Kenda tires for a motorcycle

[shropshire 0]

I only put tyres on my bikes ... them tire things look way too dodgey

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[CSpenceFLY 1]

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Did you know that the D404 has less tread then the D402. 3/32 less if I remember right. I bought a D404 last time and couldn't believe how fast it wore out. I can get an MU85 at RockyMountainAtvmc.com for about $127. I got 9k out of the last 402, about 5k out of this 404 I'm about to change.

The 404 has a lower load capacity, also.
H-D does not recommend using the 404, although, a lot of guys do. I'll never use one ever again.

The D401 is the only tire that H-D recommends. I think they need to start recommending a few others.

The D402 is a Harley tire also.

Another option is going to the dark side, running car tires. I haven't done it yet but I know a few guys that swear by it. I think I may try one this winter when I'm not riding in the mountains all the time.

http://darkside.nwff.info/

[normiss 622]

Like I told you when we talked about the car tire idea.
Yer crazy.

I like cornering and flat-surfaced tires don't do that well.
I needs an edge to ride on.
SOME of us actually LEAN on a motorcycle.
You've seen my floor board tins!

[freethefly 6]

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Did you know that the D404 has less tread then the D402. 3/32 less if I remember right. I bought a D404 last time and couldn't believe how fast it wore out. I can get an MU85 at RockyMountainAtvmc.com for about $127. I got 9k out of the last 402, about 5k out of this 404 I'm about to change.

The 404 has a lower load capacity, also.
H-D does not recommend using the 404, although, a lot of guys do. I'll never use one ever again.

The D401 is the only tire that H-D recommends. I think they need to start recommending a few others.

The D402 is a Harley tire also.

Another option is going to the dark side, running car tires. I haven't done it yet but I know a few guys that swear by it. I think I may try one this winter when I'm not riding in the mountains all the time.

http://darkside.nwff.info/

Yup, you're correct about the 402. There are a few more, depending on bike model.

The car tire isn't anything new. It was common back in the 80's and way earlier to use tires such as the Volkswagen beetle tire. An old retired El Forastero had us put one on his Pan last summer. I would think that Gypsy has used them on his Knuck, a time or two. As with Old Jake (the El Forastero. And yup, he is old. He's in his 70's), he putts his ride. I think the car tire is fine for the old Pans and Knucks as those bikes weren't built to handle like today's bike. I think that I may even be fine with a car tire on an Ultra Classic, but not on a Softail, Dyna, or Sportster, not at all.
You can check the Harley forums and read what others think. It's been talked to death. Some swear by them, while others call them organ donors.
If you want to get an idea of how one may handle, ride behind someone on a Big Dog chopper with a massive pro-street tire. They need every bit of the outside of a curve to get around it. It may look cool (at least to a ten year old kid), but ride-ability goes to hell.

"...And once you're gone, you can't come back
When you're out of the blue and into the black."
Neil Young

[Kong 0]

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Do you run a lot of burnouts or something? You should be getting a lot more miles from a rear. That thing ain't no Busa.

no, its not a Busa, but huge power, and I use it. You know its a 1200 with about 113 hp right? and the Vboost that kicks in at 6000 rpm adds about 10%

What pressure do you run? Should be 44ish, because even with hard use, you should get double that mileage.

44? I don't even run that high on the back tire of my work bike, and that ST1300 weighs in around 850-900lbs before I even get on it! On a Vmax with the light weight of that bike, I bet 35-38lbs would give the best performance trade off (without looking at the manual).

We run a dual compound on the work bike and I'm averaging about 5000 miles a set, but we wear out the sides long before the center of the tire is worn.

My ST must have fewer accessories than yours. Mine comes in at about 660# wet. I don't have the manual in front of me but I think it sais 36F and 42R. I've been running 40F/44R in the Avon Storms and got 11k on the last rear, front went almost 20k. Before switching to the Avon's, the Dunlops were going 6-8 rear, 8-10 front. And no trouble scraping pegs with these pressures.

His Harley isn't a peg scraper anyway, so there is no point in running low pressures, unless he's drag racing it.

[freethefly 6]

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so there is no point in running low pressures, unless he's drag racing it.

