Touring Models Road King, Road King Custom, Road King Classic, Road Glide, Street Glide, Electra Glide, Electra Glide Classic, and Electra Glide Ultra Classic bikes.
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by:

tread depth questions

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Apr 21, 2021 | 08:00 AM
  #1  
mazz's Avatar
mazz
Thread Starter
|
Road Master
15 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 943
Likes: 200
From: northern illinois
Default tread depth questions

i have 11000 miles on my third set of Dunlop [OEM] tires on 2017 CVO limited . i have 9 mm tread depth on rear tire and 7mm on front tire. That seams to good to be true i recall worst case tires must be replaced at 2 or 3 mm . How many miles do i have left on these tires?
Mazz
 
Reply
Old Apr 21, 2021 | 08:19 AM
  #2  
Jackie Paper's Avatar
Jackie Paper
Seasoned HDF Member
Community Builder
Community Influencer
Liked
Top Answer: 1
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 38,535
Likes: 6,411
From: Honah Lee
Default

About 3 to 6 MM. My experience is the wear slows down slightly.

Not all Dunlop are the same. Surprised they put that hard (long wearing) tire on a CVO. What models are they?
 

Last edited by Jackie Paper; Apr 21, 2021 at 08:22 AM.
Reply
Old Apr 21, 2021 | 08:41 AM
  #3  
Neggy ZRXOA 5248's Avatar
Neggy ZRXOA 5248
Stellar HDF Member
20 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 3,183
Likes: 836
From: KMHT KFMY
Default

Proper inflation helps get longevity out of tires, also they can get harder as they age/get heat cycles thru them.

Harder tires and touring bike specific compounds/designs (hard in the center, softer on the sides for grip in corners) work in your favor, as does not hammering the throttle causing wheel slip.

I have 13K on the tires on my 2013 Limited.... the rear tire is scalloped though... I'm sure the tape on weights left the bike long ago and that isn't helping.... and the Florida roads are doing a number on wearing the center.
 
Reply
Old Apr 21, 2021 | 09:53 AM
  #4  
mazz's Avatar
mazz
Thread Starter
|
Road Master
15 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 943
Likes: 200
From: northern illinois
Default

Originally Posted by RIPSAW
About 3 to 6 MM. My experience is the wear slows down slightly.

Not all Dunlop are the same. Surprised they put that hard (long wearing) tire on a CVO. What models are they?
these tires are d408 from dunlop.
what is the tread depth when new on touring tires?
 
Reply
Old Apr 21, 2021 | 12:22 PM
  #5  
Jackie Paper's Avatar
Jackie Paper
Seasoned HDF Member
Community Builder
Community Influencer
Liked
Top Answer: 1
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 38,535
Likes: 6,411
From: Honah Lee
Default

Originally Posted by mazz
these tires are d408 from dunlop.
what is the tread depth when new on touring tires?
No idea. That 408 is a typical long wearing tour tire. Know my rear is 5 something. I went thru 4 sets in 40K. Last I pushed little more then 10K and it handled terrible coming off the flat spot. Final hit a short section chain that had fallen off a truck and a big hunk came out to the threads. What is amazing is once the tread is gone, the rubber is still pretty thick.

I didn't got with Lops on 5 set. Went with Mitches. They are much softer running. So far, it appears tread life is not much different
 
Reply
Old Apr 21, 2021 | 12:28 PM
  #6  
barneyboy's Avatar
barneyboy
Seasoned HDF Member
5 Year Member
Liked
Top Answer: 1
Top Answer: 3
Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 5,076
Likes: 3,293
From: Plover, WI
Default

Originally Posted by mazz
these tires are d408 from dunlop.
what is the tread depth when new on touring tires?
According to Dunlop's website, tread depth on your OE tires when new:
Front...5/32"
Rear...10/32"

From your Owner's Manual:


 
Reply
Old Apr 21, 2021 | 12:58 PM
  #7  
OkieBill's Avatar
OkieBill
Road Master
Veteran: Air Force
10 Year Member
Liked
Community Favorite
Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 762
Likes: 435
From: NE Oklahoma
Default

The Dunlop web page shows that the American Elite tires for your 2017 CVO H-D are at 6/32" new (front) and 10/32" or 11/32" new for rear tires. The metric equivalent you cite is the same as a new tire would show. Both measurements show that the tread depth is near-new. If they aren't that old - say within the last 5 years - then I'd run them until either the age comes into play or you are measure 2 mm or so - about 5/64" which is above the recommended "safe" area. Personally, I don't like my motorcycle tires to be more than a few years old. Dry-rot - despite being stored in-doors in a garage or wherever - is not helpful to decaying rubber tires.

