Breaking in brand new tire stories?

[Crashtest]

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I have to disagree, I really think these tires need breaking in. They are not freakin SUPER DIABLOS 9000'S, they are actually just a cheaper tire. It really does feel like I am riding in oil slicks especially in turns. Feels like the bike wants to collapse, I am used to turning hard in town and stuff and I can tell you from my experience, these tires need breakin' in.

Sounds more like "I'm used to squared-off tires" than oil-slicked new tires.

The bike wants to collapse... Are you running Metzelers?

 

[Fiery254]

The noobs you speak of are not crashing on tires that are slippery from mold release, they are crashing on tires that lack grip as the are not at operating temperature.

If you put that brand new tire on a tire warmer and heated it to operating temperature the tire will provide the most grip the second it comes of the tire warmer when it is brand new.

This applies to street tires as much as it does to track/race tires.

no tire, no matter how well it is scrubbed in will provide grip if it is not at operating temperature.

A whole big pile of this ^^^^^^^^^^^^.

Damn, that's good. I can tell the difference in lube used by condom manufacturers, I haven't graduated to tires yet.

Absolutely none of this ^^^^^^^^^^^^. Just 'cos you're making rumpy pumpy with a young gal doesn't mean you have to remind us every 2 minutes. An innuendo free weekend would be a nice treat please.

 

[Fiery254]

tbh, the worst part of 'breaking in' new tires is getting used to a different profile and how it corners. Even on my street ride this was always the worst part.

As for people booting out of shops on new tires and crashing? Well I'd have to say cold tires, new profiles, giddy riders on new bikes. Any of these. any time you change anything on your bike you should take it easy for the first few miles just to be sure everything is the same as before. And as John Bickle alludes to, even ride height is different on new tires.

Yes 'break new tires in' if you want to use that term. But in reality you should be exercising standard rider caution after changing an important feature on your ride.

 

[suprPHREAK]

Pirelli Strada installed at Wheelers.....left turn from lot, direct to Deal's Gap. Scrubbed in just a few minutes.

 

[jeero]

Now you put a new front and rear,, you don"t think the carcass is different?
The new tire has a stiffer carcass and probably proper air pressure.So now you boot out of the drive way and it spins up. Well the carcass is stiffer ,less contact patch. The sponge you took off that has "god knows how many miles" probably flattened right out under load. Next time check the flexability of the side wall of a new and old tire.

I think your concept is well demonstrated (in your explanation) and I agree with it.
My bike came with a Pilot Road 2 in the rear but needed to be changed.
I rode it a couple days until I was able to put the new one on, exact same tire.
My friend had told me "take it easy for a bit" but I kind of shrugged it off and rode the same way I did on the used one.
I could totally feel a huge difference because the old one is about 2mm thick (at the most) in the center whereas the brand new one is full thickness.
The old tire is sloppy and loose when I pick it up. The new one is super stiff and heavy.
All these little components come into play and the faster/harder you ride, the bigger the impact a half-pound of rubber will do to the ride.

I agree with Rep that a brand new tire, warmed, will offer it's maximum performance right from the get-go.
Is it a good advice to tell someone to take it easy? Heck yes.
As per my new-tire-story above, even if you change your tire to the exact same model as the one you are replacing, it is still a NEW tire and will ACT/FEEL much different than what you're used to riding for the past couple months! I am sure most people need a short ride or two to get used to the feel of the new tire.

 

[frekeyguy]

Just lend me your bike....everything will be taken care of...

 

[Krime]

Just swapped my tires from a gripper street tire to Michelin Pilot Road 2's. Brand new, road into work for the first time - exact same pace. merged on the highway ramp in a steep lean with damp roads and it gripped perfectly (better than I even expected).

People make it sound like you're on ice with a new tire... as Reciprocity was saying, it's not the case at all.

 

[JohnnyP636]

Just swapped my tires from a gripper street tire to Michelin Pilot Road 2's. Brand new, road into work for the first time - exact same pace. merged on the highway ramp in a steep lean with damp roads and it gripped perfectly (better than I even expected).

People make it sound like you're on ice with a new tire... as Reciprocity was saying, it's not the case at all.

Is that ramp at the end of your driveway? Or did you possibly break in the tire on the way to the ramp....

It takes 2 min to break it in (or put enough heat in it so its not slippery), and it will only feel like riding on ice if you try to ride aggresively right away....A relaxed ride to work is "taking it easy for a bit"....

Too many spin offs of the original question going on here.....Obvious****ingly if you get heat into the tire before you start pushing it, its not going to be slippery...Heating it = breaking it in...

Bottom line alot of tires will put you on your *** from brand new, if you get silly with the throttle and lean angles right away...RIGHT AWAY! Meaning pulling out of the shop that just changed your tires, or your garage if you change your own like I do..2 min after that its not slippery anyomre

So let me add this to my statements that new tires can be very slippery at firsts.... *** ONLY WHEN YOU RIDE AGGRESSIVELY RIGHT AWAY***...People that dont ride aggresively never have traction issuses

 

[Metastable]

True story:

JenningsGP February 2010. The temperature for our first session was about 5C and it never got higher than 10C that day. It was so cold during the first session, that my nose wouldn't stop running, and I actually had to pull into the pits. However before going into the pits, I'm taking it easy when I see Elkymutt blasting past me going knee down all over the place. He was pitting with me and I knew he had BRAND SPANKING NEW BT016s on the bike and NO warmers. Now mind you Jennings has more grip that most surfaces, but still that was impressive! Keep in mind we aren't telling people to go crazy with brand new tires. They do need to get to temperature and that can sometimes take a while when street riding.

