Front Tire

[MotoG5]

How much longer would you ride this front tire? There are about six places I found this on both sides. Good thing I decided to clean the rims on the NTX this morning. Its a year old and has 8K on it.

[Yukonica]

Me? I'd be dumping it. Rubber is what sticks my bike to the ground while I'm on it.
I choose the best tires available and check the pressure regularly.
Of all the places to 'scrimp'; tires are not it.
Just my opinion.

[Triple Jim]

What brand and model is that tire?  I'd like to know so I can avoid getting one.

[LowRyter]

replace it right away.  I ride no further than to get it replaced.

[MotoG5]

I just thought I would have a little fun. Its already off the bike and a new tire is on the way. I was trying to make it to winter but it was not to be. The cracks just showed up in the last week so its ready to come apart. It is a Pirelli Scorpion Trail. This one went south faster than the one it replaced last year. I really like the way these handle on the NTX but they don't last to long.

[Peter from Sch'dy]

It was "new" a year ago? WOW..what's the manufacture date?

http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php/337027-Cracking-in-front-tyre-MOT-failure

Best,
Peter

[Triple Jim]

Yeah, actually if you have decent tread left, you might get a free replacement if you show the cracks to the tire dealer and ask something like "do you think this is a safety problem?"  I got a couple big, expensive motor home tires free, when they developed cracks in the sidewalls.

[old as dirt 2]

take pics of the tire date and along with your current cracked tire pics and send them to Pirelli and ask for a replacement.

[Triple Jim]

take pics of the tire date and along with your current cracked tire pics and send them to Pirelli and ask for a replacement.

You're right... now that I think of it, I dealt with Goodyear first, and then was sent to their nearest dealer for the replacements.  I do find that asking the question about safety tends to speed things up a lot.

[Yukonica]

I just thought I would have a little fun. Its already off the bike and a new tire is on the way. I was trying to make it to winter but it was not to be. The cracks just showed up in the last week so its ready to come apart. It is a Pirelli Scorpion Trail. This one went south faster than the one it replaced last year. I really like the way these handle on the NTX but they don't last to long.

Now that's bummer news. I have a set sitting in the shop waiting for their turn next summer.
Wearing out: I expected. Crappy carcass... I wasn't.  How did they do in loose gravel and what about asphalt in rain?

[Wayne Orwig]

That crack just adds more tread depth, increasing the life....

[rss29]

Now that's bummer news. I have a set sitting in the shop waiting for their turn next summer.
Wearing out: I expected. Crappy carcass... I wasn't.  How did they do in loose gravel and what about asphalt in rain?

I have 5300 miles on a set and they're due for replacement soon. The rear is pretty much worn out and the front is cupping. I plan to replace with the Trail Scorpion II, which is the new dual compound version. They're a great tire. Excellent traction on all asphalt conditions. They're marketed as a 95/5 road/off-road tire and I'd say that seems about right. I wouldn't use them on loose gravel or true off-road conditions.

[Yukonica]

I have 5300 miles on a set and they're due for replacement soon. The rear is pretty much worn out and the front is cupping. I plan to replace with the Trail Scorpion II, which is the new dual compound version. They're a great tire. Excellent traction on all asphalt conditions. They're marketed as a 95/5 road/off-road tire and I'd say that seems about right. I wouldn't use them on loose gravel or true off-road conditions.

The "5%" part was the draw for trying them. Where I live; summer is the time to rebuild winter damage. For example, I live 1000km east/south/east of Fairbanks. This past summer the trip one way by main highway (not Top of the World Hwy.) had over 200km of road reconstruction: road peeled down to the crush and waiting for a grader.

[rss29]

The "5%" part was the draw for trying them. Where I live; summer is the time to rebuild winter damage. For example, I live 1000km east/south/east of Fairbanks. This past summer the trip one way by main highway (not Top of the World Hwy.) had over 200km of road reconstruction: road peeled down to the crush and waiting for a grader.

I think the Scorpion Trail will be great for that application. I like to explore gravel country roads and they're OK without sacrificing any on road performance. When the gravel gets deep or loose they get pretty squirrelly, but on hard pack they're fine. There are other factors of course- bike geometry, suspension, rider, etc. so YMMV. If I could remember how to post a picture I would, but imagine a well-travelled gravel road as being a good application for this tire, in my experience.

