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The smell of burning tire.

2K views 11 replies 8 participants last post by  evomind 
#1 ·
Some here get all sorts of miles on tires, some not so many.

When riding my favorite style and speed, tires tend to wear away quickly.

We have noticed that when we stop along the route there is a certain smell around each bike. That burnt rubber smell which reminds us that we are fully utilizing the capabilities of the tires. >:)
 
#2 ·
I often have that smell, but it is due to my fat azz causing the rear tire to scrub the fender when I hit bumps or dips in the road. Really.

Best.
 
#7 ·
I'm the best of both worlds. I ride like Lemke's bunch, and ride a lot of mountain roads, but also have a fat azz. Thus, I have never had a rear tire last much more than 2k miles, and never over 2,500, since my old Honda Sabre with hard cruiser tires on it. :surprise:
 
#4 ·
I have smelt that aroma when I have been following Duane....
 
#5 ·
I know what you mean but, aside from the excellence of our high speed riding skills, I often wonder whether it is fine rubber particulates being thrown up from the road surface onto a hot cat.

Just watch a heavy truck/Semi taking a tight turn & see how much rubber they leave behind. Something else to worry about, breathing in particulates from the road eh? Diesel soot, tyre debris, metals from sintered brake pads, brake dust generally. There are no cabin air filters to protect us bikers & dust masks aren't exactly de rigueur.
 
#6 ·
I suspect that there would be a heavy buildup of crud on the catalytic converter and hottest part of the exhaust if road tar bits burn on the bike.

We all breath in a lot of crap, but only the sharp molecules, like asbestos, stick to the lungs. So, it depends on where one rides as some areas have more risk than others.

 
#9 ·
We all breath in a lot of crap, but only the sharp molecules, like asbestos, stick to the lungs. So, it depends on where one rides as some areas have more risk than others.
Sorry RL, can I beg to disagree. Asbestos is a ghastly product & so too is cement/Lime & those exposed only tend to suffer years later. However airborne road particulates are now causing concern too, largely due to their microscopic size, where they can pass the normal barriers of the body & enter the bloodstream.

Your very own ALF informs us well ......... https://www.lung.org/our-initiatives/healthy-air/outdoor/air-pollution/particle-pollution.html
 
#11 ·
When my Bridgestone rear tire began to come apart I could smell it for a couple hours on my way home. Not always distinct but in intermittent puffs. Enough to make me kock my head like Scooby to assess what I was smelling.
 
#12 ·
Hmmmm....
Not trying to burst any bubbles but I have been smelling burning rubber/tire smell even after pushing the engine on short straights.
Im not convinced its tire.
You can't see much of any hoses or anything else so I figured if something is wearing Ill know soon enough.
Plus, unless your riding with traction control off you're not getting wheelspin which would certainly burn the tires.
Im not even sure Ive smelled rubber from my race replica bikes after laps on a track.
These are heavy bikes though and do load the tires pretty good.
 
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