What is cupping?

[DwarF]

How can you tell if your tires are cupping?

[Limey]

my front tire cupped. it looks like the center of the tire is higher than the edges if that makes sense. like a ridge in the center

[cheapbastard]

What? Who are you wanting to cup? :???: Ain't that kinda like spooning? :-D Just kidding Dwarf(I just typed that with one hand while holding a beer with the other) :-D Limey has it right, would prolly help ya better though if someone could take a pic and post it for ya. Limey, care to post a pic?

[DwarF]

So, there are three high-spots and two low spots?

Right Edge is high, between edge and center is low, center is high, between center and left is low and left edge is high?

I felt mine yesterday, that's what it felt like. Could be why I feel less stable in turns lately, like the bike just wants to fall over when I hit certain points in the lean.

And no, cupping is entirely different than spooning. You spoon with someone special (not you you bastard), you cup something after it gets hurt :razz:

[ This message was edited by: DwarF on 2006-06-15 07:49 ]

[Limey]

got rid of that tire, should have taken a pic, sorry

[Limey]

sounds like its seen better days. mine just had a high center line, like only a tiny bit of the tire was touching the road on a straight line

[DwarF]

Yeah, sounds similar. It has plenty of tread. What causes cupping? I check the pressure pretty regularly. Is it just an inevitable end to a tire?

[Limey]

mine had plenty of tread also, road conditions etc, I guess

[Limey]

You may not be able to entirely avoid cupping. Tire cupping or irregular wear is a somewhat common occurrence on all vehicles. On a four-wheel vehicle, you are advised to rotate your tires periodically to even out wear. Unfortunately, you do not have this luxury with a motorcycle because front and rear tires, unlike those on a four-wheel vehicle, are not interchangeable.

However, there are steps that can be taken to minimize cupping and uneven wear on a motorcycle:
Maintain your motorcycle and particularly your front forks and suspension.


Avoid hard braking whenever possible. Braking causes the tire to grab and wear in one direction. When braking is applied to the front tire, the load transfer over-flexes the tire and increases the tendency for cupping and uneven wear.


Maintain your tire pressures. Underinflation or overinflation in motorcycle tires are significant causes of cupping and uneven wear, particularly in association with hard braking and/or trailer use.

Some of today's tires feature tread patterns and constructions that are less prone to cupping than the ribbed tires of old. The Dunlop 491, D401 and D402 touring and sport touring tires are good examples.

Tire companies can, and are, helping to minimize cupping and uneven wear but you, the rider, must do your part. Follow the aforementioned guidelines. How Much Run-in Should I Give a New Tire? When new tires are fitted, they should not be subjected to maximum power or hard cornering until a reasonable run-in distance of approximately 100 miles has been achieved.

This is necessary for a number of reasons. Replacements for worn tires with different patterns and construction will not react the same. Also, a new tire is stiffer than an old tire. The new tire has a rounder tread profile, different contact patch and "lean-over edge" than the worn profile of an old tire. The new tire will also not react the same in combination with its remaining tire.

Carrying out the required run-in will allow you to become accustomed to the "feel" of the new tires and tire combinations, so you are better able to achieve optimum road grip for use in high speed, high acceleration and handling situations.

[tealetm]

My front tire is cupped pretty badly... you can feel when you it that point on the tire while leaning into a twisty. It wasn't cupped at the end of last year, when I took it out this year it was.

Luckily I will be replacing it shortly.