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Brewbrother Serious Thumper Offline Just lending a helping hand. Posts: 953 Gender:	Tires. 05/22/06 at 17:02:11 Looks like my bike is running factory tires. IRC Grand High Speed. At any rate they are showing signs of dry rot. Anyone have any recommendations?? Good/bad experiences to relate.
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red2k1 Ex Member	Re: Tires. Reply #1 - 05/22/06 at 17:16:09 I like Dunlop Qualifier. Good grip, good ride.
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Max_Morley Serious Thumper Offline LT650 Luxury Touring & sidecar rig Posts: 1490 Moses Lake. WA Gender:	Re: Tires. Reply #2 - 05/22/06 at 18:19:34 My best experience so far has been an Dunlop K555 on the rear, stock size, OE fitment is honda PC 800 so it is rated slightly higher in load carrying capacity and has great tread depth, still running the Metzler on the front it seems to be lasting forever. almost 2 rear tires worth. Max
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WD

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Re: Tires.
Reply #3 - 05/22/06 at 18:33:26

I have a ChengShin rear on mine. It's alright at best, even for a cheap Chi-com tire.

The Sumitomo (hey, they make Dunlops) Qualifier is not the same figure 8 tread it used to be. Now it is a sportbike tread. Oh, if it says Made in USA, France, or England on the sidewall, that Dunlop is past its service life.

If you get desperate, I have some Metzeler ME880s on special right now, 130/90/15, for $50. The stock 140/80/15 is kinda hard to find sometimes. And the 130s will turn a hair more readily.
-WD

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LANCER Serious Thumper Alliance Member Offline Savage Beast Performance Parts Posts: 10661 Oklahoma Gender:	Re: Tires. Reply #4 - 05/22/06 at 19:10:07 WD wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:05: I have a ChengShin rear on mine. It's alright at best, even for a cheap Chi-com tire. -WD I have one too, and I like it just fine.
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Brewbrother

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Re: Tires.
Reply #5 - 05/22/06 at 19:33:08

WD wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:05:

I have a ChengShin rear on mine. It's alright at best, even for a cheap Chi-com tire.

The Sumitomo (hey, they make Dunlops) Qualifier is not the same figure 8 tread it used to be. Now it is a sportbike tread. Oh, if it says Made in USA, France, or England on the sidewall, that Dunlop is past its service life.

If you get desperate, I have some Metzeler ME880s on special right now, 130/90/15, for $50. The stock 140/80/15 is kinda hard to find sometimes. And the 130s will turn a hair more readily.
-WD

Your opinion on what riding style would benefit from that type tire.

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Opportunities multiply as they are seized.
No spacer,60 pilot jet, 155 main jet, plug door, sportster muffler, k&n drop in, iridium plug, brake pedal mod,de-badged, Dunlops, bullet turn signals.

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Brewbrother

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Re: Tires.
Reply #6 - 05/22/06 at 19:34:43

WD wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:05:

I have a ChengShin rear on mine. It's alright at best, even for a cheap Chi-com tire.

The Sumitomo (hey, they make Dunlops) Qualifier is not the same figure 8 tread it used to be. Now it is a sportbike tread. Oh, if it says Made in USA, France, or England on the sidewall, that Dunlop is past its service life.

If you get desperate, I have some Metzeler ME880s on special right now, 130/90/15, for $50. The stock 140/80/15 is kinda hard to find sometimes. And the 130s will turn a hair more readily.
-WD

how long has that been??

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Opportunities multiply as they are seized.
No spacer,60 pilot jet, 155 main jet, plug door, sportster muffler, k&n drop in, iridium plug, brake pedal mod,de-badged, Dunlops, bullet turn signals.

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Dynobob Serious Thumper Offline 2003 LS650 (with Supertrapp) Posts: 634 Northern Virginia Gender:	Re: Tires. Reply #7 - 05/22/06 at 20:03:47 The best are probably Metzler ME880s followed by the Avon Venom. Either tire is great I hear. I'm running my original IRCs but when it comes time to replace them I'll go with one of the two I mentioned.
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SeattleSavage Ex Member	Re: Tires. Reply #8 - 05/22/06 at 21:16:09 I have an Avon Venom on the rear and a Metzler on the front. The Venom is hard for me to break loose even if I try. And the Metzler has been good so far. My front got a little slip slidy on some wet metal grating, but hey, it was wet metal grating. Kev
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911radioman Ex Member	Re: Tires. Reply #9 - 05/23/06 at 06:33:24 I just replaced the rear on mine and went back with the stock IRC. The reason I did that was because the front IRC was still good and when I replace I want a matched set. Next go round I will put two higher grade tires that match on it.
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azjay Serious Thumper Offline aridzona... its a dry heat Posts: 816 Gender:	Re: Tires. Reply #10 - 05/23/06 at 06:45:10 i have dunlops on the suzuki and the harley, not as sticky as a metzler perhaps, but the life expectancy has more miles in them. everything is a compromise.
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bentwheel Serious Thumper 2005 No Login Offline Ride free, citizen Posts: 658 Sarnia, Ontario, Canada Gender:	Re: Tires. Reply #11 - 05/23/06 at 12:47:56 Forget about ChengShin; IRC and those 70's retro tread Dunlops. When it comes to tires you really do get what you pay for. Get the Metzler ME880's and be happy.
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Reelthing Serious Thumper Alliance Member Offline Fish or ride that is the question Posts: 5397 Houston,Tx Gender:	Re: Tires. Reply #12 - 05/23/06 at 18:16:31 the me880's get my vote as well
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MacAttack

Ex Member

Re: Tires.
Reply #13 - 05/24/06 at 12:03:38

Cheng Sh*t? I always wondered how a tire could have such a hard compound AND wear out so quickly! I darn near crashed, due to that slippery thing. I will use 'em on dirt, in the rear, since my XR650 uses weight rather than knobs to get up tight trails.

Thanks for everyone's comments - I'll be in the market myself by September, I guess - since I pay the oil companies back every day I can, by consuming 2/3 less of their product Grin

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WD

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Posts: 5207
Rosemark TN
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Re: Tires.
Reply #14 - 05/24/06 at 20:58:57

How long has what been? Sumitomo making Dunlop? The length of time I've run D404s? The length of time I've had the ChengShin rear on the Savage?

Anyway, to answer, in order: Sometime in the mid to late 1990s, Sumitomo bought the rights to Dunlop. The Qualifier tread pattern changed in 2003 or 2004. I've run 404s on my Vulcan since buying the bike in September 2005, and yes, I have put 6+ thousand miles on it so far. The ChengShin was installed in summer 2000, it still has tread, is still pliable, is still getting swapped for a premium tire.

My cohort, Dale, put a set of Kenda Challengers on his FT500 Honda a week after I installed my Dunlops. He needs to change tires this week. We both ride 5-7 days a week. His tires are bald, mine still look new (and have no chicken strips).
-WD

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On 2 wheels since 7/87

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