i just put a rear on my 06 train, only have about 100 miles on since then so I have no idea what kind I'll get. The dunlops I had before would get me around 8000. On the plus side, the michelin was the easiest tire to install (by hand with spoons) that I've ever done

 

The first thing to know is that tire pressures for Michelin Commanders are different than your stock tires. The max psi is listed ont eh sidewall. Someone else already mentioned this but I have to agree. On my Dyna I have the Comm II's. the rear was on the bike when I got it so I had no idea of the mileage on it but I have over 5000 miles and it is virtually new still. Of course this is not an apples to apples comparison as the narrower tires tend to last longer than the 200 tires regardless.

If you ride two up your tires will wear quicker as well obviously. I never ride two up (poor me) however I did take a 1000 mile road trip on these commanders loaded down witha lot of weight. After spending all day talking to people about tire wear I have come to one conclusion. The bike model, rider's habits, cargo, etc along with balance can all drastically affect the wear of a tire. Some people I talk to get 15K out of rear tires, others get a few thousand.

Check your pressure regularly which you already stated you do. Balance the tires with Dyna beads. Ride your bike and buy new tires when you need them.

I have discussed this numerous times fon the forums but i much prefer a stickier tire with a shorter tread life than a harder tire that lasts longer regardless of cost. None of us want to spend more than we have to but I feel that tires are the most important piece of safety equipment on a motorcycle as they are what connects me to the road. Shall I skimp? Personally not a chance.

Anyway, it is always good to hear peoples individual results from various tire brands and I have been waiting to hear on these commanders since they hit the shelves. I am thinking out of my Dyna which weighs quite a bit less than a softail. When my tireis ready to replaced I will report here on the forums to everyone as I cannot believe that any tire will last 25K on a motorcycle unless you use a car tire which is not for me.

 

I have just over 4000 mile on the Commander II's mounted on my '07 Fatboy. 5/32" tread left after mostly 2-up riding this summer. I'm getting my money's worth!

 

Can YOU give a reference as to where your getting your pressure info? I will always go with the Vehicle manufactures suggested press as they do the testing as far as how much weight is on each tire. And if a different size tire is used then you'll need to do the paint strip accross the tire trick for wear indication.

 

Tire manufacturers as opposed to out of the Harley service manual. My only point is that not all tires run on the exact same pressure. Metzeler is different from Dunlop, etc etc.

 

How do you down shift? Slamming down a gear with no clutch will cause the tire to chirp and wear faster also. Im stubborn and learned the hard way, went through my shinko 777s pretty fast haha. Maybe these tires just arent for you. You cant build something to go with everyones riding habits. Remember though when companies test their products they are under the perfect conditions. How often do we ride with the perfect conditions?

 

I ended up with 2 screws in my stock tires and prior to that they were on the chicken strips anyway. I was in Sturgis when this happened and I stopped into some Dunlop tent and they told me it would cost me $355.00 for a stock replacement, so I putted on down to JP Cycles service set up. They offered me a few options and told me that the Commander II's would get me twice the mileage compared to the stock Dunlops.
I've only put like 1,500 miles on them since returning for Sturgis and they're not even worn even a little bit and I crossed the northern part of Nevada I-80 at 104 degrees all damn day and made it over Donner Pass through Sac at 105 degrees, got passed Stockton by about 25 miles and had to stop of course (started that day off from Evanston Wyoming 800 effing miles BLEGH!). I figured I would have at least put a dent in the tread since I travel about 85 MPH on the stretches.

I have to say wow they handled a lot better and were far more comfortable than that stock piece of ****! Oh and I always go with what's on the sidewall because they're do a lot better at such a rating than what the repair and owner manual suggests. So far, so good! Let's hope I get about 10k out of em or I'll call bullshit myself! I got 6400 out of the stock tire.

 

I put a set of the Commander II's on my 04 Heritage about 1500 miles ago, ride single during the day and 2 up most evenings and weekends playing on the twisties of the Texas Hill Country, and in 105+ temps of the Texas heat of July and August, I've been impressed with them so far. no signs of wear at all, and even in the rain (1 inch on pavement that hasn't seen water in months so slick as snot from the oil, almost dropped the bike at a stop light when my feet started sliding!) these tires have shown great grip! I have to say, it seems to be a great tire! I run the pressure stated on the tire...

 

The air pressure listed on the sidewall is "max air pressure" and should never be exceeded. Not even when mounting the tire. Some people will increase the pressure until the bead pops to the rim. This could damage the tire. That is why the "max pressure is listed. As for running pressure, tires should be inflated to bike manufacture's recommended pressure. Then after running, you can vary the pressure slightly up or down to obtain best wear pattern based on your load. Tire manufacurers build and test tires with input from the bike manufacturer. Tire manufacturers will not make recommendations as to what air pressure to run, except to direct your question to the bike manufacturer spec. due to legal repercussions. Bike manfacturer determines what air pressure works best. Tire manufacturer guarantees tire will operate safely at that pressure on that bike.

 

Sorry man, I gotta disagree, the PSI listed in the manuals refers to STOCK TIRES! How do you mount a tire without popping the bead? That makes NO sense, how are you going to get tubeless tires to hold air pressure if you don't make sure the bead pops onto the tire? I know you don't ALWAYS need to over inflate but most times it does and over inflating for a bead pop does ZERO damage period. I have changed my share of tires and your statement is not accurate.