SuzukiSavage.com - Uneven wear on front tire

IslandRoad

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Uneven wear on front tire
05/21/17 at 01:33:51

I did a maintenance check on the bike today and noticed the tread on the front tire is wearing substantially more on the right side (from rider's perspective) than the left side.

I haven't checked the tire pressure in a while so I'll do that at work tomorrow. My riding is generally commuting to work, and long highway runs, with occasional rides through the twisties.

The PO told me the bike had been dropped on it's left side once, while stationary. The handlebars (tall risers) had a slight twist and the left foot peg was bent. Switching to low risers, and new handlebars, sorted out the steering, and a hammer fixed the peg.

I'd like to sort it out myself if possible but I'm not sure where to start with diagnosing it, and workflow. Does the wheel balance need checked? Are the forks a bit twisted?

BTW, we ride on the left side of the road in this part of the world.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated

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S40, 2014, Dyna, Raptor, 52.5/152.5, spacer mod, sea level, cat-eye LED tail light, bullet style halogen turn signals, 'Superbars' with custom 40mm risers, modified stock seat, Metzeler tyres.

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ohiomoto

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Re: Uneven wear on front tire
Reply #1 - 05/21/17 at 05:31:09

If you ride on the left, and the road crowns to the left, then you should see more wear on the right side of the tire. That's if you ride in a straight line all day long! I think the PO failed to mention that he dropped the bike AFTER he ran into the side of his barn.

Take a really good look at the front wheel alignment. If it looks cocked, loosen the lower triple clamp pinch bolts to free up the fork tubes. Then twist the bars back and forth a few times while holding the wheel against something solid. Then center the wheel on the triple clamps and tighten the clamps. If the wheel won't center, then look for bent fork tube.

If the wheel centers and the bars are off then do a similar routine on the bars. You may have to rotate or replace the rubber clamp mounts.

You should probably inspect the rear wheel alignment while you're at it. Make sure it's adjusted evenly on both sides. The lines on the swingarm are close enough. If you are a full line or more off, you could be dog walking down the road.

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IslandRoad

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Re: Uneven wear on front tire
Reply #2 - 05/21/17 at 12:19:02

ohiomoto wrote on 05/21/17 at 05:31:09:

...I think the PO failed to mention that he dropped the bike AFTER he ran into the side of his barn.

I had wondered about his definition of "dropped it while stationary."

I've previously checked the back wheel while adjusting the belt tension, so all good there.

Thanks for the advice. I'll give it a go

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S40, 2014, Dyna, Raptor, 52.5/152.5, spacer mod, sea level, cat-eye LED tail light, bullet style halogen turn signals, 'Superbars' with custom 40mm risers, modified stock seat, Metzeler tyres.

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jcstokes Serious Thumper Offline SuzukiSavage.com is very useful Posts: 2119 Mauku New Zealand Gender:	Re: Uneven wear on front tire Reply #3 - 05/23/17 at 02:33:54 My front tyres wear that way, I don't worry about it.
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Re: Uneven wear on front tire
Reply #4 - 05/23/17 at 03:25:04

Where you ride can also affect tire wear. The Public Works departments where I work wear the outside edge of the right front tire must faster than the other tires - as the tires does a lot of scrubbing when they turn around in the cul de sac streets.

The same thing can happen if you have a lot of interstate ramps that curve in one direction. I understand that the sport bike guys that live in flat areas have to go to the interstate cloverleaf if they want to find any curves nearby, and they only learn how to make right turns and wear out their tires on that side.

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justin_o_guy2 Serious Thumper Offline What happened? Posts: 55279 East Texas, 1/2 dallas/la.	Re: Uneven wear on front tire Reply #5 - 05/23/17 at 06:21:34 I understand that the sport bike guys that live in flat areas have to go to the interstate cloverleaf if they want to find any curves nearby, and they only learn how to make right Living in Odessa Texas, hunting curves was what riders did. Even a easy going rider gets bored.
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batman Serious Thumper Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 3806 osceola new york Gender:	Re: Uneven wear on front tire Reply #6 - 05/23/17 at 08:00:30 flatlanders!
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justin_o_guy2 Serious Thumper Offline What happened? Posts: 55279 East Texas, 1/2 dallas/la.	Re: Uneven wear on front tire Reply #7 - 05/23/17 at 08:37:50 I moved... and the back country roads I've found are a fun ride. I don't pass a store/gas station, nothing, for about 35 miles. Ohh, coupla restaurants out there..
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