How many miles do you get on a set of tires? More importantly, why?

I'd love to get so real info on tire mileage.



For as long as I've been keeping records (or can find them) I've been getting 4k-5k on rear tires on my '05 Ultra. I've gone through 13 rear tires (Some Dunlops, many ME 880's), and run them all down to the cords (save your speeches on that subject, please). That means I've got to change out my rear tire about twice a year. I'd like to see whether that is typical.

But..

Here's the trouble. Not all bikes weigh the same. So I should only compare with Ultras. Older Ultras have narrower tires than the '06 and newer ones. Not all riders are as heavy as me (250). Not all riders check their tire pressure regularly, nor do we all run the same pressure. Riding style is a factor too, but it's hard to measure and hard to tell how big a factor it is. Additionally, town driving may be harder on tires than touring. Finally, men are liars, and make outlandish claims about their riding style (apparently we all think we're Matt Maladin) as well as their tire mileage.

 

4-5k on a rear?? Holy crap. I'd need 4-5 sets a year. I changed the rear at 11,500 on my 12 ultra but that was only because I picked up a screw. Still had 4-5/32 left on it. I run mine at about 36-38 psi but only check it once a month. But man that 4-5k is horrible.

Oh and mine are the stock Dunlops.

 

About 7500 miles on a rear tire. 2010 road glide with tour pack used almost exclusively for touring. Tire size is 17/55/200 which is not always a stock item. I weigh 215. Metzler tires.

 

My Dunlops (same model as stock tires) have 11k and still look good at the center. Tread depth measured 4/32. I engine break, hard but not spinning acceleration, 38 psi, mostly ride state routes and highways (I live 100 miles from anywhere) and the Bike and I weigh about 1200 lbs when not riding 2 up or heavily laden.

I'm going with American Elite next time.

 

Dunlop D407 on rear-20,000+ miles.
Dunlop D408 on front-31,000+ miles.
Dual compound rubber on the back. Hard rubber on the front tire.
When they get down to 2/32" I switch em out for new ones.
On my third set. Longest wearing tire I have seen in my 49 years of riding.

 

like you say ......different bikes...... but 4-5k, hits the nail right on the head for me. I asked the same question a while ago, and all i got was a bunch of guy's claiming they circle the globe twice, well that may be a little smart a$$ remark on my part, but My buddies I ride with and myself get aroun 5k out of a rear and 10-11k out of a front.

 

On my 08 Road King I got 15,000 miles out of the factory D402 and 15,000 miles out if the replacement D402. I changed the front tire at 30,000 miles due to age not wear and I wanted to try a matched set of Dunlop Elite 3 tires. I just replaced the rear E3 due to road hazard damage, not wear. It had 18,000 miles and was showing the tread half gone, 5/32 remaining.

Some tires wear better than others, but as with many things, your mileage may vary. Many have said that the mileage you get from a tire is inversely proportional to how far and how often you twist the throttle and apply the brakes. Your mileage from your rear tires is low suggesting an "exuberant" riding style. What sort of mileage do you get from your rear brake pads, I would doubt over 10,000 miles, if that. You have the option of riding for thrills and adrenalin or for economy. Accelerating at about the same pace as other traffic rather than blasting away from it should also improve fuel economy. Slowing by coasting before braking, watching traffic to avoid stopping and starting when possible will all help. Hoping to beat the change of every traffic light and then slamming on the brakes when it changes just a little too early to make it through goes hard on the whole machine.

If you buy the tires that let you confidently skid your floor boards frequently, you are buying soft compound tires and they will wear faster than harder compound tires. Decide where the fun is, riding for adrenalin and changing tires and brakes frequently or riding for transportation with as low an operating expense as possible. The two outcomes are mutually exclusive. I am approaching 68 years old and the less money I spend on tires and brakes, the more comfortably I can pay for motel rooms on trips. I also recognize that I don't bounce as well as I used to and road rash takes a long time to heal. Those factors also influence the way I ride. It sounds as though you may be at the threshold of a new stage in riding style.

 

Likewise for me. 20,000 on the rear, and even better than you on the front, 35,000.

I replaced them with American Elites. The rear now has 16,000 and is well on pace to match the 20,000 I got with the D407. I need more miles to see how the AmElite front does but I would expect similar to the 35,000 I got with the D408.

Definitely the longest wearing tires I've ever had on any bike by a longshot.

 

interested in this too.
stock rear (original) 15,xxx miles on it at about 3-4/32 now & i try to keep it at 38-40psi. tour pac is on 95% of the time as well as two up. i have done some rolling burn outs (not gunna lie LOL). mixture of ridding twisties, in town, freeway, back roads. i think im doing pretty good at 15K & still have tread left.
4-5K sounds a bit low to me, i mean even my buddy rides the shitt out of his SG. burn outs all the time & he even gets about 10K out of his stock dunlop.

good luck

 

09 up bikes are no help since they have a much wider rear tire. I'll get around 7-8k out of a MU85 rear tire on my Ultra. Ride the twisties every time I leave the driveway. I do scrap the boards occasionally. I engine brake a lot. Rear pads have 20k on them and still look good. Mostly solo riding and i go 200lb. Worst tire I ran was a Bridgestone Battalax. Gone at 5k. Currently running a Night Dragon. Handles great but wearing at 1/32 per 1k miles so will be gone around 7-8k.