Tire wear.

[JasonB]

I have a 95 GS with the original tires and a little over 4k on them now. I dont know if its just me but it looks like the tires have a distinct wear pattern of flat in the center and a drop off on the sides So it looks kinda like below

  _
 /  \  

Maybe not so steep on the sides. The bike also isnt very confidence inspiring in the corners, or it might just be me. I cant get a good lean without feeling like the back end is sliding from side to side so I go slower and sit more upright. Also on slow tight turns like at intersections if feels like the bike just drops to the side.

Need new tires or go out there and sand those down to a better roundness?

[glenn9171]

New tires.  Even in showroom new condition, the stock tires are not worth the air in them.  Do a search here for tires and you will find volumes of info on the subject.  Personally, I have Bridgestone BT45's in the stock sizes and I love them.  Not too expensive, either.

[Jonathan]

I'd check a few things starting with your tire pressure.

On hot summer days (above 90F) I'd set my tires to 34psi for the rear and 32psi for the front.  After riding for about 1 hour I noticed my rear tire sliding a bit and my front tire wanting to tuck in corners.  I checked the pressure and it had gone up to 38ps in the backi and the front to 35psi!  This happens on hot days.  I like to keep my tires at 32psi in the front and 34psi in the back once they have heated up.

Keep in mind you are riding on those shitty excedra tires.  THey are not meant for aggressive cornering.  Although, I am riding on kenda touring tires and I put my knee down on a regular basis.  Get bridgestone bt-45's for your next set of tires if you plan on doing some serious riding.

Also, what's your body positioning on the bike when cornering aggressivly?  You could be feeling instability due to poor technique.  If you think about your situation it doesn't matter if the middle is worn out because when you lean you aren't using the middle.  This feeling that you describe of the bike wanting to fall over sounds like you aren't using as much throttle as you should be. Read over these tips to make sure you're doing things right.  

Try going into corner slowly and coming out fast.

You should get on the gas as soon as you possibly can and keep rolling on smooth.

Be on the balls of your feet and put most of your weight on your pegs.  You can put more weight on the inside peg to get the bike leaned over faster.  You can also put more weight on the outside peg when exiting a corner to stand the bike up faster.

Keep a very light grip on the bars, and keep your arms loose.  I flap my arms before entering a corner to keep myself loose.  

Don't lean off the bike sideways, swivel around the tank and try to kiss the mirror.  That is the correct way to lean.

Make sure you spine is parrellel with the forks and you aren't riding crossed up.

Look through the corner, but keep your eyes in your own lane.



I would imagine you have more wear in the middle then on the sides, assuming you are a new rider.  My tires are worn down to the edges, but I have been riding 3 years.  For the first two years I had chicken strips.  

My advice would be to read the book "twist of the wrist 2" and get some bridgestone bt-45's.  It'll make a world of a difference.

[Kerry]

I know exactly what you're saying, Jason.  It's been a year and a half since my last tire swap, but I can still remember the feeling of the night-and-day difference between the stock Exedras and a new set of Metzeler 330/550 tires.  The confidence that you mention seemed to appear out of nowhere.  The same thing happened a year earlier with BT45s on my other bike.

But new tires or not, make sure you pay attention to your technique, as Jonathan already mentioned.

[pantablo]

what they said...especially "Twist of the Wrist II" an exceptional book. Your tires are squared off from the sound of it-resulting from your not cornering hard or leaning the bike much...if you're a new rider that's to be expected.

believe me, new tires will give you SO much more confidence it's crazy...just ask JohNLA about how my riding changed after I got sticky tires. Like night and day.

Get bt-45's-you'll love them.

[Arpee]

Please change your tires BEFORE trying any of these techniques.  I'd hate to see another member go down...just as we're getting on a roll here with everyone healthy and in control.

A "square" tire not only dosen't inspire confidence, it can be downright dangerous.  Your bike will feel like it's about to fall over in those "semi-agressive" corners.  Check out Jake42's "quest for tires" and the thousand others here.  Couple of bills will get you going again and you'll be wearing out your knees with JohnLA in no time....

[Pkaaso]

I just got the BT-45's - What a difference, I'm having a blast now.  Made the bike feel so much more stable and smooth when leaning into a turn.
$220.00 mounted and balance from Cycle Gear.

Paul