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I have less than 5k on the factory Dunlop’s, the rear has a typical commuter flat strip not too bad but GEEZE the front is almost toast. Scalloped and the tire is chewed on the sides leaving it taller in the middle with recessed sides. Anyone else had funky treadwear on the factory tires? Exploring options online just not a huge fan of the Battleax
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*front tire* is the chewed up one. Auto correct generally makes be sound like a moron.
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I got about 8k out of mine. I know people here who have gone much longer on the Battlax, but I have a hard enough time staying upright with full tread.
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lol you can modify your posts for up to one hour. I fixed it for you.
It is a problem with these dual compound tires that they wear weird. The hard center section resists wear while the edges show wear prematurely. Hece the raised section you are seeing. It is particularly noticeable on the front. I would bump your front tire pressure to 38# leaving 42# in the rear.
The factory tires are a little lacking on tread depth imo, particularly the front Bridgestones. The Dunlops you have will last longer than the Bridgestone fronts, but the Bridgestone rears will last longer than the Dunlop rears.
Finding tires at all are a problem for this bike. Many of us have gone to a 120 front and a 160 rear Michelin Pilot Road 3 and have been very happy. Good wear, good handling wet or dry, but they ARE oversize since Michelin doesn't make the exact size we need. Others are using other brand tires and if you type TIRES into the search engine you will find plenty of reading material.
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My OEM Battlax lasted long = F = 15 Km, rear about 30 Km.. did not like'em
For both, '13 & "14, I now have PR3 = excellent.
What year is yours, '17 are different with tubes
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I found the OEM Battlax quite good, however, I will say the rubber did harden after just a few years and affecting some handling. That "hardening" could be the reason for juicing extra mileage out of the rear tire.
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The front OEM Bridgestone on my '14 only lasted 5,168 km's (3,230 miles) and I was stunned when my mechanic told me it probably wouldn't pass our bi-annual vehicle inspection coming up in a couple of weeks.
I replaced it immediately with a Bridgestone T30 EVO.
The rear Bridgestone is still going strong and has lots of meat on it.
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Ferret's characterization of dual-compound tires is spot on. The uneven wear, especially on the front, is annoying.
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Think I will go with Pirelli Angel GTs. The 160 rear any fitment issues? I noted a little metal tab back in the swing arm that sticks out, wondering if i should cut that off?
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I had the exact same bad experience with the factory Dunlops. At 3000 miles, the front showed evidence of cupping, and by 5000 miles, the front was crap and the rear had worn a flat spot. Then I put on a set of Michelin Pilot Road 3's (120 and 160 like Ferret said), and they were excellent until I ran over a screw on Oct 25 (that's a whole other story!). When I went to replace both, Michelin is now up to Pilot Road 5's, but don't make them as a matched set in the 18 inch diameter of my '14 wheels. So, there's not much to choose from. I went with Metzler Roadtecs on both, but the Honda dealer also recommended a British tire (forgot the brand just now) that are made for the Triumph, et.al. market, and available in the stock tire sizes. But, the 120 and 160 fit just fine, and I like the idea of more rubber on the road. Good luck. Google can be your friend, but expect to spend several hours searching. There are still a few Michelin's available, but... likely very old mfgr dates.
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(02-14-2019, 05:14 AM)bsavoy04_imp Wrote: Think I will go with Pirelli Angel GTs. The 160 rear any fitment issues? I noted a little metal tab back in the swing arm that sticks out, wondering if i should cut that off?
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I had rear PR3/160 fitted for both 2013 & '14 = no problem
