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Cruiser
Posts: 50
Illinois | Vision original front tire. Left home with 9,000 miles. 3,900 mile trip. 2 up, probably 40 lbs of luggage, small cooler etc. When washing the bike when we got home, the wet tire revealed a 1 inch wide RAISED rib around the whole center of the tire. Didn't notice until it was wet. You can barely see it dry but noticeable when you run your finger over it. I am very anal about tire pressure and have always run this tire at 39psi. It never needed any air on the trip. We did see several mornings in the 40's for temp. Took it to a shop today, (not Victory, none in town here, these guys do my tires), and of course talked to a 'knowledgeable guy' at work, conventional wisdom is that it's from all the weight from that many miles. The only problem with that for me is that we took a 3,700 mile trip last year w/o this result. Shouldn't a tire with 9,000 have held up the same as it did last year with just a few thousand on it? Based on the miles now, am going to change it out but thought I'd put it out there for discussion. Would appreciate constructive comments. Muchas gracias' |
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Tourer
Posts: 499
Chattanooga, TN | The only thing you left out was the tire brand, and I'm guessing DUNLOP ELITE III. Only guessed it because that is one of the undesired and undocumented features of the tire. It is also why I have switched to Bridgestones. G704/G709's for me on my baby. Replaced too many damn E3's at an interval I deem too frequent, before the tread is at the wear bars, due to adverse handling caused by this extra thick strip of tire. You didn't do anything wrong, it just happens. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 255
New Brunswick , Canada | This looks like the norm for the E3'S...Will not matter what pressure you run it at...the wear will be the same. At lower pressure it just going to wear faster. I just put on # 4 tire on the front end...last one...will be looking for different one next replacement...Any good experience at there to recommend on a different brand ? |
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Visionary
Posts: 1365
Central Maryland | E3's are running good with 41 psi front. and 42 psi rear constant... no matter what the load upon them.
You MUST adjust (check) pressure for the ambient temperature that you ride in though. Meaning that if you ride in the predominantly hot part of the day (we get huge temp swings here in Maryland) you should check and air close to the temps that you are expected to ride in; while you are in the median of those temperatures (tires cold, of course).
Edited by willtill 2013-08-21 9:08 PM
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Visionary
Posts: 2027
Brighton, TN | What you seem to have found is the harder compound that is in the center of the tire. It is a touring tire. So they put a harder compound in the middle for the super slab. So,
Apparently you lean the bike over more than you go straight so the strip appears sooner for you. I do the are thing and get around 20k out of a front. Think it ain't that tough. I like a soft compound on the side so it sticks , been running E3 since I bought the bike. |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 1066
Peru, IN | If it's the OEM tire on a '12, it's a single compound tire. The new MT (dual compound) REAR E3s have only been out less than a year. The new MT FRONT E3s aren't out yet. |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 763
Anderson, IN (48mi NE of downtown Indianapolis) | All three E3's I've had did the same thing. Great tires when they are new. They just wear fast on the sides.
Edited by victoryvisiontour 2013-08-22 9:19 AM
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Visionary
Posts: 1632
Jasper, MO | victoryvisiontour - 2013-08-22 9:16 AM
All three E3's I've had did the same thing. Great tires when they are new. They just wear fast on the sides.
Ran 'em on Goldwings before the Vision. That's just the nature of the Dunlop E3s. The front tire wears with a high strip left in the middle and then howl in the corners, and the rear tires cup on the sides and howl in the corners. I got tired of the howling and put Bridgestones on last time. No howling, but it doesn't look like I'm going to get quite as many miles out of them as on the Dunlops. They handle and stick in corners very well though.
Ronnie |
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Visionary
Posts: 8144
New Bohemia, VA | E3 all the way. I've been riding on the several sets on the Vision and never a problem or complaint. As others have said, that is just a characteristic of the tire, no harm being done. Don't know of any other tire you'll get the performance and use over the E3 |
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Cruiser
Posts: 50
Illinois | thanks for the info. learned something new. much appreciated. |
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Tourer
Posts: 494
Akron Ohio area | I ran "Stones" on my last bike and they had the pronounced center strip too.
It's due to the way the tire is purposely built.
Touring bike riders want their tires to last forever and manufacturers try their best to achieve a balance of cornering grip and high speed straight line longevity.
