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Tire Life/expectancy 5 to 6k?

9K views 48 replies 25 participants last post by  kesanders 
#1 ·
2012 Honda Shadow Spirit 750



Just wondering how long do tires normally last you guys?


Do you normally go though more rear tires then front, maybe 1 front to 2 Rear or some odd ratio?



Last Summer I had my rear replaced. Only had 1k miles but the hole was to bad.


Anyways. Fast forward, I have put 4k miles on it, and I am guessing by the wear (center) i have 1 or 2k left tops.


So is 5 to 6k good or bad for a rear tire?

I am not a speed demon, I ride around town allot and get out on the weekends and cruise.
I don't do burn outs.




The tire is a Dunlap. I just feel that is bad mileage for a tire.


Also the Front tire on the bike had 5k and still looks to be in great shape.


What Brand of tires do people like on their Shadows?

Wondering what I should consider.
Pretty sure i am going to try something other then Dunlap.


Was thinking maybe Bridgestone or Pirelli, however i am just looking i am not set any brand yet.
 
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#3 ·
On my 03 750 ACE, I normally go through 2 rear tires before replacing the front (17k miles average life on rear tires) I prefer Bridgestone's over Dunflaps, I’m currently running the BridgestoneExedra Max, maintaining proper inflation is key to tire life
 
#4 ·
I went with Pirelli Night Dragons. I don't care about mileage but I ride pretty aggressively, more important to stick than how long the tire lasts. I've put 2,000 miles on my tires since last fall and they are wearing very slowly I see no problem getting 8K out of them. Maybe more. They stick well to everything. I have a VT1100 BTW.
 
#6 ·
Your mileage will largely depend on your riding style and tire compound. I'm with @CoreyP, favoring a softer compound tire with shorter life expectancy, but excellent grip. Around town, there is usually more cornering, and for me more grip while cornering is worth the reduction in "mileage". Also keep in mind "aging", not just miles. Your tires have the week and year of manufacture stamped on the sidewall as a 4-digit code "wwyy" (e.g. 2208 would indicate week 22 of 2008. Even if there is no visible weather checking or other adverse indicators, depending on climate factors, like FL heat, you would want to avoid continuing to run "older" tires (say, 8-10 years, depending). When you buy tires, inspect the sidewall dates to ensure your dealer is selling you their "freshest" stock.
 
#5 ·
I've gotten 8-12,000 miles on Dunlop tires. Just Changed out a set of Michelin Commander IIs that I got a little over 16,000miles on each. When the rear wore out i went with a Shinko 777 on the rear and stuck with the commander II on the front. About 4-5000 miles on the Shinko and i'm already seeing pretty good wear. I don't think it will hold a candle to the Michelin as far as mileage. When it's shot, i'll be going back to a Commander II.
 
#7 ·
Most tend to get double the mileage from front tires vs rear.

Tire life depends on a lot of factors. What works for one may not work for another.
Type of bike (remember, the "Shadow" name has been used since 1983 on bikes ranging from 125cc to 1100cc, shaft and chain driven), weight (of bike, rider, gear, do you do a lot of 2 up riding), speeds ridden, road conditions (smooth asphalt, rough concrete, dirt roads, potholes, etc), weather (hot temps decrease mileage), driving conditions (lots of start/stops wears tire out faster than steady cruising), maintenance (checking pressure and tire balance), and tire construction (radial, bias ply, tread compound etc).
Oh, and the throttle, brake and downshifting.
While I am not a "speed demon" I do get on it pretty hard getting up to speed many times, and I do chirp the rear tire a lot downshifting without the clutch as well as doing a lot of engine braking.

Was the tire a Dunlop 404? If so, that is the problem. Lots of complaints about them not lasting.
My bike came with 404's on it front and rear. No idea how many miles on the tires (only 7500 miles on bike, but tires were not original, bike is a '94, tires were made in '07). Tread looked decent when I got it. Within 2,000 miles, they were getting smooth.

Shinko tires (777 and 230) are very popular and are OK mileage wise (but are an inexpensive tire), as is the Kenda Kruz.
You will get a lot of opinions, most based on personal use, some on hearsay.
Perilli, Bridgestone, Michelin, Metzler, Continental all have tires that have good reviews, and bad ones as well.
I was leaning to either a Shinko 777 or Perilli MT66 (what I ended up with on the front) when looking for tires, but ended up going darkside instead. >:)
Now I don't worry about mileage.0:)
 
#8 ·
thanks, allot of good suggestions.


I agree/understand the more grip a tire has the fast it will wear.
This dunlop doesn't seem very grippy.



I am going check the model per what Blupupher suggested.


when I brought, it was an unexpected rushed purchase. I had to drop my bike off and be out of town. I in short told the guy to quote me some mid tier tires, something he would recommend for a family member. Maybe I should have said for a family member you like.


I might get more then I am thinking out of it, there is still some center tread left, but I will be monitoring it.



I am 300 plus, but don't double , except the rare trip I take my wife for a quick couple miles down the road and back. She didn't grow up around motorcycles and isn't really into them.
 
