When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I should have posted this weeks ago. But A friend of mine and his wife were in a crash in NJ that toook her life. The cause of the crash BLOWN SIDE WALL on a dunlop tire. I will no longer be running them on my bike. I saw earlier in the year someone else had the same thing happen. So I am done no more DUNLOPS if you have Please be carefull check them for signs of problems.
Sorry to hear about your friend's accident and loss of his wife.
There was a show on TV recently talking about car tires and how when you go buy them, some are as old as 12 years or more. They've just been stored and still being sold as 'new'. A man brought that to the media's attention because his son died in a crash where the tires were supposedly brand new but were actually OLD. This is happening at WallyWorld, Sears, Goodyear, etc.
Don't know if it's the same on bike tires but might want to check it out.
All car tires have a mark on the side that has a date. It used to be put on the inside part of tire so average Joe the Plumber(sorry, couldn't resist) couldn't check it out. If you see a number like 0743, that means the tire was made the 43rd week of 2007. 9904 would mean 4th week of 1999. Kind of scarey when you think about it, huh?
I'll have to agree, although still very sad that someone has died and prayers go out to the friends and family. Every brand of tire will undoubtedly have a blow-out every now and then, even if they are new. The most common reason for this is improper tire pressures, don't know if that was the cause or not in this case. But if you remember 10 years or more ago, Ford went through the same thing with the Firestones that were OEM back then. The cause was found to be too low a pressure in the tires. Who's fault is that? The owner of the vehicle. We should be checking our tire pressures if not every ride, at least once a week to be sure they are up to the correct pressures. You have every right to choose what brands you buy, and even giving a warning. But it was likely not the tire make that was the problem
I too would like to send you my condolences on the loss of your friend. At the same time it would be interesting to know all the facts dealing with this blow out. My one question is to the tire come off the rim? If not there are some other factors involved that are not exclusively without fault of the tire or its brand. I know Dunlop tires are extensively tested every year not only by Harley-Davidson, but by Dunlop themselves. I'm not sure if this is still true anymore point at one time Harley Davidson used to use the Taladaga racetrack( excuse the spelling) for all of their engine and tire testing. In the end one of the huge reasons why they chose Dunlop, was the fact even in a major blow out they would stay on the rim.maybe you could search out the factors here, and post them in the future. It would really be nice to know, what exactly did happen.
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.
Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.
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.
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.
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.