Dunlop E3 pricing -3 years later!

[ablumny]

July 2010 I buy a pair of Dunlop E3's from Motorcycle Superstore. The rear was $130. Not many miles on it but cupping issues. Today I order another rear, $170!

Crazy right !

[midnightrider1300]

July 2010 I buy a pair of Dunlop E3's from Motorcycle Superstore. The rear was $130. Not many miles on it but cupping issues. Today I order another rear, $170!

Crazy right !

 

I bought an e3 rear ON eBAY, BRAND NEW FOR $110.00 FREE SHIPPING about a month ago.... cheapest I"ve found a front e3 is $130 free shipping...that was today

[bkuhr]

July 2010 I buy a pair of Dunlop E3's from Motorcycle Superstore. The rear was $130. Not many miles on it but cupping issues. Today I order another rear, $170!

Crazy right !

Dennis Kirk has MU90-HB16 E3 for $139 +$5 fee +$5 shipping

https://www.denniskirk.com/dunlop/rear-elite-3-mu90hb-16-blackwall-tire.p542893.prd/542893.sku

[spike13]

http://www.rockymountainatvmc.com/t/50/-/181/1139/Dunlop-Motorcycle-Tires

[crowrod]

Jake Wilson, F&R $278.00

[GeorgeS]

Well I have installed 3 of them, about $130.00 each over the years, however,

they all went about 20,000 miles,

 

So, when you consider the extra miles over other brands, how much do they really cost ???

Also, one less tire change, because of the extra milage. !!

 

Also, I have never had an " on the road " flat tire useing the Dunlop E-3.

Of course, I do use " Ride - On " in all my tires. ???

[Mike G in SC]

I priced a front E3 from Bike Bandit for $133 delivered. Seemed to be the better price. I've got them on front of both bikes. My dealer matches price but then jiggles the install.

That's okay, I want them to stay in business.

 

I've used Avon's and now Michelin Commanders on the rear of both.

Have not tried E3 on rear, but would not hesitate.

But on the new model Commander II, got 12K miles on my RSV, still looks very good. 8K on my RSTD, looks great.

I think they will go far.

[robclark63]

x2 on rockymountain...

[rickardracing]

Tires for all vehicles have skyrocketed. It due to the price of oil. The price of a gaylord of plastic resin is ridiculous.

Edited April 16, 2013 by rickardracing

[dacheedah]

tires get about 2 years and change them just like oil. Age is a huge factor.

[ablumny]

Son of a........ I'm usually better at competitive online shopping! Now I have to decide if its worth returning the one I bought and save $35....... Thx for the replies!

[ablumny]

So I call motorcycle superstore to see if they'd credit me the diff between their price and Dennis Kirk. I argue that DK has the tire for $130 compared to their $170 pricing. They won't budge and suggest I return the tire. Crazy but now it's about customer service vs the $30 difference.

 

I get the rma # and proceed to reorder from Dennis Kirk only to find out the $130 tire I was looking at wasn't the right size! A visit to six online resellers shows the lowest price is around $158 and not worth going thru the return.

 

MV85HB-15. Well that was fun.. Thx again for the feedback..

[ablumny]

Changed the rear tire today. It had 5k miles on it and was 2.5yrs old. Threads looked ok but as I already knew there was bad cupping. Under inflation maybe??? Such a pain to get my carcass down there to check.

 

Ride quality is noticeably better now.....

[JohnT]

The last 2 tires I bought off eBay were old. Real old. Weather check in less than a year. I pays a little more now, but get better tires.

[Barrycuda]

Mike, I have Michelin commanders on F&R on my Vulcan. Unbelievable. Really . They handle grass, sand, and especially torrential rains like a champion. I would never hesitate to buy them again.

Barry

 

 

 

 

 

I priced a front E3 from Bike Bandit for $133 delivered. Seemed to be the better price. I've got them on front of both bikes. My dealer matches price but then jiggles the install.

That's okay, I want them to stay in business.

 

I've used Avon's and now Michelin Commanders on the rear of both.

