Hankook - Rub or Smudge?

I took a series of photos on the Hankook install before putting the fender back on, but after about 30 miles of riding.

I'm going to ask for some consensus from you guys that have been running the Hankook. Look closely at the third and fourth photo. Notice in photo three there doesn't seem to be a lot of clearance on the right side, but there is daylight. The fourth shot is what concerns me.. the grey discoloration. I put my thumb on it and came away with a film that seems to be some moly paste. This spot is about 7 inches long and doesn't appear at any other place on the tire.

I suspect that during the wheel swap a bit of moly may have migrated from the spline area to one simple spot on the tire. What concerns me is how a minor dab gets spread out .... to get into this parking spot I make a very slow right hand turn of about 160 degrees with a bit lean to it...

Going to clean the area well and keep an eye on it. But I'm wondering if any of the Hankook riders have noticed any indication of a rub on that plastic pocket?

After mounting a new tire I always try to ride hands free for about a 1/4 mile just to get a sense of what kind of balance the bike has with the new shoe ... did that as I came down the road to my driveway and this is the first tire I've had on this bike that made me lean more than a couple of degrees either right or left to stay straight.. In this case I was very much to the left side of the seat/bike centerline ... and still had some drift to the right. Obviously the CT brings a new learning curve.

Looks like it got on the tire during the install, no rubbing on mine. Mine had a little moly on it the next day from the heat, mayme put to much on.

I don't see anything that looks like rubbing.
I think a chunk of moly paste got on it and that stuff spreads out all over everything fast.
I guess that's why it is such a good lube.

To remove moly paste use Dawn dish liquid and rinse , repeat 2 or 3 times should do it.

Almost looks like you'd scrubbed a curb!
Learning to do a pogo stick is hard. Running a CT is easy, and you get so used to it so fast, it becomes a memory only, although you'll
always be aware of uneven surfaces a bit more than on a MT. I think the one big thing to watch for is crossing a rain gutter at an angle.
That will get your attention.

Clean the tire well. Let dry. Get some duct tape and cut into strips. Put these where you may suspect rubbing. Go for a ride.
Stop and check the tape. You'll know.

Tire looks ok to me, and according to the picture, there seems to be plenty of clearance. Just wash the excess dry moly off with dishsoap and a hand scrubber, or better yet a pressure washer.
What model of Hankook is that. I'm using the Hankook Optimo H426, which I think has a bit different tread than yours....maybe not.
Yes, you will have to adjust a bit to the new feel of the CT. It does feel kinda foreign at first, but once you've driven it for a while, you'll wonder how you ever drove without it. It's all about proper tire psi (sweet spot), which only you and your bike can find, depending on your weight, bikes weight, and style of riding. I personally like mine between 32 and 35psi at the rear, depending on outside temperatures and if I'm riding 2 up or not. I will definiteliy purchase another Hankook once this one is done, and as long as I can find a car tire for my bike, I will never go back to a mc tire. Once you get use to a car tire, you won't feel safe on anything else, or at least, that's the way I feel. I was riding yesterday at 90 mph in a major rain storm, where cars couldn't even stay with me. I would NEVER have done that kind of speed on a bike tire in the pouring rain like that....unless I had a suicide wish. Keep us posted on your results.

C'mon dawg: 90 in the rain IS a suicide mission! I ride the ragged edge when dry, but I can't even imagine that for myself.

quadancer wrote:C'mon dawg: 90 in the rain IS a suicide mission! I ride the ragged edge when dry, but I can't even imagine that for myself.

I have to agree that it wasn't one of my smartest ideas, but if I'm lying, I'm dying ...150 kph (or roughly 90mph) is what my speed was in that down pour, and the bike was as steady as a rock. I didn't keep it at that speed for many miles, in fact, I only did it for about 2 miles, then pulled back to about 70-75mph.

It was just a smudge...

Went for a four day ride and when I got back I'd ridden well over 1,500 miles without any problem at all. HEAVY thunderstorms on the first day and the tread kept me planted. On the third day I was following a Kawasaki C14 that didn't think I'd stay with him at over 110 MPH ... No problem. I think he was even more surprised that I could stay with him on some twisty roads where he was really flogging it.

Article about my first experience with Darkside can be found HERE.

As I've already stated, in the rain, at high speeds NOTHING beats these car tires on a bike. Glad you are enjoying yours as much as I am. That said, no sense in being reckless either. Like the ole saying goes, even a 4x4 looses traction at some point.