Chicken Stripes

[mazydog]

Talking with a mate last night who has a theory that riders who have no "chicken stripe" on the back wheel are ultimately good but dangerous riders, his view is that any one going round a corner with that level of lean isn't in control of the bike.

On the other hand anyone that has 50mm of virgin tread on each side of the tyre then why are you bothering.

The magic number is 5 - 10mm this shows ability and restraint.

[Julie]

who cares as long as you're having fun!?

You'll get people coming on here now with the size of there bikes chicken strips - but really!? who cares. If you do you shouldn't.

[CK & AK]

Lots of people have 'theories' about lots of things.........

As Julie says - who cares, just go & have fun :)

[PDL]

On the road if you are getting to the edge of the tyre then you need to lean off more so you can stand the bike up more, there are bigger consequences if you ride off the edge of your tyre on the road, I would agree 5 to 10mm is about right.

[Didge]

As i said on another forum concerning this very subject, one should ride to enjoy, not to impress.

[mintyhit]

On the other hand anyone that has 50mm of virgin tread on each side of the tyre then why are you bothering.


I have significant chicken strips because I am not the best rider. I still enjoy myself though.

[J.P]

Just because I have no chicken strips has nothing to do with me not being safe.
There aren't any chicken strips because of my aggressive turn angle when I'm deep into a corner, not because I go round the corner fast. The deeper I'm into a corner the better view I have to the exit, thus the safer I am.

[Yorkie]

restraint

No ive not got a lot of that!

I agree that people should just enjoy themselves, and chicken strips or lack of are not a measure of fun had.

Riding styles are an individual thing, and agressive or passive riding is up to the individual, regardless of other peoples opinions on how they should be doing it.

Yorkie

[Gerry]

I like 'em with coleslaw .... and wedgies .... when i feel like junk food ....

[Lucati]

As a London commuter my tyres are square! The rear gets replaced every six months either due to excessive puncture repair (London has some of the dirtiest and 'pot-holiest' roads in the country!!!) or excessive squareness - if only I had the opportunity to round them off more.

[M900nsterold]

Chicken strips is no measure of how good a rider you are. My tyres are worn to the edges after I've ridden on the track, but I don't corner anything like that hard on the road. So all you can tell from looking at my tyres is whether I've been on the track with the current set of tyres.

[Gerry]

Get up early and go find a quiet roundabout .....

[Humbucker]

Just because I have no chicken strips has nothing to do with me not being safe.
There aren't any chicken strips because of my aggressive turn angle when I'm deep into a corner, not because I go round the corner fast. The deeper I'm into a corner the better view I have to the exit, thus the safer I am.

dito!

Not too mention all those bloody track days you. :yoparty:

[moony]

..........

[Julie]

I find KFC have some nice one's - not sure of the size of them - I'll check next time i go in

[Gerry]

I used to "use" the M4 roundabout at chippenham..... horrible looking surface but quite progressive grip ... was great fun lobbing the 400 supersport club race bike round there with warm pirelli race compound tyres.

Was actually caught doing this between two roundabouts in Bristol once by the police. I they took the keys out of the bike and got me in the back of the car... I really thought I was going on holiday for a while. The WPC was furious ... when I took my lid of and she saw I was 40 something she sort of gasped "but your'e old" you should know better etc ...they mellowed and I was sent on my way ... it must have been the sad face I had on. I was completely passive though and did not offer any excuses and smiled at them. They were angry though. I had the knee down etc ... and the sliders and leathers were toast ... that must have sent the wrong message!!

Please don't try this at home readers ... well not nowadays ....

[animaluk]

really who cares ???

Im more intrested in the chicken stripes or stripey chicken, I thought it was chicken strips :-p

[Albie]

dito!

Not too mention all those bloody track days you. :yoparty:

Just ride around bluwaterfor a few laps:D

I have chicken strips. I also have a pillion I care about too. Can nearly get rid of though when I went to mallory

[mazydog]

I have a healthy 20mm on the left side and about 12mm on the right from running round a cracking roundabout at j19 on the M62 Middleton / Heywood. Is anyone brave enough to admit they would let a "good" rider scrub them down to a 5mm margin.

Lets be honest your parked at Matlock, Devils Bridge, Hawes, you all have a sneaky look at the bike next you, its the equivalent of being in the showers with the lads after the match.

[LouSCannon]

Lets be honest your parked at Matlock, Devils Bridge, Hawes, you all have a sneaky look at the bike next you, its the equivalent of being in the showers with the lads after the match.

