By Gary Klinker

Tires

Can you believe it is finally April? I did get a short ride on March 3, but there was a lot of ice in spots where melting snow had run across the roads. It was a bit tricky but still felt awful good. As usually happens, three days later we got six inches of snow.

Late March and early April are typically a slow time for Safe Rider. We have the schedule set, the bikes are in for service, and much of the background work is done. It is still not fit to be out working on the range yet. Anticipation is high and we are just waiting for the busy time to start.

I had a request a while ago to do an article on tires. Too many riders take their tires for granted. Remember when you ride motorcycle you have only two small patches of rubber in contact with the road. They determine how well your bike stops, corners, and accelerates. They also are responsible for moving water out from under the contact patches when it rains. Tread depth is critical for the tires to be effective. Simple, cheap tread depth gauges are available at any car parts store-if you are really cheap a penny can be used. Two mm or 3/32nds is the minimum depth for tire safety. If it is less than that replace them! Use your depth gauge or take a penny and insert the edge into the tread head first. If you can see all of Lincoln’s head the tires are worn out. Tires also have wear bars built in to them. If you look at the sidewall there will be a series of small arrows or triangles that mark the location of the wear bars. At those spots look at the tread and you will see the bars. If they are level with the surface of the tire it is time to shop.

Wear is not the only enemy of tires. Age will cause tires to dry and crack, sometimes called weather checking. As tires age they lose their flexibility and ability to provide maximum traction. Fortunately your tires display their birthday so you know if your tires are ready to retire, or if someone is trying to sell you old brand new tires. The week and year a tire was built can be found in a four digit number on the sidewall of the tire. You may want to put your Newsletter down and run to the garage to check the age of you tires. Like a helmet, if your tires are getting to five or six years old it is time to think about replacing them. If you don’t put on a lot of miles or have more than one bike it is even more important to watch this. For those of you who buy more than one set of tires per season, just watch that you are not buying old tires that have been sitting in a warehouse or on a dealer shelf for a long time.

The next important thing for everyone is to make sure you run the correct tire pressure and check them at least once a week. Don’t forget to adjust the pressure for two up or carrying a lot of gear. Check your owner’s manual for correct tire pressure IF you have stock tires. If not check the manufacturer recommendations for replacement tires. Their web sites are a good place to look. Also remember that the tire pressure number on the sidewall is for maximum weight and speed. Your number will likely be less. The other thing to remember is to have an accurate gauge and use only that one. Keep it with you-jacket pocket, tank bag, under the seat or wherever. Gauges will vary so always use the same reliable one. Besides being a big safety feature- proper tire pressure will improve handling and braking-it will make your tires last a lot longer saving you money. All the better to buy more gas to use more tires to see more of our great country!

While you are working with your tires, don’t forget to set your suspension to reflect your load and style of riding. This will also have an effect on tire wear, traction, handling and braking. The ride can also be greatly improved by a few simple adjustments. For those of you-maybe the majority-who think suspension tuning is a first cousin to witchcraft, it is really quite simple. Just having the pre-load set, either with adjusting the shocks or with air pressure on air shocks is the start point. From there damping and rebound adjustments come next. A little research on the internet or in magazines will simplify and clarify a lot of it. I hope this information helps get you off to a good start for the season and keeps more people safe out there.

Ride Safe!