Which tire is most likely to fail?

[aspire61]

I was on holidays when I seen a fellow on a tenere with a spare tire strapped to the back of the bike. He indicated that he travelled with a spare rear tire as they don't last as long as the front. Being old to motorcycling, but new to touring I agree with him, but since most people I know would not start a long trip on a tire thats close to its wear marks, I ask this question:  On a road trip, are you more likely to end up needing emergency repair on the front or rear tire of the concours?
curious - mat

[datsaxman@hotmail.com]

Rear...on any bike.

Wider, so it hits more stuff...front often will roll over something that is lying there flat and kick it up so that the rear hits it edge on and it damaged...rear wears faster, so likely to be thinner at any point in time...more weight on rear, so more likely to puncture...rider steering to miss an obstacle misses with the front, but the rear is not exactly behind the front when turning, so decent chance the rear hits it...


saxman

[maxtog]

There have been threads about this in the past- the conclusion was that the rear tire fails far more often than the front.  It seems to want to attract nails the most, too.

[ZG]

If yer going anything more than 1k miles I'd vote the crappy stock tire... 

[Conrad]

It's a variant of Murphy's Law.

Which ever tire is the most expensive is the one most likely to fail.

[VirginiaJim]

Which tire is going to fail?

The other one.

[twowheeladdict]

Rear...on any bike.

Wider, so it hits more stuff...front often will roll over something that is lying there flat and kick it up so that the rear hits it edge on and it damaged...rear wears faster, so likely to be thinner at any point in time...more weight on rear, so more likely to puncture...rider steering to miss an obstacle misses with the front, but the rear is not exactly behind the front when turning, so decent chance the rear hits it...


saxman

...and the front tire can lift the object causing it to penetrate the rear tire.

[Rhino]

No need to carry a spare. Just need gummy worms and a compressor. Had a screw in the rear tire on my long ride a week ago. 10 minutes to install the plug and inflate the tire and I'm on my way.

[OregonLAN]

Carry a portable compressor and a plug kit for long trips. Beyond that, carry a credit card and cell phone. Unless you're Hercules, there's no way you're changing the tire on the side of the road with basic hand tool. Not without doing tons of damage to the bike and/or rim...

[aspire61]

thx for the info guys. I agree you with the need to be Hercules to change out a tire on the concours by the roadside.
chrs- mat

[stevewfl]

On a plug named Jill I rode from Rockies to Vegas to LA and back to Tampa FL

[AZ-ZG]

The one upon which you are wheelieing!   . 

[Riverszzr]

 Rear most of the time as the front tends to stand them up.

And I too would never carry a spare tire around with me for any trip- if I were that worried about it, I would install a new tire before departing and plan a stop somewhere to have another new installed (if the trip were that long)


However I did have a big box store truck drop a 25# box of 1.5" roofing nails off the back as it turned onto the road in front of me just a block from their store and I had no less than 50 nails stuck in between the front and rear tire. Unfortunatley I couldn't exactly run him down and pull him over and he and menards coorporate denied it happening, despite going straight into the store to complain and them coming out and sweeping up the remaining nails and picking up the box.... so the tires had less than 20 miles on them when it happened and I had to pay out for the new set as well (this was back in the 90's) maybe things would be handled differently today

[twowheeladdict]

Rear most of the time as the front tends to stand them up.

And I too would never carry a spare tire around with me for any trip- if I were that worried about it, I would install a new tire before departing and plan a stop somewhere to have another new installed (if the trip were that long)


However I did have a big box store truck drop a 25# box of 1.5" roofing nails off the back as it turned onto the road in front of me just a block from their store and I had no less than 50 nails stuck in between the front and rear tire. Unfortunatley I couldn't exactly run him down and pull him over and he and menards coorporate denied it happening, despite going straight into the store to complain and them coming out and sweeping up the remaining nails and picking up the box.... so the tires had less than 20 miles on them when it happened and I had to pay out for the new set as well (this was back in the 90's) maybe things would be handled differently today

That's where a GoPro cam would have paid for itself.

[Scaffolder]

I've had about 10-15 flat tires in the past 20 years all rear tires. 2 of them had about 300 miles them. 1 recently.

[bluedogok]

Rear...on any bike.

Wider, so it hits more stuff...front often will roll over something that is lying there flat and kick it up so that the rear hits it edge on and it damaged...rear wears faster, so likely to be thinner at any point in time...more weight on rear, so more likely to puncture...rider steering to miss an obstacle misses with the front, but the rear is not exactly behind the front when turning, so decent chance the rear hits it...


saxman

I have found this to be true with cars as well, a couple of weeks ago we caught a flat piece of metal in the right rear tread of an 8 month old Michelin on my wife's 4Runner, tore up the inside something bad. Costco replaced it no charge. I caught a piece of 1/4" copper tubing in the right rear of my 71 Ranchero (it was 1980) a few houses from my house and it was flat by the time I pulled into the driveway. It happened last year when I was back visiting my parents in OKC and I was driving my fathers pickup, right rear (again), in all three I heard a pop when it hit the tire, the Ranchero I heard the air bleeding out even over the glass packs.

Luckily I haven't had it happen on the bike (yet) but have been on rides with friends who have had it happen that way.