Question on new tire | GTAMotorcycle.com

Question on new tire

kurtrules

kurtrules

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I got the front tire replaced yesterday.

Some history - I had bought a tire set last year. The rear tire was due for replacement, so I got it replaced (thanks to @shanekingsley for everything!) last year itself
Yesterday, I got the front tire replaced from Burlington cycle. So almost after a year of purchase. The bike has done 21k, and the front was almost bald.

During the 1 year that passed, the new tire was placed in my basement, away from direct sunlight.

Now, when I rode back from Burlington Cycle (which is 10 mins from I live) the ride was very uninspiring. The bike felt like it was ready to dive into every corner I took. It was very nimble. So I had to be extra cautious, and I kept it straight for most of the time. I took it for a spin on Side Road 4 (connecting Appleby and Walkers) which is the nearest stretch of pavement where I can have "fun". To be honest, the "fun" was completely missing.

So I came back home, and checked the air pressure. It seemed fine (38psi), checked the bead on the wheel, which seemed fine too, checked the rotation direction, which is also correct.

So I am unsure why my bike's handling is screwed up? I am being presumptuous? Should I wait, ride it sedately for a few 100 kms and then let it lean? Is there a break-in period?

This never happened when I got the rear tire replaced.

Comments welcome!

PS:
Bike - VStrom 650 2019
Front & Rear Tire - Bridgestone Battalax A41 (These were the stock. Didn't change the brand/tire - it worked well for me)
Front tire size - 110/80-19
 
Well your front tire won’t feel the same as a rear tire going into corners in my opinion.

Also could you have become so used to the old and bald tire that now the tire is the way it should be…wanting to tuck into a corner?

EDIT: nimble should be a positive no?
 
kurtrules said:
I got the front tire replaced yesterday.

Some history - I had bought a tire set last year. The rear tire was due for replacement, so I got it replaced (thanks to @shanekingsley for everything!) last year itself
Yesterday, I got the front tire replaced from Burlington cycle. So almost after a year of purchase. The bike has done 21k, and the front was almost bald.

During the 1 year that passed, the new tire was placed in my basement, away from direct sunlight.

Now, when I rode back from Burlington Cycle (which is 10 mins from I live) the ride was very uninspiring. The bike felt like it was ready to dive into every corner I took. It was very nimble. So I had to be extra cautious, and I kept it straight for most of the time. I took it for a spin on Side Road 4 (connecting Appleby and Walkers) which is the nearest stretch of pavement where I can have "fun". To be honest, the "fun" was completely missing.

So I came back home, and checked the air pressure. It seemed fine (38psi), checked the bead on the wheel, which seemed fine too, checked the rotation direction, which is also correct.

So I am unsure why my bike's handling is screwed up? I am being presumptuous? Should I wait, ride it sedately for a few 100 kms and then let it lean? Is there a break-in period?

This never happened when I got the rear tire replaced.

Comments welcome!

PS:
Bike - VStrom 650 2019
Front & Rear Tire - Bridgestone Battalax A41 (These were the stock. Didn't change the brand/tire - it worked well for me)
Front tire size - 110/80-19
Click to expand...
the break in miles and possibly the lower temps are likely to blame imo
 
How much riding did you do from time of purchase to time of front tire replacement?


If it was relatively low and been riding on a balding front tire and recently changed it, the difference is night and day.

Check tire pressure when cold and not right after a ride.

Otherwise, your bike is probably demonstrating how well it can handle and should inspire confidence turning.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
When my old tires would square off you could 100% feel it. The tire would turn in, and then suddenly dip when you leaned from small angle where it was still square to actual round.

Weird feeling.

New tires put on and the nimbleness (?) was back and I loved it.

I think you just got used to riding on a squared tire and now that the tire is proper it’s going to take some adjustment.

It’s like a car gets faster after a wash.
 
What you are feeling is a bike turning the way it should be turning. Although I am surprised the pressure is that high; usually I ran 32psi on the street but it's been quite a few years
 
Lightcycle said:
Unusual.

Normally rear tire pressure is higher than front. V-Strom recommended pressures are F36/R42.
Click to expand...
First I have ever heard of with running front lower than the rear.
On the slicks, rears are usually 18-25 psi and fronts are 35-38psi
On the dirtbike I usually do 5psi rear and 11-12 up front.
Street I ran 32 up front and 30 in the rear.

Perhaps touring bikes are setup differently to require the rear to be more rigid.
 
I feel like there's an uneasy standoff here, waiting to see who starts the tire pressure argument first
 
TwistedKestrel said:
I feel like there's an uneasy standoff here, waiting to see who starts the tire pressure argument first
Click to expand...

Not a peep from me.

Been riding long enough to know that there is no universal magic psi number that will work for everyone. Even if comparing on the same motorcycle and tires. We all ride differently, some ride harder, some more conservative. We ride different terrain and roads, slab vs twisties, asphalt vs gravel. We don't all weigh the same either. We all have very personal preferences for grip/heat/feel vs longevity vs ride harshness.

I remember a whole bunch of us going out doing laps on the track and measuring and adjusting the psi every session to get enough heat in the tires. Every one of us in the paddock ended up with different pressures depending on our riding style, ergos, etc.

When I'm trying out a new brand of tire in the dirt, I'll constantly adjust the pressure to figure out what works best for me and my riding style. The owner's manual and opinions from randos on the Interweb can be a good start, but it's only that: a good start and not the be all and end all.

So when @kurtrules says:

kurtrules said:
I played around with a few permutations. That combination made the bike feel right.
Click to expand...

That was basically the end of the discussion for me.

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