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[Killroy]

A friend passed my 2015 SR and told me that my tires where worn out.  I thought he was kidding. 

At 4000 miles, the rear (Pirelli Diablo Rosso II) looks good but the front is not far from the wear bar.  I know the depth on the front is not deep brand new, but dam.

The wear is mostly from cornering.

Is the bike front heavy?

[evtricity]

My experience on my 2014 SR (which I use on the road and track)  is that the front wears faster than the rear. On the front I get to the wear markers on the side earlier than the center of the tire. I expect the greater side/edge wear from the track riding but like you am a little surprised that the front wears noticeably faster than the rear.

I would have thought the extra power of the SR would be harder on the rear but the front cops a beating around the corners and under hard braking so I suppose it makes sense the front would wear faster. My SR also cuts power after a few minutes on the track (due to motor overheating) so that tends to preserve the rear tire.

[Killroy]

It should also be mentioned that I have not done any track days.

I don't use a lot of brake on my daily commute over the Santa Cruz Mountains on HWY 17, which has a lot of long sweepers climbing and descending.  I'm going above the speed limit, but I'm not dragging anything or getting to aggressive.  Too much traffic and occasionally speed traps.

[ultrarnr]

I had a set of PR3's on my 2014 SR and was surprised to see how fast the front tire wore out compared to the same tire on my 650 V-Strom. On the V-Strom I usually replace one front tire for every two rear tires. I think there is more weight on the front of the SR due to the battery which causes faster tire wear compared to other bikes.

[JaimeC]

Might be the difference in the power characteristics of an electric motor vs. a gasoline engine.  Tires have been built around gas engines for decades.  Electric motorcycles are relatively new.  I suspect once we start seeing more and more electrics on the road, the tire manufacturers will find it profitable enough to design tires specifically for electric bikes.

Clutching and shifting introduce little "shocks" to the tire carcass... something your (and eventually OUR) Zeros never experience.  I suspect the same goes for my CVT-driven scooter, as I go through front tires on that faster than rears too.

[Richard230]

I have 8K miles on my original IRC Road Whiners.  The rear looks like it will last another 1,000 miles before hitting the wear bars and the front still looks like new with only negligible visible wear.

[Killroy]

Might be the difference in the power characteristics of an electric motor vs. a gasoline engine.  Tires have been built around gas engines for decades.  Electric motorcycles are relatively new.  I suspect once we start seeing more and more electrics on the road, the tire manufacturers will find it profitable enough to design tires specifically for electric bikes.

Clutching and shifting introduce little "shocks" to the tire carcass... something your (and eventually OUR) Zeros never experience.  I suspect the same goes for my CVT-driven scooter, as I go through front tires on that faster than rears too.

Yeah, I thought about that with a buddy, but I font thing that is the case.

Yet, the absolute miles on the front looks like its going to be poor.

The Zero is relatively light compared to other sport bikes and I'm only 160 lb myself. 

Maybe a wider tire front tire with more rubber would be good and you could replace the tires in a set.

I know on bicycles, the front tire last at least twice as long.  I usually rotate them.

[JaimeC]

A harder compound front would give you more tire life at the expense of ultimate traction. Everything is a compromise and there's no such thing as a free lunch.

[protomech]

A friend passed my 2015 SR and told me that my tires where worn out.  I thought he was kidding. 

At 4000 miles, the rear (Pirelli Diablo Rosso II) looks good but the front is not far from the wear bar.  I know the depth on the front is not deep brand new, but dam.

The wear is mostly from cornering.

Is the bike front heavy?

On my 2012, I replaced the rear tire at 6000 and 13000 miles; the front tire was also replaced at 13000 miles, though it had a bit of wear left.

Can't speak for the 2014 yet.

[Fivespeed302]

My '15 SR's front tire is also wearing quicker than the rear.  I'd love to put some Pirelli Angel GT's in the front, but I don't think they make them in the right size.

[benswing]

I use Angel GTs and they are great!  However, you are right.  They don't come in the right size, so I got 1 size bigger. 

Front - 120/70R17
Rear  - 150/70R17

The tolerances are close, but there has been no rubbing.  The only difference is that the bike leans a bit more on the kickstand since it is a bit taller.  I replaced the kickstand with a DS kickstand and that is working nicely for me.

[Fivespeed302]

I use Angel GTs and they are great!  However, you are right.  They don't come in the right size, so I got 1 size bigger. 

Front - 120/70R17
Rear  - 150/70R17

The tolerances are close, but there has been no rubbing.  The only difference is that the bike leans a bit more on the kickstand since it is a bit taller.  I replaced the kickstand with a DS kickstand and that is working nicely for me.

Good to know.  How are the Angel GT's wearing?  How is the handling compared to the Rosso's?

[ZEM Tahiti]

Thank you Ben for that info, I was thinking also about changing the genuine tires to 1 size bigger, but maybe 150/60 will keep the same diameter, and correct speed/odo indications. I love the handling of the diablo rosso, how are the Angel GTs ?

[ultrarnr]

I had PR3's put on my 2014 SR when I picked it up and the rear was a 150. I thought it handled well until I decided to go back to stock size with the Diablo Dorso II's. I was surprised how much more flickable the bike was in S turns. Would not go back to a 150.

[benswing]

My SR is a 2014, so I didn't start out with Rosso's.  I chose the Angel GT's because they should last longer and give me better traction than the original tires.  I like them better than my original tires, but I don't recall the stock tire on 2014's right now. 

My primary use of the bike is long range summer journeys, so flicking through corners is not my biggest concern.  They handle well and I have much more confidence in their grip than the original tires.  I really like them and they have worn well.  It would be nice if Zero increased their tire size so there would be more options available.