Uneven front tire wear

[demingoutwest]

I ride an 04 R1150RT that I purchased new. The original front tire (Michelin) was warn past safe use on the left side (from seating position) at 12k miles. I replaced it with a Metzeler which has just under 13k now & showing the same wear on left side. I dont buy the road crown or high pressure cure. I have been riding for 50 years & have never seen this wear on front tires. I have owned many brands - some with well over 100k miles with no wear like this. I have had dealers tell me anything from tire pressure to adding weight to the right luggage bag. Since BMW is supposed to be such a well engineered machine I would think they could at least make the thing roll down the road without wearing the tires goofy.

[PGlaves]

I ride an 04 R1150RT that I purchased new. The original front tire (Michelin) was warn past safe use on the left side (from seating position) at 12k miles. I replaced it with a Metzeler which has just under 13k now & showing the same wear on left side. I dont buy the road crown or high pressure cure. I have been riding for 50 years & have never seen this wear on front tires. I have owned many brands - some with well over 100k miles with no wear like this. I have had dealers tell me anything from tire pressure to adding weight to the right luggage bag. Since BMW is supposed to be such a well engineered machine I would think they could at least make the thing roll down the road without wearing the tires goofy.

The dreaded words - they all do it. More weight right of center has slight right pull countered by left steer most of the time. Sorry - but that's the way they build them.

[osbornk]

Besides the crowned road theory, I always thought it was caused by the rider. We tend to take left curves much harder than right ones. I'm more comfortable leaning to the left and I tend to go faster on left turns because of it. Also, I fear misjudging my speed on right turns and getting in the oncoming lane and having a head-on collision.

Maybe this is the cause and it wasn't apparent before because your previous bikes didn't handle curves as well and you took the turns more slowly.

Ken

[RoboRider]

When you have new tires on, and you ride with no hands, does it run straight, level and true? My 05 RT does, like an arrow. If yours does, then it must be in alignment and OK. If not, who knows: bent forks, frame, swingarm??? But then I'd say there is a problem. I get preferential wear as well, and "all of my bikes do", and they are not BMWs.

To some extent, the bike does matter. Lesser weight bikes seem to not wear as much as heavier bikes. Just my anecdotal observation, I don't have a lot of proof to back it up except the bikes I own or have owned.

What kind of Metz are you running? If Z6, then they are well past their life at 13k anyway.

I just popped new rubber on my CBR600RR and the Dunlops were worn noticeably more on the left.

Here is an interesting tire wear website:

http://www.rattlebars.com/valkfaq/tirewear/index.html

PS to Paul: Why does the bike have more weight on the right? Can you educate me there? All BMW RTs or just this one? Also, if it pulls to the right, wouldn't you have to countersteer to the right to get it to correct left?

Thanks!

[norton]

You're complaining about uneven tire wear at 12k miles? I'm happy to get over 8 K miles on mine. As suggested TADT.

[Jeffhorn]

I've always had uneven wear due to crowns on roads and harder left cornering, more so when I lived in a wetter climate (higher crowns) and twistier roads. I've learned to live with it.
Now if tire mafufacturers would consider that when designing tires...........

[wrealini]

You are luckey to get 12k mi on a set of tires.
I am luckey to get 8,000 mi on the Diablos I get.
I always replace both together and I don't worry about the uneaven wear on the front.

[JKERSH1]

The front Metz 880's on my LT cupped until I raised the inflation to 42 psi.

[jamesdunn]

The time one spends in left hand curves is longer as well. A right hand curve does not cover the same distance. My tires always wear out quicker on the left side regardless of bike or tire manufacturer.

[BMorleyW]

I'd say about 12 K miles for the Z6 front is about right on (I have the exact same bike). That's what I did last time and am about at 8K on the present one and looking for another 4K. The rear tire however, I would only trust to about 8K. Steve

[rayadams]

Itoo own an '04 1150 RT which I bought with 2500 miles on the clock and the original tires. This winter at 22,000 miles, I have installed the third set of tires. Both of the previous front tires (Z6 & Marathon) wore on the left side of center. The Z6 went to 9000 miles the marathon went 13,000 miles.

I have no complain.

But I am sure this dead horse will continue to be flogged.

[Rollifahrer]

I went through 3 Michelins and a Metzler and noticed uneven wear starting at low miles and they were all trashed by 12K. The Avon Storm has 12.5K on it and no signs of cupping or other wear on either side.

While trying to preserve my tires I got in the habit of loading the bike heavier on the left and checking tracking by lifting my hands off the bars (Throttlemeister helps). The crown in the road and wind can cause a bike to pull one way or the other, but steering input and weight shift are the two variables we can control. If you don't correct a weight bias, you will necessarilly steer to correct tracking. Constantly pushing the left bar even lightly, will scrub rubber off the left side of the tire. I use body weight to fine tune tracking on long hauls, which slowed down wear on the other brands, but is working surprisingly well with the Avon. It shouldn't matter, but I put Wilbers shocks on it and replaced a badly worn swingarm pivot bearing with a bronze bushing at the same time I switched to the Avon. There are a lot of theories as to why it happens, but careful loading, and regularly checking tracking, are sure ways to save your tire.

[Texpaul]

My 2000 RT had similar front tire uneven wear issues. I read somewhere that front to rear wheel alignment might be the cause and that removing the rear wheel spacer might help the issue. I tried it and it worked, for me. Now I get even front tire wear consitantly.
Tire mileage is (in part) a function of how you ride. Usually I get between 10 and 12k out of a set of tires but when I did the Four Corners ride and some rallies (lots of highway miles) I got 17k (Pilot Road's).