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…

  • ConfuzedAZ@lemmy.world
    8·
    1 year ago

    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.

      • ConfuzedAZ@lemmy.world
        1·
        1 year ago

        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.

    • Tangent5280@lemmy.world
      2·
      1 year ago

      Seems like an issue that should be taken care of in the factory itself instead of putting customers in danger.

      • ConfuzedAZ@lemmy.world
        4·
        1 year ago

        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.