I had quality issues with Metzier ME888's on my HD. I will never run a Metzier again. Granted this was in the late 2000's so they might have improved. I switched to Avons and liked how those handled, but they wore out very quickly. I never got 10k out of them so I replaced three to four sets a year.

On my Roadmaster, I ran the Dunlop E4's and really liked them. Much better then the OEM version (E3). I used to hate Dunlops but the E4's hold the road and wear nicely.

 

A buddy of mine had a set of Pirelli's on his chopper that started weather checking about a year after they were mounted. He called Pirelli and they replaced them, no questions asked. They were real easy to deal with. The only question they had was the date code and who he got them from. IIRC he had to pay for shipping the old set back.

 

Update: Had my original Dunlop American Elites (2012 front & 2013 rear -2014 Vintage w/4,500 miles) replaced today with Dunlop Elite 4's today. I had to do 70 mph home on the Interstate trying to outrun thunderstorms. I don't know if it was new soft tires but the ride was amazing & the bike felt like it lost 100 lbs in handling. Now, I'll see what a nice warm sunny day brings, but so far, so good.

 

What size did they have for the rear? Do you still have spokes? The factory size is 180/65B16 (25.19” diameter) for the rear … the closest size I see for the Elite 4’s is 160/80B16 (26.26” diameter) a slightly narrower and taller tire … does it make a difference in your Speedo reading vs gps?

 

The Elite 4’s are great tires.

 

The rear tire I replaced the original rear tire [180/60R.16] radial with on my bike is now a 180/65B/16 Dunlop "BIAS" tire and I haven't looked back yet!!! And the biggest advantage is,this tire got waaaaaaay better mileage then that original radial tire that came on the bike from the factory did.If I remember correctly, I'm now averaging over 25,000 miles running these Dunlop Bias tires !!

 

There's nothing wrong with lookin at clouds when riding,as long as you're also looking at what's in front of ya!! I call it "DAY DREAMING" !!
Dave!!!

 

Over the years I've disliked Dunlops I've had the 491's and 591's and thought they felt like they were made of wood. I usually got Michelins or Conti's. But the last set that I bought for my Concours wound up being Dunlop Roadsmart 2's and they were excellent. I just bought a Dunlop Cruisemax WWW front for my Chief Classic because I couldn't get a Conti Legend. So far it feels good. Nice cornering grip.

 

The tires I've been running on both ends of my SDH are the Dunlop "
AMERICAN ELITES" [BIAS tires] and the ride,handling,and mileage are excellent !! And the pressures I am running in em right now for one up riding are 34 and 39 PSI respectively,which is two PSI less then what the factory recommendations were.But,should you run two up a lot,then you would naturally stick to Indians' pressure recommendations of 36 and 41 PSI respectively.Dave!!!

 

My Springfield's rear Metzeler Cruisetec is worn to the indicator bars at 11,600 miles. The front still has a good bit of wear left in it. I went by the dealership today to inquire about what they had available and what the damage was going to be. My first intention was to get a Dunlop American Elite, but the guy said he didn't have one. I think he may have been looking for the 180/60-16 radial that is the stock equipment for my Springfield. I had to make clear that I wanted the bias ply 180/65-16, in a touring tire line intended for long life. I ended up buying a Michelin Commander 3 180/65B16 81H. I'll go by there Saturday to get it installed.

 

The funny (odd) thing is every time I look up Radials vs Bias Ply tires for motorcycles … all the write up say Radials last longer … and that’s just not what I see in the real world …

@SlidePicker … report back in 20,000+ miles and let us know what you think … 😂

 

Radials and motorcycles do NOT mix well at all.I posted about the radial on the back of my SDH regarding the piss pot poor mileage it gave me,and the Dunlop BIAS tire I replaced it with.My Triumph also came with radials on both ends and neither one lasted more then 6000 miles.I went thru 34 tires over the six years and 125,000 miles i traveled with it and the price of those tires was putting me on the poor farm,hence the reason I traded it towards my SDH.And then,I discovered the radial on the rear of my SDH which also did NOT last worth a shit and replaced it with a Dunlop bias tire and couldn't be happier.

 

As I was finishing my trip last month, I had a bald back tire, stock Metezler with 13,000 miles, that desperately needed replacing to make it home. The onemshop that would take me in on short notice only had a Dunlop radial in the size needed for my Pursuit.
We shall see what kind of mileage I get out of the radial vs the bias ply.

 

A buddy of mine has a Road Glide and found this on his back tire. It is a Michelin Commander 2. I had the same exact thing last year on my rear tire, also a Commander 2. Lesson learned. For me Dunlop American Elites all the way! Dean

 

Looks like road hazard damage.

 

Doggone! When I got home today I got up really close and personal with my rear Metzeler with my cell phone flashlight. Yeah, I can see the wear bars, but it's not quite down to them. I'm going to call the dealer tomorrow and tell them to hang on to that tire I bought. I want to put a few more miles on that Metzeler before I change it.

 

I switched the Metzlers for Dunlop American Elite(18065B/-16 rear), I have realized no difference in handling or wet weather performance. The two bigger factors were better wear out mileage and increased load rating. Pursuits are heavy especially two up and loaded with gear.

 

I'm currently running American Elites. We did some crazy riding at the TN Victory rally. No problems.

 

I've been running Dunlop bias tires on the last several bikes I've owned [except my 2010 Triumph Thunderbird which came with radials on both ends and there was not a size in a bias tire even close to what was used on that machine ] and have no complaints about em,what so ever !! Regarding radials on two wheelers,I wouldn't run another radial on any motorcycle I own because they simply do NOT last [ VERY short mileage] not to mention, they are waaaaaaaaay over priced.But that's just me and whada I know??