Guitar chords are good….

But cords showing through the tread on your motorcycle tire ain’t!! This particular tire was on a cruiser with a large fender which hid the damage that was about to befall the rider. Can you count the number of plies? Do you see how a bias ply tire is constructed? The cords of nylon criss-cross one another to build strength to the carcass. But once you wear down to the point of having visible cords, it’s time to check up and replace with new rubber. The moral of this story? Maybe you should get down on one knee and have a glance up under your fender to see what kind of tread depth you have left. State Inspection guidelines call for a minimum of 2/32″, and most tires have “wear bars” denoting unsafe tread levels. Or take a penny and place it inĀ  the grooves of your tread, if you can see all of Pres Lincoln’s head, it’s time to get them bad boyz replaced…

You can't drink this Chordial...

You can’t drink this Cordial…

Chord specs.

Cord specs.

This "MAY-POP" was on a different bike, and even though it was clearly visible, the rider pushed it a bit farther than most sane folk would. Once you pass the outer layer of treaded rubber, it wears quite rapidly, because the material between the plies is softer for ease of manufacturing.

This “MAY-POP” was on a different bike, and even though it was clearly visible, the rider pushed it a bit farther than most sane folk would. Once you pass the outer layer of treaded rubber, it wears quite rapidly, because the material between the plies is softer for ease of manufacturing.