[MotoG5]

take pics of the tire date and along with your current cracked tire pics and send them to Pirelli and ask for a replacement.

Well that was a great suggestion. I checked the manufacture date. 2001!!!!!. Mystery of early failure solved. Also no chance of any factory replacement. The guy I bought  it from recently passed away. I doubt he checked the manufacture date either as he was an honest person and  I had done a lot of business with him over the years. We both got screwed  buy his supplier in this case. You can bet that I will be checking the date on the tire that is coming before I buy it.

[old as dirt 2]

I have 5300 miles on a set and they're due for replacement soon. The rear is pretty much worn out and the front is cupping. I plan to replace with the Trail Scorpion II, which is the new dual compound version. They're a great tire. Excellent traction on all asphalt conditions. They're marketed as a 95/5 road/off-road tire and I'd say that seems about right. I wouldn't use them on loose gravel or true off-road conditions.

no reason for a tire to cup.  you need to make sure all is right. Tire pressure,  balance, bearings and etc.

[old as dirt 2]

Well that was a great suggestion. I checked the manufacture date. 2001!!!!!. Mystery of early failure solved. Also no chance of any factory replacement. The guy I bought  it from recently passed away. I doubt he checked the manufacture date either as he was an honest person and  I had done a lot of business with him over the years. We both got screwed  buy his supplier in this case. You can bet that I will be checking the date on the tire that is coming before I buy it.

I buy a lot of tires and only buy from motorcycle superstore. they have the freshest tires. never got one older than a year from them.

[lucian]

I hope that rubber company isn't making condoms also. I'd be trying a different brand.

[bad Chad]

Well that was a great suggestion. I checked the manufacture date. 2001!!!!!. Mystery of early failure solved. Also no chance of any factory replacement. The guy I bought  it from recently passed away. I doubt he checked the manufacture date either as he was an honest person and  I had done a lot of business with him over the years. We both got screwed  buy his supplier in this case. You can bet that I will be checking the date on the tire that is coming before I buy it.

Are you sure you read the code right?  I didn't think Pirelli Scorpion Trails were even on the market in 2001?

[ChuckH]

Moto,

Let me suggest another reason for the cracking you're seeing -- when the block-style tires (Metzeler Tourance, Pirelli Scorpion Trail, Michelin Anakee 2's, Shinko 705's) wear, particularly on bikes where the riding is mostly vertical (straight line, not many curves), the blocks on the edges of the wear pattern tend to protrude a bit.  Then, when the rider leans over into a curve, the blocks on the edges finally come into hard contact with the road surface (might even begin to howl a bit).  The hard contact forces those edge blocks to deform and the deformation puts a high stress on the grooves between the blocks, which then, over time, can cause the cracks to begin.

Now, the fact that your tire is quite old and the rubber is less flexible is not helping the situation but, IMO, the design of the tire is part of the problem on bikes that are frequently ridden in a mostly vertical position on generally straight roads.

And, quite frankly, I believe the tire manufacturers have recognized this.  Look at the Michelin Anakee 3 and the relatively new Metzeler Tourance Next tire designs.  They have gone away from the block-style tread design to a more conventional running surface with cross-grooves.  I have run two sets of Anakee 3 tires on my Stelvio for over 10K miles per set.

Just my $0.02.  Ride safe out there. 

[tris]

That crack just adds more tread depth, increasing the life....

....... and the worrying thing about that statement is that there are people out there in internet land that would take that as a fact 

[MotoG5]

Are you sure you read the code right?  I didn't think Pirelli Scorpion Trails were even on the market in 2001?

You were right Chad. I did read the wrong set of numbers, twice! The right code shows 22nd week of 2013. So, the tire was only one year old when it went on. And that adds a to Chuck H's post about riding conditions. Note I live in Nebraska. Curved roads are few and far between out here in the great flat lands. Could very well be the case. All though I don't remember this happening to the one that this tire replaced. No matter its toast and a replacement should be here in a couple of days now.