Chicken strips

[Journeyman]

There are two ways of looking at it really. Either the OP is massaging his ego or demonstrating his appreciation of the remarkable handling abilities of a bike of this size and mass. When I read the thread I assumed the latter.

It is true that it's very foolish to chase your tyre strips rather than ride the road (I've had that conversation with youngsters many times) and that if your road craft and riding technique is proficient the strips will take care of themselves. I'm a bricklayer by trade and novices and intermediates in that business are often similarly obsessed with speed, but the same rule applies: don't look to lay fast. Look to lay well and the speed will come by itself.
I imagine there's very few of us on this forum under 40, so I'm guessing most of us have been on that journey with our bike riding long ago.

I have a Ducati supernaked and a KTM adventure bike. Neither have any strips at all (I don't like the term "chicken" since it implies that fast cornering is only a matter of nerve, a misconception held by novices often with catastrophic results) and I wouldn't expect them to. Both are essentially sports bikes, albeit one of them on stilts, and they are designed to encourage and facilitate fast riding.
Non-Rocketeers, and the biking press to be fair, generally assume that the R3 is a fat, lazy Harley-esque grunt monster intended only for straight-line thrust. We know it's much more than that. The two questions I'm most commonly asked about mine is how do you hang on to it (the same way as you do any other bike) and how does it go round corners (ditto, with the proviso that it turns faster, flatter and smoother if you stay on the power). @acim 's pics demonstrate this.

Agreed- I can't imagine that anyone would look at their "chicken strips" and decide, based on that, to ride more aggressively so that they can show them off to someone. I think we ride like we ride and the tire wear just reflects that- that's all....

 

[acim]

Agreed- I can't imagine that anyone would look at their "chicken strips" and decide, based on that, to ride more aggressively so that they can show them off to someone. I think we ride like we ride and the tire wear just reflects that- that's all....

Exactly, narrower strips are not the goal but pleasure in riding. Everyone should just enjoy own way of riding and in my case, I like to do it sporty just like with my other bikes. On my rides, I usually go south from Munich to Alps to find curvy roads and that's all, I have no joy riding the highways.

 

[Guffer]

Well done sir! That’s what I like to see - giving the bike a good work out! Here’s my back tyre right hand side. The others are much the same. Just shows how well the Rocket handles.

 

[Guffer]

Woah! That is impressive. Love it!

 

[Guffer]

This is one of the dumbest topics in motorcycling because it's all about ego and fear of other riders opinions. With my Exedra Max on the rear I get use of pretty much all of the tire while the front Cruisetec doesn't even come close. Here and there my boots and occasionally pegs will scrape but I'm not aiming for that, I just ride how I like. There are plenty of posers on youtube who will take a scotch brite pad and work the edges of the tires until their egos are satisfied.

Steady on sir! It’s just a bit of fun! Chicken strip comparison has been part of motorcycling culture as long as I’ve been riding (in my part of the world at least). It’s usually just a source of amiable piss-taking. None of my biking pals have ever taken it seriously!

 

[Kiwicol]

My rear, Cobra is almost gone. New one on hand for when it's needed.

 

[acim]

My rear, Cobra is almost gone. New one on hand for when it's needed.

You obviously ride similar as I do. Yes, curves, curves, I like them so much.

 

[2023R3GT]

if you want to brag about chicken strip, or the lack of chicken strips post front wheel pics, not rears gents!

 

[TURBO200R4]

personally i think that rolling on the throttle coming out of the corner would be faster than burning/melting the tire up
of coarse melting the tire might be more fun to some.

 

[Gimlet]

if you want to brag about chicken strip, or the lack of chicken strips post front wheel pics, not rears gents!

True to a certain extent bit it also depends on how you ride. If you like to break deep into a bend and turn in as late as possible (making for very rapid cornering on bikes that have the agility for it), you'll have faceting on the front long before you've scrubbed your strips out (ie. flats worn on the shoulder of the front tyre). This happens on my KTM 1190 on roads I know well. I know both tyres need changing when I stand up on the pegs and look down on the front tyre as it's turning. If it looks like a thupenny bit with flats worn on the shoulder, the front will no longer feel glued down in turns and it's time for new tyres, regardless of tread depth remaining.
When I tour on that bike and I'm riding unfamiliar roads, I tend to favour smoothness with sustained speed and minimum braking. Then I get less faceting and thinner chicken strips.
I should add, style of cornering and aggression depend on time, place and mood, never on any desite to scrub out strips for bragging rights at the bike meet. The strips are a by-product not an objective.