Stripped tyre possible warning.

[Gerrard]

As promised the photos of the rear tyre (Avon Sports) which had done about 3,600 miles, this damage is only to about 60% of the circumference of the tyre, the other 40% shows signs of normal wear, the damage seemed to appear instantly (ie. one minute is wasn't there the next it was!) and the gouge is about 2 - 3 millimeters in depth.
There are a couple of theorys as to what has happened.. the bloke from the local tyre shop (Spanish) thinks it was due to the hot weather here and I should drop the tyre pressure... if that's the case why hasn't the tyre worn the same all the way round? But on the other hand if the tyres are not suitable for hot weather why don't the manufacturers put a warning on the tyres as to the optimum outside temperature, and the reccommended running pressure (as another post has already touched on)?
Another suggestion put forward is that the tyre wasn't balanced properly and has been oscillating slightly thus only showing the wear after a while on the bike.
What do you lot think?
Anyone know a contact name and email addie at Avon so I can get in touch with them direct??

 

[D.S.]

Avon are an english company aren't they?

it'll be the wrong sort of heat then!!!! :}
Bing bong Avon calling.
If it wasn't balanced properly you'd know about it surely :dunno:
I can see another tyre pressure debate looming

 

[PsychoBikerBen]

As promised the photos of the rear tyre (Avon Sports) which had done about 3,600 miles, this damage is only to about 60% of the circumference of the tyre, the other 40% shows signs of normal wear, the damage seemed to appear instantly (ie. one minute is wasn't there the next it was!) and the gouge is about 2 - 3 millimeters in depth.

What do you lot think?

I think someone is too embarrased to admit he can't do a burnout.....Not even one revolutions worth.

Keep trying, you might get there.......one day

 

[Fat Bert]

Bing Bong...Ding Dong~~~~!

Another tyre pressure opportunity beckons!!!

ROFL

 

[R2B2]

Cooper-Avon Tyres Ltd
Melksham
Wiltshire
SN12 8AA
UK

+44 1225 703101

www.avonmotorcycle.com

 

[Gerrard]

Burn out

I think someone is too embarrased to admit he can't do a burnout.....Not even one revolutions worth.

No, no, no, no, no, no, no Ben.. that's just the problem.. you don't think, having said that I only wish it was that simple mate!
In actual fact I had just got off the autovia where I was doing up to 130 mph 2 up, ('cos us people who don't have to work all day can do that here in Spain!) so my concern was for safety rather than failed amusement....so, back to the drawing board for you then!
I have to agree with Joe (Sanchez) here.. must surely be the wrong sort of heat, as the Bird was running true.
Thanks R2B2, that was the site I used for the contact address, I have mailed Avon but as yet have had no reply - will keep you posted.

 

[PsychoBikerBen]

I think someone is too embarrased to admit he can't do a burnout.....Not even one revolutions worth.

No, no, no, no, no, no, no Ben.. that's just the problem.. you don't think, having said that I only wish it was that simple mate!

It was meant in jest geeza.

 

[D.S.]

I have mailed Avon but as yet have had no reply - will keep you posted.

I'm interested to see what Avon say as I WAS gonna try a pair of Ding Dongs on my sofa!
BTW Graphite, I'm sure you would have noticed, but could it have been something that's jammed between your tyre and hugger?

 

[Gerrard]

Avon Tyres

Hi Joe,
I had actually thought of that, but I assumed that had it been something jammed in the hugger the 'wear' would have gone all the way round the tyre and not just 60% of it.
It's just very odd that a 2 mm plus slither of rubber has skinned off the tyre!
Anyway, 3 emails to Avon and no reply as yet but I'll give them a day or so to reply in case it has to be dealt with by a specific person.
BTW I sent the photos to Avon along with the email.

