tire self destructed after 2 months and 7K Km

[Black wing]

so 2 months ago i bought a new set of elite II's and within the last week i fond the ride getting rougher well today i looked at the rear tire and found a foot long section that goes half way up the side wall and half way under the tire where its all ballooned out and pulled off the core as well as some deep cracks in the treads

[friesman]

wow,youre lucky you caught it before you had a crash... I am curious what the date code is on your Elite 2 , as I thought they were discontinued a few years ago. If its more than 6 years old it might explain the trouble youre having.

 

Brian

[syscrusher]

A broken belt, sometimes caused by a hard whack to the tire in that area like going over a very pointed bump in the road or just general wear and tear.

 

I'll bet it's been a real pleasure to ride on since that happened.

[djh3]

Hard to see but yea looks to be a belt seperation. Sharp curb, pot hole or even pavement gaps could cause it. If its that new maybe can get some sort of warrenty. Dont know but its worth the ask.

[Peder_y2k]

That is called tread separation, and why I stopped using Dunlops years and years ago, as they would not stand behind their product. Dunlop is on my DO-NOT-BUY List.

Happy on my current Bridestone Spitfires and previous Avons.

-Pete, in Tacoma WA USA

'88VR and prev. '83 Std.

[Huggy]

Seen that before caused by hitting breaks really HARD avoiding a crash! The wheel wasn't rotating so the tire was pulled/stretchered by the skid. This caused the tires belts to separate from each other!

[Black wing]

skid my tire? HA my brakes couldn't lock up my tires if i were on ice XD, i always loved the spitfires on my smaller bikes but i was under the impression they didn't have a weight rating for the first gens. and after how quickly this tire failed im a bit concerned about the spitfires following suit. and the elite III's just are far too spry on the treads, the metzlers have an even worse track record. any one know of more comparable tires to the elite II's, besides the 404's since they are virtually the same tire

[Prairiehammer]

I am curious what the date code is on your Elite 2, as I thought they were discontinued a few years ago. If its more than 6 years old it might explain the trouble you're having.

 

Dunlop is apparently still making them. But, I am curious about the date code as well, since the EliteII has been in production for at least ten years.

http://www.dunlopmotorcycle.com/tire-catalog/road/touring/491-elite-ii/

[Huggy]

My bike had Dunlop 491 Elite II's on it when I got back in June. The bike has not been on the road since 2001! So the Elite II have been around a very very long time!!

[Hucklecatt]

What is the date code saying? If it is over 6 years old (date of manufacture) there may also be an issue with aging.

 

How to read it (from AMA site):

 

Other useful information on the tire's sidewall includes its manufacturing date. Look on the side for a raised block with four digits; it's usually next to the U.S. DOT tire identification number. The first two indicate the week of its manufacture, and the last two are for the year. For example, 1702 would indicate the tire was manufactured in April, 2002. Prior to 2000, there were only three digits, with the last one indicating the year.

[Black wing]

well i went down to the dealer and they told me the tire was over 5 years old, and that the shipper who sent it to them must have had it laying around a long time, they warrantied it on the spot and i had a new tire on 2 hours later, no fuss. thats one of those things that makes me go back to them for all my parts. awesome customer service in a dealer is hard to find these days.

[Karaboo]

You got one of the rare dealers, alright! I am jealous.

[kevin-vic-b.c.]

well i went down to the dealer and they told me the tire was over 5 years old, and that the shipper who sent it to them must have had it laying around a long time, they warrantied it on the spot and i had a new tire on 2 hours later, no fuss. thats one of those things that makes me go back to them for all my parts. awesome customer service in a dealer is hard to find these days.

 

That is why I do like to buy what I can locally.... if and when there is a problem and the dealer knows you..... you have a good chance it will be made right.

 

Glad it worked out for you.