Pics a bit old but I thought it may be worth sharing. Here's what my tires looked like after riding on California highways for ~2000 miles
I just love those grooves >.>

Holy crap. I ride on the highways here daily and my tires look pristine. Were you riding on cheese graters or something?

:runaway2: :fear: :confused40:

WTF?!?!?!?!

What pressure you running?

That's the rear tire and I run it @ 32 PSI. That's the original factory Dunlop's, by the by. Those groves are the exact 'pattern' of roads on the highways near Santa Monica which is where I do the most riding.

Wow!!! Horrible road then. Did you buy your bike used? I ask because 2012 ninjas came with IRC RoadWinners as stock tires. That is what it looks like in your pic.

Nope, brand new -- I'm about to put 3k on her and 1k are from Nevada, 2k from Cali

Yep, I looked again. It says "Roadwinner" right on the side of the tire in your pic. But anyway....

That's some crazy stuff yo.

Something is wrong here.

You're saying your tire formed the grooves of the road?

Yeah, the I10 in particular has that pattern down it and that's how I go to work; I did have an incident on that part of the road a while back (thread over in the crash forum) that involved me locking the rear tire briefly -- that could have been the root of some of this. It is (very very slowly) coming off the tire as I ride her more in NV and off the freeways though.

Yeah, thats from locking up the rear on the pavement grooves, and not from daily riding. There's no way the pavement would put that kind of pattern in the tire, because the same spot doesn't sit in one place over the grooves.

looks like you locked up the rear on the brakes

Yeah, you gotta stop locking up the rear.

If it's the locking that caused it fair enough, but that pattern goes all the way around the tire and I've only locked it twice (the accident and one other 'oh crap' moment); I'm a bit surprised if in those incidents I managed to get complete coverage of the tire. Myself? I think the deep groove is from the lock but the rest is just from the super-hard/super-grooved road. I'll try to get a new pic today to show what it looks like now.

It is (very very slowly) coming off the tire as I ride her more in NV and off the freeways though.

Yes, Nevada has far better roads! :D


Long, flat, boring, straight, empty roads.....

Yeah, thats from locking up the rear on the pavement grooves, and not from daily riding. There's no way the pavement would put that kind of pattern in the tire, because the same spot doesn't sit in one place over the grooves.

+1

looks like you locked up the rear on the brakes

+1

Yeah, you gotta stop locking up the rear.

+1

I think that makes 3. :thumbup: Lay off the rear brakes a bit until you can keep from locking them unintentionally.

If it's the locking that caused it fair enough, but that pattern goes all the way around the tire and I've only locked it twice (the accident and one other 'oh crap' moment); I'm a bit surprised if in those incidents I managed to get complete coverage of the tire. Myself? I think the deep groove is from the lock but the rest is just from the super-hard/super-grooved road........
It is possible that you are correct.

After the first damage (due to lock up braking), it may have been natural for the tire to re-align itself with the road's groove (if that shape is consistent).

Imagine trying to keep two matching shapes from gearing into each other: if the top shape moves side to side enough, gravity will make it end up at the lowest position.

Once tire and grooves were aligned most of the riding time, increased contact pressure and additional hard rear braking may have completed the circumference.

The front tire may have been aligned with the grooves less time due to the constant minute steering to naturally keep the balance.

The only other times Ive seen grooves like that was on a front tire of a harley, where a bolt came loose in the fender, and started grooving out the tire....

If it's the locking that caused it fair enough, but that pattern goes all the way around the tire and I've only locked it twice (the accident and one other 'oh crap' moment); I'm a bit surprised if in those incidents I managed to get complete coverage of the tire. Myself? I think the deep groove is from the lock but the rest is just from the super-hard/super-grooved road. I'll try to get a new pic today to show what it looks like now.

I can't imagine riding on a grooved road like that, their is a section of the road where I ride that was repaired and patched with the patch running down the middle for about a hundred feet, when me wheel starts tracking in that groove and the groove moves it totally takes your steering with it, I feel a bit like i'm a scalextric!

