Let's talk wheels...

BMWBard · 09-18-2005, 10:14 PM

Hi y'all, this is my first post, so be gentle, will ya?

Okay, here's the deal. Midsize "commuter" type motorcycle, not that it really matters for anything except possibly to let you know the riding is daily shortish distances on city streets and freeways. Condition of tires: rear very little tread, front adequate tread. Front AND rear 2, 3, or 4 cracks in the side, both sides. Age of both tires near 2 decades.

Comments?

KL5A · 09-18-2005, 10:51 PM

I'm not sure what to say here.....
Clearly you should consider new tires.
I don't think that even the cheapest stingiest penny pincher on this forum is going to bless your tires. Since it's not a performance bike, you should be able to buy a set of the less expensive Asian tires (I use Kenda Challengers on my budget bike) for under a franklin and they might take you through the next decade or two!

I doubt that you could get your bike towed home after the tires finally go tango uniform for less than a cheap set of tires will run you.

BMWBard · 09-20-2005, 07:15 PM

Thanks for the reply. Lists about 60 views and no more replies so I guess that means people figure you said it all. "The other shoe" or maybe the punch line to a not very funny joke here is a little complicated, but the gist is that I trusted the wrong person (hey, bikers...or motorcycle enthusists if you prefer...just aren't supposed to go about messing up other riders in my book, naive as that sounds) with the ultimate result of a parked bike because I haven't got the money to replace this set of tires and have been refusing to ride on 'em in the face of a good bit of, er, commentary about how perfectly safe they are and will be for a year at least and how, er, wussy I am and that no one would agree with me but, er, show offs and macho types. I got curious about what the forum readers here would think...hmmm, "adventure riders" should be good at drawing fine lines re what's safe and not, eh?

sdmotor · 09-23-2005, 09:54 AM

tires

JimVonBaden · 09-23-2005, 02:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BMWBard

Thanks for the reply. Lists about 60 views and no more replies so I guess that means people figure you said it all. "The other shoe" or maybe the punch line to a not very funny joke here is a little complicated, but the gist is that I trusted the wrong person (hey, bikers...or motorcycle enthusists if you prefer...just aren't supposed to go about messing up other riders in my book, naive as that sounds) with the ultimate result of a parked bike because I haven't got the money to replace this set of tires and have been refusing to ride on 'em in the face of a good bit of, er, commentary about how perfectly safe they are and will be for a year at least and how, er, wussy I am and that no one would agree with me but, er, show offs and macho types. I got curious about what the forum readers here would think...hmmm, "adventure riders" should be good at drawing fine lines re what's safe and not, eh?

Why is it No0bs always think that 60/100/200 views mean no one has an opinion? What it really means is the question was probably so ridiculous that no one wanted to bother answering.

Your tires are shot! Period. Any tires over 5 years old are likely to be unsafe no matter how much tread is on them. If they have dry rot, they are absolutely unsafe.

Only a fool fools around on wasted tires.

Just my opinion.

Jim

BikePilot · 09-24-2005, 06:23 PM

Yep, tires are shot. Even if they had plenty of tread, at that age they will not have much grip and are prone to failure.

You can save a huge amount of $$ by ordering tires online and mounting them yourself. I got my last set from swmoto. Great prices and good people to deal with. The arrived quickly and I mounted them using 3 $5 tire levers in less time than it would take to drive to the mc shop. Total cost for me was $238, but this was for top of the line ZR rated tires for a liter class sport bike. If I had paid dealership prices for the tires and mounting just the rear tire would have cost more than I paid for both. Bottom line, get tires quickly, do what you have to be able to afford them. Mounting them yourself makes them much more affordable.

Good Luck and I hope your back on the road soon

JimVonBaden · 09-24-2005, 06:31 PM

Just an add-on: At a recent tech day here in the DC area, a new airhead owner showed up on a /6 with 12 year old tires on it. They were dry-rotted between the treads, and hard as a rock.

After he changed all his fluids, did a valve adjust, and adjusted the carbs the bike was running good, and looked pretty nice.

We all headed out to dinner and as we exited the bridge on Solomon's Island he hit the same patch of old oil as several others and immediately went down. No one else even noticed the oil, or felt it. His nice /6 now isn't so nice, and he was fortunate he wasn't hurt.

Old tires, which I warned him about at the tech day, was definitely the culprit.

Jim

kv · 09-24-2005, 06:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KL5A

I don't think that even the cheapest stingiest penny pincher on this forum is going to bless your tires.

