Bridgestone BT45 front tyre 'saw-toothing'

Used to be common practice in the days of the Pirelli Silver Dots, I think they had two arrows indicating rotation for either front or rear fitting. The cop must have really hated the bloke.
 
I've known a few cops who graduated with honours from arsehole school. Several of the stupidest, meanest, most sadistic bullys I went to school with ended up becoming cops. In those days the only essential qualifications were physical, not intellectual. So, like the other armed forces back then, it was a dumping ground for kids who were too stupid to get a job anywhere else.

Fortunately things have changed since then (at least here in Tassie - dunno about elsewhere). Police recruits now have to meet a minimum academic standard and their police training is much more comprehensive than it used to be. Most of them are pretty decent folks.
 
So, like the other armed forces back then, it was a dumping ground for kids who were too stupid to get a job anywhere else.

Cough cough. I humbly submit that I joined the armed forces back in the sixties (salute) :LOL: :LOL: :LOL:
 
Sorry Terry, I didn't mean to tar everyone with the same brush. I'm sure there are a lot of people who chose a carreer in the armed forces for other quite sensible reasons. I considered it myself at one stage. But I bet you could think of a few idiots you served with, who probably shouldn't have been there.
The army was keen to recruit anyone when I was leaving school. The Vietnam was was in full swing and conscription was still going. They'd take anyone who'd walk in the door, so a lot of unemployed no-hopers would roll up. No doubt many of them got weeded out at some stage, but some of them must have ended up pointing guns at things.

Cam
 
No offence taken Cam:D. A lot of less suave, gifted, debonair and sophisicated blokes than me joined the Royal Navy, they usually ended up as gunnery jacks.
 
sfcpiet said:
0.2bar more on the rear 130/80 on the 3.5" rim.  Surprisingly, wear is not an issue with the rear tyre, usually get more than 8000km out of it.  Front is past its' best at 3000, needs replacing at 5000 latest.

Heavy braking will of course accentuate the saw-tooth effect ...  Incorrect suspension set-up will literally chew up the tyre, saw-toothing would be the least of your problems.

Thanks (as always) Piet.  Your figures are the same as mine, btw:  8,000 for a rear, 3,000+ for a front.

sonicboom500 said:
Had the same thing happen to the front BT45s on my FJ1100.  2,500 miles out of a front, 5,000 out of a rear.
Bridgestone rep at the Scottish show said brake earlier or slow down.

Ta Sonic - interesting.

With regard to the Bridgestone rep, I was gonna say, "What a git ...".  But, picking up on what Lothar said earlier  ;), I guess the BT45 is trying to work across a wide range of (essentially) mid-range bikes, and both the RGS and your FJ are at the heavy/performance ends of the scale ...

Right - decision made: shall try Michelin Pilots next time  8)

Thanks all!

Craig
 
I ran nothing but B45s for years. Great tire but I had the same issue on the front. Waiting to see what happens with the new Continental Road Attack 2s I'm running now. Grip is phenomenal, utterly transforms the handling. Can't say yet how they'll wear as i've only put maybe 500-700 miles on them.
 
I think the sawtoothing effect is the result of high load and lots of compression damping along with a soft rubber compound. I get the same wear on my 900SS [belt drive] race bike. It doesn't matter the brand as I've gotten the same pattern on Dunlop, Pirelli, and Bridgestone. It is just the scrubbing of a large flexible hunk of rubber on an abrasive surface where the leading edge of the block rolls under and lifts the trailing side so that it scrubs as it unloads. Kind of like those big soft art gum erasers that leave little rolled up balls when you make a mistake writing or drawing [does anybody still do that?]. Tread siping direction and depth have a lot to do with how much the rubber will distort as it rolls.
 
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