Lower tire pressure is a no-go in drag racing. The low pressure causes the tire to deform and allows for less friction and more side play. Hence, the tire now has a longer patch (more flat) to overcome (torque is used to overcome the flatter patch instead of efficiently used to propel the bike forward.) Plus, the side to side play, due to the low pressure, is time lost. This equates to a slower ET. You will get more friction and a quicker ET with a slightly higher tire pressure.

"...And once you're gone, you can't come back
When you're out of the blue and into the black."
Neil Young

[normiss 622]

I dunno about other HD riders, but I scrape the hell outta my floorboard tins. I RARELY find a donor bike with ANY markings on the little knobs on the foot pegs. More often I find skid marks on the plastic panels, ends of the hand controls, and cam covers.


I'd bet a Harley rider (on fairly current bikes anyway) has much better chance of scraping than them import jobbies.

We can start with lean angles and design, but my money is on most rice riders don't have riding skills anywhere near the capabilities of the bike they are on.

[CSpenceFLY 1]

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Did you know that the D404 has less tread then the D402. 3/32 less if I remember right. I bought a D404 last time and couldn't believe how fast it wore out. I can get an MU85 at RockyMountainAtvmc.com for about $127. I got 9k out of the last 402, about 5k out of this 404 I'm about to change.

The 404 has a lower load capacity, also.
H-D does not recommend using the 404, although, a lot of guys do. I'll never use one ever again.

The D401 is the only tire that H-D recommends. I think they need to start recommending a few others.

The D402 is a Harley tire also.

Another option is going to the dark side, running car tires. I haven't done it yet but I know a few guys that swear by it. I think I may try one this winter when I'm not riding in the mountains all the time.

http://darkside.nwff.info/

Yup, you're correct about the 402. There are a few more, depending on bike model.

The car tire isn't anything new. It was common back in the 80's and way earlier to use tires such as the Volkswagen beetle tire. An old retired El Forastero had us put one on his Pan last summer. I would think that Gypsy has used them on his Knuck, a time or two. As with Old Jake (the El Forastero. And yup, he is old. He's in his 70's), he putts his ride. I think the car tire is fine for the old Pans and Knucks as those bikes weren't built to handle like today's bike. I think that I may even be fine with a car tire on an Ultra Classic, but not on a Softail, Dyna, or Sportster, not at all.
You can check the Harley forums and read what others think. It's been talked to death. Some swear by them, while others call them organ donors.
If you want to get an idea of how one may handle, ride behind someone on a Big Dog chopper with a massive pro-street tire. They need every bit of the outside of a curve to get around it. It may look cool (at least to a ten year old kid), but ride-ability goes to hell.

Yeah, the handling is what I have been worried about, that's why I said I might try one during the winter while doing alot of flat road riding.

[CSpenceFLY 1]

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Like I told you when we talked about the car tire idea.
Yer crazy.

I like cornering and flat-surfaced tires don't do that well.
I needs an edge to ride on.
SOME of us actually LEAN on a motorcycle.
You've seen my floor board tins!

And you have followed me through the mountains...barely and that was on a borrowed bike. Y'all are over due some mountain riding.

[freethefly 6]

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I dunno about other HD riders, but I scrape the hell outta my floorboard tins.

I scrape the boards from time to time, but these days, I'm more conservative in the way I ride. Maybe it's just age. When I was younger, I didn't think twice about going full throttle into a curve, pulling the front end up on the freeway, or standing on the seat on the freeway. Same is with most of my old buddies, and yup, they are getting old. Between 50 to 70. My old clubbers bros who rode the, balls to the wall, no front brake choppers are now on FLTCUs and taking it slow these days. It's a wonder that most of us got through those early years intact. Man, what a fucking great ride it was!

"...And once you're gone, you can't come back
When you're out of the blue and into the black."
Neil Young

[Squeak 17]

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I dunno about other HD riders, but I scrape the hell outta my floorboard tins. I RARELY find a donor bike with ANY markings on the little knobs on the foot pegs. More often I find skid marks on the plastic panels, ends of the hand controls, and cam covers.


I'd bet a Harley rider (on fairly current bikes anyway) has much better chance of scraping than them import jobbies.