What this pronounced center strip tells you is that you lean the bike more than you keep it straight (good) and you use your rear brake too much (bad).
if you want to wear the front tire more evenly, ride on straight freeways and more importantly, use your front brake for shedding speed.
The E3's are a very good tire for me.
I'm averaging 14,000 miles on the rears and I always replace both front and rear at the same time.
My last bike, equipped with Bridgestone radial duel compound Battlax's only gave me 6,000-8,000 miles on the rear tires which limited the length of trips I could take.
I've had no hydroplaning issuers with the E3's and I ride in the rain often, sometimes all day long.
They grip great in the twisties.
Keeping a 900 pound bike and its rider on a good line throughout the curve is easily achieved with the E3's.
I've crossed many a metal bridge with no drama and they handle grooved pavement with ease also.
The only thing I don't like about the E3's is the way they handle on hot or newly wet tar snakes.
As MonkeyMan stated, the newest version of the rear E3 is a duel compound tire designed to extend the expected the mileage we will receive.
Hopefully I'll get another 1,000 miles or so out of it.
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Iron Butt
Posts: 612
| bigfoot - 2013-08-23 7:09 AM
I ran "Stones" on my last bike and they had the pronounced center strip too.
It's due to the way the tire is purposely built.
Touring bike riders want their tires to last forever and manufacturers try their best to achieve a balance of cornering grip and high speed straight line longevity.
What this pronounced center strip tells you is that you lean the bike more than you keep it straight (good) and you use your rear brake too much (bad).
if you want to wear the front tire more evenly, ride on straight freeways and more importantly, use your front brake for shedding speed.
The E3's are a very good tire for me.
I'm averaging 14,000 miles on the rears and I always replace both front and rear at the same time.
My last bike, equipped with Bridgestone radial duel compound Battlax's only gave me 6,000-8,000 miles on the rear tires which limited the length of trips I could take.
I've had no hydroplaning issuers with the E3's and I ride in the rain often, sometimes all day long.
They grip great in the twisties.
Keeping a 900 pound bike and its rider on a good line throughout the curve is easily achieved with the E3's.
I've crossed many a metal bridge with no drama and they handle grooved pavement with ease also.
The only thing I don't like about the E3's is the way they handle on hot or newly wet tar snakes.
As MonkeyMan stated, the newest version of the rear E3 is a duel compound tire designed to extend the expected the mileage we will receive.
Hopefully I'll get another 1,000 miles or so out of it.
Totally agree about the E3's great performance and longevity!
Only comment I will add is that ALL tires of equal profile, shape, and contact patch will handle the same on hot or newly wet tar snakes!!! It's not the tire that "slides" across them, it's the goo itself that gives, or when cold and wet, it's the water acting like ice. The reason cars (specifically car tires) don't move around as much on them, is due to the fact that it can "straddle" the tar snake, leaving a good portion of the tread still in contact with pavement. A motorcycle tire with it's much narrower contact patch will be totally at the whim of the putty like goo, irrespective of brand or compound.
Edited by Turk 2013-08-23 8:25 AM
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Visionary
Posts: 1308
Sand Rock, AL United States | 21,750 miles on my current E3 front tire ! E3 for me, longevity= $ savings |
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Visionary
Posts: 1632
Jasper, MO | bigfoot - 2013-08-23 7:09 AM
The E3's are a very good tire for me.
I'm averaging 14,000 miles on the rears and I always replace both front and rear at the same time.
My last bike, equipped with Bridgestone radial duel compound Battlax's only gave me 6,000-8,000 miles on the rear tires which limited the length of trips I could take.
I'm curious why you chose the soft-compound Sport Touring Bridgestone Battlax tires instead of the Bridgestone Excedra touring compound tires? The Excedras give a lot more service on touring bikes than the Battlax tires could ever hope to. You didn't say whether the bike you ran the Battlaxs on was a Vision or not.
The rear Excedra on my bike went 12,000 miles compared to 14,000 for the E3s, and the handling was better with no howling. I haven't decided if the extra 2000 miles on the E3s are worth it. That E3 song drives me nuts, and I have to listen to it for the last 50% of the tire's life.
The new E3 MT may change the whole ballgame though, and I'll probably try it next time.
Ronnie
Edited by rdbudd 2013-08-23 10:58 AM
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Need some tire expertise, please