In every hobby, there are those who spend time critiquing some of the silliest things. On the motorcycle scene, some riders may judge your riding skills based on the style of your tires. They are basing it off of these things called “Chicken Strips”. Before we go more into detail, the presence of Chicken Strips is totally expected and normal. We’ll go over, what they are, what can cause them, what you can do to avoid them, and a few other things! .
Chicken strips on motorcycle tires are common and will happen to most riders at some point. But what causes these smooth, unworn spots along the edges of the tires? Should you be worried about having chicken strips? This article will tell you what they are, why they happen, whether they really matter, and how to get rid of them if you want to.
What Are Chicken Strips?
Chicken strips refer to the smooth, unworn sections of rubber that run along the outer edges of a motorcycle tire. This unworn rubber forms because that part of the tire does not regularly touch the road when riding normally.
When you first put on new tires, chicken strips look like small bumps of extra rubber along the edges. This is completely normal on new, unused tires. But as normal riding wears down the rest of the tire tread, these worn-out bumps can stay as “chicken strips” if the bike isn’t leaned over too much when turning.
People who don’t lean their bike over very far when they turn are thought to be “chicken” because they don’t use the full edge of their tires. However, as we’ll talk about later, lean angle isn’t the only thing that can cause chicken strips.
What Causes Chicken Strips?
While many associate chicken strips with not leaning over enough in corners, there are actually many potential causes:
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New or Almost New Tires: Until they are broken in, brand-new tires will always have chicken strips on them. It takes time for the outer edges to wear down.
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Riding Style: Yes, chicken strips can form if a rider does not significantly lean their bike over in turns. But even experienced, aggressive riders may have some chicken strips on the street.
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Bike Design: Some bikes, like cruisers, are not designed to lean very far. Pipes, heel guards, or bags may scrape before the edge of the tire touches.
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Road Conditions: Perfectly smooth, grippy tarmac allows more lean than rough roads. Chicken strips are common for riders in areas with poor road conditions.
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Suspension Settings: A bike not set up for aggressive riding can limit lean angle and cause chicken strips.
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Tire Profile: Wider tires and rounded profiles limit how far you can safely lean before running out of tire.
So while riding style plays a role, many other variables impact chicken strip formation. Experienced street riders with new tires may have strips. Racers with worn tires may not. Judging skill by chicken strips alone is misguided.
Do Chicken Strips Matter?
For most riders, chicken strips are not really something worth worrying about. They are simply a cosmetic issue on street tires with no real performance impact. Some dedicated performance riders may desire the used look of a strip-free rear tire, but for many riders chicken strips are inevitable and unimportant.
The risks involved with aggressively scrubbing chicken strips on public roads rarely outweigh the benefits. Removing chicken strips does not inherently make you a better, faster rider. Focusing on skills like vision, lines, and corner speed offer much more benefit than tire aesthetics.
How to Remove Chicken Strips
If you do wish to remove chicken strips, here are some methods:
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Increase Cornering Lean: Focusing on smooth cornering technique and maximizing safe lean angle can help wear chicken strips over time. But results will vary dramatically depending on bike design and conditions.
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Track Days: Aggressive cornering possible on a closed course quickly grinds chicken strips away. But don’t override your skills just for the sake of the tires.
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Off-Road Riding: Dirt, gravel, and sand abrasively remove chicken strips. But this can accelerate wear in the center of the tire.
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Manual Removal: Some riders sand or cut chicken strips off by hand. But this permanently damages the tire and should generally be avoided.
The risks of removing chicken strips on public roads are high. Riders are better off improving skills rather than forcing overly aggressive street cornering just to abrade tire edges. If chicken strip removal is important, closed course environments are by far the best option.
While the macho “chicken” stigma persists in some circles, chicken strips themselves are largely inevitable and unimportant for many riders. This normal wear pattern has more to do with bike design and conditions than rider skill. Pushing dangerously hard on public roads to remove chicken strips is generally not recommended. But for those who desire the strip-free look, track days and off-road riding offer safer alternatives. By understanding the many factors that cause chicken strips, riders can avoid unnecessary risks and focus on developing skills that actually improve performance and safety.
Don’t Let Anyone Get You Down.
If another rider gives you a hard time or nudges you about your tires having chicken strips, don’t sweat it. Calling someone out on their tires chicken strips is just pointless shaming and unfair to use against others. Sometimes you can’t really do anything about them, so just enjoy the ride in any way that makes you feel good. Determining who is a better or more experienced rider should never be determined by what your tires look like.
What Can Cause Chicken Strips?
Chicken Strips vary on the style of riding the rider has. Whether or not your bike gets Chicken Strips depends on how fast you ride, what kind of suspension you have, and what kind of road surface you always ride on. Some riders have severe Chicken Strips because their bike never goes too far into a turn when they aren’t sure of their lean. Chicken strips can appear on a new and freshly changed tire. When breaking in a new tire you don’t want to lean in too deeply anyway so you might notice them a little more then.
The V4’s Chicken Strips are… Bad
FAQ
What is chicken strips slang for?
As it relates to motorcycles, a chicken strip is the section of your tire that has gone unused. The somewhat insulting term is a jab at motorcycle riders who don’t lean their bikes all the way over in a corner to get the most out of them.
What causes chicken strips on a motorcycle?
Finally, the most common reason for a chicken strip is a combination of low ground clearance and tires that are too big for the vehicle. Some tips for new riders: ask your factory-trained tire dealer which size and model of tire to put on your bike. Remember; “don’t get all atwitter because you have a chicken strip. “.
What is meant by chicken strips?
Chicken tenders (also known as chicken goujons, tendies, chicken strips, chicken fingers, or chicken fillets) are chicken meat prepared from the pectoralis minor muscles of the bird. These strips of white meat are located on either side of the breastbone, under the breast meat (pectoralis major).
What is a chicken strip on a tire?
Chicken strips are the outer portions of your motorcycle tire that are unused. They are called “chicken strips because it implies that the rider is simply too “chicken” or scared to lean the bike that far. The person who used the tire must have spent most of his riding time in an upright position.