 

[Krime]

Is that ramp at the end of your driveway? Or did you possibly break in the tire on the way to the ramp....

It takes 2 min to break it in (or put enough heat in it so its not slippery), and it will only feel like riding on ice if you try to ride aggresively right away....A relaxed ride to work is "taking it easy for a bit"....

Too many spin offs of the original question going on here.....Obvious****ingly if you get heat into the tire before you start pushing it, its not going to be slippery...Heating it = breaking it in...

Bottom line alot of tires will put you on your *** from brand new, if you get silly with the throttle and lean angles right away...RIGHT AWAY! Meaning pulling out of the shop that just changed your tires, or your garage if you change your own like I do..2 min after that its not slippery anyomre

So let me add this to my statements that new tires can be very slippery at firsts.... *** ONLY WHEN YOU RIDE AGGRESSIVELY RIGHT AWAY***...People that dont ride aggresively never have traction issuses

Wow that's a response. My post was directed to the original post... the OP said it feels like he's not getting traction after riding around for while with his new tires and Reciprocity said it's in your head. I'm agreeing with this... no need to get so stirred up.

 

[Bigevildoer]

New tires require NO WORKING IN AT ALL.

your information is inaccurate.

Umm... tell me then, why did my brand new set of Michelin Pilot Pures feel exceptionally squirmy when riding for the first while? My old tires, Michelin Pilot Roads had plenty of tread left, but wanted something with a bit more grip for upcoming track days. The Pilot Roads have an abysmally long warm up time, but even when cold, they offered enough grip to corner half decently. The brand new Pilot Pures "squirming" out from under me the first time on them after installation. Didn't take corners too hot - just an average pace. Thought maybe there was something on the road to cause a slight loss of traction, so no big deal.. Exact same thing happened on the next 2 corners (opposite turn direction from the first). Needless to say, I was not impressed. You may think it was due to the different profiles of the tires, but definitely not - the front felt like it was going to slide out, and the rear couldn't hold the line - at moderate road legal speed.

A solution was necessary - so, I did the old accelerate and brake relatively hard to warm the tires up on a back road, after that, I went and did some traffic circles and cloverleafs to scrub them in. When the tires were warmed up, they gripped like champions, and the squirm went away. Next time out, tires cold, no squirm.

So, believe what you may - maybe certain tires don't need to be "worked in", but the Pilot Pures certainly did.... maybe they wouldn't have if I had them on tire warmers before riding, but that's not the case.

 

[reciprocity]

Umm... tell me then, why did my brand new set of Michelin Pilot Pures feel exceptionally squirmy when riding for the first while? My old tires, Michelin Pilot Roads had plenty of tread left, but wanted something with a bit more grip for upcoming track days. The Pilot Roads have an abysmally long warm up time, but even when cold, they offered enough grip to corner half decently. The brand new Pilot Pures "squirming" out from under me the first time on them after installation. Didn't take corners too hot - just an average pace. Thought maybe there was something on the road to cause a slight loss of traction, so no big deal.. Exact same thing happened on the next 2 corners (opposite turn direction from the first). Needless to say, I was not impressed. You may think it was due to the different profiles of the tires, but definitely not - the front felt like it was going to slide out, and the rear couldn't hold the line - at moderate road legal speed.

A solution was necessary - so, I did the old accelerate and brake relatively hard to warm the tires up on a back road, after that, I went and did some traffic circles and cloverleafs to scrub them in. When the tires were warmed up, they gripped like champions, and the squirm went away. Next time out, tires cold, no squirm.

So, believe what you may - maybe certain tires don't need to be "worked in", but the Pilot Pures certainly did.... maybe they wouldn't have if I had them on tire warmers before riding, but that's not the case.

There is MUCH more information in this thread, take the time to read it and you'll find this is exactly what I was saying.

A NEW tire, at proper operating temperature provides more grip than it will at any point in its lifetime.

The squirm you felt was a lack of temperature as you indicated, not a result of a slippery mold release compound as those posting before I did were claiming.

 

[Bigevildoer]

There is MUCH more information in this thread, take the time to read it and you'll find this is exactly what I was saying.

A NEW tire, at proper operating temperature provides more grip than it will at any point in its lifetime.

The squirm you felt was a lack of temperature as you indicated, not a result of a slippery mold release compound as those posting before I did were claiming.

I just find it odd that the squirm no longer happens now that I've had it up to temperature and gradually increased lean angle around large cloverleafs and large traffic circles.
Just a theory - maybe there was some type of mould release compound on the tire which made the tire feel loose when cold. When the tire warmed up, it gripped wonderful (enough to overcome the loose feeling) and allowed me to wear any remaining compound away.

 

[Prince]

The street guys don't know what it feels like to ride on the track, and the track guys have forgotten what it's like to ride on the street.

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