RK front tire
I did the search and only see issues with Dunlop 407 tires cupping..
I bought a 2006 RK in June. Had 19k miles. Bought it with ext warranty. Tires looked new or next to new. Noticed today the front tire cupping allot, I put about 3000 miles on it since June, tire is a Dunlop 402.
Is there an issue with Dunlp tires on touring models?
Should I expect my dealer to replace the tire?
I bought a 2006 RK in June. Had 19k miles. Bought it with ext warranty. Tires looked new or next to new. Noticed today the front tire cupping allot, I put about 3000 miles on it since June, tire is a Dunlop 402.
Is there an issue with Dunlp tires on touring models?
Should I expect my dealer to replace the tire?
Harley touring bikes have been running Dunlops for many years with fairly good results. Most wear evenly, with a few exceptions. Since your tire is already cupped, it's too late to do much about it. Going forward, you need to check your air pressure at least once per week, if not before each ride. Not lecturing here, just sharing a best practice. It may not be just air pressure...read on...
I am on my 3rd Harley, two of which had Dunlops, and those fronts wore evenly. You might want to check the front end hardware....the wheel bearing, the spacer, check to see if the pinch bolts and axle hardware is torqued properly. Also in some cases, unequal amounts of fork oil in the front tubes can cause issues leading to weird tire wear. Jack-up the front and see if you can wiggle or cause any "non natural" movement in the front wheel area. If you can, then once you eliminate that, your new tire will probably wear normally...given proper inflation. I always run about 2 pounds more than recommended. But never run less air...that will heat-up the tire and can cause other really bad issues.
Regardless of how a tire looks, tire rubber gets hard with age. The older the tire, the harder the rubber. The harder the rubber, the lower the traction capability. An old tire that looks good is a dangerous tire. Don't run tires beyond the manufacturers recommendations on length of service. (I don't run anything more than two years...period)
BTW, Forget about the dealer replacing your tire. It don't hurt to ask, but I doubt that will happen. I hope you can find why your Lops are cupping.
I am on my 3rd Harley, two of which had Dunlops, and those fronts wore evenly. You might want to check the front end hardware....the wheel bearing, the spacer, check to see if the pinch bolts and axle hardware is torqued properly. Also in some cases, unequal amounts of fork oil in the front tubes can cause issues leading to weird tire wear. Jack-up the front and see if you can wiggle or cause any "non natural" movement in the front wheel area. If you can, then once you eliminate that, your new tire will probably wear normally...given proper inflation. I always run about 2 pounds more than recommended. But never run less air...that will heat-up the tire and can cause other really bad issues.
Regardless of how a tire looks, tire rubber gets hard with age. The older the tire, the harder the rubber. The harder the rubber, the lower the traction capability. An old tire that looks good is a dangerous tire. Don't run tires beyond the manufacturers recommendations on length of service. (I don't run anything more than two years...period)
BTW, Forget about the dealer replacing your tire. It don't hurt to ask, but I doubt that will happen. I hope you can find why your Lops are cupping.
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