Tire wear

[auditray2007]

I have read a lot about front tire wearing on one side and understand why it happens.
However; I recently did the fork overhaul and put a 10 weight oil in there as the springs were just a tad under good and I also wanted to stiffen up things a bit . After 500 miles or so I noticed the right side of the tire wearing a lot. Never saw this before and I see the tire a lot whilst working in my garage. Tire has about 5000 miles on it. Bridgestone.
Is it possible that the heavier oil or possibly a difference in the amount of oil in each leg would cause this or is it normal and just coincidence?

[Hook#3287]

My opinion is coincidence.

You guys ride on the wrong side of the road, right? I mean, correct? The wear is on the right, while sitting on the bike? That goes with the road crown theory.

What psi are you running?

Fork Oil weight seems to be whatever the manufacturer wants to call it.

https://transmoto.com.au/comparative-oil-weights-table/

[indybobm]

Before you reinstalled your front wheel, would the axle slip easily through both forks? Or did you have to work at it to get the axle into the right fork?

[auditray2007]

40 psi. Reading this suggests Road Crown has nothing to do with it. ???
http://www.rattlebars.com/tirewear/index.html

Axle went in easy.
Bike drives straight and drives well !

[98valk]

Dunlop FAQ  states late hard braking causes the uneven front tire wear. they provide some details worth a read.

[The emperor has no clothes]

40 psi. Reading this suggests Road Crown has nothing to do with it. ???
http://www.rattlebars.com/tirewear/index.html

Axle went in easy.
Bike drives straight and drives well !

As I understand it, it's because of the longer distance of our left turns. In your case, the longer distance of right turns.

[Hook#3287]

40 psi. Reading this suggests Road Crown has nothing to do with it. ???
http://www.rattlebars.com/tirewear/index.html

Axle went in easy.
Bike drives straight and drives well !

Well, I did say theory.   I've never seen that rattelbars post/site.  No way I'm reading that now.  Have to check it out when I'm fresh.

40 psi. Reading this suggests Road Crown has nothing to do with it. ???
http://www.rattlebars.com/tirewear/index.html

Axle went in easy.
Bike drives straight and drives well !

As I understand it, it's because of the longer distance of our left turns. In your case, the longer distance of right turns.

Another theory, sounds good. 

[Bighead]

I have read a lot about front tire wearing on one side and understand why it happens.

Do tell why and how you understand it..

[auditray2007]

I gave the article to my son who is an engineer. He was able to tell me that it was wearing more on the right side without seeing it.

What he wasn't able to positively say was whether a difference in oil levels have anything to do with uneven wear on any side?

From what I read it would! But that is on normal bikes with two shocks. The valk has one shock and one damper. As I put 10 weight oil in there I didn't put the  recommended amounts until I test rode it. Rides beautifully and corners very well even when picking up lolly sticks. Big up to thee dark side!!! Thats not to say there might be a subtle enough difference to wear more aggressively on one side. The RH side of the tire seems to have vanished over the last 500 miles or less!

What I am concerned about here is when I put a new tire on there is it going to destroy it prematurely?

[Chrisj CMA]

New tire should be fine. Sounds like you rode hard on a tire that was on it's last legs and just hastened the demise a little. Keep running 40psi and you should be ok.  If your roads are harsh on tires and you ride very aggressively then of course you will get significantly less miles on a set of tires.

[Jess from VA]

I think (greater) front left side wear is a combination of 1) road crowns, and 2) longer faster left turns (and shorter, slow rolling right turns).

Underinflation (like recommended in the manual) also contributes to abnormal wear and cupping.

Manufacturers insistence on shallow front tire tread depth also sucks.

[John Schmidt]

Some time ago, a friend was experiencing the same thing....more tire wear on one side. His thoughts were also along the line of the forks being different on each side. So just for an experiment, he put some 15wt. in the left side and a lighter weight in the right. I have no idea how it worked for him, we never talked about the issue after that. But, I can't help wondering if doing the same thing might make a difference. I guess if you have nothing to do and too much time to do it in, then changing viscosity might make a fun experiment. Myself, I'd probably just put the same wt. in both sides, but less in one side.

[Willow]

Road crown cannot account for uneven tire wear.  For the wear to be as high as you see the road crown would have to be very, very steep.

Uneven wear is indeed caused by more time on a left or right turn depending upon the part of the world in which you ride.

It's very possible one could experience more front tire wear in a turn when riding with a "car tire" depending upon the tire chosen.  Since the broader, flatter tire behaves differently in a turn it could in fact cause the bike to push against the front tire accelerating the wear.

As mentioned lower air pressure will increase tire wear including uneven wear.  I prefer about forty-two in the front.

[Gryphon Rider]

I don't think differing left/right fork oil weight has anything to do with uneven tire wear, even on bikes where the two forks are otherwise identical.

The British Isles are infested with roundabouts (traffic circles).  I'm guessing that'll contribute to right side tire wear.  Or maybe it's crop circles I'm thinking of.  In that case, stay off of farmers' fields!

[Blackduck]

Here in Aus I have run Perth to Adelaide and back several times (2700 K's each way).
In the middle you cross the Nullabor Plain, has a lot of straight sections. The longest being 140 K (90Miles).
There is always a side wind and it will wear the tyre on one side, wear one side going over and the other coming back.
Not fun putting on new tyres before leaving and having a worn side within a day.
Cheers Steve

[auditray2007]

I don't think differing left/right fork oil weight has anything to do with uneven tire wear, even on bikes where the two forks are otherwise identical.

