Tires & Tubes Tire Grooving: Opinions

[DieselTech]

Any of you professionals want to chime in on grooving a tire. These Bridgestone Battlax 120/90-16 tires, tip the scale at 11.2lbs each.

I am mainly looking to reduce the weight of these meat eaters. Here a quick pattern I scribbled in the tire. Any of you guys & gals want to chime in?

Well I'm up for some opinions. So let em roll.

Thanks.

 

[fabbrisd]

Well - "grooving" was our thing back in my "Dragster Day's" before the intro of super soft rubber.

The "best model" Vee Huntsman is 31TPI + Doublewall and are a hair over 5lbs each and are rare here in the US - the Vee Hunstsman 31TPI single wall is about 3lbs and generally available.

Of your 12lbs - the largest part of that "weight" lies with the casing - the rubber tread not as much.

Let's say you can reduce the weight 10% to 15% - lets say "about 10lbs - you will still have tires 2 1/2X heavier than a "standard chunky" and 2X heavier than the "rareer" Double Huntsman - range will stillbe a major trade-off.

Have fun with it - Burning Rubber can get "stinky" - and some of my "grooving" back in the day ended up with a Frankenstein look.

 

[DieselTech]

Well - "grooving" was our thing back in my "Dragster Day's" before the intro of super soft rubber.

The "best model" Vee Huntsman is 31TPI + Doublewall and are a hair over 5lbs each and are rare here in the US - the Vee Hunstsman 31TPI single wall is about 3lbs and generally available.

Of your 12lbs - the largest part of that "weight" lies with the casing - the rubber tread not as much.

Let's say you can reduce the weight 10% to 15% - lets say "about 10lbs - you will still have tires 2 1/2X heavier than a "standard chunky" and 2X heavier than the "rareer" Double Huntsman - range will stillbe a major trade-off.

Have fun with it - Burning Rubber can get "stinky" - and some of my "grooving" back in the day ended up with a Frankenstein look.

Lmao I will run it bald & cut a street sport pattern in it. Lol I might end up with a cut up set of tires. Yeah I've been watching some race teams groove tires & they put some wild azz tread patterns in them.

 

[fabbrisd]

If you will have fun with it - by all means - when we were "grooving" we had a "jig" that held the tire - then a "arm" that we could set to make the "rotation/shaving cuts" - then the" cross/diagonal trade cuts" were kindof freestyle - all to the good !

 

[DieselTech]

If you will have fun with it - by all means - when we were "grooving" we had a "jig" that held the tire - then a "arm" that we could set to make the "rotation/shaving cuts" - then the" cross/diagonal trade cuts" were kindof freestyle - all to the good !

Yeah live & learn right? I got a back up plan if things go bad. I picked up a set of them MMG 100/90-16 or 16-3.50" tires that you or m@Robertson mentioned in another post. They look like a decent tires for the money.

 

[fabbrisd]

That must have been MrRo - "4-ply motorcycle tires" can be DOT rated. in that class Duor has a Vintage Tread style Model I like

 

[DieselTech]

That must have been MrRo - "4-ply motorcycle tires" can be DOT rated. in that class Duor has a Vintage Tread style Model I like

Did you mean Duro tires? I might have looked at them. I cant remember now. I'm tire drunk!

 

[DieselTech]

I did it! I can get a little over a pound out of the tire without going crazy. Them ½" wide X ⅜" deep grooves take a bit to do. Great tire groover for the money.

It helped the bikes acceleration by a touch. Where I noticed a big improvement was riding in the loose over hard packed gravel.

 

[fabbrisd]

Awesome job buddy - looks great - more importantly they ride better for you !

Ideal Tire Groover 125 - right ?

 

[DieselTech]

Awesome job buddy - looks great - more importantly they ride better for you !

Ideal Tire Groover 125 - right ?

Yes Ideal Tire Groover 125 Deluxe. The other thing I noticed on a highway cruise/ride today, it took the tank sound & thump out of the rear tire.

I got 36 more tread lugs I could cut on the rear tire if I decide to. I still need to groove the front tire.

All in all, a win in my book.

 

[DieselTech]

1 other thing I noticed with only the rear tire cut. The rear tire feels a lot more positive in the turns under a hard corner on pavement.

The front feels a bit dicey compared to the rear in the hard corners on pavement since it has not been cut yet.

 

[fabbrisd]

You are Officially this Forum's "Groove Master" you earned that Top Spot - congratulations !

 

[DieselTech]

You are Officially this Forum's "Groove Master" you earned that Top Spot - congratulations !

I havent shaken a leg like that in years!!! Ha! Ha!

 

[DieselTech]

Well today I grooved the front tire & decided to cut grooves in the remaining 72 outside tread lugs.

Lmao we are ready to do some rock climbing now.

I need to weigh my tire cuttings but feels like about 3lbs total off of both tires. Sure made these tires a lot more positive riding on the pavement. Lol at least to me it dont feel like the wheels are going to wash out from under me under a hard turn.

They throw few more rocks now, lol

you might not want to ride behind me.