Breaking-in New Tyres

[Villager]

I have just had new tyres fitted for the first time (well, I suppose I had new tyres on my new 125, but I didn't know much about anything back then) and the mechanic warned me to "not go crazy" while they were still new. The paperwork that came with them (BT45s) specified 100 miles before they will grip properly.

Why is this?
Just how cautiously must I ride - is leaning at all inadvisable?
Is caution really necessary for a whole 100 miles?
Is it specific to these tyres or universal?


Also, they cost £135 ($270), which I thought was rather a lot.

[wreckhog]

New tires are slippery. Something about a coating to preserve them or release them from the mold. YouTube has plenty of videos of guys dropping their bikes at 5mph in the dealer parking lot. You can't push the stops or the turns until the tires are scrubbed in. Could be 5 miles or 500 miles depending on how and where you ride.

[simon79]

£ 135 = € 171 currently.
Price is about right, I paid more or less the same amount last Feb when I had my rubbers replaced (Michelin Pilot Activ).
Enjoy.

[ben2go]

Exact dumundo.Mold release agent is like riding on greased glass.If you wanna speed things up.Scrub the tread using water with a lot of dish soap in it.Then use a sanding sponge to rough up the tread.You'll still need to becareful.Some of the release agent will still leach out of the rubber until they go thru a couple of heat cool cycles.

[Jay_wolf]

Considering i was quoted 110 quid for a 160/70 , u got a good deal

[theUBS]

Do they have no companies that operate online across the pond?!  I got my tires delivered to my door for under $150 USD--I got the Avon RoadRiders, but the BT-45's would have been under $150 too.  I found a local shop to install them for $50--a decent deal considering I just dropped off the bike and the tires.  My grand total for tires, shipping, and mount and balance was under $200 USD. 

Breaking in was fairly easy for me.  I was a newbie, so I wasn't pushing it to begin with!    Granted, I did take it extra easy.  I've seen the videos as well!

One thing to consider though--I think they have TWO DIFFERENT sets of BT45's.  The older version still on the market is a fair amount cheaper.  You might have gotten the updated treads which might be worth the extra money.

[jeremy_nash]

when I had my new tires installed, the guy mounting them warned me about new tires having some stuff on them.  never had a problem with them not gripping though

[mach1]

same with me when I installed the new tires on my bike the same day I rode upto PV and hit a quick canyon run to see how they feel. no traction loss here

[ohgood]

there is also the warning to 'take it easy' because of the fact that something might not have been tightened properly. been there, found that. nothing like the rear brake caliper flapping against the wheel to wake you up at 5am !

double check alignment, axle nut, chain adjustment, tire pressures, all that jazz.

[gsJack]

Good point and don't forget the loose nut on the saddle.     I can't count how many new tires I've used over the years but I only remember one slipping badly when new and that was going around a slow speed corner a few blocks from home.

It really is best to take it easy for a while on new tires even though it doesn't take a lot of miles to scuff them up a bit.  A bike handles much different (better in most cases) on new tires and often new tires are a very different type from the old ones.

Just takes a few careful miles to break in the tires and the rider and to make sure everything is OK with the bike.

[wreckhog]

I think that diffrerent tires are better or worse than others in this respect. Just put new fronts on 2 different bikes. BT45 H rated, felt great, very confident. Michelin Pilot, feels like it won't hold the road, makes me wish I rode the old front another 1000 mles. Both 110/70-17, mounted by the same guy. Gotta play with tire pressure........