New Tires

[Panjandrum]

After much deliberation, I had Avon Venom tires mounted on my RSV '08. The stock tires lasted a year (15,000 km).

 

The point of my post is the warnings from the dealer: "Ride carefully for 100 - 400 km, as the tires are slippy. Be specially careful if it's wet." And I was asked to sign a waiver which confirmed I had heard their warning.

 

I understand that tires have a compund sprayed on them to preserve them while sitting on a shelf. Surely there is something you could rinse the tires once they are being mounted to minimise that new slipperiness?

 

It's showering this week-end in Vancouver, BC... kinda like April weather!

 

So it may be a while before I can properly test the tires to see if Avons on a Venture are as good as they were on my previous two bikes.

 

[flb_78]

All tires need to be scuffed in when mounted up new, even car tires. You should be glad you have a dealer who actually worries about their customers.

[MiCarl]

It's not just that they're slippery.

 

Your old tires were likely worn in the center with harder edges as you transition into a curve. The new tire has a nice rounded cross section and will turn without you having to fight the tire over the edge. Part of the cautious use period is for you to adapt to the handling of the new tires.

 

I have everyone that gets a new tire mounted in my shop sign a similar statement. It's so if some idiot runs out and races on his new tires his widow (hopefully) cannot successfully sue me for negligence.

 

I have a friend that brought me the wheels from his 1st gen for new Venoms. His old tires were heavily worn in the center and had a more rectangular cross section. He didn't listen when I warned him and nearly took out his mailbox leaving the driveway because the bike was much more responsive than he was used to.

[Panjandrum]

Thanks, MiCarl,

 

I have heard similar horror stories every time I have had my tires changed. Good point on the handling change because of the profile change. I had not thought of that!

[M61A1MECH]

The tires may br treated with some that protects them in storage, but the thing that makes them the most slippery is the mold release that is sprayed onto the inside surface of the mold used to form the outer surface of the tire. It stays with the ubber when the tire is de-molded. These are often a silicone or PTFE (Teflon) based material that are hard to remove by simply washing, it needs to be abraded off, thus the need for scufing the tires.

 

Do becareful with new tires for first few hundred miles.

[Guest Swifty]

if you're not careful, this is what happens...

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9zNUPDmnz4]YouTube - Brand new Gixxer crashed[/ame]