Dealing with tyres squaring off

thos

Hi all,
I've got a 2015 Tiger 800, use is commuting motorway + city. Rear tyre starting to look a bit square, and starting to wander on whitelines and tar bands etc. Centre of the tyre is now at 4mm thread depth, and 7mm about an inch further out either side. Tyres have 12k on them.
I'd rather be changing them sooner rather than later, but starting to feel like the wandering is only going to get worse.
How do people typically deal with this?

Tom

Del2005

You need to start commuting on back roads to avoid the chicken strips. But 12k from a back is good for a bike.

GBX

With that sort of mileage youve gotten good value from the rear tyre. Unless you start doing some proper throwing it into corners on backroads as Del says, its not gonna change much.

thos

Front tyre then has similar mileage, but 3mm left on it.
For a 3yr old tyre also with 12k on it - do I replace front also?

khaldrogo

thos wrote:

,......... How do people typically deal with this?

Get the knee down....

two wheels good

4mm after 12k km is impressive mileage. What tyres are they?
It would still be worth checking that pressures are correct and there isn't any play in bearings or swing-arm.

thos

two wheels good wrote: »

4mm after 12k km is impressive mileage. What tyres are they?
It would still be worth checking that pressures are correct and there isn't any play in bearings or swing-arm.

Been keeping an eye on pressures due to the wandering, will check bearings.

Tyres are Metzeler Tourance Next

zubair

Jesus that's some mileage. They'll never be round again though.

I never really noticed any side effects from squaring off, I must have adjusted as the change is so slow.

Zebbedee

zubair wrote: »

I never really noticed any side effects from squaring off, I must have adjusted as the change is so slow.

You do adjust your riding style gradually without realizing it.
Whenever I have both tyres replaced together the effect has been so dramatic that the first corner you take takes you by surprise!

two wheels good

thos wrote: »

Been keeping an eye on pressures due to the wandering, will check bearings.

Tyres are Metzeler Tourance Next

Interesting ... that's what I'm running (rolling?) too. And just recently I was thinking how they're unexpectedly a bit squared. At 7k miles.

Sonics2k

This thread is like a revelation to me, I was wondering why the bike seemed to be sliding a much more than felt natural, but the tires themselves seemed to be fine.

thos

two wheels good wrote: »

At 7k miles.

My 12k is km, so around 7k miles also.

zubair

Sonics2k wrote: »

This thread is like a revelation to me, I was wondering why the bike seemed to be sliding a much more than felt natural, but the tires themselves seemed to be fine.

If they're starting to slide or spin change them. My last set the thread was just on the wear indicator and were fine on the edges, started to spin up which I dealt with most times but i left it too late and learned the hard way.

colm_c

Tourance tires squaring off is fairly common, mostly due to the pattern.

I've had several sets over the years on the GS.

Good tire apart from the squaring issue.

I changed to a Pirelli Scorpion Trail last time, not nearly as much squaring off in the same mileage, slightly more road orientated though.

I'll be sticking with them.

thos

colm_c wrote: »

Tourance tires squaring off is fairly common, mostly due to the pattern.

I've had several sets over the years on the GS.

Good tire apart from the squaring issue.

I changed to a Pirelli Scorpion Trail last time, not nearly as much squaring off in the same mileage, slightly more road orientated though.

I'll be sticking with them.

I hasn’t realized they were fitted to the GS’s
What tread depth / mileage would you typically replace?

Thinking of trying Michelin PR4 Trails.

colm_c

thos wrote: »

I hasn’t realized they were fitted to the GS’s
What tread depth / mileage would you typically replace?

Thinking of trying Michelin PR4 Trails.

8-10k miles when commuting, they're so chunky you'd never wear them out, only square them off!

Have the Pirelli on 9k miles and seem to be holding up well, very little squaring off.

I did replace the front 6k miles due to some wear on the sides, rear is good.

flatty

It's a horrible feeling. I had it, couldn't explain it, my bro took one look and pointed out the completely obvious (squared tyres though plenty of tread left)
I'd change both.
12k is decent mileage.