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Dunlop Tire wear

4K views 18 replies 10 participants last post by  rick 
#1 ·
Has anyone seen this before? Seems unusual to have the left side of the front tire wear so much more than the center or right side. I was following the service manual and kept the tire inflated to 28psi. I have now been told this should have been closer to 36psi. If 28psi is under inflated would it cause this type of wear? This is the front tire for a Vulcan 900 classic with 5900 miles (original tire).

Would like to hear everyone's thoughts? Is there a way to check alignment?
 

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#2 ·
It is not particularly unusual to see the left side of the tire worn more.

There are two arguments why:

1. Left side of the tire gets more miles put on it. Left turns (at least from the RH side of the road) are longer than right turns, therefore left side accumulates more miles.
2. Crown of the road.

I'm more in tune with #1, but in the end it doesn't really matter. What matters is that what you're seeing isn't inherently indicative of a tire/tire maintenance problem.
 
#9 ·
Thanks for all the replys so far. Getting a new tire put on this afternoon.



Both make excellent sense. I have noticed that are roads here in So Cal. can have a pretty good crown on them, I have even noticed myself leaning that way on some of them.

Probably because you're right-handed.
Otherwise, could your alignment be off because you tried to track your belt?
This is the front tire, would rear wheel aligment impact the front? the rear tire looks really good right now.

I'm just now hitting 6000 on my custom. The wear on mine in more in the middle. Umm! You wouldn't happen to be sitting side-saddle would you? :D
LOL........

Also, makes me wonder if this bike had a previous owner and it was laid down...
I'm the original owner, so no.
 
#13 ·
I think it could/would, but any time my rear wheel alignment has been off any appreciable amount I've felt it in the bars, needing to compensate more one way or the other/work harder to keep the bike going straight.
Thanks. No issues with handling or feel. I think it's just the nature of the roads & left turns longer.
 
#7 ·
I have Dunlop D404's on my bike. I have more than 5,000 on the tires and they are wearing pretty evenly. Also I run 40lbs in my tires, instead of 36 or 28 as, recommeneded by the tire manufacturer. Tire pressure in the book gives a smooth ride, but 40lbs gives better tire life and gas mileage.
 
#11 ·
Used to ride a VTX1300. ALWAYS worn the LH side of the front tire out first. Somehow I believe it's the nature of the beast. Not enough wear on my VV to determine if this bike will do the same.
 
#14 · (Edited)
Fun fact!

It's been proven (or at least suggested with some evidence to back it up) that riders tend to lean farther on one end than the other. A 'dominant' side if you will. They've found that riders might take a left hand turn down to the pegs regularly, but are a little more hesitant on right hand turns, or vice versa. Perhaps it has something to do with training ourselves in cages to swing right turns a little wider, or just something to do with the fact that we each have a dominant eye and dominant hand!

Either way, for some, it can be more severe than others. Consciously think about it but try not to change your riding patterns, do you think you maybe lean farther into one type of turn than another?

I've seen this issue and threads like this before. There was an article in MCN that showed pictures similar to yours they claimed were due to riders who turned much harder / leaned much farther on one side.

It could also be just the way roads are built, or something else entirely, but the idea makes sense. When I think about it, I can take a left turn a little quicker than I can a right... or maybe I'm just imagining it, who knows? But it's something to think about.
 
#16 ·
That's why I suggested in my post that the OP was probably right-handed. Also the reason most race tracks are set to left hand turns. Most right-handers want to naturally turn left than right.
 
#19 ·
On my 800b, my origanal tire did the same thing, so much so that a guy asked if "I did any Nascar racing with it. Hasnt happened since, at least not as much or noticeable. ran recommened pressure in it, since have been running 40psi. In the USA, since we drive on the right side, we also tend to slow down more for right hand turns, thus the tire dont fight as hard for traction, wearing less on right hand turns. Just my opinion.
 
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