I know actual chicken strips are delicious. Yet you do not want to eat motorcycle chicken strips. They are not even closely food-related.
What Do Chicken Strips Mean In Motorcycle Terms?
A chicken strip is a marking on a motorcycle tire. This ”strip” shows the leaning angle at which a motorcyclist is willing to negotiate turns. The ”chicken” reference implies that a rider is too scared or ”chicken” to lean over that line.
Chicken strips may sound funny in the motorcycle world, but they carry a negative connotation.
Some riders will judge another motorcyclist’s expertise by looking at his tires strips.
Wide chicken strips or any strip may be perceived as bad riding skills and a lack of risk tolerance.
The other way around can also tell a story.
If a tire has a skinny chicken strip or none at all, it could signify a motorcyclist with a reckless high-risk riding style.
My brother labeled a rider exactly like that, and that is how I learned of chickens strips back then.
We parked our motorcycles in a parking lot beside a sportbike with no sign of its owner’s insight.
Shortly after we dismounted, my brother said ”Look at that!”
He was tracing his finger on the motorcycle rear tire we parked beside.
”His tire is about to be completely worn out, and he doesn’t even remotely have chicken strips. This guy must ride like a complete nutjob.”
”chicken strips? What do you mean? We said we’d get burgers,” I replied.
My brother looked blankly at me for a second
Then in all his brotherly love, he responded.
”You’re an idiot.”
What do Motorcycle Tires Chicken Strips Look Like?
Motorcycle chicken strips look like a delimitation or ”strip” of less-worn rubber that runs around the edges of the motorcycle tire.
If a tire edge never touches the road, It will form a visible boundary line.
The center of a motorcycle tire will get the most of the milage, showing clear thread wear compared to the tire sides.
The tire’s center tread will show signs of wear, while the chicken strip will look relatively ”new”.
1-Inch Chicken Strips on Motorcycles And Other Sizes
Many riders can’t help themselves and compare the sizes and possible meaning of chicken strips.
This lead to some labeling based on a rider’s strips width.
The bigger the strip size, the worse it is perceived.
For example
1/4 inch or no strips = crazy or experienced rider
1/2 inch = Decently skilled rider
1 Inch = Average rider
1 + inch = Chicken, beginner, poorly skilled.
Here is the way I see it, and many other riders do too.
Chicken strips are the motorcycle version of a pissing and dicks sizing contest.
Looking at chicken strips is a poor approach to evaluate a rider’s capabilities.
There are too many variables to consider.
Size does not matter here.
What Are Acceptable Strips Size?
This is a common question in the motorcycle world.
What are acceptable chicken strips? The acceptable size of a motorcycle chicken strip will be whatever the rider feels comfortable in his leaning angles.
Chicken strips are a terrible and unreliable measuring approach. There are too many elements to consider.
These motorcycle tire marks are given way more importance than they represent.
Whatever strips size you have is the acceptable size.
Sportbike and Cruiser Motorcycle Strips
Chicken strips are more important to sportbike street riders than the rest of the motorcycle-riding crowd.
This is in part due that sportbikes can achieve a greater range of lean angles. They can reach for that very edge of a motorcycle tire while performing a tight turn.
Unlike other motorcycle types who usually can’t lean that far.
Take cruisers-type motorcycle for an example.
The lean angle on this sort of motorbike can’t be that low to the ground. Something on the bike would scrape the pavement before it reaches that tire edge while leaning.
Ask my footpeg how I know.
Cruisers and other types of motorcycle riders don’t even think about chicken strips most of the time. They are aware that it has little significance.
Chicken strips are mostly a Sportbike thing.
How do you remove chicken strips from a motorcycle?
If a motorcycle can lean farther without scraping the ground, a rider can remove his chicken strips by leaning at a greater angle when riding.
Easier said than done, I know, so here’s how to do it.
Practice, practice, and practice more.
Start in a controlled environment when focusing on increasing your riding skill, then take it responsibly on the public roads.
- Find an empty parking spot and refine your low-speed turning.
- Find an advanced riding course and sign up your name
- Take your bike to the track and rack up your experience.
Those strips are going to shrink and eventually disappear in no time after some track time.
Here is what you should not do.
Please don’t push it to the point of putting yourself and others in danger because you wanted to get rid of stupid chicken strips.
Please don’t listen to riders making fun in a mean way by looking at your tire.
These assholes are shortsighted. Chicken strips are like a religion to them, and that is dangerous for you to do the same.
A Final Word
As I mentioned in the article, chicken strips have little significance.
It is an excuse for another childish measuring contest of who got the bigger balls while ridding.
But here’s the thing. Deep down I love chickens strips.
Like everybody, I love a good pissing contest at times.
We’re human; we’ll never stop comparing and sizing each other up. It is in our nature.
If chicken strips subject is something, you enjoy, hey, whatever makes you smile.
Just remember to take chicken strips with an extra big grain of salt.
And now I’m hungry. XD
Ride safe.
