Tire Dry Rot. 3rd tire.
Banned
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 4,341
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From: Dover, Oh
the answer is in your car wash soap.. your stripping everything off the paint, engine and TIRES.... your dry rotting your own tires.... Dawn strips every bit of oils off dishes... it does the same to the good oils in your rubber......
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 27,097
Likes: 4,676
From: Frozelandia, Minnysota
Did you check the manufacturing dates on the tires? I've seen "new" tires 10 years old with fine cracks in the sidewall rubber already. Sitting in the sun for a year should have little effect that quick. Could be your dealer has some tires that have been sitting around for a long time. One reason I only buy from high volume dealers like Dennis Kirk or Motorcycle Superstore - tires I've gotten at both those places were at worst a few months old. I've also seen tires on bikes with dates older than the bike, can happen. If I didn't wear it out first, I'd change a bike tire older than 5 years.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 2,090
Likes: 7
It's the dawn soap. I would never wash a bike or cage with that stuff. Buy a good quality car wash soap, only 8-10 bucks for a huge bottle at Walmart. Most of them will help prevent water spots too....
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 5,016
Likes: 277
From: East Tn Foot of The Dragon
I bought my FLHX in mid May last year and am now on my third tire. It is now showing dry rot. Cracked clean around on the right hand side and some shorter cracks on the left. Just had this last one put on in April.
Is there anything that I could be doing to cause this? Keeping in mind that my back tire has been fine for 9200 miles so far.
Cleaning products:
S100, overspray
Mothers Wheel Polish, touch here and there while polishing wheels
Dawn Dish Detergent, every time I wash
Only chemicals that I know have been on tire.
Any advice appreciated.
And I thought the dunlop over my belt was bad..........
Is there anything that I could be doing to cause this? Keeping in mind that my back tire has been fine for 9200 miles so far.
Cleaning products:
S100, overspray
Mothers Wheel Polish, touch here and there while polishing wheels
Dawn Dish Detergent, every time I wash
Only chemicals that I know have been on tire.
Any advice appreciated.
And I thought the dunlop over my belt was bad..........
Advanced
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 93
Likes: 2
From: ND
What part of post number 5 in this thread confuses you the most?
Road Master
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 1,211
Likes: 69
From: Orange County, NY
I bought my FLHX in mid May last year and am now on my third tire. It is now showing dry rot. Cracked clean around on the right hand side and some shorter cracks on the left. Just had this last one put on in April.
Is there anything that I could be doing to cause this? Keeping in mind that my back tire has been fine for 9200 miles so far.
Cleaning products:
S100, overspray
Mothers Wheel Polish, touch here and there while polishing wheels
Dawn Dish Detergent, every time I wash
Only chemicals that I know have been on tire.
Any advice appreciated.
And I thought the dunlop over my belt was bad..........
Is there anything that I could be doing to cause this? Keeping in mind that my back tire has been fine for 9200 miles so far.
Cleaning products:
S100, overspray
Mothers Wheel Polish, touch here and there while polishing wheels
Dawn Dish Detergent, every time I wash
Only chemicals that I know have been on tire.
Any advice appreciated.
And I thought the dunlop over my belt was bad..........
Dish soap should ONLY be used when trying to strip all oils, waxes and polishes off of the bike to start "fresh", at MOST once a year. And when using it, one should take care to try to keep it away from plastics and rubber components.
Please don't tell me you dry the bike with paper towels
You're dry rotting your own tires by using dish soap to clean it.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 3,328
Likes: 15
From: Pacific Northwest
The soap you're using isn't making your tires weather check. Been using dish soap on vehicles for a great many years and never had a single tire weather check. Not one.
I don't have an answer as to why you're having the issue you're having, but blaming a dish washing detergent is absurd. (Sorry boys, just calling a spade a spade.)
How 'bout a couple of pics?
I don't have an answer as to why you're having the issue you're having, but blaming a dish washing detergent is absurd. (Sorry boys, just calling a spade a spade.)
How 'bout a couple of pics?
Last edited by Leftcoaster; Jun 8, 2013 at 09:14 AM.
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Joe Kucinski
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 17,548
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From: Oxford, Nc
And I agree that the soap shouldn't hurt the tires either. ( Though I know that Dawn is used in industrial cleaning applications too.) But it's diluted right?
Road Master
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 1,211
Likes: 69
From: Orange County, NY
The soap you're using isn't making your tires weather check. Been using dish soap on vehicles for a great many years and never had a single tire weather check. Not one.
I don't have an answer as to why you're having the issue you're having, but blaming a dish washing detergent is absurd. (Sorry boys, just calling a spade a spade.)
How 'bout a couple of pics?
I don't have an answer as to why you're having the issue you're having, but blaming a dish washing detergent is absurd. (Sorry boys, just calling a spade a spade.)
How 'bout a couple of pics?
You've been doing your vehicles a dis-service for a great many years.
Dish detergent is made to cut through oils, waxes, polishes...it's made to cut through the coats and coats of protectant you put on your vehicles.
Furthermore, motorcycle tires use a softer rubber compound and would MOST DEFINITELY be effected by dish soap more so than a normal car radial.
So yes, while the dish soap may not be the ONLY reason his tires are dry-rotting...............I would say it's a factor.