More to the point, I have noticed a slight discrepancy in the thread wear. There is very marginally more wear on the right of the tire.

Is it because:
1 Riding on the left the right hand corners are longer
2 When I ride somehow I don't sit exactly on the centerline of the bike.
3 The geometry of the bike is not truly square.
4 Something I haven't thought about.
 
Unfortunately these machines we love to ride are not perfect.Although I love multiple choice Id have to go with 5 none of the above.Ive read some of your posts and can tell you are an inteligent person so Im pretty sure youve thought of everything.It could be many things.
A tweeked front end due to tying the bike down while transporting.
Driveveline off center on the frame.
The one bad or offsized front wheel spacer in the bunch at assembly.
Flat out junk tire.
Any of these are possible, you get another tire wearing uneven and you can compensate the spacer with a washer.
 
You say marginally, Last summer while we were on our road trip we got a call that my son was in the hospital after crashing during a motocross race.When we got this call we had bunkered down in kentucky because of the sheer winds.We rode home 11 hours solid in those winds compensating with angle and when I got home I ended up changing both tires.Oh by the way when we got to the hospital we found out he had been discharged.Broken shoulder,but when we got the call it sounded like it was critical.We could have enjoyed the two days we were supposed to have left of our ride:(
 
Camber of the road? Maybe we get slightly more left hand wear in countries which ride on the left because the road slopes away to the left. Hang on that doesn't work...it would be the right with more wear then. I think. Maybe another beer will solve it! :yeahright

Maybe you are happier 'leaning in' in corners on one side of the bike as opposed to the other.

BTW I think Dunlop make HD tires
 
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Thanks to all you guys for your comments and suggestions.

I have to book at my dealer to get the tire replaced so I will ask them to check the alignment and the geometry at the same time.

The gadget to check the alignment looks good but I don't think I can justify the investment, I will have to trust my dealer on that one. I'll let you know the result.

steve07, I'm sure that you were happy you had wasted your time, on that occasion.

And the tire IS made by Dunlop, It's written on it; I don't know how I missed it. :)
 
Took my Sporty to have a new front tire fitted, it wasn't cheap, cost me nearly as much as all the tires on my cage together!

The mechanic at HD told me that there wasn't any geometry issue and that the uneven wear is normal specially if the pressure might at time be incorrect!???
 
Took my Sporty to have a new front tire fitted, it wasn't cheap, cost me nearly as much as all the tires on my cage together!

The mechanic at HD told me that there wasn't any geometry issue and that the uneven wear is normal specially if the pressure might at time be incorrect!???


I was told to use a long flourescent bulb to check alignment. I asked "why a bulb?" . Because it's as close to straight as you can get. Put the bulb against the rear tire so that it runs back to front under the bike. Then, line up the front forks and see if the bulb lays against the front tire evenly.


My problem with that is, what if your front and rear wheel/tire is not the same
width as the rear. I ride a Deuce and the front is much more narrow than the back. I guess you could measure the distance between the tire and the bulb on both sides of the tires??
 
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