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Iron Butt
Posts: 802
| I put a set of Cobras on about 1000 miles ago. I've always noticed a bit of twitchiness at speeds above 65 mph or so with each of the Visions I've had running E3s. With the Cobras it seems to be even more twitchy than it was. If you're also running Cobras do you notice the same thing?
Second question, does anyone know if the roar you get out of E3s in a turn when they're about 1/2 worn come from the front or the back or both?
Thanks,
Marc |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 1109
| I have Cobras on my 08 with about 2500 miles on them and I haven't noticed anything. I didn't have any problems with the Dunlops at speed either except that damned howling noise. The first time I heard it I was doing about 85 and thought I had wheel bearing screaming it was so loud. In my opinion the Cobras handle much better too. |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 802
| Do you have opinion if the noise from the Dunlops is coming from the front or the rear?
Marc |
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Cruiser
Posts: 233
flagstaff, AZ | The noise I had was definitely from the front, put a new one on-noise gone. Never felt any "squirrelliness"(word?) with the E3s at any speed.
Edited by roundtwig 2012-11-03 9:45 PM
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Iron Butt
Posts: 802
| Thanks for the info. The E3s never bothered me but the Cobras do. I think the type of road has something to do with it as well as the speed. The speed more than anything else. Get up to about 70 and it feels like its hunting/wandering. It doesn't move much but enough that I feel it and keep trying to correct for it. The E3s moved a little bit at speed as well but not like this. So, the front is where the noise comes from. Good to know since I always assumed it was from the back but you did the perfect test.
Marc |
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Visionary
Posts: 1229
Rancho Cucamonga, CA | Hope you didnt get rid of the E3s you had yet. I was this close to going Avon as well. |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 802
| I did get rid of the E3s. Sold them to the salesman at the Vic dealer. He also bought my '11. I'm going to run these for a while and see if I get used to them. The E3s were so bad for me in the wet and so damn noisy I don't want to go back unless I have to.
Marc |
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Visionary
Posts: 1632
Jasper, MO | It's been my experience that most of the Dunlop noise comes from the rear, although the front does it some too. I say this because I replaced my rear E3 with a new Bridgestone one weekend and nearly all the noise stopped, even with a worn E3 on the front. Two weekends later the front got a new Bridgestone and all the noise was gone.
As a side note, I found that running the Dunlops at 40 front and 42 rear gave the best handling and wear. I initially inflated the Bridgestones to those pressures and found them to be twitchy. I then dropped the pressures to the recommended 38 front and 40 rear and they ride and handle great and they seem to be wearing as good as the Dunlops so far. No howling in the corners either.
Ronnie |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 802
| I was thinking about experimenting with the pressures as well. Avon calls for 38/42 which is where I have it. I'll try lowering them down to Vic specs and see if that helps. It's hard to tell which end is hunting. Most assume its the front when a bike hunts but it can be the rear just as easy and it will feel the same. I was thinking of putting an E3 on the front and see what happens. I have a used set with 4500 miles on them. I hate to change the rear just to experiment. It's such a bitch mainly due that I'm so damn old :-)
Marc |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 1109
| The E3 noise came from the front. I tried a few different tire pressures too and settled for 40/41. I tried the front at 38 but I wasn't rolling through the corners. I weigh about 220. Might make a difference. |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 880
Orlando, FL | Hey Marc, I have about 6 k on my Avons and have no issues with them. For me they are quieter and seem to handle better than the E3's. But that being said they are both good tires and I would ride with either set. I have always felt that the Vision gave too much feeback thru the handlebars compared to other rides. Yes, I want to feel the road, but not every little tiny thing in the road. But that said, I don't feel any difference in road feedback between the E3's and the Avons.
I can see that perhaps if you ride freeways that have been machine smoothed, leaving little grooves in the road in the direction of travel that you might get some little wandering feelings, since a few of the rain grooves in the front tire extend into the center line of the tire and run the center for an inch or so. I had a stock Front Dunlop on my old Kawi that had a center line groove encircling the complete tire and traced every little groove in the road! It constantly wandered on the freeway described above. I will never ride with a center groove front tire again!
Edited by MaddMAx2u 2012-11-04 11:24 AM
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Iron Butt
Posts: 802
| So I lowered the pressures to the Vic specs which are 36/38 and took it for a ride down the freeway which do by the way, have small rain grooves. The wandering improved a bit and the ride over sharp edged bumps is improved as well so I'll try it like this for a while and see how it goes. As mentioned I have a used set of E3s so when these wear out I'll mount the old E3s and then I'll really be able to tell. If the Cobras do better in the rain and over tar snakes and don't howl I'll be ecstatic! And if they wear out quicker, who cares. Thanks for all the input. It helps!
Marc |
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Cobra and E3 Questions