Dunlop American Elite front MT90 B16 and rear 180X65 16 installed

[Deleted member 939]

Replaced the tires on my R18C after 15,000 miles.Still had over 3/32 inch depth.Glad I found the matching pair to go with the same tire Hannigan uses on the sidecar(MT90B16).Remember tire and gas mileage goes down with the added weight of a sidecar attached.
I do not want to to start a(pissing contest) tire thread but I have been using Dunlops.Michelin and had 2 pair of the Metzler Cruisetec on my 2017 Indian 116.
All good and some a little bit better/different.That being said,Beware if you have been shopping for tires recently.The supply chain is just now catching up.I hunted till I found the New J&P cycles brick and mortar store in Scottsdale.Funny,they are in partnership with CycleGear and Revzilla.Anyway nobody had the front tire and only could find 1 rear.
J&P had 20 fronts and 20 rears,go figure.Sale priced $160 for thr front and $269 rear.
The dunlops are really nice with the sidecar.They handle the extra weight and have stiff sidewalls.
Just some added notes:
1)The Metzler Cruisetec tires are similar to Michelin in handling but have a little less wear and almost zero cuppingon the rear.The front had a bit more.Still good tires and only tires available at the time I bought them.
2)The Michelins wear well.I got 25,000 out of a pair of Commander II tires on my 2014 Chieftain and still had tread.The did have some cupping on the rear tire but not till I had over 15,000.
2)Now about the Dunlops.
I ask the shop foreman Marcus how the tires mounted today."Man really stiff sidewall!"
Now the story:
Got a flat on my 1999 RoadKing(spoke wheels)while riding from the top of Mount Lemon in Tucson.I rode all the way down the moutain,(at very slow speed of course) to the closest gas station I could find and bought 3 bottles of fix-a-flat.Hell of a mess and did not work well since there were tubes.
Anyway,
after I got to the HD shop and explained that I wanted them to replace the flat tire.
The mechanic asked me to come and look at the tire after he took it off.He took a flash light and we instected the inside of the tire.It looked perfect.No signs of wear or damage.He asked"you want me to just install a new tube?"
I said No,the tire tread did have about 50% tire life left but,I did not want to trust a tire that was ridden flat for over 30 miles in 100+ temperature.

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[Deleted member 1344]

I once got 9,000 miles on a motorcycle tire and thought I did great. You got 25,000 miles on a Chieftain using Michelin? Thats a world record.

 

[BobW]

Thanks for the overview as tire wear threads when rider v. rider can be as useless as MPG threads with so many variables other than like you have done here with this comparison, same rider, similar use.

I've easily doubled or even tripled the mileage for wearing out the "same" tire from when riding locally with lots of braking, accelerating, etc., compared to the long mile trips with steady droning tank after tank and far fewer heat cycles, etc I put approximately 45,000 miles in 18 months on my 14 Vic Cross Roads that had tube required rims like the R18 has and they carried me on multiple cross country and regional trips without a hitch on the original Dunlop, Dunlop 3 and Michelin Commander. The original Dunlop rear hated wet pavement, but the 3s were very good. I rode my friend's bike with the Dunlop 4s and they were almost like a sport touring tire, but they wore like one too. The Michelin was very solid all around and it still looked almost new with approximately 10Ks wear when I sold the bike. None of my tires were close to worn out when I changed them, it was only that I was leaving on a long trip and wanted fresh rubber. I also had a similar ride as your Mt. Lemon story. Playing Fred Flintstone using my feet as outriggers coming down from Roan Mt. (TN-NC Border) had me swearing off another bike with tubes for anything other than a dirt bike. I liked the R18 enough to break my own rule, but will have Woody's do a tubeless kit or bite the bullet for a set of cast rims.

I'm not sure what I will use for my next set. The OEM Michelins are doing well as to wear and are very consistent in dry or wet conditions and are mostly undisturbed going over stretches where pavement grinding is present, tar snakes, etc. All top shelf tires are better than I can push their limits so I may just see which Brand claims the newest and greatest siping and rubber compounds to try something new.

Safe travels!

 

[Deleted member 939]

I once got 9,000 miles on a motorcycle tire and thought I did great. You got 25,000 miles on a Chieftain using Michelin? Thats a world record.

I was traveling and did all highway miles that year.If I get to 15-20,000 I change both f&r now.