WHAT BRAND OF TIRES
Tourer
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 423
Likes: 1
From:
RE: WHAT BRAND OF TIRES
On Jan 2 of this year I changed my back tire after 10,300 miles on it. I decided to stay with the Dunlop 402. I had no problems at all and I got over 10,000 miles on it. Dunlops are easy to come by as well.
ORIGINAL: soos
iclick makes a very good point. I for one have never had a bad experience with Dunlops. They have worn well and handled well. I can also feel good in knowing that IF I were to have a tire problem or failure while I am out on the road, I know that I can get an exact replacement for it because I can be within spitting distance of an H-D dealership. I'll stick with Dunlops coz I know where I can get them in a pinch.
ORIGINAL: iclick
How? I hear from some they have better traction, but I rode my last RK 106k miles through 33 states in nine years and only had three nervous tire-related moments, all of which I dare say would've been nervous on any tire. One was on the Cherahala Skyway (NC-TN) when I hit a yellow-plastic lane marker in the wet (no accident) and another at Sturgis '98 when we hit a stretch of oily pavement, again while raining. No accident there either, but others riding that road weren't so lucky. A third was when an unknown object tore the valve stem off my front tire, and although I lost all air pressure in my front tire I maintained complete control at 60 mph. It did get hairy below about 5 mph, though. No accident there either.
So why have 402's been described by some as being short on safety? I don't see it in my experience. What incident has caused you or anyone else to think Mestzeler's grip is any better than 402's. The only way you could determine that is to run a test with the parameters exactly the same for both tires. If you hit a section of road and feel some queaziness, you don't know how another tire will react unless you go change the tire, then run the bike in the same conditions again. That would likely be impossible.
I'm not attacking you for your opinion, just trying to understand the statements. I haven't seen any yet that give any details that would point to a superiority of one tire over another.
ORIGINAL: SLORider
they are
they are
So why have 402's been described by some as being short on safety? I don't see it in my experience. What incident has caused you or anyone else to think Mestzeler's grip is any better than 402's. The only way you could determine that is to run a test with the parameters exactly the same for both tires. If you hit a section of road and feel some queaziness, you don't know how another tire will react unless you go change the tire, then run the bike in the same conditions again. That would likely be impossible.
I'm not attacking you for your opinion, just trying to understand the statements. I haven't seen any yet that give any details that would point to a superiority of one tire over another.
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 9,335
Likes: 13
From: MA
RE: WHAT BRAND OF TIRES
Isn't Dunlop on strike right now? I've heard because of the strikea lot of dealers don't have any Dunlops in stock.
ORIGINAL: LAWMAN
On Jan 2 of this year I changed my back tire after 10,300 miles on it. I decided to stay with the Dunlop 402. I had no problems at all and I got over 10,000 miles on it. Dunlops are easy to come by as well.
On Jan 2 of this year I changed my back tire after 10,300 miles on it. I decided to stay with the Dunlop 402. I had no problems at all and I got over 10,000 miles on it. Dunlops are easy to come by as well.
ORIGINAL: soos
iclick makes a very good point. I for one have never had a bad experience with Dunlops. They have worn well and handled well. I can also feel good in knowing that IF I were to have a tire problem or failure while I am out on the road, I know that I can get an exact replacement for it because I can be within spitting distance of an H-D dealership. I'll stick with Dunlops coz I know where I can get them in a pinch.
ORIGINAL: iclick
How? I hear from some they have better traction, but I rode my last RK 106k miles through 33 states in nine years and only had three nervous tire-related moments, all of which I dare say would've been nervous on any tire. One was on the Cherahala Skyway (NC-TN) when I hit a yellow-plastic lane marker in the wet (no accident) and another at Sturgis '98 when we hit a stretch of oily pavement, again while raining. No accident there either, but others riding that road weren't so lucky. A third was when an unknown object tore the valve stem off my front tire, and although I lost all air pressure in my front tire I maintained complete control at 60 mph. It did get hairy below about 5 mph, though. No accident there either.
So why have 402's been described by some as being short on safety? I don't see it in my experience. What incident has caused you or anyone else to think Mestzeler's grip is any better than 402's. The only way you could determine that is to run a test with the parameters exactly the same for both tires. If you hit a section of road and feel some queaziness, you don't know how another tire will react unless you go change the tire, then run the bike in the same conditions again. That would likely be impossible.
I'm not attacking you for your opinion, just trying to understand the statements. I haven't seen any yet that give any details that would point to a superiority of one tire over another.
ORIGINAL: SLORider
they are
they are
So why have 402's been described by some as being short on safety? I don't see it in my experience. What incident has caused you or anyone else to think Mestzeler's grip is any better than 402's. The only way you could determine that is to run a test with the parameters exactly the same for both tires. If you hit a section of road and feel some queaziness, you don't know how another tire will react unless you go change the tire, then run the bike in the same conditions again. That would likely be impossible.
I'm not attacking you for your opinion, just trying to understand the statements. I haven't seen any yet that give any details that would point to a superiority of one tire over another.
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 11,615
Likes: 50
From: Baton Rouge, LA
RE: WHAT BRAND OF TIRES
ORIGINAL: mcb
You will immediatly notice the difference, in a good way. IMO i will never buy a set of Dunlops for my bike again.
You will immediatly notice the difference, in a good way. IMO i will never buy a set of Dunlops for my bike again.
Road Warrior
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 1,352
Likes: 7
From: Keene, CA
RE: WHAT BRAND OF TIRES
Maybe I'm dense here, but if I bought Mets and had a tire problem in the back half of Nowhere - couldn't I replace the tire with whatever was available? I don't think the bike will care - it's not like mismatching drive axle tires on a car.....
Banned
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 4,341
Likes: 0
From: Dover, Oh
RE: WHAT BRAND OF TIRES
Everyone keeps missing the main point as to why they do not like there OEM dunlops that cam eon their bike. they are made of DIFFERENT compouns then the 402s you buy over the counter outside of a MOCO part number. If you order the HD 402s from Drag or Bikers choice the compund is COMPLETELY different. This makes for more traction. The OEM tire was designed to get mileage out of it by use of different and usually harder compounds.
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Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 11,615
Likes: 50
From: Baton Rouge, LA
RE: WHAT BRAND OF TIRES
ORIGINAL: vegashd
Everyone keeps missing the main point as to why they do not like there OEM dunlops that cam eon their bike. they are made of DIFFERENT compouns then the 402s you buy over the counter outside of a MOCO part number. If you order the HD 402s from Drag or Bikers choice the compund is COMPLETELY different. This makes for more traction. The OEM tire was designed to get mileage out of it by use of different and usually harder compounds.
Everyone keeps missing the main point as to why they do not like there OEM dunlops that cam eon their bike. they are made of DIFFERENT compouns then the 402s you buy over the counter outside of a MOCO part number. If you order the HD 402s from Drag or Bikers choice the compund is COMPLETELY different. This makes for more traction. The OEM tire was designed to get mileage out of it by use of different and usually harder compounds.
All the 402's I purchased for my RK (about eight rears in all) were purchased outside of the HD network, since Dunlops purchased from HD dealers cost considerably more than on-line dealers. I bought three or more on Ebay, usually new-bike take-offs, but that source has largely dried up since people have discovered it and the prices have escalated to a level similar to buying new tires on-line. Why buy a new-bike take-off when a new tire is available for the same price? I now have tire-mounting gear and the last two tires I've purchased I've mounted and balanced myself, with the help of one or more friends, a practice I plan on continuing.