#9 · (Edited)
Blupuphe, you nailed it. It is a D404.


it has 4k right now on it. I am certain i can get it at least 1k more. beyond that all bets are off.

Going to start making plans for a replacement. not going to get caught with my pants down again.




****
again I understand preformance and reduced tire life. trying for a good balance.



I will post again when i get to the final milage on this D404.
 
#10 ·
Being in the 300 lb range myself, that does not help tire life.
At one point, I was technically over the weight limit of the bike (mine is an 1100) just by myself, and would often do 50 mile trips with my 140 lb daughter on back, putting it over 500 lbs.

The problem with the 404 is it does handle OK in the dry, and for bikes only ridden 2000 miles a year in fair weather, it does OK, so people think "it is the stock tire and should have good life being a Dunlop (they make some amazing race tire for sure), but they are not known to be high mileage tires, and wet performance is mediocre (especially the rear, my front 404 was not to bad in the rain).

As you said, you now have time to research what exactly you want to get, compare prices, and hopefully find something that works for you.
 
#11 ·
Motorcycle tires have to be made of softer rubber for grip on the edges of the tread as you lean into a turn.
Car tires are made of a harder rubber because they are always running perpendicular to the surface so you have a constant contact patch, you have 4 large footprints, and they are big enough to cut wide and deep grooves for shedding water.
I got 8K out of the factory set on my rebel 250, and 8K out of the factory set on my spirit 750.
 
#12 ·
Thats not correct, I have used my durometer on around 30 different motorcycle tires and have not found one that is softer than a car tire(yes even the tires made for better gas mileage are softer than a motorcycle tire).

I got 32k miles out of my last c/t on my VT1100-T and 26k miles on my Wing with a c/t. I'm 250, my wife is around 140 and with all the stuff we carry on the bikes we are over the weight limit for either bike. I also run a "rear" tire up front for longer mileage(rear tire is the same size as the stock front tire, just has more, deeper tread) I run the BT45-V up front and its been the best front tire I've ever had on my T, now with over 100k miles on it.
Here is a good site for info on going to the dark side
http://forums.delphiforums.com/darksiding/messages

Rod
 
#13 ·
I checked my Front tire, (original to the bike) it is a Bridgestone, It has 5k and looks pretty new. I am considering getting a bridgestone for the rear and matching it up.


If 1 to the front, 2 to the rear is close, should put them lasting about the same.


Just started looking, maybe something like Bridgestone G702 Exedra Touring. , Going to reread comments above as well..
 
#14 ·
Well when I had the VT1100 I got 15,000 on the rear and 23,000 plus on the front from Pirelli 66's. I like Bridgestone's on the Valk but they are radials but they wear different on a 800 lb. bike. 12,000 mi. max on the rear and 15,000 on the front.
 
#15 ·
Personally speaking, Dunlops are CRAP!! They do NOT handle well in the wet or rain! And mileage was for sh!t! I got a cheap set of King tires (no name, $165 for the set), and they lasted nearly 25k!! I just got Michelin Commander IIs for my HD Dyna, and they've been really good, and are SUPPOSED to last at least 10-15k (we'll have to wait and see). I would think MOST tires should last at least 10k, and probably more. These are the reasons I won't put Dunlops on my bike EVER again; squirrelly in corners, terrible in the rain/wet, and wear out WAY too quick!! My next set is either going to be Kenda or Shinko, but the HD has a really odd size rear tire, which isn't easy to find. I've found sets of both Kenda and Shinko for around $150-170 for front and rear for my Honda Spirit 750, and about $165-180 for Shinkos ($225 for White Walls) or Kendas for my HD Dyna, and about $280-350 for Michelin Commander IIs or Scorchers, Pirelli Night Dragons, or Metzler ME888s. Here's a couple links for the Shinkos and Kendas that fit my Honda Spirit 750:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/110-90V-19...STER-FRONT-REAR-TIRE-KIT-2-TIRES/331845981953
https://www.ebay.com/itm/100-90-19-...LE-TIRES-COMPLETE-FRONT-REAR-SET/142697743842
https://www.ebay.com/itm/100-90-19-...KRUZ-FRONT-REAR-TIRE-KIT-2-TIRES/371731268457
https://www.ebay.com/itm/100-90V-19...STER-FRONT-REAR-TIRE-KIT-2-TIRES/323721934267
Hopefully, this will help someone else be able to get decent tires for their bike without breaking the bank.
 
#16 ·
Looking at the rear 170-80 15 Shinko 777 HD on the back of my 750 ACE at the wear bars, I'd guess it is probably getting close to half worn at the center with over 12,000 km on it, that works out to about 7,500 miles. So I'd have to say I'm happy with that. The 120-90 17 777 on the front still looks at least to my naked eyes pretty much new.

The bike sees close to an even mix of city and secondary highway use.
I weigh about 210 lbs and the various additions and deletions to the bike would make it about stock weight, I'm a more aggressive rider than most cruiser folks I see, but my crazy riding days are long gone.
 
