I put on some new tires on my KLR the other day and went through a roundabout that I’ve been through a bunch of times. As I was in the lean, the rear end decided to slip out and I pooped a little but throttled it out. All was good, except a gash on my boot, probably from my foot flailing around…

  • Sir_Osis_of_Liver
    12•1 year ago

    Mold release agent hasn’t been a thing in decades. It’s a myth, however not the whole story.

    The problem with this myth is that tires don’t stick to the molds in the first place. Mike Manning, Director of Marketing for Dunlop says, “We don’t spray the molds with anything. The tires come out of the mold just fine on their own.” Kevin Hunley, who is the Senior Manager of Motorcycle and Kart products of Bridgestone Americas, echoed that, saying, “There is no need for any type of mold release.”

    But something must be causing all those new-tire crashes, right? In fact, there is a reason so many riders biff it on fresh rubber, but it has little to do with the rubber itself.

    A new tire needs to be broken in gently, but not because you need to scuff off any slippery stuff on the tread surface. “The reason they need to be broken in is due to a chemical product,” said Manning. “All the different chemicals in it cure in the mold, but once they go on the bike the first few heat cycles finish that curing process.”

    https://www.motorcyclistonline.com/3-motorcycle-myths-that-wont-die/