I put on some new tires on my KLR the other day and went through a roundabout that I’ve been through a bunch of times. As I was in the lean, the rear end decided to slip out and I pooped a little but throttled it out. All was good, except a gash on my boot, probably from my foot flailing around…
Mold release agent hasn’t been a thing in decades. It’s a myth, however not the whole story.
The problem with this myth is that tires don’t stick to the molds in the first place. Mike Manning, Director of Marketing for Dunlop says, “We don’t spray the molds with anything. The tires come out of the mold just fine on their own.” Kevin Hunley, who is the Senior Manager of Motorcycle and Kart products of Bridgestone Americas, echoed that, saying, “There is no need for any type of mold release.”
But something must be causing all those new-tire crashes, right? In fact, there is a reason so many riders biff it on fresh rubber, but it has little to do with the rubber itself.
A new tire needs to be broken in gently, but not because you need to scuff off any slippery stuff on the tread surface. “The reason they need to be broken in is due to a chemical product,” said Manning. “All the different chemicals in it cure in the mold, but once they go on the bike the first few heat cycles finish that curing process.”
https://www.motorcyclistonline.com/3-motorcycle-myths-that-wont-die/
New tires as you now know will have silicon mold release agent on them. It’s really slippery stuff. Worse, it will hang out on the edge of the tire for months until you lean just a little further than usual. Soapy water and a green scotch bright pad will take it off fairly easily.
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A marketing exec. That’s who you’re believing. Take two new tires. Your front and rear. Wash one as described and get back to me. I’m a materials engineer, I can absolutely tell you that if there was a treatment that could be applied at the factory that would result in a change to the surface of the tire, it would already be done when that tire left the mold post vulcanizing. I realize the average person won’t have this level of detail, but between my actual background and 30 years of riding the slippery shit on the tire is 100% a mold release compound. You can literally wash it off. You can feel it on your hands. You can actually smell it. Hot rubber designed to stick at surfaces needs a non reactive coating to prevent it from sticking to the mold during the vulcanizing process that cures the rubber that gives the tire it’s properties, otherwise they would be scraping the mold after every press. I’ve actually seen the pieces in action at a Firestone plant. You either don’t ride, or are a very new rider.
Seems like an issue that should be taken care of in the factory itself instead of putting customers in danger.
Well yes, you’re not wrong, but the mold release also protects the tire from oxygen in the air, extending it’s shelf life. It makes the tire easier to move and ship, as well as mount the first time. The reality is that until something better comes along it’s here to stay. A little preventative effort can save your butt. Literally.
I’ve always been super careful with new tires but now I know why! TIL.
Take it through some gravel right away to scrub that release agent off.
You’ve learned one of the most valuable lessons in motorcycling…new tires can be dangerous if you let your guard down.