#17 ·
Everybody is going to have a very different experience when it comes to tire life. Weight of bike, weight of rider, type of road surfaces commonly ridden on, average temp, how hard you ride. These all play factors. Didnt matter what my dad put on the back of his bike it was replaced every season. He rode hard and loved burnouts. I saw him destroy a brand new rear in a weekend.
 
#18 ·
As mentioned there is no simple formula to replacing tires due to wear. Based on my 500,000 km of motorcycling over 50 years, here's what I do:

1. My bikes are stored for 6 months so when I unstore them I really check each tire for cupping and tread depth at several places comparing to original tread depth. I will replace at 3/32s (wear indicators are usually 2/32s).

2. I check tire pressure monthly. I did check more often but found no variation so now not as often until I replace them.

3. I have tried almost all the brands and never found a lot of difference so stuck with one brand and one model. That way I can replace the front and rear as they wear individually and still have a matched set. I had a mismatched set once and could tell the difference in the rain.

4. There is a lot of time and money spent by tire designers to research/develop/test the best matched set tires possible and for that reason alone I like matched sets.

5k miles seems short tire life and your front at 10k miles seems more reasonable. Unexpected rear tire wear is often an indication of underinflation/over inflation and/or improperly setup rear suspension. I would check the rear suspension setting and adjust and then try correcting your rear tire pressure.


G.
 
#19 ·
I agree about the Dung Flops... I will NEVER put Dunlops on my Shadow Aero 750 ever again! :evil:

Here's a sample/re-typed Spreadsheet of my experiences with motorcycle tires, starting out with a brand new 2007 Honda Shadow Aero 750:

OEM Tire: Bridgestone G701/G702 front & rear combo --- Tire mileage I got: 16,266

1st replacement: Dunlop D404 front tire --- Tire mileage I got: only 8,916 :mad:
1st replacement: Dunlop D404 rear tire --- Tire mileage I got: only 9,988 :mad:

2nd replacement: Pirelli MT66 front tire --- Tire mileage I got: 12,551
2nd replacement: Pirelli MT66 rear tire --- Tire mileage I got: 14,750

3rd (current) replacement: Shinko Tour Master 230 front tire --- Tire mileage (current): 5,337
3rd (current) replacement: Shinko Tour Master 230 rear tire --- Tire mileage (current): 2,066
 
#20 ·
OEM Tire: Bridgestone G701/G702 front & rear combo --- Tire mileage I got: 16,266
1st replacement: Dunlop D404 front tire --- Tire mileage I got: only 8,916
So just for the sake of conversation, I have always understood tire compound design to be on a continuum like this:

longer life (harder compound) <<<------------------>>> shorter life (softer compound)

The softer compound with a higher coefficient of friction will wear faster while providing more "traction" ie stopping, cornering etc.

Purchasers decide what characteristics they deem valuable in a tire. Some want the tire to last longer. I am OK with a shorter tire life but slightly "stickier". Its great to have the choice.

G.
 
#22 ·
Exactly... The GOOD side to the Dung Flops D404 is that they stick to the road like glue! No matter what weather, no matter what road conditions, you never have to worry at all when taking a tight corner. The D404 will blast through the corner without any trouble. But as you see from the above details, it comes at a price. You'll get half the mileage, but yet on an all-weather tire.
 
#23 ·
Michelin Commander 2 rear and I expect at very least 15k out of it, have seen heavier bikes go 20k on the same tire.
 
#24 ·
My $0,02

I've got 8k miles on D404 (stock tires for Shadow RS). Replaced both with Michelin Commander II - so far 5k on them, little to no wear.

I'm not heavy on brake - lots of engine breaking. Using rear brake in turns (brake dragging), mostly using front brake. BTW, brake pads replaced after 12,5 k.

Regards,
Konrad
 
#25 ·
Running Shinkos on my VT750DC. I average 1,500 per month in all weather. Shinko 712 in front with a 230 out back. So far, over 12,000 on the rear and still have the center tread. Good tire for the money....in my opinion.
 
#26 · (Edited)
Cheng Shin used to be my go-to since they were JCWhitney's value brand...
but they no longer make street bike tires...just knobbys for offroad bikes,
and JC Whitney is deceased...

Being older and hopefully wiser, Michelin Commander II's are going to be the next set.
But kinda curious about Shinko 777's...any reports??
 
#27 ·
The Michelin Commander II are probably the best compromise for most people they have good dry traction and probably the best durability out there. I think that makes them the best no hassle bang for the buck. They are a bit of a handful in the wet, but all tires are a compromise in some way or another and as long as one knows the limitations one can get by.

I have Shinko 777's on my 750 ACE and will probably replace them with the same again, they are pretty good and predictable in all weather except ice and snow. I'm not sure how the long term durability will be, but as of now with 12,000km on the back tire it looks good for at least the same again so I think they will work out very well for me. I change my own tires so that cost doesn't bother me, but if you pay somebody to do it as most people do, then one has to factor that into the mix and the durability of the Commander II's might make the more expensive tire a better deal.
 
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