There have been many threads on this subject starting in 2009 - the rear cups and nether HD or Dunlop will take responsibility - been there more than once with both of them....I just got use to it!
I ride cupped tires. I won't replace tires until the siping is too shallow to shed water. Otherwise that sumbitch can howl all it wants, I'm riding it.
I had that happen on mine by 8k and well I just added a few lbs to the pressure and believe it or not,, it cleared up!! I am not a HARD rider at all so I will have my OEM tires on the 2011 and am going in for my 30K checkup,, and NOT NEAR wear marks yet. The bike has been both ends of the east coast so yes it does get LOTS of long rides.
I am on my 4th rear OEM Dunlop and my second front. Got 12.5 k out of the first two rears and 15k out of the third. at 8k now on this rear. All of them cupped around 4-6 k miles and all have ridden fine. My front is cupped, weather checked, and has a crack across the belts (just noticed this the other day and this is why my first front was warrantied out at ~15k miles) and it still rides fine with 33k on it. It is getting replaced this weekend when I install my new front 21" wheel, and I stayed with Dunlop on it...
Last edited by Seventy4blazer; 12-02-2015 at 12:05 PM.
Any of you see this on a Dunlop? Dealership took pics, but said it must have rubbed on the inside of the fender. I said those slices don't line up like it hit the inside of the fender. I was thinking its the dual compound rubber separating.
Do you see the cut on the treat. Each tread lug has this, both sides for roughly the same length. All the way around the tire
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I check my tire pressure at least once monthly or every other ride... depends on how often I get out. I have never had to add more than a couple pounds. I call BS on bad pressure management causing the cupping. Seems Dunlop has had problems with the 407s/408s since 09. Just saying, but I'm not bitter.
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Tires slightly out of balance when new or tires that went out of balance as they wore for 7-8-9k miles is more the culprit to tire cupping.
Suspension issues like being it mushy on the avg touring bike not properly controlling suspension also has an affect on cupping esp when tire balance isn't correct.
And tire balance doesnt have to be so bad the tire bounces up & down a lot to where you could not miss it ,tire balance only has to be a little off/out of spec with mushy front forks that has weak stock springs and thin stock 5wt fork oil that lets the tire ever so slightly bounce that te mushy front fork soaks up,same can happen with mushy rear suspension too.
When i bought my 09 flhtcu 11/2014 with 9,700 original miles on it the original stock dunlops on the bike were horribly cupped (front was worse then rear) though they had just enough tread left on front to pass insp,but rear was toast not passing insp.
I installed new Michelin C2's along with installing Ride-On tire balance & sealer at the same which ensures the tires stay i proper balance thru their entire srv'c life.
I have 8,500 or so miles on them so far with no signs of cupping at all,front tread looks almost new and rear tread doesnt quite look new but still looks very good for almost 9k miles on it looking like it has many miles (7k-8k+) left in it on my heavy bike thats ridden 2up 90+% of the time.
The Dunlops that came stock on my bike seem quite inferior compared to the Mich C2 tires i am currently running on the bike.
I want to add that the psi matters. on my 3rd front, 2nd rear. originals cupped front and rear. cause determined to be tire pressure. after throwing out 5 pencil type gauges for reading different pressure and using a dial gauge plus upping pressure to 38F 42R I have not seen cupping.
It appears Canadian air needs to be compressed more.
11-30-2015, 07:57 PM
