[larry0071]

I have a habit of changing tires out that others tell me are still good to go for many more miles. I have this notion about shedding water at speed and flat resistance and feel that by using about 75% of the available tread is more than enough, and that any more would be seriously limiting the safe use in rain.

What do you guys as a general rule do? Will you run the center of the rear down to smooth rubber, or like me do you have some personal wear limit that starts to make you uncomfortable?

On the knobby dirt oriented dual sport tires, I admit to using maybe 50% of the tread depth and then I swap out tires and hand off the old one to a less financially capable riding buddy to let him run the remaining life out of the tire. I feel that if I have a D606, it is because I want mud and dirt traction, so running a D606, MT-21 or Trackmaster bald sort of defeats the reason I mounted that type of ultra aggressive DOT tire on my KLR or KLX.

 

[janiceclanfield]

Do I run my tires nearly bald?

No, I run them with a full head of hair.






Next question please...

 

[greywolf]

I want enough tread left to handle water.

 

[TheWall]

I just had to swap my first tire, and it was pretty well bald when I replaced it. To some degree, it was inexperience -- the OEM tire looked like it still had tread depth on the sides and my pre-ride checks weren't as thorough as they probably should be -- so I didn't realize it was as bald as it was until I was doing some maintenance. However, I ride rain or shine, and hadn't noticed any difference on pavement in the rain (although I did notice the back was skidding a bit on hard acceleration on a couple of gravel roads on my daily commute).

I probably wouldn't intentionally run tires as bald as I did this time, but it was comforting to learn that the tire has fair grip, even when worn out.

Slightly off-topic: I am LOVING the new Shinko 705 I put on in place of the OEM tire! Even though the front still has enough life for the rest of this year (at least) I really wish I had picked up a 705 for the front, too.

 

[LordSmoke]

I am embarrassed at how slick I have run tires in the past :yikes:, but I always dialed back my already conservative riding style accordingly.

 

[PTRider]

Aren't tires still good if you can't see the air in them? The cords are just a warning sign?

The industry minimum tread depth is 2 mm, between 2 & 3/32". Wet traction tends to diminish proportionally to tread depth, so there is no sudden fall-off point of traction.

 

[Sam4938]

I run my tires until they wear oddly, or until there isn't enough tread to shed water in my mind. I like to save $ but not at the expensive of skin.

 

[Benly]

I usually replace any dirt oriented dual sport tires on my KLR when there’s about 25% of usable wear left. I might go a bit longer for tires on my street bikes but never more than the manufacturers recommended wear limit.

Not sure how true this is but something I heard long ago that stuck with me is that 90% of all punctures occur in the last 10% of a tire's life.

 

[LordSmoke]

...Not sure how true this is but something I heard long ago that stuck with me is that 90% of all punctures occur in the last 10% of a tire's life.

I am not sure how true that is, either, but part of my horror at the wear of some of my tires was how paper thin the center of the tread was. I could almost push my finger through it. I am sure punctures are more likely on worn tires than new.

 

[OydnaR]

I usually order tires long before they are worn, but sometimes I put 2000miles or more on in a week, so I have seen cords before

its my observation that the last 2/32 wears a lot faster than the first 5/32

 

[OydnaR]

Not sure how true this is but something I heard long ago that stuck with me is that 90% of all punctures occur in the last 10% of a tire's life.

na, new tires are nail magnets, almost every puncture I've got is within the first 500 miles, one nail with less than 6 miles riding home from getting it intalled the day before my annual vacation to Deals Gap.

prolly just coincidence thought

 

[garvinzoom]

Ran the back tire on the 440LTD I came off of bald and laid it down at low speeds because of it.... Probably did not teach me the lesson it should have. :frown:

 

[Big B]

Nope..........

 

[Illinois]

Not one of the things I cheap out on. :mrgreen:

 

[RoadRdr]

I always change them as a set and always way before I reach the wear bars. My view is that only two small contact patches are between me and bad things happening. Fresh tires are cheap insurance and peace of mind. I also like the knowledge that I could pack up and leave for just about any destination in the ConUS on very short notice and prep time.

 

[Improperly Torqued]

The industry minimum tread depth is 2 mm, between 2 & 3/32".

+1. Tread is there for a reason, else we'd just run racing slicks. :beatnik:

I don't go below 2mm.

 

[Improperly Torqued]

Do I run my tires nearly bald?

No, I run them with a full head of hair.

Personally, I'm proud of my receding chicken-strip-line. :biggrinjester:

 

[nvr2old]

Change most of mine out at 2/32nds and a few at 1/32nd.
As far a wet traction, it would seem that as long as there is rubber showing(No cords) it should be ok. Sport bike tires often have no tread in the center and I've never had a wet traction problem with them(And I live in Wet Washington).

 

[RichDesmond]

I have a habit of changing tires out that others tell me are still good to go for many more miles. I have this notion about shedding water at speed and flat resistance and feel that by using about 75% of the available tread is more than enough, and that any more would be seriously limiting the safe use in rain...

That's about my philosophy.

...its my observation that the last 2/32 wears a lot faster than the first 5/32

Definitely true. I've been caught out a couple of times, leaving on a trip with what I thought was plenty of tread, only to have to nurse a tire home.

Worst time I had to have the wife bring me a rear stand, tools and a tire. (luckily I had a spare rim with a tire mounted)

 

[aldntn]

I promised myself to quit doing that a long time ago.

I wear 'em to the wear bar, then a new tire, even if I can't afford it.