Boxerworks.com

If you are running Dunlops you might find this article interesting. I tried them for a little while and did not like the way they handled. Seems I might have made the right decision by going back to Metzelers.

Fatal motorcycle tire blowouts not enough to prompt Goodyear recall

I,m rolling around on 25 year old Metzelers. They have no sidewall checking at all, and lots of tread. I Know...possibly not the best idea, but they have lots of life left. If I had a Harley with one of those Dunlops, I would not use it until that tire is replaced. That is bad situation!

25 year old Metzelers!?! You are living dangerously my friend. I'd get new tires stat! Rubber hardens after a while, even if the tires had never been mounted I would not use them.

Steve in Golden wrote: ↑Fri May 18, 2018 2:07 pm 25 year old Metzelers!?! You are living dangerously my friend. I'd get new tires stat! Rubber hardens after a while, even if the tires had never been mounted I would not use them.

+1

Tires that are approaching 7-8 years old have ended their life as far as I am concerned. When I bought my Oilhead it had a set of Metzeler Z6 tires on them, very little wear, no checking, but they were pushing 7-8 years depending the the manufacturing codes and they were scary going into a corner. After my first ride on them they were replaced with a set of Michelin Pilots.

Same here jagarra. When I bought an '02 R1150R I had for a while, it had been sitting for quite a while. It had some tires on it that looked fine, don't recall what brand they were. But they were old tires and the rubber was hard and that bike was friggin' scary going around corners. Then I put new tires on it and what a world of difference.

These allegedly bad tires were all Goodyear US made 402s on Harleys.
In Oz every Dunlop I have seen in Airhead sizes has been made in Japan.
Tire life is also related to the compound - I put the super sticky Dunlop classic race tires on my BSA B44 and the shelf life was months, not years.
The stock classic road version works fine as a 80/20 om my R75/7 - I prefer them to Pilot Activs
I run Dunlop D603s on my R80 G/S and they have been the best bang for the buck I have found , up with the Enduro 3s on road and off and in Oz about 60% of the price.