I've had closer calls because I was afraid of tire conditions, road conditions, random noises from my motor, etc and being distracted by other worries than when I rode with a bit of confidence. Keith Code says SRs are more likely to make you choose crappy lines and make mistakes than rolling on with confidence.

BTW, that was when I was still on a 250 and on the factory equipped Shinko tires. I don't know how much worse you can really go with a tire.

 

I believe in confidence too. But I wouldn't let a new rider on Ororo right now with her 5 year old hockey pucks. I've slipped the rear several times on them and I know it's the tires. It's experience that keeps me from doing something stupid like hitting the brakes when it does

It's easier for him to eliminate the tire concern by either replacing the tire (best) or having someone with experience actually look at the tires. Just cause the chords are showing doesn't mean the tread isn't worn / tires aren't cupping / haven't hardened with age (like mine).

And I rode on Shinko 009 Ravens and still stand by them as a good inexpensive tire for daily rider / moderate usage.

 

I don't want to take chance so I changed my front tire last week.

Regarding fears.. I can tell you whole a lot about fears cuz I had million fears and I still do some. I was just talking to someone today that how I improved and overcame those fears. I am able to ride at the skill level that I would never thought I would in the beginning. I just make sure I do better each time I go through the same corners that I had problem with at first. I am confident that my bike can handle more than what I want to put her through. So I started leaning more and more. And each time I leaned more and I don't let my fear interfere with my bike, bike goes. Practice makes it better. And you gotta push yourself a little too. But make sure your bike is in good condition. If I was worry about the tires or anything else on my bike, I will not have the same confidence as I have now about my bike. So I would probably take it easy

 

I went through the same thing when I first got my bike. I watched Twist of the Wrist 2 twice before I ever rode the bike and read every thread I could in here. In all honesty I believe that made a huge huge difference. I felt more like I knew what to do and what the bike was capable of. After 3,000 miles on the bike I can drag knee and hit apexes. I'm not claiming to be some super rider but with the right knowledge and attitude you will become extremely confident on your machine. Just take your time and learn at your own pace. Remember you've got no one to impress it's just about how much fun you're having. Good luck and stay safe.

 

I just finished my MSF course today. I got over the fear on the GZ250 I was riding but it's a lot different on my CBR. Especially because it was raised (Not a lot, but I'm only 5"7 so even stock height seems kind of high, especially after puttering around a parking lot on a little cruiser.

As for the comment about posting pictures of the tires, I will do so in the morning, as it's 2:30am, haha. Thank you again everyone for the help, it makes being a new rider infinitely easier.

 

Good to hear you took the MSF course. That is a good start. Remember, they taught you the basics you need to really start learning how to ride.

With your tires, there is more to look at than mere tread depth. The age of the tire is important as well. Old tires do not grip as well as new tires. Along with actual age is the amount of heat cycles the tire has experienced. Every time a tire heats up and cools down, the chemical composition of the rubber changes a little. The long-term effect is the rubber hardens and grip levels drop.

Also with old tires the profiles will change with wear. The front will triangulate and the rear will square off. Some tires are worse than others. What happens here is these two profiles start to fight each other and the bike feels a tad squirmy. Also when leaning it will take more bar input to reach the point on the tire where it has squared. Then when you lean past this point, the bike will feel like it is falling in too much as you ride up and over the edge of the square.

So... get new tires. In this day and age of technology, there really isn't a bad choice. You just have to choose what is important to you in a tire... ultimate grip on one end or longevity on the other. All tires fall somewhere in this line, sacrificing one characteristic for the other.

 

I have a fear of corning sometimes but after riding for a bit you start testing your limits. as for good cheap tires I bought a set of shinko podiums and they were very reasonably priced and have had a lot of good reviews. Even though I have been riding for a couple years I still sometimes make the rookie mistake of braking in corners and no judging my speed very well. But you get over it. Anyways congrats on the completion of the msf course.

 

Did it cost you anything to take the course?I'm planning to take mine soon.

 

I know the coarse I took cost me 180 bucks. But i guess it depends on where you take it. The harley dealership down the road from me charges almost 300 to take it.

 

The damn course was $350 for a 15 to 20 hour course, depending on how fast we got through everything, but they provided bikes, gear if you needed, and it was hands on and classroom. They also offered it for $275 at another location (County taxing or something) but I opted for the sooner one because I'm impatient. It's really helpful, but I wish it were cheaper