Perhaps a slightly harder tyre compound on your next purchase?

It is possible that you are correct.

After the first damage (due to lock up braking), it may have been natural for the tire to re-align itself with the road's groove (if that shape is consistent).

Imagine trying to keep two matching shapes from gearing into each other: if the top shape moves side to side enough, gravity will make it end up at the lowest position.

Once tire and grooves were aligned most of the riding time, increased contact pressure and additional hard rear braking may have completed the circumference.

The front tire may have been aligned with the grooves less time due to the constant minute steering to naturally keep the balance.

That actually makes a lot of sense. Regardless, after I noticed this I quit driving on the freeway as often (take surface streets to work) and it's really faded. I'll be posting a new pic in a few, but it's far far less noteworthy now :)

California roads are no fun

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b276/seanvoight/images_zpsb82a3656.jpg

Nice new avatar, Sean !!!

:thumbup:

There's a video of it, you just have to go find it!

:thumbup:

There's a video of it, you just have to go find it!

D0k9GB0nk2k

Not to distract from the Ninjette.org forum purpose (Jiggles posts) but here's what the tires look like now, about ~500 miles later with minimal grooved highway riding. Yes, huge chicken strips -- I have maybe 3 or 4 slow speed turns on my daily commute >.< hard to lean over for that.

Mmmmm dat protein

I have an idea, get some new tires! I mean you are contemplating spending 5k on a trip for you and your other weirdly named friend right?

Get some goooooooood rubber.

That tire has plenty of life left

Ride them tell they bleed cores.......then replace.

For those who have been keeping count I'm 3 for 3 on skinless ninja 250 tires:D

http://i1157.photobucket.com/albums/p596/rojoracing53/91FD1D63-61BF-4A25-B91C-23AB7ADE8E4E-2967-0000056228FB1879_zpsb550de6b.jpg

That tire has plenty of life left

Ride them tell they bleed cores.......then replace.

For those who have been keeping count I'm 3 for 3 on skinless ninja 250 tires:D

http://i1157.photobucket.com/albums/p596/rojoracing53/91FD1D63-61BF-4A25-B91C-23AB7ADE8E4E-2967-0000056228FB1879_zpsb550de6b.jpg

This one is less impressive

This one is less impressive

Well that was my first and I've since improved my skinning technique with the last two tires. Final goal is to get both sides and finish it off with a burnout. Pics coming soon:D

Well that was my first and I've since improved my skinning technique with the last two tires. Final goal is to get both sides and finish it off with a burnout. Pics coming soon:D

Can we record your tire exploding at 240fps?

Mmmmm dat protein

I have an idea, get some new tires! I mean you are contemplating spending 5k on a trip for you and your other weirdly named friend right?

Get some goooooooood rubber.

You mean Paul? :P Heh, indeed -- the current plan is to probably pick up some new tires shortly before he arrives to make sure I've got solid track sets. But yeah, I think for the time the Dunlops have life.

Those are not... dunlops...

They're the stock tires from the showroom, which I heard were Dunlops; Honestly I know nothing about tire manufacturers.

Can we record your tire exploding at 240fps?

He'll yeah we can I let you know next time I change tires.

They're the stock tires from the showroom, which I heard were Dunlops; Honestly I know nothing about tire manufacturers.

For future reference, those are IRC Roadlosers

Kawasaki put Dunlop GT-501's and Bridgestone BT-45's on the 2008 model 250. From 2009 on, the stock tires for all US 250's were the IRC Roadwinners.

That tire has plenty of life left

http://i1157.photobucket.com/albums/p596/rojoracing53/91FD1D63-61BF-4A25-B91C-23AB7ADE8E4E-2967-0000056228FB1879_zpsb550de6b.jpg:eek:

I would think it would be safe riding it from the garage to the curb... if you're careful that is.

Kawasaki put Dunlop GT-501's and Bridgestone BT-45's on the 2008 model 250. From 2009 on, the stock tires for all US 250's were the IRC Roadwinners.

My 2012 came stock with Dunlop. FWIW.