Only for those who aren't confident about what they have....

You want to push yourself beyond your capabilities for a little bit of rubber and end up as a statistic suit yourself... if I was that bothered about it I'd go buy a brillo pad!

[Catspoon]

I walk upright. I ride the same. ;)

Funnily enough I walk slowly and ride the same too! :D

[mediumdave]

My rear tyre has a wavy-edged chicken strips, from '50 pencing' it around corners- (I really must get out on the bike more...)

[Mand]

I can't believe anybody ACTUALLY measures their chicken strips!!!!!!!!

[mazydog]

Only for those who aren't confident about what they have....

You want to push yourself beyond your capabilities for a little bit of rubber and end up as a statistic suit yourself... if I was that bothered about it I'd go buy a brillo pad!

That sounds like a bit of guilty knowledge their,

[LouSCannon]

You got me... and I put 12'' hot dogs down the front of my leathers.

[mazydog]

You got me... and I put 12'' hot dogs down the front of my leathers.

I tried that but the onions tend to spill and the mustard can cause a nasty rash

[Pomp1]

I can't believe anybody ACTUALLY measures their chicken strips!!!!!!!!

We are boys Mand, we would measure anything..

[Mand]

We are boys Mand, we would measure anything..

:chuckle: Yes, I suspect everything is prone to exaggeration!

[Gerry]

Whooo Hooo .... 50 pence chicken strips .... where ?

[PhilLew]

i Find Kfc Have Some Nice One's - Not Sure Of The Size Of Them - I'll Check Next Time I Go In

Lol ..........

[gremlin]

I can't believe anybody ACTUALLY measures their chicken strips!!!!!!!!

It does seem to be a boys only occupation, I mean does it really matter? Women don't have such insecurities, we are confident enough within ourselves to not have to worry whose got bigger or better or in the case of strips less. The more you lean over to get rid of your strips the more likely you are to get stripes down your tank as well.

[Gerry]

I'm starvin now ... I'm havin chicken strips when I get home ....

[uksurfer]

question?,
is the chicken strip bit the side of the tyre that is semi worn/used, or do you measure to the main worn down part of the tread?
Confused, maybe you should measure the bit you use rather than the bit you don't?

:scratch:
________
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[judge148]

Been reading this thread and smiling all the way. I especially liked the "shower after the match analogy", very true !
I've got nice big wide chicken strips on my monster, ive not measured them, its never crossed my mind to do so but rest assured they are very very wide which makes my penis very small, I have however measured my penis and it is very very small :rolleyes:
I'm afraid to lean the bike over too far on the road, i have an in built safety switch which stops me before things get too hairy ! I don't like hairy :rolleyes:
If you go out for a ride with the sole intention of loosing your stripes or getting your knee down for the first time then you'll either come home frustrated, have lots of fun or crash. Which ever way, your proberbly missing the point about what motorcycling is all about and your definately not as good a rider as you think you are :mand:

If I measure up at Matlock I'm gonna be lacking a few inches but I have lapped Cadwell park in 1min 38 seconds and I can make my missus orgasm every time :chuckle:

[moony]

..........

[Mand]

It does seem to be a boys only occupation, I mean does it really matter?

I'm going to have to disagree with you there. I've heard women going on about it as well.

Personally, I'm far too busy to think about such things, I mean, fluffy kittens, embroidery, reading Mills and Boon are much more important! :D

[Blah blah]

Women don't have such insecurities, we are confident enough within ourselves to not have to worry whose got bigger or better...

Bwahahahahaha, no insecurities eh???

"does this make my bum look big???" Oh, and chaps, on no account whatsover reply to this by saying, no, it's your big fat ar5e that makes it look big

"Does my hair / makeup / jacket / skirt look alright???"

"What shall I wear to the kids party / night out / trip to Asda / while slobbing infront of the tele all night ??"

As for the chicken strips, I thought the reason you stuck your knee out was to keep the bike more upright in a corner - more upright = more power down sort of thing - therefore, bigger the strips, faster round the corners (or something like that :thumbsup:)

[Captain Caveman]

I can't believe anybody ACTUALLY measures their chicken strips!!!!!!!!

must admit i haven't measured mine, but am now feeling the urge:pd:
nearly all riding is city centre, only 800mls on rear, so guessing fairly wide

..although i did accidentally go round the odd roundabout more than once earlier... :)

[Swindeg]

Its not the chicken strips on the back you want to look at its the ones on the front, thats what determines the ammount of lean angle not the back as thats wider and its the front that turns the bike . Iknow people with 0 strips at the back and a lot at the front on a bandit and he hardly leans!

