Does anyone know which tires have the longest wear. I'm guessing it would depend how one's riding habits are but wanted input/opinion.

Thanks

 

I'm no expert, matter of fact I consider myself as a tire novice, however since I've been in the market to replace tires a few times I've done some research.

Depending on who you talk to the average rear tire will last between 7-10000 miles and the average front tire will last 12-15000 miles.
Of course this does depend on the tire and one's riding style.

Typically the harder the compound the longer the wear but the lesser performance.

I run Dunlops and get around 9K on the rear and 15K on the front.
You may find a tire out there that gets better mileage, but you'll also find equally those who get worst.

Your best course of action is to get a fresh cup of coffee, search the forum and read all the threads on tires.

But in the end, yours and the opinions of those you know will likely dictate your choice.

 

The newer touring bikes use Dunlop 407 and 408. They get much greater mileage. I replaced the rear tire with 22000 miles on the clock. The front tire was still inspectable. However they are very expensive and can be only purchased from HD.

 

I've had to get tires every 15k miles. And I don't know why bike tires don't last as long as car tires. Why is that?

 

Softer, stickier compound is used.

 

If I were you, I'd stay away from the Dunlop D407 and D408. These are prone to cupping and will have to be replaced before they're worn out. The CVO Touring crowd with 18" wheels are stuck with this brand/model of tire and many have complained about this problem.

 

I've gotten some impressive mileage out of the Dunlop Elite 3s. 15k miles on the rear is not uncommon.

 

Like previously noted, I'm a novice tire specialist, but the math seems to make sense to me.

What's the average car tire get for mileage; 60K?
What's the average bike tire get for mileage; you get 15K?

What's percentage of rubber on road that a bike tire has vs. car tire; 25%.
What's 60K divided by 25%; 15K. There's your answer.

The performance tires I have on my Chrysler gets around 35K.
That's low mileage but with those tires the car hugs the road.

My pickup tires get around 60K but they suck when it comes to cornering.

So based on 25% vs. a car tire, a performance tire on a bike should get around 8750 miles and a good touring tire on a bike should get around 15K.

 

a few things to keep in mind:

effect of counter-steering on wear
tread depth of a new m/c tire
alignment
tire pressure
highway vs twisties
road surface

each has an effect on wear as much as the compound and

I live in an area where many roads are chipsealed and are not maintained to a nice smooth surface. The twisties also result in edges of tread that wear at a similar rate as the center of the tread. I do not see many bikes with flattened cross section around here. We also do not seem to get the tire life many of you report.

 

My comparison is over many years so it may not totally be comparing apples to apples, but having in addition to Dunlops used Avons, Michelins, Metzelers, Firestones (came new on a 2000 Indian, I had no idea they even made motorcycle tires), and some kind of Chinese crap that was on an FXR I bought, the Dunlops seemed to last the longest. Only problem is they also seem to have the least grip, probably not a coincidence. I do have to add though that the Dunlops on my Slim are by far the grippiest I have encountered from this brand. If their mileage is comparable to my previous Dunlops, this will be my brand. While there is variation between the models each manufacturer makes, this overall assessment had still held true.