 

[Codbasher]

Maybe a daft answer, but have you a warped rear brake disc? that could be causing a a braking problem, guess you would feel that through the bike though. Or something along those lines. maybe bearings sticking :dunno:

 

[bigjon]

I think I would have to go with the theory that something got stuck between tyre and bike. It doesn't look like the rubber has peeled from the tyre, just worn away. At high speed, it would only be momentary to cause damage to 60% of the circumference, probably not even noticeable.
I got nudged up the arse once g0551p at approx 85mph, and that stripped a huge amount of ruber from the tyre, enough to peel it from the bumper of the car! :yo:
Good luck with Avon.

 

[Samster]

Had the same thing coming back from Spain on a Bird loaded with soft luggage. Stopped for a fag and noticed the centre section looked like it had melted, but only half way round the tyre.

For the life of me I can't remember what had caused it, but I'm sure it was something to do with the hugger and the way I'd bungeed the luggage?????

Joe / Dave, either of you remember?

 

[Jaws]

This has come from Peter M. who is the motorcycle techy guy at Avon....

Its not always easy to see when the AV50 is getting worn when ridden upright as the grooves don?t come across the centre of the tyre. This tyre has been run mainly upright and has simply worn out the middle of the tyre. When you wear out the tread rubber, you will see a layer of very soft compound (0.4-0.7mm) thick which bonds the tread compound to the carcass, if you wear that out (which wont take long) you will then see tyre cord. Our new Viper tyres which have replaced the AV50 have grooves running across the centre so that checking when a tyre is worn or nearly worn out is easier.

Peter J McNally


Just as a by the by folks, Avon no longer make the av49 or av50...
These have now been replaced by av59 and av60 Viper Sport

 

[RHINO]

John, i think its a poor explaination as to Pauls problem, the wear hasn't gone 360 degrees of the tyres circumference so it would seem more likely that its a ply breakdown. Look at the pics of the way the wear has occured around the edges of the grooves.... My old Mondeo had a similar fault and it was due to the carcase losing shape and causing strips to wear unevenly. The tyre isn't designed to carry the loads it was exerted with in Spain over sustained periods as its a sports tyre, my 010 was falling to bits before we even got to Barcelona.

 

[Gerrard]

Avon, blah, blah, blah

As per the reply sent to Jaws (John) this seems to be a bog standard reply to fob you off and imply that it's your upright riding (I think not!!) at fault and not the tyre and here's what they sent to me....

Hi Paul,

Its not always easy to see when the AV50 is getting worn out when ridden upright as the grooves don?t come across the very centre of the tyre. This tyre looks like it has been run mainly upright and simply worn out in middle. These tyres were designed to give maximum grip and footprint at full lean, this unfortunately gives a smaller footprint when upright. When you wear out the tread rubber, you will see a layer of very soft compound (0.4-0.7mm) thick which bonds the tread compound to the carcass, if you wear that out (which wont take long) you will then see tyre cord. Our new Viper tyres which have replaced the AV50 have grooves running across the centre so that checking when a tyre is worn or nearly worn out is easier. They also have a more neutral contour which gives better mileage on motorways etc. Heat does wear out tyres quicker however, you should get as much grip as you need and better mileage using our AV45/46 ST tyres.

Best regards,

Peter J McNally

Notice any similarity in the replies to both Jaws and myself!!! man8um

I must agree with Rhino (John) it would have been a fair comment if the damage had been on 100? of the tyre and not the 60? it was.
The simple fact that they don't do the av49 and av50 any more seems to indicate there was a fault with the tyre 'cos you don't stop manufacturing something that works, do you?

So it was a dangerous situation to get into, 130mph, two up with luggage, incidentally I have just put on the other rear tyre which I bought from the same place and will be watching it carefully.. will keep you posted on the results.

So once again I think the man in the street has been fobbed off with an excuse rather than an answer.

Would you want to ride at that speed with the thought your tyre would look like that... I don't think so!!! :dunno:

 

[Jaws]

Wow.. well spotted re the similarity of the reply..
It is cos I was copied in on the reply sent to you ! I just edited the unimportant bits out.

Of course it is the same..


And yes, the reason they do not do them any more is cos there is a problem with them as descibed in the mail to you !!!!!!!!

