Odd tire wear : KawiForums.com Kawasaki Forums: Kawasaki motorcycle forums

myzx7 · 12-19-2012, 09:24 PM

I've noticed some off center tire wear on the front tire of my 02 ZX-7. It is wearing out just left of center but it seems the center isn't wearing hardly at all and the rear is wearing center. any ideas about the cause would be greatly appreciated

**locknload** · 12-20-2012, 06:24 AM

It's normal. The roads are crowned.

BlackDog · 12-20-2012, 08:50 AM

It's mostly due to the fact that... LEFT turns are longer than right turns...

HardRacing · 12-20-2012, 10:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by locknload

It's normal. The roads are crowned.

Exactly, and check those pressures also, as that can accelerate tire wear.

.

BossLadyRR · 12-20-2012, 10:31 AM

It's because you lean the bike more to one side. Most people get off the bike better away from the throttle side. I'm way better on lefts than rights. I've heard the road crowing thing for yrs and always thought it was true until recently when they actually did studies... and lefts are longer turns in countries who drive on right

**locknload** · 12-20-2012, 10:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BossLadyRR

It's because you lean the bike more to one side. Most people get off the bike better away from the throttle side. I'm way better on lefts than rights. I've heard the road crowing thing for yrs and always thought it was true until recently when they actually did studies... and lefts are longer turns in countries who drive on right

It must be true. It's on the internet.

jummy70 · 01-04-2013, 06:49 AM

In this cause mostly left tire turn more then right turn

**chris140** · 01-04-2013, 11:27 AM

I found the following extract (on the internet) at Motorcycle Tire Wear LEFT SIDE TIRE WEAR

Oh and I should point out that according to this article

Quote:

Actually, excessive side tire wear is only evident on the left front in countries where one rides on the right side of the road. Riding right means that the left side of your tire will have more (and likely faster) miles on it than the right side. Left hand turns have a larger radius than right hand turns in right side driving countries, hence you ride farther (and likely faster) turning left than turning right with subsequent increased side band wear on the tire's left side. The left side of your tire has more miles on it (in some extreme cases, twice as many) than the right side of your tire. And the side of your tire only gets mileage when you are leaned in a turn, otherwise, this area of your tire does not contact the pavement at all as shown in the photo. European left side drivers find that the right side of their front tires will wear out first.

I have to admit that the article was well written and the guy seemed to have some degree of knowledge. At the very worst it was completely plagerised. At first glance the stats and figures would have had me convinced had it not been for one line (the one i highlighted in bold in the quote).

I live in Europe and I drive on the RIGHT side of the road as they do in Spain and I believe every other country in EUROPE. In the UNITED KINGDOM they drive on the LEFT. This assumption in the study is a big hiccup and if they can get something like that wrong then they are probably wrong about the rest.

Personally I have never experienced front left side tyre wear. Others may or may not have but it isn't common and most of the tyre wear I see on motorcycles on a daily basis is on the centre of the back tyre.

This leads me to believe that front left tyre wear is common to the United States where the road surfaces may be different which supports the generally accepted Road Crown theory.

farnk125 · 01-17-2013, 04:34 AM

Check your excel alignment is accurate and this effect of tire adjustment.