Have not tried E3 on rear, but would not hesitate.

But on the new model Commander II, got 12K miles on my RSV, still looks very good. 8K on my RSTD, looks great.

I think they will go far.

[Guest scarylarry]

Mike, I have Michelin commanders on F&R on my Vulcan. Unbelievable. Really . They handle grass, sand, and especially torrential rains like a champion. I would never hesitate to buy them again.

Barry

 

I agree Mike I run them on my VV I just wish they made the 150 seris and problem would be solved for me..

[ablumny]

This will be my second E3 on this bike. If it lasts as short a life as my first ill move on to something else!

[RSTDdog]

This will be my second E3 on this bike. If it lasts as short a life as my first ill move on to something else!

 

Never ride it without first checking that it has 41 PSI in it. cupping of your first tire is likely due to under inflation. 2500 miles in two years tells me you may get on the bike and ride after its sat for a while without checking the pressures first?? Ride that bike very far with 30 PSI and you'll ruin ANY brand of tire in short order. You should be doing it for Safety first, tire life is a benefit.

 

If you cup another tire out in 2500 miles running the correct tire pressure all the time , you have another problem.

[ToyOdie]

Jake Wilson, F&R $278.00

 

x2 Jake Wilson

[ablumny]

Never ride it without first checking that it has 41 PSI in it. cupping of your first tire is likely due to under inflation. 2500 miles in two years tells me you may get on the bike and ride after its sat for a while without checking the pressures first?? Ride that bike very far with 30 PSI and you'll ruin ANY brand of tire in short order. You should be doing it for Safety first, tire life is a benefit.

 

If you cup another tire out in 2500 miles running the correct tire pressure all the time , you have another problem.

 

Completely agree.

Thx

[Miles]

Never ride it without first checking that it has 41 PSI in it. cupping of your first tire is likely due to under inflation. 2500 miles in two years tells me you may get on the bike and ride after its sat for a while without checking the pressures first?? Ride that bike very far with 30 PSI and you'll ruin ANY brand of tire in short order. You should be doing it for Safety first, tire life is a benefit.

 

If you cup another tire out in 2500 miles running the correct tire pressure all the time , you have another problem.

 

 

I too...completely agree. After reading the intro post on this thread...I was waiting to see if anyone would speak up about your tires being UNDER-inflated. Thankfully, RSTDdog did this for us.

 

Most people run their bike tires UNDER-inflated. If you go by what the bike manufacturer says...then the tires are under-inflated.

 

People, I am asking you...ney...I am begging you, please get your heads out of the sand...stop wasting your money...and learn to properly inflate your bike tires. I have seen this form many years where riders either have NO ideas of what their bike tire pressure should be (really!), or they have them under-inflated, and believe their pressures numbers are correct, when they are NOT.

 

A new set of Dunlop E-3's, properly inflated...on a newer RSTD or Venture, should easily hit the 20,000 mile mark, or more. Period. If you are getting cupping at 2500 miles, then YOU are the problem...not the bike.

 

My 2006 RSMTD has Dunlop E-3's, F and R, and I inflate them to 40 psi...F and R, and the reason I do that, is because I do not haul a passenger. The 40 psi on the rear works for me, because of less dead weight back there. And, I ride at high speeds, and corner very well, so if I can pull over 20k out of a set of E-3's, then you can too...IF your tires are properly inflated.

 

Quite frankly...this has gone on long enough. In todays world of modern technology, the social media, the internet, and bike forums...there is NO excuse in the world for a rider to NOT know that the proper tire inflation numbers for their bike is much higher than what they have been running.

 

If you want to waste your money, running tire pressures that are too low, then do it...just don't complain anymore about it. If you want to run the proper tire pressures, listen to those that "actually" ride a lot of miles, and get twice the mileage out of a set of tires than you do.

 

There is a darn good reason why companies like Dunlop and Avon pay me to test tires for them...tell me to go put 10k miles on a new set of tires in this corner of the US...in the next 10 days. These companies want real world testing, on the road, from a rider that can ride the miles and deliver the test results, so that other riders can benefit from these tests.

