Two things chaps, if I may chip in. I gave up changing tyres myself when I bought my first bike with tubeless tyres. For most of that time I simply take my wheels out myself then take them to my local Yamaha dealer. They can supply and fit tyres in a day or two, if they don't have my size in stock.

Mileage is not the be all and end all of tyres FFS. I really don't understand the obsession. There are far superior tyres out there that will give a much better ride quality and especially improved stability and grip at speed or on wet roads. Having owned Harleys since the 70s I find I always end up with Avons.

 

I'm not that concerned with the absolute cheapest tires out there, I want something that handles well, is stable and doesn't wear out by the next oil change. The D402's are what this dealer recommends for my bagger and he has them in stock. I think that's what I had on there originally and I did like the handling. The Pirelli I have on there now seems rounder and more prone to dancing. It seems more sensitive to road imperfections...

 

I checked the receipt from my 15k. My D402 was $228.That is the thin whitewall. Labor was $68, but that included putting new rear brake pads on. There is a dealer near me where I could get 25% off the tire, but I go to a dealer with a good rep, and more of a small town atmosphere.

On another thread someone thought the Dunlops were made in Thailand. My tire was made in USA, the 51st week of 2011.

 

$132.00 Michelin Commander II shipped 140/90/16... $25 when i take my wheel to the indy.

 

Dunlop 491 Elite II's handle at least 4x's better than the 402's and they stick to the road 10x's better.

 

Top price at Rockymountain ATV/MC is $146.99. Free 3 day shipping. I have bought from them. True to their word.

 

Venoms are worth it, they handle just brilliant!

 

It's hard to compare with the different conditions also, Solo, 2-up, weight of riders, tire pressure, roads condition, type of bike... Let's say compare 2 riders, Me and my buddy DJAudette, a member here... I have a eLECTRA gLIDE Classic, He has a Ultra Classic, for all intents and purposes the same bike, He is throttle easy compared to me, he weighs 160 Lbs, i weigh 270... He rides pretty easy , i ride fairly aggressive....Both had Elite III, bought almot at the same time... i got 11000 miles and he got almost 20000 miles so it's not a fair comparison...I got 6000 miles out of Avon Venoms and Pirelli Night Dragons but i am sure if i would've been riding a Super Glide with the same tire my mileage would've increased so again it's not really fair for 2 riders to compare mileage... I say ride what you are comfortable with as long as it is SAFE.

 

Thanks, Spanners39, will have that in account for next time.

Cheers,

 

I got new front and rear Continental Milestones back in April. I brought the bike to my local indy and had him do the whole thing. I paid $379.76. That included two brand new tires, the labor to remove the wheels, mount and balance the tires, tax etc.

I have had more than one set of these tires and really like them - a definite handling improvement over the Dunlop 402. Don't know how they compare to the Avons, as I haven't tried those.