stock oem dunlop - cracked side walls. anyone done this???

[kusstj]

Guys, this spring I have been lucky enough to put on a few hundred glorious country miles on the A16. Last ride a couple weeks back, I felt the front tire to be a tad softer than I prefer, so a mile from home I hit the station and just filled it until hard. I rode home, noticing the hardness and low friction feel of the front. Well upon taking off yesterday, I noticed that the sidewalls were exhibiting substantial side wall cracking. Not just a few minor ones, but basically lots of sidewall cracks, circumferentially -mostly 1/4" from the rim. I did not have an airgage handy as I had already left the garage, so I just let out a few pounds just for piece of mind. It is my guess that this original tire (many thousands miles on it) which I was trying to wear out as my highway tire, did not like the pressure I put in and I may have overinflated it. I should check the pressure with a gage when I get a chance, but I have already let some out. Has anyone else wrecked a tire by over inflating?? Is anyone else driving around with sidewall cracks like it is no big deal? I rode about 30 miles, but have to admit I was thinking about the tire, and if it failed, how much time I would have before I either stopped safely or if I might lose control with a quick blowout. this preoccupation I found troubling. My dad use to pull a utility snowmobile trailer with tires that were all cracked to hell. He didn't ever seem alarmed. but me with my bike flying down the interstate in heavy traffic - I tend to think I want some fresh rubber now so I might better keep the flesh on my arms and legs fresh too. The bike sits in the garage, but near the front, and this tire gets a fair amount of sunlight. perhaps that contributed to its current state of rubber unhappiness. comments?? nothing worse than a state of unhappy rubber. todd A16 Chaska MN

[Jim Fortner]

The rubber dry rotted due to the environmental factors. Replace the tire it's a lot cheaper than the alternatives. How old is the tire? If it's more than three years old it should be replaced anyway. My humble opinion - Tires are not the place to take chances or cut corners. I've had one tire lose the belts on one side of a tire and go out of round at highway speed. That was enough to reinforce any doubts I had in my tire opinions. Jim Fortner Plano, TX A7

On Mon, May 17, 2010 at 10:40 AM, kusstj wrote: Guys, this spring I have been lucky enough to put on a few hundred glorious country miles on the A16. Last ride a couple weeks back, I felt the front tire to be a tad softer than I prefer, so a mile from home I hit the station and just filled it until hard. I rode home, noticing the hardness and low friction feel of the front. Well upon taking off yesterday, I noticed that the sidewalls were exhibiting substantial side wall cracking. Not just a few minor ones, but basically lots of sidewall cracks, circumferentially -mostly 1/4" from the rim. I did not have an airgage handy as I had already left the garage, so I just let out a few pounds just for piece of mind. It is my guess that this original tire (many thousands miles on it) which I was trying to wear out as my highway tire, did not like the pressure I put in and I may have overinflated it. I should check the pressure with a gage when I get a chance, but I have already let some out. Has anyone else wrecked a tire by over inflating?? Is anyone else driving around with sidewall cracks like it is no big deal? I rode about 30 miles, but have to admit I was thinking about the tire, and if it failed, how much time I would have before I either stopped safely or if I might lose control with a quick blowout. this preoccupation I found troubling. My dad use to pull a utility snowmobile trailer with tires that were all cracked to hell. He didn't ever seem alarmed. but me with my bike flying down the interstate in heavy traffic - I tend to think I want some fresh rubber now so I might better keep the flesh on my arms and legs fresh too. The bike sits in the garage, but near the front, and this tire gets a fair amount of sunlight. perhaps that contributed to its current state of rubber unhappiness. comments?? nothing worse than a state of unhappy rubber. todd A16 Chaska MN

[fasteddiecopeman]

The sidewall cracks are God's way of telling you to install a NEW tire! Ed -