[5449]

lean it over more.

 

[dorkboy]

There are so many variables involved in whether any unscrubbed portion remains on the outside of the tread, it's pretty meaningless. Especially on the front, on most sportbikes, if you are getting all the way to the edge of your tire on the street, IMO you're probably going too fast anyway. I'm old though.

 

[seruzawa]

Tires are usually designed with more tread area than a bike can use before it goes down. So any tire is going to have some "chicken strip". The term was probably coined by some squid who went airborne off of Angeles Crest an hour later.

 

[2968]

Easy remedy...take your bike to the track! No more chicken strips, period. I never use all my tires on the street, but on the track those little Michelin Man or Metzler elephants that are part of the tire mold in the "strip" area are scrubbed right off first session out.

Track days might seem expense until you compare to a speeding ticket, increased insurance rates, etc. Actually, track days are cheap, responsible fun. Amazingly addictive too, so maybe not so cheap in the long run now that I think about it.

 

[bbtowns]

I don't really look till I'm spoonin' an old set off and putting new ones on. I find that the amount of "chicken stripe" varies by tire, so it's probably more of a design thing. I know with one brand the rear is completely scrubbed but there are still nubs on the very outside of the front.

I say worry about being a better rider and let the tires do what they do. No point laying a bike down trying to get those last nubs worn off.

 

[schizuki]

Re: Death to ''chicken strips''

Filing down chicken strips? Now THAT'S funny.

Don't forget the footpegs!

 

[1747]

I'm putting those black brush things like UPS trucks have over their wheels on my bike to "scrub" in the tread.



you got correct tire sizes on there?

 

[Fenton]

Yea, it's a 230 I got from the big dog catalog. It hangs off a bit on the right with the SSSA.

 

[1747]

sounds like time for a new bike then. the one you've got is defective.

 

[47837]

If you're riding on the street, you SHOULD have chicken strips. If you're using the entire tire on the street, you're not leaving any margin of error for avoiding the unexpected.

 

[Buzglyd]

Put a car tire on the back.

 

[1747]

Margie who?

 

[57335]

Sandpaper those strips if you can't take it or you want to get the coating off 'em, or better yet lean, lean, lean.



I recommend you take the bike through some long back-road 90+ mph sweepers where you can see far enough ahead you're not worried that surprise auto is going to take off your head on a blind corner with its mirrors.



I have about a 1/4 inch on my strips on Pirelli Scorpion Syncs, which is close enough for a WeeStrom. My original stock units didn't feel safe past about 3/4 of an inch.

 

[tumbler]

I always look at the back tire of sportbikes, it's a habit. If your pegs are not touching down you should be able to lean over more, that's when I know I am going too fast for the road. Plus, the grinding noise scares the crap out of me mid corner, which is a bad thing...

 

[Fenton]

First time I touched down was turn 2 at Infineon Raceway, scared the crap out of me. Almost stood the thing up and aimed it at a wall.

 

[48107]

That's my experience too, but every once in a while I see someone with truly hammered edges...maybe they used the file, or use their track tires on the street once they're unsuitable for track duty.



I commute so I have an excuse for wearing the center down.

 

[mheyer]

"Chicken Strips" have a lot to do with form as well. If you have terrible form, you will actually lean the bike over further because of it. Better form means the bike has to lean over less for a given turn and speed. If you have good form, no way you should be wearing away the chicken strips on the street. Additionally, front and rear tire wear can depend on your style - for example, I was just at Barber last weekend working on picking up corner entry speed - meant less trail braking (getting off the brakes at the 1 markers before tip in, and throttling through). This will not wear the front edges hard at all. A deep hard trail-brake will use much more of the front tire. With my practice, I scrubbed the rear slick to the edge, and shot it in two days (14 20-minute sessions). The front slick has maybe 3/4" of "chicken strip" and tons of life. Anyway, both form and style will dictate how much chicken strip and comparative chicken strip front to rear. Riding on the street, you should never get rid of them with good form. If you do want to get rid of them for whatever reason, just shove the bike under you like a dirt bike while cornering - the bike will need more lean angle to complete the turn. You'll also be further on the edge of the tire, and have less rubber on the ground. Do it at your own risk.



For the above reasons, I don't give any credit for lack of chicken strips.....

 

[Fenton]

I rarely use my brakes on a curvy road and would agree with the front not wearing very far toward the edge. I was just surprised by the fact my upping the pace didn't use more of the tire.

I guess I need to worry about making the used part "blue" instead.

 

[52944]

I don't know I've used dunlops and bridgestones and tore up the edges on both (on the track)



Fronts do seem to resist a little better but even those you can get torn up to the edge too.

 

[52944]

On the track with track tires - I've tried dunlops and Bridgestones - both were worn to the edge... this is with a RS125, but maybe it's just track tires.... on my EX500 with sport touring tries they don't get worn all the way to the edge.