Tar Snakes and Tire Wear

Topics related to the ownership, maintenance, equipping, operation, and riding of the R1150R.

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blove1150r
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Joined: Thu Nov 22, 2018 10:54 am

Tar Snakes and Tire Wear

Post by blove1150r »

Hey All,

Been riding my R1150R (2002) with Metzler tires about 100 miles a day last 10 days or so. Trying new routes from motorcycle roads of america website. My concerns around traction start in the 90F+ midday rides when excessive tar snakes (the tar painted cracks) had me seriously nervous as I'd feel the bike slip on the stuff.

Then today had some more traction issues on sketchy (not gravel) roads even without tar snakes once. So I checked cool tire pressure with no issues after the ride. Then I checked my rear and it is decently worn but the wear feels uniform. The front though I can feel a noticeable ridge on one side of center all the way around the tire. I can't figure out what about riding patterns or other wise would cause this and I wonder if this is what I felt on a turn or two as slippage or that wiggly feeling as you roll into a turn.

Definitely thinking to replace the front if not both as I did last time....

But any ideas from folks out there? On slipping on tar snakes and if you had slow down considerably on turns? And on the front tire wear I noticed?

Thanks in advance!
swamper
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Posts: 439
Joined: Fri Aug 05, 2011 10:38 pm

Re: Tar Snakes and Tire Wear

Post by swamper »

Tar snakes are always soft in the hotter weather giving that uneasy feeling, you just have to get use to the bike giving a little. You didn't say how old or how many miles you have on your current tires. Your discretion of wear sounds like road crown wear which seems to be much more noticeable on our R1150R's than other bikes for some reason.
02R1150R,02R1150Rabs,04R1150R :D 02R1100S,05R1100S(BCR), :shock: (2)-S1000XR :smt003
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AZBMWRIDER
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Location: Tempe, Aridzona

Re: Tar Snakes and Tire Wear

Post by AZBMWRIDER »

Same issue here, I call them tar pythons, these can be 6-8 inches wide, very unsettling, our temps here have just gone in to the upper 90's-105 F this week, the oilhead and the airheads have the same issue, the Guzzi, doesn't bother it at all, go figure !!
My last set of Michelin's on the oilhead, developed about the same wear pattern you described, no idea what caused it .
'02 R1150R, Atlanta Blue
Been riding since 1979, BMW's since 1981 .
4 R65's, '87 Guzzi V65 Lario .
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