 

It seriously upsets me when I stand in the parking lot of the Start hotel for the Three Flags Classic Rally (ride from mexico to Canada) and I see tires on newer Goldwing 1800's that are "obviously" under-inflated...and I can tell just by looking at the tires. When I ask the bike owner what pressures he runs, he either says...I dunno...or he says he runs what Honda tells him to run. To me...this is a lazy azz rider that is too lazy to get down on his hands and knees and check the tire pressures himself, so he leaves that up to some lame-brained shop tech to do, and the shop tech does not ride this bike. The shop tech probably does not ride this model of bike, or...worst case-scenario...does not ride a bike at all.

 

When we now have a crowd gathering around this poor bike owners bike...and we actually check the tires pressures...on a bike that just came into the parking lot within the last 30 minutes, which means the tires are hot...and we find that this guy has 28 psi in the front tire...and he rode down from Canada to Texas...what does that tell all of you ?

 

I just do not get it...why riders are lazy, stupid, or apathetic about their bikes tire pressures. These tires are the only contact patch we have with the road.

 

[Leland]

Well, I don't get it. I read numerous reports of people getting 20,000 miles on E-3s. I don't come close.

History:

8,500 miles out of original Bridgestones. Rear tire was at cords, but the front had plenty of tread left. Replaced both with E-3s, set at 36# front, 41# rear.

10,609 miles out of this set of E-3s. Not great, but I figured it was in the range of what some get. No cords showing. After reading about running higher pressures, I figured that that was probably my problem. Replaced both with E-3s, set at 40# front, 41# rear.

7,282 miles! This is all I got out of the front E-3 set at 40#. It was at the wear bars. Not cupped. Just uniformly worn out. Now the rear still had tread left. I am sure that it would have gone at least another 3,000 miles, but I went ahead and changed both while I had the bike jacked up. I set this new set at 36# front, 38# rear. Will see how it fairs. FYI, Yamaha says up to 198#, 36# front and rear, over 198#, 36# front, 41# rear. I am 170# and ride solo most of the time.

 

I have the dealer mount and balance the tires. No beads or Ride-On. Have never had an issue with a tire feeling out of balance.

 

I own numerous quality tire pressure gauges and have checked their calibration. Also have an air compressor. My bike has a centerstand and I check my tires at least weekly. Have never found them far off, but will add air if even a pound low.

[Miles]

Well, I don't get it. I read numerous reports of people getting 20,000 miles on E-3s. I don't come close.

History:

8,500 miles out of original Bridgestones. Rear tire was at cords, but the front had plenty of tread left. Replaced both with E-3s, set at 36# front, 41# rear.

10,609 miles out of this set of E-3s. Not great, but I figured it was in the range of what some get. No cords showing. After reading about running higher pressures, I figured that that was probably my problem. Replaced both with E-3s, set at 40# front, 41# rear.

7,282 miles! This is all I got out of the front E-3 set at 40#. It was at the wear bars. Not cupped. Just uniformly worn out.

 

 

Leland, I really don't know what to say, that hasn't been said already. The current front tire on my '06 RSMTD...same year and model as yours...has over 10,000 miles on it right now, and it looks great. So great...that I put a new E-3 on the rear, and figured that the front will probably last as long as the new rear tire.

 

With the very low mileage you are getting...something is wrong.

 

Miles

[ablumny]

Again, agree my own laziness caused my problem. Aside from wrecking the tire, it's not safe. Everyone's right, check your pressure before every ride. Tire pressure monitor is on order to solve my problem.

 

.....but now I have another one that requires a new thread! Front end issues

[Leland]

I wonder if the front shock's air pressure has anything to do with tire wear? Since the bike was new, I have left the front air pressure at 0#. I just bought a zero-loss pump a few weeks ago. Now have them set at 5#, which I do like better.

 

Of course, I have now commited the number one troubleshooting sin. I have changed two things at the same time. Tire pressure and fork pressure. So, if by chance I do get better tire mileage, I won't know for sure why. Oh well, I can live with that.