I'm bumming. Last Friday couple of guys I work with were sitting out by the bikes and one of them noticed I had something in my rear tire. So I get out there and sure enough looks like a piece of chain link fence. Some of my neighbors think that pulling an "I" beam with a piece of chain link fence behind that is a good way to smooth out the road. I raked up handfuls of chain link pieces that had broke off in the spring.

Anyway I had 14000 miles on my E3 and still had 5/32nds left.
I had just over 14000 on my second 402 but with no more useable trend left.
So besides the handling aspects of the E3s, until they come out with something better my choice will remain with the E3s.
39880 miles total, this will be the 4th rear and am currently on 1st replacement E3 for the front.
I dressed up my tires by painting the Dunlop E3 letters white, looks sharp.

 

Probably not a typo, as if you go to the Dunlop site you won't find the E3 on the list of compatible tires for HD's. Dunlop does not list the E3 but there is no reason for this omission except they want you to buy the D402 which wears out faster. I and many others can attest that they fit and work very well for '08 and earlier FLH's. Also, they probably have an agreement with HD to not openly offer a tire that competes with the D402, which has the H-D logo on the sidewall. HD obviously gets a cut on every tire sold, even if through non-HD dealers, which may be the reason the D402 costs more than the E3.

The E3 was originally designed for Gold Wings to address wear issues on other tires, including Dunlop's own D250's, but conveniently included a few sizes that happen to fit HD's. I don't know if this size fits old GW's or if they just slipped these sizes in the inventory as a way to sell some tires to HD owners who aren't happy with the stockers. My take on this is that if you really don't like the D402's you'll move on to something else, and if the E3 wasn't available that might be Metzeler, Avon, or some other brand. Having the E3 conveniently in HD-compatible sizes ('08 and earlier only) they make it available without officially recommending it. Just my 2¢.

 

In terms of Dunlop not making a E3 for the Road King and not recommending the use of an E3 I suspect that has to do with their agreement with HD than anything to do with the actual tires.

The specs of the E3's vs. the D402 are almost exactly the same. The front E3 (MT90B160) is rated at 13 lbs. less capacity and the rear (MU90B16) is rated for 22 lbs. more capacity. The dimensions of the tires are almost identical.

When you think about it, why would Dunlop or HD want us to buy E3's if they are the same to less price per tire and last much longer. That is less revenue for both Dunlop and HD.

I just put E3's on both the front and rear of my RKC last week. I bought the tires at JakeWilson.com and had the local HD dealer mount the tires on rims. The guy at the desk told me how much I was going to like the tires compared to the OEM tires. They charged me $78 to mount and balance both tires which I did not think was too bad.

Yep, I had to give up the whitewalls, but these tires handle so much better. I don't feel the grooves and cracks in the roads at all. If these wear like everyone says than I will not only have a better ride and handling but will also save lots of $ on tire replacements over the long haul.

 

jake wilsons?

 

www.jakewilson.com

I got two E3's delivered for $190.98 (after $20 off). There is a coupon code for $20 off (code JW009) that you enter when you check out. I can't guarantee the code is still vaild, but it worked last week.

I ordered the tires one day and had them at my door the next afternoon. Great customer service.

 

Can I buy the E3's through the dealer, or do I have to buy them separate and then get the dealer or an Indy to install them? I plan on replacing my tires just before the bike goes out of warranty, so I would like the dealer to do the install, just in case there is some problem with the wheels.

 

I think that varies by dealer. The official HD policy is that they do not offer the E3's though I have heard some dealers will get them for you. The problem is that they will likely charge you much more than you can get them for online.

My dealer had no issue installing the E3's that I bought online.

 

My dealer can get them but they were WAYYYYYYYYYYYYY more $$$$$$$$$$$$

Jake Wilson = $190 to the door before you know it

 

It would be bad if you brought the wheels and tires in after removing them yourself, but good if they removed the wheels from the bike.

 

Just got back home after a 2663 mile trip (Maggie Valley, Gatlinburg, Waynesville, Cherokee, Bryson City, BRP, ect.) and I can't say enough about these tires. Awesome in wet, dry, hot, cold, bumpy roads, the superslab, simply amazing tires. They felt stable, quiet and secure with excellent traction and handling. No more groove tracking!! Kudos Dunlop!!