Someone will...

BMWBard · 09-25-2005, 02:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimVonBaden

Why is it No0bs always think that 60/100/200 views mean no one has an opinion? What it really means is the question was probably so ridiculous that no one wanted to bother answering.

In other words, you agreed with what I said, you just decided to be rude about it...lol!

Wanna try for giving me the perfect reply to the person you should be rude to, the idiot who (still) insists they are safe and anyone who won't go right out on 'em is a wuss?

BMWBard · 09-25-2005, 02:25 PM

Hmm...you're probably right, bikepilot...but asking me to come up with even fifty bucks at the moment or any time in the next six months or so any way I can is like telling the surfer alone at dusk 5 miles out after getting caught in the riptide to command the waves and ride one in now. Sad but true fact of life sometimes in the new America, sorry to say. I decided about 10 seconds after the first offer --got to allow time for the shock to fade and the dropped jaw to rise back into shouting position, eh?-- that sellin my bod for either the money to get what I need or the help fixin the parked baby was not a viable option...

Got to admit when I got the third offer I almost said "yeah" just to have the idiot show and see his face when he realized he hadn't been talkin to a 21 year old bunny honey.

You guys don't have to field that kind of wierdness, do you? I hope not!!

So for now I am "grounded". Have to ride vicariously through y'all's pics for awhile!

ketchup57 · 09-25-2005, 03:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BMWBard

I got curious about what the forum readers here would think...hmmm, "adventure riders" should be good at drawing fine lines re what's safe and not, eh?

Adventure riders try to limit the danger in situations - such as not riding on tires that are not safe. Some also come up with some ingenious solutions to issues that come up.

I was sort of surprised that nobody suggested going to find some good used tires until you can get the $ for some inexpensive new ones. I have at times in the past gone to a shop and purchased some decent used tires when I couldn't afford new tires for my bike. They may not have been new but they were better than dry rotted...

JimVonBaden · 09-25-2005, 04:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BMWBard

In other words, you agreed with what I said, you just decided to be rude about it...lol!

Wanna try for giving me the perfect reply to the person you should be rude to, the idiot who (still) insists they are safe and anyone who won't go right out on 'em is a wuss?

Not rude, just reflecting on what seems to be the case. There are 6000 registered users, and double that that might view a thread. You could get 1000 views on ass hair if you posted something about it. Check Jo momma!

Jim

PS Yes, the tires are not safe, and you shouldn't ride on them. Check www.swmototires.com for a set of inexpensive Chengas or similar.

kv · 09-25-2005, 05:34 PM

Quote:

Sad but true fact of life sometimes in the new America, sorry to say.

Before you tell us what a sad state of affairs this country is in or you post a picture of an empty fridge, may I suggest that you ask if anyone has a set of tires that'll fit your bike in the Flea Market. We all have to buy tires and other "essential" items for our bikes. Doesn't matter if you're Donald Trump or you flip burgers.

Bigger Al · 09-25-2005, 06:46 PM

Tires are cheap. Skin grafts are not. New tires are pretty. Scars are not. 'Nuf said? Ride safe!!

kv · 09-25-2005, 06:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bigger Al

Chics dig scars. 'Nuf said?
Ride safe!!

fixed

09-18-2005, 10:14 PM	#1
BMWBard ^OP Mystic Rider Joined: Sep 2005 Location: much too close to San Francisco :P Oddometer: 858	Let's talk wheels... Hi y'all, this is my first post, so be gentle, will ya? Okay, here's the deal. Midsize "commuter" type motorcycle, not that it really matters for anything except possibly to let you know the riding is daily shortish distances on city streets and freeways. Condition of tires: rear very little tread, front adequate tread. Front AND rear 2, 3, or 4 cracks in the side, both sides. Age of both tires near 2 decades. Comments? __________________ Sector 7G

09-18-2005, 10:51 PM	#2
KL5A Bugs are the new black Joined: Jun 2003 Location: BP51HO Oddometer: 4,477	I'm not sure what to say here..... Clearly you should consider new tires. I don't think that even the cheapest stingiest penny pincher on this forum is going to bless your tires. Since it's not a performance bike, you should be able to buy a set of the less expensive Asian tires (I use Kenda Challengers on my budget bike) for under a franklin and they might take you through the next decade or two! I doubt that you could get your bike towed home after the tires finally go tango uniform for less than a cheap set of tires will run you. __________________ HACKSAW: One of a family of cutting tools built on the Ouija board principle. It transforms human energy into a crooked, unpredictable motion, and the more you attempt to influence its course, the more dismal your future becomes. Only dead fish go with the flow.