I would not call this a fob off.. I would call this 'there was a problem with these tyres so we no longer make them and have imroved the design now' type thing..

How the feck is that a fob off ?

Lets just look at the email.

The way they wear is an issue

This causes this problem

We addressed it

We no longer make that tyre

We have improved it with the Viper

Some fob off that.. Seems to me the bloke has been pretty honest !
Perhaps that is such a rare thing for a big company you simply cannot believe it ! !

LOL !!!!!

 

[D.S.]

And yes, the reason they do not do them any more is cos there is a problem with them as descibed in the mail to you !!!!!!!!

So did they place an add in all the bike journals advising riders on these tyres of the potential issue? :dunno: or did they advise suppliers to advise customers that "when you wear out the tread rubber, you will see a layer of very soft compound (0.4-0.7mm) thick which bonds the tread compound to the carcass, if you wear that out (which wont take long) you will then see tyre cord"? :dunno:

Graphite, I dunno what state the tyre was in before you set off on your trip, but in 23 years of riding I've never had a tyre go off that quickly.

 

[Smoothandquick]

Totally take on board your point....

but if you were Mr Avon would you advertise the fact you messed up ? We'd all say "well done to Avon for owning up there's an issue"...but would we all rush out to buy replacement Avons ? I sure as hell wouldn't....they would lose so much business by doing the right thing....:loo:

The sad reality is that every manufacturer of every type of goods has problems.....all the testing in the world cannot always guarantee the product against us muppets, the general public.....they rely upon feedback from us to continuously improve their products...

I have worked in automotive consultancy for many years now, and it amazes me how often we need to adapt our test plans because of some of the warranty claims that hit us.....the important thing is how the customer is supported when something goes wrong....

Jaws is spot on - Avon are tyring to tell you there is an issue but without coming out and blatently saying it....

 

[Gerrard]

Avons

Hi John.
Most of what you say is true but the way I see it is that the millage is not important, I dont give a damn if they do a 1000 miles or 10,000!
What I want is to be sure and safe in the knowledge that my tyre will wear evenly right to the end of its life and I'm afraid this one hasn't!! Still no
one has come up with the reason why the tyre has stripped for only half of the circumference of the tyre .. in my book, that's not even wear.
So if the way they wear is an issue to Avon why are they still being sold at all if they are faulty? Could it just a case of selling the tyres off, cross your fingers and hope nobody gets hurt?
I know this did not happen but what if my tyre had blown and I had a bad accident? Would it be - 'Oh the tyres should not have been on the bike in the first place?' Like I said, to me its just a fob off.
By the way this is not a personal dig a you matey, it's just pissed me off a tad, I have written back to Avon with this reply:-

Hi Pete

Thanks for the reply. I understand what you have said but to be honest I think it's more of an excuse than an explanation.

I have bought/ seen many bikes in the past where it is obvious the rider was scared of corners and should have been on a 50cc moped, whilst I am not of the knee-down-look-how-much-damage-I-can-do-to-my-sliders brigade I ride at fair speeds and take corners how they are supposed to be taken, and in my 40 years of bike ownership (and I have done the milage too as I was a courier in London for 9 years) I have never seen a tyre wear like this one did.

Just as a further point, if that mark on the tyre was solely due to the tyre wearing out, why has it only worn on 60? of the tyre as the other 40% has still got in excess of the legal depth?

Because we live in Spain (buy British!) I bought a three pack of the tyres (one front/ two rear) and had them shipped out here at extra cost, the second rear tyre is now on the bike and I will of course be watching it carefully.. If this second tyre wears like the first I think it'll be back to Bridgestones for me!


I'll see what reply I get!
Mr Angry from Spain

 

[Gerrard]

Graphite, I dunno what state the tyre was in before you set off on your trip, but in 23 years of riding I've never had a tyre go off that quickly.

Hi Joe,
The tyre had done just 3,000 miles and stil had plenty of tread on it. This 'stripping' occured during a trip from my house to Torremolinos - a distance of about 25 miles.. terrifying!!