Suspicious tire damage

[stanG]

I was giving the bike the super-clean for a bike show tomorrow and noticed this tire damage. I have no idea what may have caused this and it is roughly on the same spot on each side of the tire. I don't recall any Cowpuc-like adventure riding that would have caused it. Almost looks like it may have been intentional. Any ideas or have any of you seen this before. [ATTACH]85366[/ATTACH][ATTACH]85367[/ATTACH][ATTACH]85368[/ATTACH]

[Condor]

I was giving the bike the super-clean for a bike show tomorrow and noticed this tire damage. I have no idea what may have caused this and it is roughly on the same spot on each side of the tire. I don't recall any Cowpuc-like adventure riding that would have caused it. Almost looks like it may have been intentional. Any ideas or have any of you seen this before.

 

Looks like maybe the cap has separated in that area.

 

[Peder_y2k]

Difficult to tell from way over here, but pic #2 shows some uneven tread suggesting tread separation. Is that a Dunlop tire?

--Pete, in Tacoma WA USA

[Venturous Randy]

It looks like a Metzler to me from what little I can see from the tread pattern.

RandyA

[ragtop69gs]

Have you had that tire in a wheel chock?

[stanG]

No to to the wheel chock and the tire is a Dunlop 491.

 

 

"Have fun out there"

 

stanG

[friesman]

whats the date code? hasn't the 491 (elite2) been out of production for 4 or 5 years? possibly age related..? just grasping at straws here..

 

 

Brian

[Kirby]

Is the damage all on one side? All on the same tire front and/or back???????

[Prairiehammer]

The Elite II has raised white letters. In order to obtain those white letters, a layer of white rubber is included when the tire is molded. The black rubber showing on the outside is sometimes quite thin and any minor scrape can sometimes remove this thin black layer revealing the inner white layer. My suggestion is that at some point there was some damage done to the black layer (stone chip, careless tire changer, road debris) but you never noted it until you did your tire cleaning and the suddenly clean stark white blemishes were evident.

Unless the gouges are deep (through to black rubber under the white), I believe these defects are cosmetic.

 

BTW, Brian, the Elite II is still being made.

[Peder_y2k]

So it is a Dunlop tire.......... I've had bad experience with Dunlops - tread separation, and Dunlop would not honor warranty. Will NEVER own Dunlops again -EVER.

But as Prariehammer says, its looks cosmetic, but check for tread separation by sliding your hand over the tread as you rotate the wheel and feel for irregularities. If you feel bulges or dips, the tire is junk.

-Pete, in Tacoma WA USA

[Sylvester]

So it is a Dunlop tire.......... I've had bad experience with Dunlops - tread separation, and Dunlop would not honor warranty. Will NEVER own Dunlops again -EVER.

But as Prariehammer says, its looks cosmetic, but check for tread separation by sliding your hand over the tread as you rotate the wheel and feel for irregularities. If you feel bulges or dips, the tire is junk.

-Pete, in Tacoma WA USA

 

Same reason I will never own a Metzler.

 

[FuzzyRSTD]

Avon Venom my friend. Get you some.

[Stache]

Avon Venom my friend. Get you some.

 

+1 on the venom. Wears like steel, rides like a Venture should

[stanG]

Is the damage all on one side? All on the same tire front and/or back???????

 

 

On both sides of the rear tire. In the same general vicinity.

 

 

"Have fun out there"

 

stanG

[stanG]

The Elite II has raised white letters. In order to obtain those white letters, a layer of white rubber is included when the tire is molded. The black rubber showing on the outside is sometimes quite thin and any minor scrape can sometimes remove this thin black layer revealing the inner white layer. My suggestion is that at some point there was some damage done to the black layer (stone chip, careless tire changer, road debris) but you never noted it until you did your tire cleaning and the suddenly clean stark white blemishes were evident.

Unless the gouges are deep (through to black rubber under the white), I believe these defects are cosmetic.

 

BTW, Brian, the Elite II is still being made.

 

 

Appears to be just into the white rubber not black. To be on the safe side I will be replacing the tire.

 

Thanks all for the input.

 

 

"Have fun out there"

 

stanG

Edited June 30, 2014 by stanG
typo

[katoomer]

I've noticed feral cats clawing my tires. They like to sharpen their claws on my tires as well as the trees. They've scratched the bark completely off the tree nearby. Probably not your problem unless you have some bigger wild cats ! In fact, I'll have to make plans to have them removed because also I have see a certain one marking its territory and that'll be the end of that soon.