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[Killroy]

Michelin PR4 front with ~ 6.5k miles on it. https://www.dropbox.com/s/hnrh8inpj8r9mdn/20160711_213420.jpg?dl=0

Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk

The tire looks gone on the shoulder to me. 

You are running the larger than stock 120/70 17, rather than the stock 110/70 17.  You cant get the PR4 in stock S/SR sizes.  You could get a stock size Michelin Pilot Street Radial.

So originally I had the PR4 120/70-17 together with a 150/70-17 rear PR3 to slow down the turn-in and improve the stability of the bike, which it did. I was experimenting with the front width assuming that the 120 would have a flatter center versus a 110mm front, but maybe that is backwards? In any case, the PR3/PR4 profile is nice and round and that did the trick.

The PR4 is a dual compound tire and so the wear pattern is more about the soft shoulders of these tires. I guess the assumption is that most riders don't use the sides that much. About 5 of 12 miles of my commute are on windy roads. But really the percent of distance I spend in turns is tiny versus the distance I spend going straight, so I can only conclude the sides are much much softer than the middle compound. I guess the side tire surface is going through more friction in a turn so it's not just distance?

I just installed new tires today and now I realize how bad the front was worn. The wear on the front was definitely causing issues when cornering, the bike just wasn't smoothly falling down into the turn, and was going into a slight wobble. I had to get back on good tires to realize the difference, as the handling has slowly degraded over time and I've just adapted to it.

I never thought that the RS bike was to quick or slow stock.  I did do a lot of work to get the sag right.  So much work, that I suggest everyone check there sag if they have not done so.

[Manzanita]

Coming from bikes with a more relaxed geometry I think I've been used to bikes that simply hold a line while in a sweeping turn. In contrast, on the Zero S I feel like I actually have to expend mental energy to steer the bike around a turn. It feels twitchy and overly sensitive to rider input. I've gotten used to it (after 7000 miles) and the PR3/PR4 tires have helped, but that was definitely my first impression.

[Killroy]

I'm short, so I like the smaller tires, but the selection of normal size tires like the PR4s are good.

[JaimeC]

Coming from bikes with a more relaxed geometry I think I've been used to bikes that simply hold a line while in a sweeping turn. In contrast, on the Zero S I feel like I actually have to expend mental energy to steer the bike around a turn. It feels twitchy and overly sensitive to rider input. I've gotten used to it (after 7000 miles) and the PR3/PR4 tires have helped, but that was definitely my first impression.

My S handles pretty much exactly like the Buells I've owned.  I guess I shouldn't be surprised because that's where Abe Askenazie got his start before moving to Zero.

[Kocho]

I think it would depend on the speed during a turn and probably other things. I remember a thread about the SR having a tendency to turn-in when leaned during a turn, so I was looking for it this morning on my way to work. Indeed, if I just let go of the handlebars during a turn at a slow-ish speed, around 30 mph, the front wheel was turning into the turn, resulting in the bike trying to go wide/straighten-up. I would not say I feel it when I'm just turning, but letting go of the handlebars illustrates that point.

That said, I had a 55L top box on the rack with about 6lb in it (so nothing too heavy). And I have to try the same experiment without the box and at different speeds to know if that tendency continues and if it gets stronger or weaker... But it is like the front wheel wobble thing - you let go off the handlebars and it happens, you put just a slight touch, and it is gone, so one may never feel it or mind it in normal use.

Coming from bikes with a more relaxed geometry I think I've been used to bikes that simply hold a line while in a sweeping turn. In contrast, on the Zero S I feel like I actually have to expend mental energy to steer the bike around a turn. It feels twitchy and overly sensitive to rider input. I've gotten used to it (after 7000 miles) and the PR3/PR4 tires have helped, but that was definitely my first impression.

My S handles pretty much exactly like the Buells I've owned.  I guess I shouldn't be surprised because that's where Abe Askenazie got his start before moving to Zero.

[Burton]

@Kocho Correct me if I am wrong but doesn't a bike in motion want to stay in motion and if you release the handlebars at any time it will try to straighten up?

I know my front tire, since it is dual compound, will scallop over time. This causes the front end to wobble at certain speeds as it gets worse and as your loads are not even.

I have a 36L top case on the bike which sites right on the passenger seat and it carries at least 25lbs on most trips sometimes more! ... I don't notice any difference with 20k on my front tire when I release the handlebars going say 75mph ... it still tracks straight as an arrow. I haven't tried to release the steering when leaning the bike over with a lot of weight in the top case yet. But the bike does straighten up if I loosen up on the bars as I think physics dictates it should.

I remove my rear tire around 10k miles just as I start to hit the wear strips and keep them as backups for a couple years then recycle them later.

[Killroy]

I ended up replacing my front Pirelli Diablo Rosso II at ~6000 miles.  Its hard to tell from the picture, but on the front all the wear bars are gone, some of the grooves are gone and the groove depth is really shallow.