Just my $.02.

https://www.dunlopmotorcycletires.co...merican-elite/
AMERICAN ELITE BIAS REAR 180/65B16 81H 45131267 5.00 25.19 7.32 11/32 1019 @ 42 PSI
AMERICAN ELITE BIAS FRONT 130/80B17 65H 45131178 3.00 25.17 5.15 6/32 639 @ 41 PSI


 
Reply
Old Apr 21, 2021 | 05:43 PM
  #8  
unclerog's Avatar
unclerog
Tourer
Joined: Aug 2019
Posts: 314
Likes: 189
From: Triad, North Carolina
Default

If your tires dry rot, you are not riding enough ! Just my 2 cents. I'm at 11k plus on my factory tires, with about 2.5 mm still on the rear. I hope to make it to 15k before I have to change them.
 
Reply
HD Forum Stories

The Best of Harley-Davidson for Lifelong Riders

story-0

7 Times Harley-Davidson Chucked Tradition Out the Window

 Verdad Gallardo
story-1

7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles

 Verdad Gallardo
story-2

8 Best Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-3

10 Worst Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-4

Killer Custom's Jail Break Is The Breakout That Refused to Blend In

 Verdad Gallardo
story-5

Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?

 Verdad Gallardo
story-6

Harley-Davidson Reveals Super Cool Cafe Racer Concept

 Verdad Gallardo
story-7

Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II

 Verdad Gallardo
story-8

10 Motorcycles You Should Never Buy

 Joe Kucinski
story-9

10 Things Harley-Davidson Needs to Fix in 2026

 Verdad Gallardo
Old Apr 21, 2021 | 06:15 PM
  #9  
NODYNA's Avatar
NODYNA
Road Warrior
15 Year Member
Photogenic
Photoriffic
Top Answer: 1
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 1,999
Likes: 916
From: Madisonville, La
Default

The factory wear bar indicating tire is due for replacement is 1 or 2 mm. The wear bars are indicated by a small triangle pointing to the tread. The wear bar will a small raised section in one of the tires grooves. When the wear bar is even with the tread the tire is done. Personally I would not wait the long before replacing the tire. Always replace tire at 5 years as indicted by the date of manufacture on the tires sidewall.
 
Reply
Old Apr 22, 2021 | 09:54 AM
  #10  
FXDXTSport's Avatar
FXDXTSport
Supporter
15 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 2,565
Likes: 638
From: Washington State
Supporter
Default

Originally Posted by mazz
i have 11000 miles on my third set of Dunlop [OEM] tires on 2017 CVO limited . i have 9 mm tread depth on rear tire and 7mm on front tire. That seams to good to be true i recall worst case tires must be replaced at 2 or 3 mm . How many miles do i have left on these tires?
Mazz
I've measured the tread on both the Dunlops and American Elites. Brand new, they both have 10/32 or 7.9 mm on the rear, 6/32 or 4.8 mm on the front. There is something wrong with your measurements. You are giving numbers that are more than the tires have new after 11K miles. Maybe you have one of the "special" CVO's that add rubber to the tires as you ride. J/K.
 
Reply



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 04:34 PM.

story-0
7 Times Harley-Davidson Chucked Tradition Out the Window

Slideshow: Harley-Davidson built its reputation on nostalgia, but every so often, the company took a hard left turn into the future.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-20 11:18:19


VIEW MORE
story-1
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles

Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-29 16:50:35


VIEW MORE
story-2
8 Best Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

Slideshow: Not every Harley gets it right, but these are the ones that genuinely earned their reputation.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-04-15 14:23:21


VIEW MORE
story-3
10 Worst Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-04-01 20:01:09


VIEW MORE
story-4
Killer Custom's Jail Break Is The Breakout That Refused to Blend In

Slideshow: Killer Custom's "Jail Breaker" build focuses more on stance and visual aggression than mechanical overhaul.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-18 19:20:32


VIEW MORE
story-5
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?

Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-07 16:15:30


VIEW MORE
story-6
Harley-Davidson Reveals Super Cool Cafe Racer Concept

Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's new RMCR concept revives the café racer formula with modern hardware-and it may be exactly the reset the company needs.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-04 12:23:37


VIEW MORE
story-7
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II

Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-02-24 18:19:44


VIEW MORE
story-8
10 Motorcycles You Should Never Buy

Slideshow: There is no shortage of great motorcycles to buy, but we would avoid these ten.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-02-19 14:50:51


VIEW MORE
story-9
10 Things Harley-Davidson Needs to Fix in 2026

Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's challenges aren't abstract; they show up in dropping shipments, shrinking dealer traffic, and strategic decisions that aren't yet translating into growth.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-01-13 18:33:17


VIEW MORE