09-20-2005, 07:15 PM	#3
BMWBard ^OP Mystic Rider Joined: Sep 2005 Location: much too close to San Francisco :P Oddometer: 858	oh no, I think we agree... Thanks for the reply. Lists about 60 views and no more replies so I guess that means people figure you said it all. "The other shoe" or maybe the punch line to a not very funny joke here is a little complicated, but the gist is that I trusted the wrong person (hey, bikers...or motorcycle enthusists if you prefer...just aren't supposed to go about messing up other riders in my book, naive as that sounds) with the ultimate result of a parked bike because I haven't got the money to replace this set of tires and have been refusing to ride on 'em in the face of a good bit of, er, commentary about how perfectly safe they are and will be for a year at least and how, er, wussy I am and that no one would agree with me but, er, show offs and macho types. I got curious about what the forum readers here would think...hmmm, "adventure riders" should be good at drawing fine lines re what's safe and not, eh? __________________ Sector 7G

09-23-2005, 09:54 AM	#4
sdmotor Beastly Adventurer Joined: Jan 2004 Location: Gaslamp! Oddometer: 2,684	Here you go tires __________________ I am the worlds only life size house of cards....

09-24-2005, 06:31 PM	#7
JimVonBaden "Cool" Aid! Joined: Feb 2005 Location: Alexandria, VA Oddometer: 41,494	Just an add-on: At a recent tech day here in the DC area, a new airhead owner showed up on a /6 with 12 year old tires on it. They were dry-rotted between the treads, and hard as a rock. After he changed all his fluids, did a valve adjust, and adjusted the carbs the bike was running good, and looked pretty nice. We all headed out to dinner and as we exited the bridge on Solomon's Island he hit the same patch of old oil as several others and immediately went down. No one else even noticed the oil, or felt it. His nice /6 now isn't so nice, and he was fortunate he wasn't hurt. Old tires, which I warned him about at the tech day, was definitely the culprit. Jim __________________ Click here for BMW Maintenance and Repair DVDs and Corrections. "Combo-Order Discounts!"

09-24-2005, 06:23 PM	#6
BikePilot Beastly Adventurer Joined: Jul 2005 Location: Tampa Oddometer: 10,901	Yep, tires are shot. Even if they had plenty of tread, at that age they will not have much grip and are prone to failure. You can save a huge amount of $$ by ordering tires online and mounting them yourself. I got my last set from swmoto. Great prices and good people to deal with. The arrived quickly and I mounted them using 3 $5 tire levers in less time than it would take to drive to the mc shop. Total cost for me was $238, but this was for top of the line ZR rated tires for a liter class sport bike. If I had paid dealership prices for the tires and mounting just the rear tire would have cost more than I paid for both. Bottom line, get tires quickly, do what you have to be able to afford them. Mounting them yourself makes them much more affordable. Good Luck and I hope your back on the road soon

09-25-2005, 02:25 PM	#10
BMWBard ^OP Mystic Rider Joined: Sep 2005 Location: much too close to San Francisco :P Oddometer: 858	Good advice for some day! Hmm...you're probably right, bikepilot...but asking me to come up with even fifty bucks at the moment or any time in the next six months or so any way I can is like telling the surfer alone at dusk 5 miles out after getting caught in the riptide to command the waves and ride one in now. Sad but true fact of life sometimes in the new America, sorry to say. I decided about 10 seconds after the first offer --got to allow time for the shock to fade and the dropped jaw to rise back into shouting position, eh?-- that sellin my bod for either the money to get what I need or the help fixin the parked baby was not a viable option... Got to admit when I got the third offer I almost said "yeah" just to have the idiot show and see his face when he realized he hadn't been talkin to a 21 year old bunny honey. You guys don't have to field that kind of wierdness, do you? I hope not!! So for now I am "grounded". Have to ride vicariously through y'all's pics for awhile! __________________ Sector 7G

09-25-2005, 06:46 PM	#14
Bigger Al Still a stupid tire guy Joined: Oct 2004 Location: Auburn, CA Oddometer: 7,273	Tires are cheap. Skin grafts are not. New tires are pretty. Scars are not. 'Nuf said? Ride safe!! __________________ "Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power." - Abraham Lincoln

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