Do fatter Front tires last Longer? Compare the 21" skinny and the current fatter ones. do the fatter ones get more mileage?


I always notice that the front skinnies seem to wear out before the rears.

 

Tire width doesn't have a say in longevity. The tire compound is what decides that. I will say the wider tire puts more rubber on the road, which can provide more stability.... But life.. Not so much.

 

2 tires of the same make up the larger one will last longer. Its wear is spread out over a larger area.

 

in theory that makes some sense, there is less "Pounds per inch" on the tire surface since the surface area is bigger.


But it's also true a bigger tire would create more drag on the road surface.


only real life data will decide.


I have the skinny front and I only get an extra 2-3,000 miles out of the rear and always have the tires changed at different times..


I do still prefer the look of the large skinny wheel though, and the easy steering.

 

That's interesting. Are you running different tires front/rear? Reason I ask is, my Sporty had a similar set-up with its 21" front rim. The front always lasted longer, presumably because it was on the driven wheel and not the drive wheel.

 

I generally get more that twice the mileage out of a front tire as a rear tire...and I use only the front brake for 70+% of my braking.

I've only owned one skinny front tire bike...a Wide Glide...and I did not have it long enough to gauge tire wear.

Since most skinny front tires are 21", most "medium" front tires are 19" and the fatties on the 48, and recently, the Customs are 16", you would think they might even out a bit, since the narrower they are, the larger the circumference to handle heat and wear. (all else being equal...rubber compound etc.)

I am on my first fatty ever, so do not have enough experience to back up any particular theory though.

I do know this for a fact...if you make sure you do a lot of riding in the curves...both the front and the rear will last longer...you're using all the tread, not just down the center.

 

My bike has now 50 k miles, and my 2nd front tire need to be changed...

I'm on my fourth rear tire since new (1 Scorcher, 3 Milestones)

 

There is no simple answer to a question like that! The way each of us rides will have much more affect than the size of the tyre IMHO.

 

Not really much help if you don't say what size your front tire is.

My bike came with the skinny 21" front wheel. The first 2 front tire changes came at ~7500 miles on each tire.
After the second 21" tire wore out, I swapped to a 19" wheel with the fatter 100 tire. Every front tire since then, for the next 85,000 miles, has lasted over 20,000 miles each.

 

Bigger tires typically last longer because they handle thermal cycles better, which reduces wear, than skinnier tires.