I recently took my 09 Sportster in for some work and I was told that my front tire needed to be replaced and had about 500 miles left on it. My bike has 6500 miles on it, does 7000 miles of treadlife sound right? I looked at the tire and it looks like it has a lot more than 500 miles.

 

How about a pic of the tire?

I also have an 09 and my front and rear tire has just over 15k on them rear is about ready to replace and front still has a few k it can go but ill get it replaced just because im taking it in to have the rear done

 

A lot of variables affect tire mileage, but assuming that proper inflation in maintained, the "average" Sporty on stock Dunflop tires typically gets around 10,000 miles on a rear and close to 20,000 miles on the front.

What does the remaining tread depth measure?

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Come on. Read your owners manual. It tells you how to check tire wear. And if there's any cupping, just replace it.

 

Thanks for the advice.

 

I got 17,610 out of this front tire in picture #1 and replaced it with this Michelin Commander II in picture #2 which I haven't tried out yet.

 

depends on if you kept up on the tire pressure....if it was too low or too high it can cause the tire to wear out fast or cause cupping (scalloping)

simple tread depth gauge will tell you the actual depth and visual inspection is also good. you can feel the cupping with your hand

 

I am a zealot where tire pressure is concerned, I never leave home without checking them, 30 front 36 rear every time and that has proven to be ideal. I got 16,450 out of the rear factory tire. I have DK's balance beads in the new front tire so am trying something new there.

 

It isn't possible to go by what mileage other riders get, except as a very broad guide. If your front tyre is almost worn out, there is only one thing you can do - replace it! Or move to another state where you don't have to brake so often!

 

There is too many variables to actually measure how long a tire should last and one tire wearing out before others does not mean the tire was defective, road surfaces, temperature, inflation and many other factors can make a tire last longer or wear faster. Better to ask your local shop about the wear being that they are around your area and have a better understanding of the eliments that affect the tires