So, here I am, stuck with a severely-worn
tire on my Vmax - no doubt due to a couple too many
burn-outs. What better way to finish
a tire's life than the way it was used? There was a patch
of concrete in my garage that looked to
be just about right (by default, since it's the only
pavement on my property).
No Dunlop K591s were hurt in the making of
this page. OK, so one gave its life, but I think we'd
all agree it was for a good cause.
We'll start by getting the tire spinning
- yes, it seems to be spinning nicely,
no doubt due to the Vmax's wide powerband
(and dropping the clutch at 4000 RPM).
Yep, it's still spinning (and I'm going deaf from the exhaust noise)...
Can you tell that the tire is still spinning?
At this point, I don't know if the tire was
still spinning, or if a heavy fog had
moved in. The smoke was pretty thick,
and the combination of burning rubber
and exhaust fumes got a bit overwhelming
at this point.
This is about the time it popped. You
can hear it quite nicely on the video, even
over the open Kerker exhaust.
I had difficulty finding my way out of the
garage at this point - I'm thankful
for mandatory daytime running lights on
bikes.
Yep, that tire's popped showing some uneven
wear (most likely from underinflation). You
can't see it in the picture, but there's
a tear about
8" long right down the center. License
plate and bracket never stood a chance,
as the tire apparently launched a chunk
of carcass as it popped. Rubber
accumulation under the fender was surprising
light, while rubber accumulation in my nose
was surprisingly heavy.
Is is just me, or do you smell smoke?
If you think this is really cool or really
dumb, email me at eric@bryantperformance.com.