tire life

5405 Views 20 Replies 17 Participants Last post by DonRich90, Nov 24, 2005

NormanW

Discussion Starter · Jan 20, 2004

I am considering either a Suzuki Burgman 650 or an Aprilia Atlantic 500.
On the Aprilia message boards I am finding post about tires only lasting 3-4000 miles.

How long can I expect tires on a Burg 650 to last?

This bike will be a daily driver and at 3-4k tire life, I would be needing to buy tires every 3-4 months.

1 - 20 of 21 Posts

roy_ryall

· #2 · Jan 20, 2004

7-8,000 miles rear and 10-11,000 miles front

pirmil

· #3 · Jan 21, 2004

Hello...
my experiment with Piaggio X9 500 (same motor Aprilia Atlantic)
11000 km Rear (6000 Mi)
15000 km Front (9300 Mi)
see you.
Pirmil

doug

· #4 · Feb 25, 2004

hi put 13000 miles or 21000 kms on my burger last summer and need a new back tire and the front is about half done

Franklin

· #5 · Feb 25, 2004

Extending Tire Life

My rear was wearing faster than the front and, for some reason, the dealer just laughed when I asked him to rotate them. So, for several hundred miles a month, I simply ride in reverse to alternate the wear on the tires. Does make the neck stiff, though.

sleibo24

· #6 · Feb 27, 2004

tire wear

I ride my burger with another guy who has 12000 miles on his and it is just ready for a back tire with the front following in a month or so.

Brian

· #7 · Mar 15, 2005

Re: Extending Tire Life

Franklin said:
My rear was wearing faster than the front and, for some reason, the dealer just laughed when I asked him to rotate them. So, for several hundred miles a month, I simply ride in reverse to alternate the wear on the tires. Does make the neck stiff, though.

:lol: I bet your chiropractor loves you, but your insurance agent is nervous!

I've got a little over 9,000 miles on my AN650K3 now, and the original tires are still holding up well.

I'm planning a long tour for August (3,000+ miles), so I'll probably order tires next payday so I can be sure to have them ready to change just before the trip.

On the other hand, some people are reporting 13,000 miles and more on their tires, so I may wait until after the trip if I still have plenty of tread left just before I leave.

Wasquid

· #8 · Mar 15, 2005

I had mine changed at about 10k. The rear was at the wear bars. The front looked like it could go longer, but I was tired of looking at it :wink:

jkrerol15

· #9 · Mar 16, 2005

My rear tire, the original on a 2003 650 with 6,700 miles, is starting to get flattened out pretty good and the tred is getting pretty shallow. However, what's the best way for me to say for sure that it is worn out and just not safe. If I ask two people I get two different opinions on how much I've got left.

DonRich90

· #10 · Mar 16, 2005

jkrerol15 said:
My rear tire, the original on a 2003 650 with 6,700 miles, is starting to get flattened out pretty good and the tred is getting pretty shallow. However, what's the best way for me to say for sure that it is worn out and just not safe. If I ask two people I get two different opinions on how much I've got left.

If you're starting to think about it, it's probably time to replace. Don't scrimp on tires. Replace them BEFORE they're worn out.
Don

pauljo

· #11 · Mar 16, 2005

I agree with Don. I don't try to squeeze that last 1000 miles out of a tire. When they are worn flat (rear) or the tread is cupped of chopped (front) it starts to adversely affect the handling of the bike. So over the life of a bike (or my time of ownership) I probably end up buying one extra set of tires. My safety is worth that.

Brian

· #12 · Mar 16, 2005

jkrerol15 said:
...what's the best way for me to say for sure that it is worn out and just not safe. If I ask two people I get two different opinions on how much I've got left.

You'll probably get different opinions here, too.

Obviously, changing sooner rather than later is the best bet; but if you're trying to economize by only changing when absolutely needed, look for the "wear bars" that run across some of the grooves. If they're even with the surface of the tire, then it's time to change right away.

