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Hi,
Solutions are often used on tyres during the curing process. This
solution helps rubber flow and reduces defects. It is designed to blend
in with the rubber. However, it can reduce grip if applied in large
amounts. Most manufacturers have eliminated the use of this solution
however.
In simple terms, the surface of a tyre needs to be broken to help the
tyre grip. This is where running in tyres is important. If power is
applied too early i.e. before the tyre has warmed up, large tears can
appear on the tread surface, this is called cold tearing and reduces the
mileage of the tyre.
Tyres can be 'scrubbed' in wet conditions but it takes much longer and
is not adviseable due to the initial reduced grip.
When tyres are first run, many of the long chain molecules break down,
when the tyre cools, the molecules reform in a more uniform way, the
tyre then runs cooler and is less likely to over heat.
Our official line at Avon is - When new m/c tyres are fitted, they
should not be subjected to maximum power until a reasonable 'running in'
distance has been covered. 100 dry miles (160km) is the recommended
minimum (discount any wet miles covered).
Best regards,
Peter J McNally
M/C Technical Product Manager, Avon Tyres
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Running tyres in
The best way to scrub tyres in is to simply get out and ride on them.
For the first mile or so keep the bike as upright as possible. This will
give you a good area within the central portion of the tread surface that
is scrubbed-in.
From here you want to increase your lean angle a little at a time, always
keeping a portion of the scrubbed-in tread in contact with the road as you
scrub-in a fresh part, leaning further and getting ever closer to the
tread's edge as the miles go by. Make sure this is done on both sides of
the tyre.
One mistake that a thankfully small amount of riders make is when leaving
the dealer's premises within the first few metres of having the tyre
fitted. When turning onto the road some riders lean the bike more than they
should and then accelerate into the traffic, causing the new tyre to slide
or spin up, dumping them in the road.
During the scrubbing-in process, tyres should not be subjected to maximum
power, sudden acceleration and braking, or abrupt and/or hard cornering
until a reasonable running-in distance of approximately 100 miles has been
covered. This will permit the rider to become accustomed to the feel of the
new tyres or tyre combination and to gradually scuff the tyre's surface
from edge to edge in order to achieve optimum road grip.
The surface of the tyre can actually be scrubbed-in in less distance than
100 miles but this doesn't mean that the tyre is fully run-in because the
tyre also needs to fully seat itself on the rim - a process not completed
simply by the fitting of the tyre. The seating of the tyre's bead on the
rim is separate to the scrubbing-in process. It takes longer and this is
one of the reasons tyre manufacturers state that new tyres should be run-in
for 100 miles.
After 100 miles have been completed the tyres should be left to cool for at
least one hour and the inflation pressures checked for any leaks that may
have occurred during the running-in period.
Because water acts as a lubricant, in the wet the scrubbing-in process can
take two or three times as long. This is not helped by the fact that road
riders rarely lean more than 28-30 degrees in the wet, meaning that the
tyre will not be scrubbed-in from edge to edge. As you would anyway in the
rain, extra caution with acceleration, braking and cornering should be
taken. Leave the scrubbing in of the tyre's edges until the roads have
dried out.
Heat cycles
A tyre's heat cycle refers to the process of heating a cold tyre up and
letting it cool back down again. Cold to hot to cold again equals one heat
cycle.
Heat cycles appear to be a hot topic (sorry) at the moment, but for road
riders on road tyres there is no reason to be concerned about heat cycles
reducing a tyre's life or performance.
Road tyres, even those designed for occasional track day use have many,
many heat cycles designed into them. After all, why would tyre
manufacturers design a road tyre that exceeds its designed number of heat
cycles when only half worn? Word would soon circulate that a certain tyre's
performance degrades rapidly before it has worn out and that tyre's sales
would plummet.
However, there are tyres that don't have loads of heat cycles designed into
them.
Race tyres are designed to be used once - one heat cycle. If that surprises
you it really shouldn't. Nobody said racing was compulsory and nobody said
racing was cheap and race tyres are designed to give maximum performance
for one race. A little like a crash helmet, where, when it's done it's job
of saving your life you throw it away, a race tyre has given its all in the
race and its performance will now reduce the more you use it.
The reality is that race tyres will give pretty good performance for
another one or two more races, but after this they really are junk.
Ever wonder why tyre manufacturers advise riders not to buy second-hand
race tyres? It's not a global ploy to get you to buy new tyres. It
genuinely is because the tyre's performance will be reduced. After all, ask
yourself why would a racer be selling a perfectly good tyre?
I hope that helps.
All the best
Bryn Phillips
Product Support Manager, Motorcycle
Dunlop Tyres UK Ltd
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.....the last 3 tanks only gave me 92 miles each before the red light came on (used to get about 105-110) :mad2
...Doh!