Typical shoddy build quality

[V7Goose]

I mounted a new Dunlop E3 rear tire last week - carefully positioned the dot with the valve stem - only took 1/2 oz to perfectly balance the tire. That is the way it SHOULD be.

 

But alas, on the way back from Don's carnival, with only 5 days and 3.000 miles on that tire, I picked up a big screw that damaged the sidewall and destroyed the tire. So with great sadness I ordered a new Dunlop E3 - came in this morning and I mounted it this afternoon. Same wheel, of course, and I carefully positioned the dot exactly with the valve stem, but did it take 1/2 oz???? Or even 1 oz or 2 oz?? Nooooooooo - How about FIVE oz of lead to pull this cruddy tire into balance? Yeah, you read that right - 5 oz! I ordinarily can't accept any tire that takes more than 3 oz of weight to balance, but this time I just wimped out. Shoulda broken the tire down and rotated it on the wheel to try and find a better balance spot, but it was dumping rain and I was just too danged lazy. And since I ordered the tire on the web, it wasn't easy to go demand a replacement, so I ended up just accepting the 5 oz balance.. But I still get to whine about it, don't I? Never had that kind of wild weight shift with Avons - just another reason I may go back to the Venom on this bike.

Goose

[Squidley]

I understand your frustration, did the same thing with the E3's I mounted on the '89 and they took a decent amount of weight to balance. I will say also that I am not crazy as some seem to be with the E3's. I still feel like they plow more than the Avons, good or bad, I wont be installing E3's on another bike I own. I have always had great luck with the Avons and thats what I am going to stick with from now on

[MiCarl]

As a rule when I mount Dunlops they take more weight than cheap tires (Shinko, Kenda).

 

Another thing that might be giving you trouble - the valve stem may not be the heaviest point on your wheel. On alloy wheels it's often somewhere else. I always check alloy wheels (valve and cap installed) to find the heavy spot and then align the tire mark there.

 

Generally, I find that the tires are better balanced than the wheels.

[V7Goose]

As a rule when I mount Dunlops they take more weight than cheap tires (Shinko, Kenda).

 

Another thing that might be giving you trouble - the valve stem may not be the heaviest point on your wheel. On alloy wheels it's often somewhere else. I always check alloy wheels (valve and cap installed) to find the heavy spot and then align the tire mark there.

 

Generally, I find that the tires are better balanced than the wheels.

You missed the whole point of my rant. The balance of my wheel makes ZERO difference in this comparison. I took two tires, same brand, size and model - made within a couple of months of each other, mounted on the same rim. If Dunlop had even average to moderately poor build quality, those two tires, positioned identically on the same rim, would have taken something close to the same weight. But for one to take only 1/2 oz and the other to take 5 oz shows such horrible, terrible, nasty, shoddy, flat crappy build consistency (also known a BAD quality) that everything else about their tires is now of big concern to me. Even on a big truck tire, I think needing five oz of weight to balance is bad, and on a motorcycle tire it is totally egregious.

 

If they can't build two supposedly identical tires with similar balance points, just what else are they totally screwing up?

Goose

[Sleeperhawk]

egregious. Goose

 

Oh Oh, now he is using big words. Goose is mad.

[Jerry W]

Gotta' go with Goose on this one. I have run Avons for over 10 years and have only had one problem with a sidewall and Avon replaced that one. I am staying with Avons.

[Formerfuzz]

I have been reading of your tire saga, sorry to hear you are having such problems.

[Guest tx2sturgis]

Its not the tire, its that lumpy Dallas-FtWorth air that you put IN the tire.

 

[First_N_Last]

You missed the whole point of my rant. The balance of my wheel makes ZERO difference in this comparison. I took two tires, same brand, size and model - made within a couple of months of each other, mounted on the same rim. If Dunlop had even average to moderately poor build quality, those two tires, positioned identically on the same rim, would have taken something close to the same weight. But for one to take only 1/2 oz and the other to take 5 oz shows such horrible, terrible, nasty, shoddy, flat crappy build consistency (also known a BAD quality) that everything else about their tires is now of big concern to me. Even on a big truck tire, I think needing five oz of weight to balance is bad, and on a motorcycle tire it is totally egregious.

 

If they can't build two supposedly identical tires with similar balance points, just what else are they totally screwing up?

Goose

 

Wow! I had to look that word up.

[Guest tx2sturgis]

Wow! I had to look that word up.

 

We need a little smiley sign like that one^^^^ that says "Egregious!" on it....

 

It will save all kinds of typing and bandwidth, dont yall think?

 

 

[GaryZ]

Another thing that might be giving you trouble - the valve stem may not be the heaviest point on your wheel. On alloy wheels it's often somewhere else. I always check alloy wheels (valve and cap installed) to find the heavy spot and then align the tire mark there.

 

Generally, I find that the tires are better balanced than the wheels.

 

Thank you for this . . . I am presently assembling a tire changing set-up to do my own motorcycle tires and this seems like an excellent idea.

[GeorgeS]

Well the last E3 I mounted ( rear ) I just put in a bottle of " Ride - On " .

 

Few months later I installed a new E3 Front, and another bottle of " Ride - On "

 

Everything seems just fine !!! 10K on that rear tire and only about 1/2 the tread is worn off. Looks like it will go about another 6 to 8K. Runs true, no problems, good traction, wet and dry. Looks like it will run 18 to 20K.

 

Happpy Camper here !!!!

 

By the way, that E3 you removed with the sidewall cut, cross section the old carcus and take a look at the amount of material used to build the caseing.

[BuddyRich]

just another reason I may go back to the Venom on this bike.

 

Weights or cracks, which would you prefer ?

[RSTDdog]

Goose what's the build date on the new front tire out of curiosity?

 

I Just got 3 year old new one- date code 3807.Only 1.5 to balance.

 

RSTDdog

[V7Goose]

This thread was about a rear tire, not a front. But related to your question, we had another recent thread on Dunlop E3 front tires where the initial reports looked like a whole bunch of the new front 150/50-16 E3s being received now, maybe all of them, seem to be several years old.

Goose