check your tires folks!
Road Warrior
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 1,519
Likes: 2
From: St. Augustine Florida
This is the reason I like to do my own wrenching, cleaning and polishing every couple of weeks or after a long ride. Good catch! Glad you noticed and are able to take corrective measures. I have never seen this on a tire before.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 2,727
Likes: 6
Nothing that was noticeable, its not an even or clean split like a piece of metal or glass would leave behind, just looks like the rubber is splitting apart? I'll be pulling the wheel tomorrow and into the shop Monday for a new tire, was looking at the commander IIs but didn't figure on them so soon!
It looks to me like it got stretched over an uneven piece of metal or something and it ripped. Just a tear from road debris. The tire is getting old and it might not take much to tear it.
Never buy a tire more than a year old.
Advanced
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 63
Likes: 1
From: Buckeye, AZ
I had the same thing happen to a Dunlop tire on the rear of my Dyna. I had 4 cracks like that and all were in the same area of the tread as yours. Dealer replaced it for me due to being less than 6 months old and less than 3K on it. I never did figure out what caused it.
Stage III
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
From: Omaha, NE
Imagine my suprise to find this thread! I just took a trip from this weekend (Friday - Saturday, May 5th and 6th 2012) Leaving Omaha to Kansas City and returning. On the way down no problems, but on the way back I picked up a vibration that was getting worse. We stopped and while checking tires I found that the rear tire (Mich MT90B16) has cracks all the way around the tire. Where yours are opposite of the tread, mine are with the line of tread. I think this is too much of a concidence to ignore. The cracks were not there when I did my pretrip inspection, including air pressure. My bike is a 06 Electra Glide, I was riding solo and packing light with only a backpack and sleeping bag as cargo so I was not over weight. My front tire is also a Commander and put on at the same time. Both were done last year, about 6K ago, and no I did not hit or run over anything. 
These were taken with my phone, but you get the idea.
These were taken with my phone, but you get the idea.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 2,727
Likes: 6
Imagine my suprise to find this thread! I just took a trip from this weekend (Friday - Saturday, May 5th and 6th 2012) Leaving Omaha to Kansas City and returning. On the way down no problems, but on the way back I picked up a vibration that was getting worse. We stopped and while checking tires I found that the rear tire (Mich MT90B16) has cracks all the way around the tire. Where yours are opposite of the tread, mine are with the line of tread. I think this is too much of a concidence to ignore. The cracks were not there when I did my pretrip inspection, including air pressure. My bike is a 06 Electra Glide, I was riding solo and packing light with only a backpack and sleeping bag as cargo so I was not over weight. My front tire is also a Commander and put on at the same time. Both were done last year, about 6K ago, and no I did not hit or run over anything.
These were taken with my phone, but you get the idea.
These were taken with my phone, but you get the idea.
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 4,928
Likes: 69
From: Near Myrtle Beach, SC
+1 on never buying a tire more than 1 year old. Always insist on seeing the tire before it is installed.
Learn how to read the date stamp info on the sidewall....
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tirete....jsp?techid=11
Rubber gets "hard" as time goes by, so a good looking old tire is no bargain and does not grip as well as a new, softer tire. Old good looking tires lull us into a false sense of security sometimes. (kinda like old good looking broads!)
Sorry to see the Michelin quality going to the dogs. That's certainly not typical for this brand.
I am sure that Michelin would like to see those photos. They have a lot riding on their reputation, literally.
Learn how to read the date stamp info on the sidewall....
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tirete....jsp?techid=11
Rubber gets "hard" as time goes by, so a good looking old tire is no bargain and does not grip as well as a new, softer tire. Old good looking tires lull us into a false sense of security sometimes. (kinda like old good looking broads!)
Sorry to see the Michelin quality going to the dogs. That's certainly not typical for this brand.
I am sure that Michelin would like to see those photos. They have a lot riding on their reputation, literally.
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Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 2,306
Likes: 39
From: Everywhere
Rode to Utah last summer from Maine. My buddy had brand new Metzlers when leaving home. got to Utah and his rear was split worse that that. (yes, pressure was correct, it was new, it was balanced). Had 170 miles to dealer, they slapped on two Dunlops (no Metzlers in stock) and we were on our way.
We were standing in the hotel parking lot having coffee one morning and I just asked "how do you like the Metzlers?" and bent over to look at them and there it was... big split.
We were standing in the hotel parking lot having coffee one morning and I just asked "how do you like the Metzlers?" and bent over to look at them and there it was... big split.
Cruiser
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 200
Likes: 0
From: North Alabama
Imagine my suprise to find this thread! I just took a trip from this weekend (Friday - Saturday, May 5th and 6th 2012) Leaving Omaha to Kansas City and returning. On the way down no problems, but on the way back I picked up a vibration that was getting worse. We stopped and while checking tires I found that the rear tire (Mich MT90B16) has cracks all the way around the tire. Where yours are opposite of the tread, mine are with the line of tread. I think this is too much of a concidence to ignore. The cracks were not there when I did my pretrip inspection, including air pressure. My bike is a 06 Electra Glide, I was riding solo and packing light with only a backpack and sleeping bag as cargo so I was not over weight. My front tire is also a Commander and put on at the same time. Both were done last year, about 6K ago, and no I did not hit or run over anything.
These were taken with my phone, but you get the idea.
These were taken with my phone, but you get the idea.