If that's the case, the dealer must have switched them out for some reason. IRC's have been the sole OEM option for years.

If that's the case, the dealer must have switched them out for some reason. IRC's have been the sole OEM option for years.

Since I was down at the shop today I asked the service guy, he said a very select few came with the Dunlops, and almost all of them came with IRCs. I guess I just lucked out, the Dunlops don't seem as bad as people seem to think the IRCs are.

Which dunlops, do you have a picture of them?

It doesn't seem that unlikely that some ninjettes could come with Dunlops. If Kawasaki had a temporary supply issue with the IRCs, rather than halt shipment, they could just use another manufacturer.

Which dunlops, do you have a picture of them?

No but I can get a picture later on today, I have to take a picture of my odometer so I can win the 2013 mileage contest.

If the IRC hard tyres did that. :confused:

HATE to see what it would do to any brand of soft tyre :eek:

Which dunlops, do you have a picture of them?

So, correction. My first bike came with Dunlops. When I had 1577 miles on it the dealership called me and told me they screwed up and gave me the wrong bike, and I had to go switch them out. I know it was Dunlops, because I had adjusted the air pressure on them and I was thinking it was weird that I had Dunlops when I had read on here that they were coming with IRC tires.

This bike has IRC. The tread pattern with the Dunlops seems very nearly identical, enough so that I didn't notice the difference.

It is entirely possible, though, since they gave me the wrong bike, that they had set that one up with Dunlops for another customer. I've seen a few bikes on their showroom floor with aftermarket parts and no miles on them, so I'm guessing that it's either that or something got damaged in transport and they decided to upgrade.

So, correction. My first bike came with Dunlops. When I had 1577 miles on it the dealership called me and told me they screwed up and gave me the wrong bike, and I had to go switch them out. I know it was Dunlops, because I had adjusted the air pressure on them and I was thinking it was weird that I had Dunlops when I had read on here that they were coming with IRC tires.

Wow; so after 1577 miles of riding they swapped your ninjette for a brand new one?

I don't know what after market parts they put on the ninjette you returned, but they must have been something pretty fancy for the dealership to decide it was worth making that exchange with you. Or maybe... they accidentally gave you a highly advanced prototype 2fiddy! :eek: Did your original ninjette have an additional control panel on the dash...something like this:
http://gadgetcrunch.net/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/doomsday_hub.jpg
??

Wow; so after 1577 miles of riding they swapped your ninjette for a brand new one?

??

Not exactly. They swapped it for a brand new one after 1577 miles of riding, plus my dumb ass scratching the front fairing by running it into the fence on the side of my driveway because I was thinking I could take a uturn a little sharper than I could.


From what he was telling me, though, this isn't the first time this had happened to them. I had come in earlier, so he could submit the paperwork for the financing, and get the vin for the insurance, etc, and on the day I picked up the bike, they just weren't paying enough attention and pulled the wrong bike off the show room floor.

I don't think they took much of a financial hit, though, they were selling one of the 2011 models that someone had sold back to them at 3xxx miles, and they were asking 200 dollars more than the 2012 models. They said it was just because it was black, and they were out of black in the 2012 models, but I'm sure part of it was also the fact that the bike was already broken in.

If they hadn't done that, they would have had to go through a whole pain in the ass process at the DMV, and at the finance company. Even if they lost a couple hundred dollars, it might have been worth it.

i also find it hard to believe that pattern would show up from riding. And you say you don't lock up rear.

Would it be possible it is from super warm temps, road is warm, tires get warm, and the bike sits on the road and the tire somewhat deforms because of all heat it becomes soft? Or you sit in occasion in traffic on these super warm days?

IDK just trying to come up with an idea, it just seems so bizarre to me.

i also find it hard to believe that pattern would show up from riding. And you say you don't lock up rear.

read post 14 and post 20

If your tire grooving comes back then I suggest a quick trip up this road to smooth them out, once should be enough:devil:

9PKKkbnBtCw

haha, cute ride. From google maps though that looks to be Northern Cali -- I usually bounce between LA and Vegas. Bit out of the way :P