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How do you know if you need to change your rear tire?

Buzzing Bee

Buzzing Bee

New member
Joined
Jul 21, 2008
Location
Riverside California
Moto(s)
2001 Kawasaki ZX6R
Name
Manny
I noticed everytime I make a sudden stop, the rear tire is skidding a little bit, I'm using both of the hand brake and foot break. Do you think it's normal?
 
Buzzing Bee said:
I noticed everytime I make a sudden stop, the rear tire is skidding a little bit, I'm using both of the hand brake and foot break. Do you think it's normal?
Click to expand...

Couple of questions:
How long have you been riding?
Are you aware that you can stop your bike fine without useing the rear brake?
Got a pic of the rear tire?
What condition are your brakes in? The rear may be sticking a bit.
 
superhawk said:
Couple of questions:
How long have you been riding?
Are you aware that you can stop your bike fine without useing the rear brake?
Got a pic of the rear tire?
What condition are your brakes in? The rear may be sticking a bit.
Click to expand...

On top of these great questions -

Does it only do it when you downshift and let off the clutch at first? I had a REAL time learning to give a little once I let the clutch out w/ the rear brake. I'd bark the back tire almost everytime.
 
Yes. Stop using the rear brake and the rear tire will stop sliding. If you MUST use the rear brake, learn to apply it LIGHTLY. The ONLY reason the tire is sliding is because of over use of the rear brake. You don't need both brake stop the bike, and the front brake gives 95% of the total stopping power.
 
Before it looks like this

DSC_0048.jpg
 
Its perfectly normal for you to skid if you apply too much rear brake..

I sometimes do it for fun.. =) In empty lots i slam the rear brake pretty hard, and counter steer to drift a bit..


You may be applying too much rear brake.
 
First, using your rear brake is what you SHOULD be doing. Only using the front is kind of silly since 30% of your stopping power does come from the rear. You should use it all the time so you know how to use it in an emergency properly.

Second, just apply slightly less rear brake and it will stop skidding.

Third, and this goes for all tires. If you look over the tread on the tire you'll find a spot inside the tread groves that's slightly raised. That's the "tire wear mark". When the rest of the tire wears down to that point, your tire is no longer legal for road use. On a motorcycle it will be in the center of the tire as that's wear your tire gets the most wear.
 
Ozymandias said:
First, using your rear brake is what you SHOULD be doing. Only using the front is kind of silly since 30% of your stopping power does come from the rear. You should use it all the time so you know how to use it in an emergency properly.

Second, just apply slightly less rear brake and it will stop skidding.

Third, and this goes for all tires. If you look over the tread on the tire you'll find a spot inside the tread groves that's slightly raised. That's the "tire wear mark". When the rest of the tire wears down to that point, your tire is no longer legal for road use. On a motorcycle it will be in the center of the tire as that's wear your tire gets the most wear.
Click to expand...


:thumbup:thumbup Finally a good answer :ride
 
Ozymandias said:
First, using your rear brake is what you SHOULD be doing. Only using the front is kind of silly since 30% of your stopping power does come from the rear. You should use it all the time so you know how to use it in an emergency properly.

Second, just apply slightly less rear brake and it will stop skidding.

Third, and this goes for all tires. If you look over the tread on the tire you'll find a spot inside the tread groves that's slightly raised. That's the "tire wear mark". When the rest of the tire wears down to that point, your tire is no longer legal for road use. On a motorcycle it will be in the center of the tire as that's wear your tire gets the most wear.
Click to expand...


Here is an uninformed and dangerous post. If you intend to use the rear, use it with care and concern. In an emergency USE THE FRONT BRAKE. Unless you are in water or gravel it will stop you quickly. The rear does NOT supply "30%" of braking. Try a little test. Go out in your street and set up a coke bottle at the side. Ride up to it at 30 mph and stop using only the front brake, only the rear brake and both...

The first thing you will discover is the distance covered using only the rear brake is HUGE compared to only the front. The next thing you will discover is that using the front only will usually stop you faster than using the front and rear. Why? Because you need to use ATTENTION to the rear brake, and if your attention is not enough, you will slide the rear, as the OP has been doing. This just slows you down, nothing more.