The British Isles are infested with roundabouts (traffic circles).  I'm guessing that'll contribute to right side tire wear.  Or maybe it's crop circles I'm thinking of.  In that case, stay off of farmers' fields!

I didn't say different weight oil in the left and right forks. I put the same 10 weight in both just less in one side as is recommended. Same recommended levels just a heavier weight. In the event that I or anybody else would mistakenly not adhere to those guidelines I asked the question.

Also; there is NO such thing as the british Isles anymore. I'm in Ireland !!!

[98valk]

I gave the article to my son who is an engineer. He was able to tell me that it was wearing more on the right side without seeing it.

What he wasn't able to positively say was whether a difference in oil levels have anything to do with uneven wear on any side?

From what I read it would! But that is on normal bikes with two shocks. The valk has one shock and one damper. As I put 10 weight oil in there I didn't put the  recommended amounts until I test rode it. Rides beautifully and corners very well even when picking up lolly sticks. Big up to thee dark side!!! Thats not to say there might be a subtle enough difference to wear more aggressively on one side. The RH side of the tire seems to have vanished over the last 500 miles or less!

What I am concerned about here is when I put a new tire on there is it going to destroy it prematurely?

unless the axle is loose in the one fork allowing a pivoting action of the other fork, different weights or amount of oil will make zero difference.
if it did make a difference in tire wear, think how loose the axle/fork connection has to be to case tire wear.
the axle locks together both forks, making them one complete unit.

left or right side excessive tire wear causes, late heavy baking per Dunlop, amount of left or right on/off ramps,  which side of road tire ruts does one usually encounter and ride on.

[auditray2007]

I gave the article to my son who is an engineer. He was able to tell me that it was wearing more on the right side without seeing it.

What he wasn't able to positively say was whether a difference in oil levels have anything to do with uneven wear on any side?

From what I read it would! But that is on normal bikes with two shocks. The valk has one shock and one damper. As I put 10 weight oil in there I didn't put the  recommended amounts until I test rode it. Rides beautifully and corners very well even when picking up lolly sticks. Big up to thee dark side!!! Thats not to say there might be a subtle enough difference to wear more aggressively on one side. The RH side of the tire seems to have vanished over the last 500 miles or less!

What I am concerned about here is when I put a new tire on there is it going to destroy it prematurely?

unless the axle is loose in the one fork allowing a pivoting action of the other fork, different weights or amount of oil will make zero difference.
if it did make a difference in tire wear, think how loose the axle/fork connection has to be to case tire wear.
the axle locks together both forks, making them one complete unit.

left or right side excessive tire wear causes, late heavy baking per Dunlop, amount of left or right on/off ramps,  which side of road tire ruts does one usually encounter and ride on.

Axle is tight and slid into both forks effortlessly. It was the first thing I checked when I noticed the tire wear !!!
I don't drive hard and I make a set of pads last a long time so its not a braking issue.

As previously stated; I am reading that different levels of oil would make a difference but that was on normal dual shock bikes. The Valk is different and thats why I asked the question here.
Just to be clear; because I used 10 weight oil I put 10ml less than recommended in each fork until I test drove it. I'm happy with the result so I left it as is.

I have rode Wings for over 20  years and never saw wear on one side like this!

Does anybody have a worn tire that could be used to take a thread depth off? Just to get an idea of the normal discrepancy one would expect.

[The emperor has no clothes]

I gave the article to my son who is an engineer. He was able to tell me that it was wearing more on the right side without seeing it.

What he wasn't able to positively say was whether a difference in oil levels have anything to do with uneven wear on any side?

From what I read it would! But that is on normal bikes with two shocks. The valk has one shock and one damper. As I put 10 weight oil in there I didn't put the  recommended amounts until I test rode it. Rides beautifully and corners very well even when picking up lolly sticks. Big up to thee dark side!!! Thats not to say there might be a subtle enough difference to wear more aggressively on one side. The RH side of the tire seems to have vanished over the last 500 miles or less!

What I am concerned about here is when I put a new tire on there is it going to destroy it prematurely?

unless the axle is loose in the one fork allowing a pivoting action of the other fork, different weights or amount of oil will make zero difference.
if it did make a difference in tire wear, think how loose the axle/fork connection has to be to case tire wear.
the axle locks together both forks, making them one complete unit.

left or right side excessive tire wear causes, late heavy baking per Dunlop, amount of left or right on/off ramps,  which side of road tire ruts does one usually encounter and ride on.

Axle is tight and slid into both forks effortlessly. It was the first thing I checked when I noticed the tire wear !!!
I don't drive hard and I make a set of pads last a long time so its not a braking issue.

As previously stated; I am reading that different levels of oil would make a difference but that was on normal dual shock bikes. The Valk is different and thats why I asked the question here.
Just to be clear; because I used 10 weight oil I put 10ml less than recommended in each fork until I test drove it. I'm happy with the result so I left it as is.

I have rode Wings for over 20  years and never saw wear on one side like this!

Does anybody have a worn tire that could be used to take a thread depth off? Just to get an idea of the normal discrepancy one would expect.

I think I took my old tires to the dump recently. But I'll check when I get off work.