[Mr Cake]

None here. But it isn't a measure of how good I am, how fast I am, or whether or not I'm in control. It means nothing; if you put a 190 tyre on a 5.5" rim, eg. 9**/999, it'll wrap around more than the same size tyre on a 6" rim (most litre Jap stuff) and you'd do well to get rid of them on a trackday.

Its not the chicken strips on the back you want to look at its the ones on the front, thats what determines the ammount of lean angle not the back as thats wider and its the front that turns the bike . Iknow people with 0 strips at the back and a lot at the front on a bandit and he hardly leans!

Alot of that has to do with the profile of the front tyre. If you're using alot of front you're cornering more off the throttle. If you're using more rear, then you're cornering more on the throttle, and that is all down to personal preference.

Big lean angles are fun, and I'll be buggered if anyone is going to stop me doing it :) And I'll only look at a riders' rear tyre if I suspect he's talking bollox at a café.

[Pedro]

Big lean angles are fun, and I'll be buggered if anyone is going to stop me doing it :) And I'll only look at a riders' rear tyre if I suspect he's talking bollox at a café.

What he said....

It's giggle to get the bike right over and good practice for when the unexpected happens - more than a few times something unexpected has required me to turn tighter (cars on the wrong side of the road etc...) so a bit of practice means I'm prepared for the unexpected and have the confidence and knowledge of just how much the bike can be lent over

[Julie]

We are boys Mand, we would measure anything..

true .... and then fib about the result...

[Mr Cake]

What he said....

It's giggle to get the bike right over and good practice for when the unexpected happens - more than a few times something unexpected has required me to turn tighter (cars on the wrong side of the road etc...) so a bit of practice means I'm prepared for the unexpected and have the confidence and knowledge of just how much the bike can be lent over

Yeah, so there! Oh and its so much more fun if you don't hang off. Lean it Hailwood style for that stomach churning sensation!

[Duke_Hatty]

Talking with a mate last night who has a theory that riders who have no "chicken stripe" on the back wheel are ultimately good but dangerous riders, his view is that any one going round a corner with that level of lean isn't in control of the bike.


The magic number is 5 - 10mm this shows ability and restraint.

What a load of drivel.

On a fairly basic bike like my 696 it's pretty easy to scrub the tyres to the edges, and scrape the footpegs if you have the inclination. OK, yes, on an 1198 you've got to be going some to ground it out, but Monster's don't have the ground clearance....

On my old CB500 I had to remove the hero blobs and was merrily making my way through both footpegs before I sold it. I scraped one by accident with the missus on the back!
I never managed to get my Speed Triple footpegs down, but the tyres were well scrubbed.
So far in 3800 miles on the 696 I've scrubbed the tyres to the edges and discovered that the gear lever touches down before the footpegs. I've adjusted the lever as high as I can now and I'm gently exploring what it'll do now, it seems to be an improvement.
The 696 is very stable at these angles, the CB5 was a bit wallowy, and the S3 a bit twitchy and a bit heavy.
IMO, when you know how far a bike WILL lean if you need it, it's more likely that you'll be able to use it if an emergency arrives.....

S'all a bit of fun in the end though, innit?
:D

[Phatty]

I don't get it, i don't feel like i'm getting anywhere near the limits on my bike, i don't actually think i can ride particularly fast at all, I've never ever "had my knee down" yet my strips are down to virtually nothing on the right and about 5mm on the left???

those of you with more than 10mm...seriously, go buy a BMW GS or something.

[JMo]

I don't know if I have chicken strips or not, my tyres are usually covered in sh!t...

xxx

[gremlin]

I don't know if I have chicken strips or not, my tyres are usually covered in sh!t...

xxx

Fun of living in the country I guess! Looking at my bike I've got barely any on front or rear and I'm the biggest chicken out there so it's all a load of nonsense!:mand::mand:

[Julie]

Fun of living in the country I guess! Looking at my bike I've got barely any on front or rear and I'm the biggest chicken out there so it's all a load of nonsense!:mand::mand:

Ahhhhh no - tis the fun of green laning....

[gremlin]

Lucky devils, we've got very few places we can go, ramblers take over and ban bikes. Although in Cornwall we almost did it, some of the roads had grass up the middle and cow pats and gravel everywhere else. Made life interesting to say the least.