are tires suppose to be smooth?

I have a 2005 VFR800A and I am quite new to biking and I was wondering if the rear tire is suppose to be smooth when you glide your hand over it?

I noticed on my rear tire that I feel the grooves in the thread when passing my hand over the tire, it's not a smooth surface like a new tire would have. I have a metzeler roadtec z6 rear tire.

Also I ride with a passanger alot if that changes anything and the tire pressure is 42 in the rear tire and I adjuted the preload on the rear spring to almost max.

 

How old is the tire? Have you been riing on it?

 

well i bought the bike a month ago and the previous owner told me that he changed it at the beginning of the past season. I have probably put 300miles on the bike since I got it.

also what is the typical average life of a motorcycle tire, how many miles?

 

Old tires will be smooth and shiny. You get about 5-8k maybe a bit more depending on tire and how you ride.

 

so my tires aren't in normal condition?

 

ok I will try to post some pics although I guess in the picture it will probably look ok. It's not as bad as the pictures you showed me it's only when you glide your hand over the tire that you feel it.

 

I dint say that. Tires wear but they also age. If your tires are old (dried out / begining dry rot and hard) they will be shiny and smooth like glass. On dry pavement not riding agressivly, ou will probably not notice. In the rain tho. If that is the case and since you bought reecently, you can / should at least look at new rubber.
Tires should offer resistnace to your hand rubbing over it a kind of tackyness.

More friction tahn tacky. Hard to do this over the interwebs.

 

Hahahaha, yeah, cords showing is a lock. New rubber.

Those things still hold air?

 

ok it's kinda hard to tell cause there is sand over the tire I would have to clean it to see if the rubber is tacky. I will try to get some pics up though

 

ya the more I look into it, it does look like cupping. Do tire have to be replaced as soon as they show signs of cupping?

 

I would. It can have very bad effects on running the twisties, and head shakes that can cause a crash.

 

I think we need to see the pictures to get a better idea what you are describing.

Uneven tire wear can be caused by a number if factors, including age, use, suspension health, load and what surface you typically ride on. I find that the front tire is far more critical and tends to cause adverse handling characteristics when it is in poor shape, incorrectly inflated, doesn't match the rear in profile or just simply doesn't suit the bike or the riding style.

There is a crap load of stuff going on and the tires are quite litterally where the rubber meets the road. They should be the same make, model and series of tire and their condition should also align.

This is a nicely scrubbed in rear with even wear.


This is what you do with rear tires that don't deserve to live!

 

Why anyone would replace the OEM z6's with another set of z6's is incomprehensible; leads me to believe that they are the original tires. Check the last four digits of the DOT number (or it's Canadian equivalent) on your tires right sidewall. The first two represent a week of the year, while the last two represent the year itself. If your tires are more than 4 years old then you should replace them. Regardless of age, if they're cupped, you should replace them (with something other than a z6). Also, you may want to take that rear preload down a click or two from maximum, unless the two of you are on the husky side. Then add (stiffen) a scosh of rebound from there.

Tire Tech Information - Determining the Age of a Tire