Bumpy Surface Wear On Front Tire

Has anyone else noticed this on any gen? We've got both 6th and 8th gens. The surface of the tire looks normal until you run your hand over the length of it. Then you can feel the wavy or bumpy bits. It's with different tire brands too, so not brand specific.

I'd post a pic, but it's very subtle to the eye. VERY obvious to the touch though.

That condition is called "cupping" and really had an issue with the michelins i ran on my 5th gen. No issues since switching to conti motions though.

[image: 23266068_zps67ac3305.jpg]

Causes? We're good at keeping an eye on pressure. What are we missing?

nothing you CAN do...its a factor of roads, speeds, wear,temperature, the exact temp humidity and blah blah blah of the minute the tire was cured etc. etc. and so forth..

Yup, just got this off the Duncrap site

How can I keep my tires from cupping?

You may not be able to entirely avoid cupping. Tire cupping or irregular wear is a somewhat common occurrence on all vehicles. On a four-wheel vehicle, you are advised to rotate your tires periodically to even out wear. Unfortunately, you do not have this luxury with a motorcycle because front and rear tires, unlike those on most four-wheel vehicles, are not interchangeable.
However, there are steps that can be taken to minimize cupping and uneven wear on a motorcycle: Maintain your motorcycle and particularly your front and suspension. Avoid hard braking whenever possible. Braking causes the tire to grab and wear in one direction. When braking is applied to the front tire, the load transfer over-flexes the tire and increases the tendency for cupping and uneven wear. Maintain your tire pressures. Under inflation and overloading of motorcycle tires are significant causes of cupping and uneven wear, particularly in association with hard braking and/or trailer use.
Once a tire begins to show signs of uneven wear, even following these steps may not improve the condition.
Tire companies can, and are, helping to minimize cupping and uneven wear but you, the rider, must do your part. Following the aforementioned guidelines will help avoid uneven wear.

thats the same as saying dont have a bike  that can go over 25 mph .  :laughing6-hehe:

 tires are shoes . you use them and wear down according to what you do..

they are consumables. some people have a set that last 5 years other  just 5 weeks. 

:wheel:

I ran a set of Pilot Road 3's that showed that phenomenon after about 1,000 miles.  I was getting a nasty head shake on deceleration at about 35 mph.  I switched back to Pilot Road 2's and went about 8,000 miles with almost no issue.   You just have to experiment to find what works best for your situation. 

I noticed a lot of cupping on my bike when first bought (used),then observered that it went away almost entirerly when the front end was rebuilt with Tranxx Dynamics. Not a suggestion of a condition for yours, but an observation of what was a problem with mine.:)

Interesting...I practice my hard braking a lot...so much so that the front is wearing quicker than the rear (yeah I don't exactly tear up the roads) but the Pilot Road 2 is showing no signs of cupping even after about 6K miles.  I do maintain my pressures religiously.  Maybe I'll go a little easier on the hard braking practice with the next set of tires (PR4 going on in the next couple weeks).

This is an easy fix...

I have new tires on the shelf waiting for you to come and get them installed.

I've run about 5 or 6 different sets of Dunlops and they ALL did that to some degree, some much worse than others. I finally switched to Bridgestone Battlax BT-023s and they were 100% better and NEVER cupped. My newest VFR came with Michelin Pilot Road II's and while not perfect, they are just barely showing signs of cupping with about 7,000 miles on them. No more Dunlops for me. I guess there's a reason they're always "on sale" at my local shop.

Alt solution, hit the gas harder, lightens load on front tire for a bit.
Downside, rear tire wear beaten by upside Yeehah!

I've run about 5 or 6 different sets of Dunlops and they ALL did that to some degree, some much worse than others. I finally switched to Bridgestone Battlax BT-023s and they were 100% better and NEVER cupped. My newest VFR came with Michelin Pilot Road II's and while not perfect, they are just barely showing signs of cupping with about 7,000 miles on them. No more Dunlops for me. I guess there's a reason they're always "on sale" at my local shop.

I'm finding just the opposite with my Roadsmart II. I have run Pilot Road 3, Bridgestone T30 and BT-023 and some Avons and they all have cupped quite a lot more than I'm seeing with the current Dunlops after 9000 km.

I will give you two tips which will make this completely go away.

1.)  Maintain proper air pressure.

2.)  Stop racing to the curve and grabbing a hand full of brake before diving in.

Number two is the key factor in most cases. You can deny it all you want, but next time you go for a ride, pay attention to your riding habits.

I am willing to bet if you are cupping tires, it is more you than the tire manufacturer.

Plan your speed before you get to the curve. Go a step farther and see how long you can ride without touching any brake.

You will find any cupping problem will go away and your riding skills will greatly improve.

I will give you two tips which will make this completely go away.
 
1.)  Maintain proper air pressure.
2.)  Stop racing to the curve and grabbing a hand full of brake before diving in.
 
Number two is the key factor in most cases. You can deny it all you want, but next time you go for a ride, pay attention to your riding habits.
I am willing to bet if you are cupping tires, it is more you than the tire manufacturer.
Plan your speed before you get to the curve. Go a step farther and see how long you can ride without touching any brake.
You will find any cupping problem will go away and your riding skills will greatly improve.

I hardly touch my brakes up in the hills in particular. I try to only regulate my speed with the throttle. I'm no speed demon and mostly commute.

Cuppping is a natural wear pattern on motorcycle tires and it will
always follow the tread pattern. It is not a contributor to the normal
deceleration shimmy. It merely shows that your tire is indeed gripping
the road when you make turns (thank you for that Mr. Tire!). This
scalloping develops within the side wear bands of a leaned motorcycle
because of the extreme forces that come in to play when the bike is
leaned in a turn. The leading edge of the tread does not flex much as
it grips the road and the rubber is scuffed off the tire in that area
causing a depression. As the tire rotates, the pressure moves to the
trailing edge of the tread pattern where the tread flexes more causing
less scuffing so less material is ground off the tire. The more
complex the tread pattern, the more complex the cupping pattern will
be. The softer the compound of the tire, the sooner this cupping will
develop. Low tire pressure will exacerbate this wear pattern and you
will lose many serviceable miles by running low. Improper balance has
nothing to do with cupping on a motorcycle tire. Improper balance will
merely cause your bike to vibrate within certain specific speed
ranges.

I'm finding just the opposite with my Roadsmart II. I have run Pilot Road 3, Bridgestone T30 and BT-023 and some Avons and they all have cupped quite a lot more than I'm seeing with the current Dunlops after 9000 km.

My local dealership even had a Dunlop rep look at my last set of Roadsmarts and they (Dunlop) gave me another set for free and said their tires should NEVER look like mine no matter how I was riding. That next set was on the bike when I sold it a short time later.

I don't think it has anything to do with how your ride and I'm also pretty anal about air pressure checks. Dunlops just didn't work out for me while two others work great and I ride just the same as ever.

I've experienced this on my 6th gen, and to a much lesser degree, on my 600RR, with Dunlops, Michelins and Bridgestones. Four sets later, no issue on my 8th gen (Dunlop Q3 fronts for the last two sets).

As mentioned in the comprehensive answer from BusyLittleShop this is due to complex interactions.  Not necessarily brand.