This is just a need to know thread. Have been running an Elite 3 on the rear of the Ultra since last summer. Have 16,000 with solo riding only and am very satisfied with the performance. I've been looking for wear indicators to show and see none, but am planning a 1500 mile trip next weekend so decided to replace.

Called the dealer to make sure he had one on hand. He told me that his customers had three rear blowouts this year, and everyone of them told him that the rubber went from looking OK, to nothing.

So, after pulling the wheel today I cut through the center. Remember that this is Nebraska and we have to take off ramps to find curved roads, so the tires wear square. I am still about 3/32 from hitting outside wear indicators, but the center rubber is only l/8"" thick!! You do the math.

Was I worried about the tire.....No. Do I have any reservations about the tire.....No. Just want to caution those running them that they are more difficult to read, and they won't run forever. Installing Elites again tomarrow and am going to feel a whole lot better with good rubber.

BTW, the calculator told me I got just over 15% more mileage per dollar than with the 402's.

 

Thanks for the heads up, I will keep a close eye on mine.

 

Good to know, Thanks for the info!

 

I saw even wear with my first E3 rear that I just changed at 20k miles. When removed it had >2/32" remaining and I felt that I could have gotten more miles out of it had I wanted to stretch it. I watched it closely and didn't see any accelerated wear toward the end.

When you say your tire had 1/8" of rubber in the center, do you mean it had that depth below the grooves? Where was the 3/32" measured?

I got >100% more mileage per dollar since I doubled the mileage over the first two D402's and the E3 cost less to begin with.

 

Good to know but since I seem to wear the sides out before the center I'm good.

 

iclick, For clarification the 3/32" was measured from the tread outside surface to the wear indicator. Remember this was squared severely. The 1/8" was center black rubber over core thread.

All I was saying was if I had run to the wear indicators I would have been running a pretty thin film of rubber.