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The 06 Electra Glide Ultra Classic I'm looking to pick up has Dunlops on it, as usual, but at some point it will need new skins. My younger brother runs American Elites on his bike and loves them, so I'd be good with following his lead. I, on the other hand, had Dunlops on my Wing, and I hated them. Prone to wobble, followed the tar snakes and grooves like a magnet. I switched to Avon Cobra's, and the change was incredible. Wobble was gone, tracking was excellent, ride was smooth, and the bike felt pretty sporty. The other thing I liked was the weight rating. They were the one tire that offered a weight rating that exceeded the minimum requirements, so if the load was a little larger than originally planned, the tire didn't disintegrate. Of those of you that run Avons, what do you think of them compared to the Dunlops? Either way, I don't think I can loose with either, but bikes are different, and react differently to different tires. I'd hate to spend $300 just to find what worked very well on the Wing, sucks on the Harley.
Last edited by Ridin the Rockies; Apr 15, 2018 at 04:37 PM.
I wouldn't compare Avons with Dunlops, mainly because it is so long since I last rode on Dunlops! I have however been using mostly Avons on my Harleys since the 1970s and always go back to them. I have them on all three of my V-twins - either Cobras or Storms, according to which bike. Avons have told me in the past that their biggest market is US Harley owners. I for one don't hesitate to recommend them, but do check their website for recommended pressures, as they are not always the same as in your owners manual.
My 2005 Softail Deluxe had Dunlops on them when I bought her, on the 260 mile ride from Stuttgart to Mons, Belgium I had huge wobble issues with the tar snakes. Since I rode Avon Cobras on my Sportster and loved them I decided to run them on my Softail and have never regretted it. I cannot tell the difference between wet and dry roads because the bike grips both flawlessly, I won't hesitate to recommend them to anyone.
I run Avons on my SERK and my heritage. I like how they grip the road and I won't run anything else. You do need to run the recommended tire pressure from Avon as they differ from Dunlops/Harley.
I've had both Dunlops and Avon Venoms on my Springer and based on how I ride, I got more mileage and better traction with the Avons but my results might not be the same for everybody.
I've experimented with Michelin, Dunlop, Metzeler, Avon etc. Only use Avon Cobra's these days. I like the way they stick and always feel planted in the road. JMO.
I'm on my first ever set of Avon tires, Cobras on my SG. I will from now on only buy Avon tires for my Harley. I have used pretty much all of the other brands except Vrubber.
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