The Rear has the same miles on it, but it looks like it is going to last another 3000 miles.  That is the reverse of what normally happens.

I ended up replacing just the front with a Bridgestone bt-45.  I'm sure its fine, but it seems narrow, and the sides are so steep, I will never use the edge.

I replaced the original stock Diablo at ~10,500 miles  with similar depth of wear recently with the matching Bridgestone BT-45.  Because of my normal commute is windy, I was able to avoid the center flat spot of a bike that is normal for a bike that is used mostly for commuting.

The front Bridgestone BT-45 looks like it is wearing similar to the my last Diablo, which had most of its wear ~50% to the edge of the tire.  You can see that in the grooves that have been warn away in the pictures. 

I'm still wondering if the SR is front heavy.  I cruise on HWY 17 in the Santa Cruz mountains at ~ 65 to 75 MPH even in the turns depending on traffic.  Faster in the straight. Good thing the speed traps are not really good at trapping me.   

[Fivespeed302]

I've put well over 1000 miles on the 150 size Pirelli Angel GT rear and it is very nice.  I plan to try 150 sized Michelin Pilot Power 2CT's next.  I had them on the R1 and it lasted for quite some time with good feel. 

[BrianTRice@gmail.com]

I changed my DSR rear tire at 13000 miles but somehow my front tire is still fine after 16500 miles (one year into ownership), though I would not mind switching to a sport touring tire when it goes. Drag-reduction tweaking does seem to reduce tire wear.

[Richard230]

I replaced my stock Road Whiner rear tire at 10,500 miles when it hit the wear bars.  At 11K, the front Whiner seems to have lots of center tread left, but the tread at the mid-sides is starting to look a little bare.  I give the tire another few thousand miles before I end up with a deep center groove and no tread next to it.     I recall similar front tire wear on my 1986 Honda VFR F700FII.  It didn't matter what brand of tire I was using, it always wore the same. 

[Killroy]

I ended up replacing my front Pirelli Diablo Rosso II at ~6000 miles.  Its hard to tell from the picture, but on the front all the wear bars are gone, some of the grooves are gone and the groove depth is really shallow.

The Rear has the same miles on it, but it looks like it is going to last another 3000 miles.  That is the reverse of what normally happens.

I ended up replacing just the front with a Bridgestone bt-45.  I'm sure its fine, but it seems narrow, and the sides are so steep, I will never use the edge.

I replaced the original stock Diablo at ~10,500 miles  with similar depth of wear recently with the matching Bridgestone BT-45.  Because of my normal commute is windy, I was able to avoid the center flat spot of a bike that is normal for a bike that is used mostly for commuting.

The front Bridgestone BT-45 looks like it is wearing similar to the my last Diablo, which had most of its wear ~50% to the edge of the tire.  You can see that in the grooves that have been warn away in the pictures. 

I'm still wondering if the SR is front heavy.  I cruise on HWY 17 in the Santa Cruz mountains at ~ 65 to 75 MPH even in the turns depending on traffic.  Faster in the straight. Good thing the speed traps are not really good at trapping me.   

I'm still having problems with fast tire wear on my front tires for my commute over Highway 17 through the Santa Cruz mountains. 

[nnelson65]

10500 miles on the '16 DS before I swapped the rear tire (to an Avon Trail Rider), front tire still has some life @ 11,100 miles...

[Fivespeed302]

I must ride a lot more aggressively than most of you.  I only got 3,000 miles out of the Road Whiner before I started getting comments about having a slick.  I couldn't get the damned thing off so I cut it off with an angle grinder.  Even though the center was completely squared off and slick, there was nearly a half inch of rubber before it would have gotten to the threads.  Then I was pissed because I could have done one hell of a burnout on that sucker.  Lesson learned, always do a smokey burnout before changing a tire.  This solves two issues.  One, it warms the tire up so it'll actually come off, and two, you won't regret not having done a sick burnout in your driveway. 

[Fivespeed302]

As far as front tires go, it looks like I'll get 7,000 out of the Road Whiner, which is also what I got with the Diablo II.

[Electric Terry]

On my 2015 I get about 12,000 miles out of a front tire and 8,000 miles out of a back tire, but I usually run both until I see cords show. 

On my 2012 Vetter bike I got about 10,000 miles out of a front tire, and what would have been about 24,000 miles perhaps out of a back tire, but I'd always have the wheel bearings start grinding or popping at around 20,000 miles so the last 2 tire changes were just wheel changes with a new tire installed.

Alan Smith who rides a fully streamlined Ninja 250 also gets about 25,000 miles on a back tire.

I think it's because instead of needing about 15,000 watts to go 75 mph, it only takes about 5,000 watts and you are barely twisting the throttle to maintain highway speeds and so the back tire doesn't have to work as hard to push you through the wind.