We can start with lean angles and design, but my money is on most rice riders don't have riding skills anywhere near the capabilities of the bike they are on.

OK Mark, you KNOW that's just a plain and simple STUPID comparo dude.
I can EASILY scrape the pegs and boards on all the Harleys I have ridden, it's a lot hard to do so on any of the other bikes i ride.

Whilst you are correct MANY of the R1/Busa babies dont have skills to match their bikes, peg scraping is hardly the method to determine skill when putting Harleys against street racers

You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky)
My Life ROCKS!
How's yours doing?

[AggieDave 6]

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My ST must have fewer accessories than yours. Mine comes in at about 660# wet. I don't have the manual in front of me but I think it sais 36F and 42R. I've been running 40F/44R in the Avon Storms and got 11k on the last rear, front went almost 20k. Before switching to the Avon's, the Dunlops were going 6-8 rear, 8-10 front. And no trouble scraping pegs with these pressures.

My ST1300P-ABS does have a LOT more accessories than your bike. Lots of electronics, video system, a bunch of extra lights, larger alternator, 2nd battery, radar system and a whole bunch of other required gear stuffed into the saddle bags and in the space that would be the rear seat.

And most of my peg scraping happens under 10mph, although I was over 100mph today due to a significant need...

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[normiss 622]

Fair enough.
Not many will understand the differences though.

[freethefly 6]

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I was over 100mph today due to a significant need...

From time to time I'll do over 100mph, due to a significant need...

"...And once you're gone, you can't come back
When you're out of the blue and into the black."
Neil Young

[LongWayToFall 0]

I had good results with the Avon super venoms, back when my ninja took 160ish size rear tires. I have run Kendas on dirt bikes for some time, and they do fine. This doesn't tell you dick about street tires, but the carcass is built fine probably.

I have always been a fan of the Bridgestone BTxxxs, the 016s are great.

[freethefly 6]

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I had good results with the Avon super venoms, back when my ninja took 160ish size rear tires. I have run Kendas on dirt bikes for some time, and they do fine. This doesn't tell you dick about street tires, but the carcass is built fine probably.

I have always been a fan of the Bridgestone BTxxxs, the 016s are great.

I've yet to read anything bad about the Kenda Kruz. Everyone running them say they are extremely happy with them. If I get more than 3000 miles on the back, I'll be happy with them until I swap for the Metzlers or Avons.
They're due to arrive on Monday.

"...And once you're gone, you can't come back
When you're out of the blue and into the black."
Neil Young

[AggieDave 6]

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I was over 100mph today due to a significant need...

From time to time I'll do over 100mph, due to a significant need...

Ok, admit it, how many of you reading this just heard Tom Cruise's voice go "I have the need, the need for speed."

Or maybe I'm just getting old?

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[davelepka 4]

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I get more than 3000 miles on the back, I'll be happy

Have you had the bike checked for alaignment? It sounds like your bike is eating tires, and it didn't used to do this and it's not a high horespower machine, so maybe the problem isn't the tires?

[normiss 622]

I disagree. Besides, Dave would know if it was out.

But anyway, 3000 to 10000 is the normal for rear tires.
I'm lucky to get 3-5k on mine. Less if I run into Chuck Blue.
Fucking smokey burnouts are expensive.

[davelepka 4]

Just floating the idea out there. He didn't mention any burnouts, or hard riding, so the milage seems low. Also, if he previously got better milage and then it dropped off with no change in riding style, it wouldn't be crazy to look at all possibilities.

[normiss 622]

From personal experience, I swear doing only ONE smokey burnout weakens the rubber structure and the tire just vanishes in no time.

[freethefly 6]

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I get more than 3000 miles on the back, I'll be happy

Have you had the bike checked for alaignment? It sounds like your bike is eating tires, and it didn't used to do this and it's not a high horespower machine, so maybe the problem isn't the tires?

I'm a certified H-D tech through the Motor Company. I do all of my own work. My bike is in perfect alignment.

