I just had a new Avon AM-26 mounted to the rear rim of my 850. The folks at the shop warn me that new tyres are slick for the first 75-100 miles because of some treatment the rubber gets at the factory and no amount of scuffing or cleaning them will remove it. We're in the "Possible thunderstorms in the afternoon" season here, and I don't want to go down on a wet road because of slippery rubber. Any comments or advice on this?

Yes its called mold release and it is dangerous fresh on the rim. Worse time is very sharp very slow turns like to turn in parking lots or to enter or leave roadway, suddenly like grease slick splat. Run a tad low air pressure and ride like it'd just lightly rained for half a tank of gas.

I got to test this on brand fat 170 on frozen winter evening. idled and scooted about the steep grass slope on side of hi way to get feel for the off road grip of the heavy grooved tires, then entered hwy and leaned a tad at 5-6 mph to line up in lane but rear tire just kept on going out till laid bike on me. Could not have been going slower or easier and still maneuver forward but still exceeded side load on mold release. Beaware as may forget because mostly straight ahead and mild traffic turns don't reveal the lurking threshold. A well known M/c writer related similar, after being warned by the tire guys he rolled out shop door leaned to leave parking lot and went down on his rear.

hobot

I've never heard the "can't be cleaned off" comment before. I usually just watch my a$$ for a hundred miles or so, but more impatient types tell me you can take some fine sandpaper to the tire to accelerate the process?

Be careful either way.

New technology may not use silicone release so some tires may be good to go soon as warmed up to normal, but very few of us crash being extra careful for how ever long it take you to trust normal fun side loads.
All the tales I've heard on new tire crashes were going pretty darn slow so feelling secure, not road racing crazy at all. Ok I've heard plenty of real racers going down on too new a tire surface but very few of us would be immediately doing that.

Safe Journey,
hobot

A spray with brake clean will help

I've lost count of the number of brand new tyres I've fitted and ridden on over the years. I know hobot can't seem to go for more than a few seconds at a time without falling off, but I can't recall ever having a scary moment in either wet (normal for UK) or dry conditions caused by the mould release agent.

Just take it easy for the first 100 miles.

I scrub every newly-mounted new tire with s scrub brush, dish soap and liberal amounts of rinse water. Then, take the bike to a clean parking lot and do some ever-tightening figure-8s until the tread is scrubbed in. Never trust a fresh, unscrubbed tire not to slide. Even if all the mold release is washed off, the tread still needs to be stressed a bit to function properly. And never trust a cold tire in any condidion.

L.A.B. hobbled hobot had to get in your decades of learning curve in just a few years. Now its just a life style to avoid more recovery from. The thing is, new tires slickness varies so much so just assume its slick till you know it ain't.

hobot

L.A.B. wrote:I've lost count of the number of brand new tyres I've fitted and ridden on over the years. I know hobot can't seem to go for more than a few seconds at a time without falling off, but I can't recall ever having a scary moment in either wet (normal for UK) or dry conditions caused by the mould release agent.

Just take it easy for the first 100 miles.

I agree with L.A.B. I have had lots of new tyres fitted over the last few years(I have modern sports bikes aswell as the Commando so tyres only last 3,000 miles max) and never have a problem as long as I take it easy for the first 50-100 miles. I have also had a new AM26 fitted to my Commando in the last few weeks which soon wore in OK but it has been quite dry here in the UK of late. If you are that worried you could always run a file over it to rough up the surface a bit!

i've had am 26's on for 1500 miles and had the bike up on the jack recently and decided to inspect them for stone cuts/ whatever and as i was rotating the tire i noticed a distinct boundary on the sidewall indicating lean angle. the unworn part was incredibly slick compared to the rest. i roughed up the rest of the sidewall to the line halfway up it.never realized just how slick that mold release stuff is and also long lasting.