As an instructor I taught braking drills for years with front, back and both. The rear only ones were funny. We would see 30 foot long skid marks and riders almost out of control, always stopping way past where they thought they could stop. The riders using both almost never stopped any better than front brake only. And they also tended to slide the rear. When the rear is sliding, you are out of control.

The more pressure you put on the front brake, the more the front dives and the more traction you have. On the race track you will see riders with the rear tire six inches in the air, they are applying so much force to the front. How well does it stop then? If it stops so well, why do almost ALL racers say they seldom if ever use the rear, and then not for slowing?
 
That tire looks like a lot of commuting miles, or lots of burn-out exhibitions.

All DOT Tires have a 4 digit manufacturing code on them indicating week and year produced. 3607 in the picture below:

S7300323.jpg


-Plan on buying new tires that are less than a year from the current date, if at all possible, as these will be your best bet.
-Be weary of sales tires, their age, and also look how the tires are displayed. Outside, and/or in direct sunlight will age them quicker. Inside and still wrapped in plastic keeps them safer from the outside air, and sunlight aging.

I commute 60 miles a day, and plan on going through two rears for every front.

Oh, and I use both brakes all the time. :thumbup
 
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Jasondt2001 said:
On top of these great questions -

Does it only do it when you downshift and let off the clutch at first? I had a REAL time learning to give a little once I let the clutch out w/ the rear brake. I'd bark the back tire almost everytime.
Click to expand...

you should be giving it a little gas before you engage the clutch again so that there is no skid of the tire. it's called "rev-matching." do some searching.

as for the rear tire skidding...

the closer you come to a complete stop, the more weight is on the front of the bike, which means the less weight is on the rear. so as the rear end becomes lighter, the same braking force will become too much. just go a little easier on the rear brake as you come to a complete stop.

one of my buddies who races says he never touches the rear brake at all, even on the racetrack. from looking at pictures, going into corners, his rear wheel is an inch off the ground.

now that's way too extreme for street riding, but my point is that a good 80% of your braking comes from the front anyway. go easier on the rear.

As for tire wear, when the curve of the tire develops an "edge" or "flat spot" or when the tread is gone in any part of the tire, then it's time for replacement. the tire in the pictures posted is SMOKED. replace it. what does yours look like?
 
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actually with the late seventies and early eighties bikes a couple of posters here are riding, the suggestion to use both brakes is correct. Brakes SUCKED back in the day. Today the modern twin discs on the front on modern bikes will stop the bike extremely well with NO application of the rear. Really guys, that rear brake can kill you. If you are in an emergency you have very little time to do something. Spend that time getting the front brake on. THEN once you are stopping yourself with it, apply the rear if you have time to PAY attention to it. But remember, applying the rear and locking it up in an emergency is not going to make things better in any way.
 
afm199 said:
actually with the late seventies and early eighties bikes a couple of posters here are riding, the suggestion to use both brakes is correct. Brakes SUCKED back in the day. Today the modern twin discs on the front on modern bikes will stop the bike extremely well with NO application of the rear. Really guys, that rear brake can kill you. If you are in an emergency you have very little time to do something. Spend that time getting the front brake on. THEN once you are stopping yourself with it, apply the rear if you have time to PAY attention to it. But remember, applying the rear and locking it up in an emergency is not going to make things better in any way.
Click to expand...

Absolutely right. I rarely use my rear brake at all, pretty much only when I have a passenger. Think about a car with ABS (anti lock brakes.) your best stopping power and shortest stopping distance occurs just BEFORE the tires skid. If you're skidding, you're taking more distance than necessary to stop, and wearing out your tires more quickly than necessary.

do some braking drills, plenty of good threads on here if you do some searching.
 
i got a nasty flat spot in my rear...

is it normal to burn up 2 rears for every front?

my front's tread is low but it's not FLAT like my rear...


(cant wait til it get bad enough to replace... then ima burn the shit outa it....)
 
superhawk said:
Couple of questions:
How long have you been riding?
Are you aware that you can stop your bike fine without useing the rear brake?
Got a pic of the rear tire?
What condition are your brakes in? The rear may be sticking a bit.
Click to expand...

Here is the pics of my rear tire:
2751088206_e59d325f67.jpg

2750251889_e18d929a0e.jpg

2751086122_3b84ab7209.jpg
 
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