I'm not the only one who has been complaining about the durability of the Dunlop rear tire. The issue has been discussed on H-Dnet over the last few years. You won't be able to get on H-Dnet as you have to be a tech to do so, but you can see what others have been saying on any of the H-D forums.
As far as H-D is concerned, the Dunlop provide superior traction over other brands. That, and H-D invested a substantial amount of money and research into the tire that carries their name on it. If you were to ask me, and many others, that is bullshit (it has more to do with marketing their name alongside a recognizable name, Dunlop.) There are other brands that are comparable, if not better, than the Dunlop. It's only a matter of trial and error to find the one that can withstand the conditions in which you ride. Mind you, I ride on extremely rough roads. They are mostly chat. It's like riding on a rasp file. Still, others who ride on more favorable roads complain of getting less mileage on the Dunlop of more recent years than they did on the Dunlop of earlier years. Wrenching in shops in this area, tire longevity is a major complaint. It's no surprise that the Dunlop is not a big seller. Yet, complaints are just as many with other brands. It is understood that the trade off with greater tire to road adhesion is longevity. Yet it does get into that wallet far more than it should. If I were road racing the bike, I'd prefer the soft compound, but I am not, so I'm looking for a harder tire.
As I stated in another post, the 391 that I ran on my Evo in the 90s would average 10-15,000 miles (that bike tipped over 100hp on the dyno as I built the engine for speed.) Very few are claiming that on the 400 series.
As I said earlier about the Dunlop with H-D's name on it, the same goes with H-D oil and other lubes, as well as their branded battery. It's more about marketing their name as none of those items are any better than other brands. I've never used H-D's oil. I've used Castrol in my bikes for over 30 years and have never had any issue. That said, I have always ran the Dunlop as I never had any issue with them, until recent years.

"...And once you're gone, you can't come back
When you're out of the blue and into the black."
Neil Young

[freethefly 6]

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Just floating the idea out there. He didn't mention any burnouts, or hard riding, so the milage seems low. Also, if he previously got better milage and then it dropped off with no change in riding style, it wouldn't be crazy to look at all possibilities.

The alignment suggestion was a good point, but not the issue, in my case (or many others.)
I don't do burnouts or ride her hard. My old 91 Fatboy, I rode extremely hard and did burnouts and still got great mileage on the 391.
The issue is the soft compound. I don't see H-D addressing the issue anytime soon as dealerships make a lot of money on pushing the tire on loyal customers (and there are a lot of them.) I'm not a big fan of the dealerships and always wrenched at chopper shops. I turned down parts swapper positions at two local dealerships as they tend to focus only on the money and not the love of the bike. I went through the Motor Company's marketing classes a few years ago and the focus was to push the H-D brand aggressively at any cost (which is understandable.) H-D controls everything that goes on at a dealership, from where products are placed on the floor to what type of lighting is used to highlight products. Dealerships are closed if owners do not perform as H-D dictates. They are cut throat and that is a shame as the love is just not there as it is in a chopper shop.

"...And once you're gone, you can't come back
When you're out of the blue and into the black."
Neil Young

[freethefly 6]

UPS pulled into the driveway just after 6pm. She hands me one box, the battery. I ask whether there is another box. She said "no." Damn, no tires. She tells me they should be here on Monday.
Went for a nice ride and now I am going again.

"...And once you're gone, you can't come back
When you're out of the blue and into the black."
Neil Young

[warpedskydiver 0]

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@ Warpedskydiver.
What kind of mileage are you getting on the rear?
Type of bike?
Weight on the rear?
Riding style?
Do you do a lot of engine braking?
Highways or back roads?
Type of road; asphalt, cement, chat...? I live on the back roads and they are all chat.
Mostly straight or curvy? Roads around here are very curvy.
Hills or flat? Mostly hills around here. I live in the Ozarks.

GSXR1100N 1127 CC reworking of the exhaust, bigger carbs (40mm), Yosh cams, Stage III, K&N, always on pavement, you really would not want to ride it only anything else.

I get two oil changes per rear tire, three per front tire.

The curvy stuff keeps the wear even, the straight up stuff is really bad for the tires, it makes the middle go flat.

Mine are their second softest compound, really good in rain though.

Yeah I do not use the brakes unless necessary, downshift and getting big (catching air) is usually enough unless I need to be really slow.

I ride fairly aggressively when conditions permit (newer pavement and no loose crap)