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[KCAMERON007]

  I still ain't figured out why the front tire wears out so fast on the left half....
Its like I'm gettin' cheated out of half a tire....someone said because males are more
comfortable turning left, something about the controlling part of the brain...
 so we turn harder left...I say bull crap

[Morgan Buchanan]

Left hand turns are longer, and they're also easier to do at higher speeds.  That's pretty well it.

Here's a good article.

http://www.rattlebars.com/valkfaq/tirewear/

[KCAMERON007]

appreciate the link bro..good info...thats what I love bout' this site

[Tinman]

Chanfge out that POS stock exhaust and you will see a huge decrease in the wear pattern. What were they thinking? 50 extra pounds on one side of the bike?

[murray_61]

Chanfge out that POS stock exhaust and you will see a huge decrease in the wear pattern. What were they thinking? 50 extra pounds on one side of the bike?

maybe I should add weight to the exhaust side, my right side is good, it's the left that is the problem...
click the photo for a larger picture...

[Dusty]

Chanfge out that POS stock exhaust and you will see a huge decrease in the wear pattern. What were they thinking? 50 extra pounds on one side of the bike?

maybe I should add weight to the exhaust side, my right side is good, it's the left that is the problem...
click the photo for a larger picture...

Are you sure that you are not riding sidesaddle? 

[TX-Techman]

Mine has done the same in about 7500 miles, I understand the stock Dunlops are known for irregular wear.  I bought a Metzler 880 which I hear great things about and hope that it makes a difference.  Got a great deal on the tire at Cycle Gear in Bedford, someone ordered but never picked it up, 40% off < $80 including tax, they mount and balance for $20 if you buy the tire from them $30 if you bring the tire in.  Well see what happens. 

What brand of tire are you running?

[snake]

Chanfge out that POS stock exhaust and you will see a huge decrease in the wear pattern. What were they thinking? 50 extra pounds on one side of the bike?

maybe I should add weight to the exhaust side, my right side is good, it's the left that is the problem...

I don't ascribe the left side tire wear to the left turn theory that rattlebars states, or the crown in the road theory.
Here's my 2.
No Murray, you'd need to add the weight to the non exhaust side to balance the bike for it to make a difference. By having all that extra weight on the right side, you have to "lean" the bike towards the left side to balance that exhaust weight on the right. Thats why the left side wears more, you have it leaned slightly to the left to compensate for the exhaust weight. This is also the reason that, to keep your bike tracking straight down the road if you are riding no-hands with the throttle locked, you have to shift your weight to the left, to better balance the bike., If you are riding straight ahead without hands, the bike wants to track right. You can either shift your body mass to the left or countersteer by pushing on the right side of the bar, which rides the tire more onto the left side. That is what really does it. Try carrying about 40 extra pounds in the left saddlebag... when you let go of the bars with your throttle locked, your bike will track straight, without needing to countersteerwhich would put more weight/angle on the left side.

[Morgan Buchanan]

Just curious how your theory relates to the same issue on bikes that have balanced exhaust systems like the Valkyrie.

I have an incredibly light exhaust and I get left side wear.  I guarantee that I'm far more comfortable riding left corners than right, and I know I ride them more aggressively.

[snake]

I'm not saying that the left turn theory is totally invalid and does not account for some of the wear...I believe it adds up to a little of the increased wear, as does the crown theory. But since I do know how much countersteering effort is required to "right" the bike to go straight because of the  added right side weight, and since that throws the tire into a left angle, making the bike ride on the left side, I believe this is the primary reason.

[POGOGOLF]

Chanfge out that POS stock exhaust and you will see a huge decrease in the wear pattern. What were they thinking? 50 extra pounds on one side of the bike?

maybe I should add weight to the exhaust side, my right side is good, it's the left that is the problem...

I don't ascribe the left side tire wear to the left turn theory that rattlebars states, or the crown in the road theory.
Here's my 2.
No Murray, you'd need to add the weight to the non exhaust side to balance the bike for it to make a difference. By having all that extra weight on the right side, you have to "lean" the bike towards the left side to balance that exhaust weight on the right. Thats why the left side wears more, you have it leaned slightly to the left to compensate for the exhaust weight. This is also the reason that, to keep your bike tracking straight down the road if you are riding no-hands with the throttle locked, you have to shift your weight to the left, to better balance the bike., If you are riding straight ahead without hands, the bike wants to track right. You can either shift your body mass to the left or countersteer by pushing on the right side of the bar, which rides the tire more onto the left side. That is what really does it. Try carrying about 40 extra pounds in the left saddlebag... when you let go of the bars with your throttle locked, your bike will track straight, without needing to countersteerwhich would put more weight/angle on the left side.

Not wishing to start an argument, however, technically speaking, a slight bit of pressure PULLING on the right grip causes the bike to ease left, THAT is what's called "counter steering"...but what do I know?!     

[crow57]

I'm not saying that the left turn theory is totally invalid and does not account for some of the wear...I believe it adds up to a little of the increased wear, as does the crown theory. But since I do know how much countersteering effort is required to "right" the bike to go straight because of the  added right side weight, and since that throws the tire into a left angle, making the bike ride on the left side, I believe this is the primary reason.

"Well then, allow me to retort"...

If you stand up a bike to its balancing point, the increased wear area is not even contacting the ground.  The typical left side wear is way too far over on the tire, away from the centerline.  It is NOT being caused when the bike is going in a straight line.  To make the worn area contact the ground, you have to lean the bike over somewhere around 20-25 degrees, so it has to be caused by turning...  Unless you find yourself leaning over that far in a straight line...

[Morgan Buchanan]

Snake... I agree with your assertation that it's possible that ALL of these factors create the situation, for a number of reasons, I'd believe that your thought about uneven weight is by far not the primary reason, for the reason Crown states, for the fact that plenty of totally balanced bikes have the same phenomenon....  But I agree...everything that throws you off center would be bad.  I wonder if they put a bunch of weight on the left side instead of the right if it'd IMPROVE the uneven wear pattern.  LOL

[murray_61]

This is getting way too deep for me, I am out of here!  I think the gremlins are shaving the rubber, so I'm gonna get another bell...

[Morgan Buchanan]

Hang 'er on the left side for balance.