You can also measure the tread depth at several points, and if the average is below what the Owner's Manual recommends, then it's time to change. For the AN650 that's 1.5mm front and 2mm rear, I think. (I don't have my manual in front of me.) Measure at the centerline of the tire, and also midway between the centerline and the end of the grooves at the sidewall.

If you see cracks in the tire, or if the rubber looks "dried out" or "old," then it's time to change.

As Paul said, if you see obvious "out of round" sections, it's time.

Last, but not least, if you have to add air frequently ( a "slow leak"), then it's time.

HTH.

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jkrerol15

· #13 · Mar 16, 2005

Thanks fellas. Good info. I've got a new Bridgestone setting in the closet ready to go. I think before my next big trip this spring I'll get it changed out. For the first time ever my wife will be with me so especially with two of us on there it's time for a safe change.

billmeek

· #14 · Mar 16, 2005

I'd suggest not waiting until the last minute to change the tires. A lot of the dealers get busy in the spring and may have to schedule your tire replacement a week or 2 in advance. It's also a good idea to put a couple of hundred easy miles on new tires before really riding them to allow them break in time. You don't want tire problems when touring.

Wes

· #15 · Mar 25, 2005

Hi Guys and Gals. Further to this thread, I've now replaced both original tires with the same kind. The rear (second one cause I got a hole in the first one at 2000 KM) went 30,000 KM (18,650 miles) and the front went 36,000 km (22,700 miles). The rear was flattened in the middle and down to the wear bars. The front was not down to the wear bars yet bit was cupped enough to make it howl in the corners and shake it's head a bit. I should be good for the summer now.

cyclechamp1982

· #16 · Nov 20, 2005

I only got about 6400miles on the OEM rear of my '05 650. I changed it for a Pirelli, as I had great luck with them on the Silver Wing I previously owned.

Jerry in FL

Edwljoseph

· #17 · Nov 21, 2005

I'm at 8,600 miles on my oem tires. They are wearing very well and just starting to flatten. Our riding season is done here in NE Ohio. There may be a few short days thrown in. i will be putting on new Bridgestones this coming Spring.

cptdenny

· #18 · Nov 24, 2005

I'm getting close to 11K miles on my original rear tire. It may have another 1K to 2K miles left of service life. Got a set of Pirellis in the garage ready.

Brian

· #19 · Nov 24, 2005

[UPDATE] I changed my tires to Pirelli Diablos at 14,500 miles. My original front tire had plenty of tread left, but the rear was down to the wear bars.

The handling on the new tires was sure different; after entering a turn the bike would want to turn sharper (the inside handlebar pushing against my hand), whereas the old tires seemed to be completely neutral in a turn.

Also, before the change the bike would easily track so true that I felt like I could ride hands off (with the throttle lock engaged), but on the Diablos it seems like I had to actively keep it on course.

I don't know if it's because the Diablos are sport tires and the originals were touring tires, or if it's because the original tires had worn flat in the center (and I just don't remember what they were like when new), but it sure was a dramatic difference.

Jim

· #20 · Nov 24, 2005

Brian said:
[UPDATE] I changed my tires to Pirelli Diablos at 14,500 miles. My original front tire had plenty of tread left, but the rear was down to the wear bars.

The handling on the new tires was sure different; after entering a turn the bike would want to turn sharper (the inside handlebar pushing against my hand), whereas the old tires seemed to be completely neutral in a turn.

Also, before the change the bike would easily track so true that I felt like I could ride hands off (with the throttle lock engaged), but on the Diablos it seems like I had to actively keep it on course.

I don't know if it's because the Diablos are sport tires and the originals were touring tires, or if it's because the original tires had worn flat in the center (and I just don't remember what they were like when new), but it sure was a dramatic difference.

Good to know, I had the same result with the Pirelli GTS on the front (over steer), at slower speeds, at higher speeds it's better, and less straight line stability. The Pirelli seems to be set up for sportier riding, while the Bridgestone seems set up more for touring.

1 - 20 of 21 Posts

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