tread depth and rain
 

My rear tire of my V-strom has about 2-3 mm of tread depth. The wear bars are NOT showing. Is it safe to ride on this in the rain?

http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/...pszu96xvqm.jpg

Hard to tell from that pic ... looks like your tire is a bit "flat spotted" in the center? Perhaps nearing it's end? This is typical wear when mostly straight roads are ridden. Not that bad really.

Once the rain sipes aren't deep enough you may get a bit of "float" (hydroplane) in deeper standing water at speed and side grip won't be as good as the shallow sipes evacuate less water ... especially at speed.

Go slow and step by step "test" tire for grip. Eventually you'll figure out about where the limit is. High speed is your biggest worry ... and hard, sudden braking should be avoided. (obvious, no?)

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-p...0/P1020469.JPG
Above is a Michelin Anakee and Avon Distanzia (I forget now which is which)
Here you see extreme flat spotting ... created from 1000 mile straight run on motorway at 75 mph. But the tire lasted well ... over 8000 miles and got me home.

Both tires shown would be EXCELLENT on your Vstrom ... and both are better rain tires than the tire you've got now. Notice how DEEP and WIDE the rain sipes are? Both are EXCELLENT rain tires ... loaded with Silica, stick really good on wet roads. Also try Metzeler Tourance ... expensive but wears best and great in rain also.

Thanks for the great info! My rear tire actually is a Tourance.

generally 2mm is the excepted time to be replacing rear tires ,the spec for the strom rear tire just happens to be 2mm ...lets face it if you were traveling and had no choice but to ride the tire you would probably be safe but you must ride at a reduced pace to do so ...Change it out now its Due ...And I also love the Anakee tires have driven thousands of miles on them ,many gravel as well am currently trying out the Anakee 3 model ...

Ah yes, I recognize the tread patter now. Hard to tell much in that pic.
TIP: DAY LIGHT, Your phone is not a camera! :welcome:

How many miles on your Tourance?
As I mentioned, I got 8K on the Distanzia riding my DL1000, my buddy got over 10K on his GS (heavier bike) running a Tourance! All good tires.

I'm not sure the mileage on the tire. I've only owned the bike a few months. I have a new Shinko 705 to put on the rear. The front has a nearly new 705 currently. I'm just deciding when to have it installed.