I don't know... 10K miles out of a rear tire is pretty good in my book! I usually get two rear tires for every one front. 8-10K miles sounds pretty close.

Maybe you can find a tire with harder compound in the center since you do so much commuting.

 

You are certainly entitled to your opinion....

I'm just curious as to which "expensive" tires you have tried....?

I have been using Dunlop American Elites for years on all my bikes. They are a dual compound tire. They should not be confused with the OEM Dunlops...

I just replaced the AE tires on my '16 Ultra Classic. The rear had 17K on them. They weren't quite to the wear bars, but I was laving on a 12 day trip, and wanted new rubber... Fronts could have gone another 3-4K miles, but the trip was almost 5K miles, so they got replaced too...

 

Well to be honest, that's why I made the comment. I may be expecting to much from my tires with the way I ride. Just to clear up something, I said 10k, but it was more likely 8 or 9k miles. I just seem to get better results from cheaper tires but even then, I don't seem to get more than a summer out of them and I'm always changing them it feels like.

I've ridden my entire life, and it feels like they're lasting a heck of a lot less than on my shovels and I beat the **** out of them. I guess it's a me thing, and I'm just riding to much to expect longer life. I don't ride them until they are bald so maybe I'm being paranoid and changing them sooner than others, IDK but safety is paramount for my kids. I can't leave them getting hit so I just make sure I'm as safe as I can be. I am weird though, I will get upset spending 400$s on a single tire but then waste 5 times that on stupid things that I could live without (like stage 2).

Thanks for the sanity check!

 

Over the years, I've tried michellen commander, marathon (400 to 500 $s), more recently Dunlop elites (350), pirelli (300), Avon (500), and they all wear the same and don't seem to last as long as the 100/150$ shinkos.

But it could be a plethora of reasons why it's happening but the one thing that hasn't changed since being hit in 95, is how I ride. I don't screw around so I'm NEVER burning out or locking up the rear. I think it's a me thing though, based on you reply and the reply above, I think I'm just expecting to much from a more expensive tire and honestly, I shouldn't.

I was just wondering if there's a better tire that grips well but lasts longer. Gripping the pavement is my main goal because my twin cam will spin the rear in 2cd gear without meaning to, if I'm not careful they will burn out just switching from 1st to 2cd. It's happened a few times unintentionally but not to the point that it's damaging the tire. I catch it and stop it right away, every time.

Thanks for your input! I'm gonna test a shinko rear 777 (I think that's the model) and see if it's better or worse and start keeping track. Right now, I have to search email to even know what I last purchased and when. Meaning right now, I'm just changing them when I feel they're getting unsafe but at this point, it's all adhoc and I'm not making notes of mileage. Going forward I'm gonna keep track to get a real understanding of what's lasting the longest and wears the best tread over time.

I'll update this post in a few months. I'm planning to swap the rear before the fall starts.

 

To everyone, knowing what I was just wrote, my fears of being hit again, knowing that I ride in NYC almost every week, but ride my Harley, every day (there's no snow or downpour) year-round, what do you guys recommend in the cheaper and medium price range? I need traction, I do live in Northern NJ (45 minute commute to NYC) and there's a lot of windy roads I love to go through so traction is key. I find harder tires will last longer but I'm all over the place in the rain and I hate that. I like a really soft gripping tire so I can really lean my dyna (safely) but that's one of my favorite things to do when I'm alone, on the open road (windy roads and turns). My dyna (super glide) is incredibly nimble and I can lean her really low into almost any turn (safely of course) but that's like, one my favorite parts to riding (windy roads) where I'm leaning like I'm in a race with crotch rockets. That being said, I don't fly on these roads, but I do take turns as low as I can, so I need traction.

Thanks to everyone who listened to my crazy rambling, I have Asperger's (on the extremely high intelligence end) but I don't have the little button that tells me not to say something or when to stop talking (or when someone is joking or being sarcastic). Riding is what levels me and is the only time my brain shuts up and let's me enjoy life so I've always ridden, it resets my brain back to normal. In 89 or 90, I was in highschool and was unanimously voted the 'most talkative' 2 years in a row (yearbook) of a school with 3,500 kids so you can only imagine how much I talk in person 😁
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The one thing I neglected but was super important was the current tire, the one that's falling apart is Metzler (earlier in the thread) I noted the brand but that was a while ago.

 

You've got conflicting goals. The stickiest tires are not going to be the longest lived. I say that Metzler served you well and doesn't owe you anything. The way the center of the tread is worn flat argues for a harder compound in the center for your situation (or more aggressive cornering), but you have said you don't want that. (Other than tire life, how did you like the Metzlers?)

I've heard (no personal knowledge) that the Shinkos handle well but don't last long. Other cheaper tires may have harder compound but it will be at the expense of cornering.

You say "I never burn out or do anything like that, I ride like an old man now!" but I would argue that if you even occasionally light up the tire shifting into second you're being a lot more aggressive than many old men...

 

10k on a rear is pretty damn good.. on my Dyna with Shinko stealth 003 tire I'm only getting 3k.. On my Fatboy the 777's last about 6k..
I do run The Commander II's on the front of both bikes without issue and cornering is excellent...

 

I did the swap on my 99 FXD and it's 1000% worth it, although pricey. I was instantly significantly more comfortable with the bike knowing I can actually stop it without locking the front or running into whatever is in front of me. The stock single piston caliper/master combo felt like grabbing a 2x4, having to grab the absolute hell out of the lever and getting zero feedback whatsoever AND also not slowing down nearly as fast as I should for how hard I'm squeezing.


Kodi

 

I think you might have wandered into the wrong thread

 

Yeah that's what I was afraid of and almost didn't write the post the other day, because I was afraid someone would say that and call me out on it (unintentionally). Meaning, I was afraid I was just looking/hoping for something that doesn't really exist.

I do ride like an old man, and I never intentionally burn out, but I sure as heck get up to the speed limit as fast as possible. I LOVE torque, so I do tend to drop the hammer at take off, but I let go as soon as I hit the speed limit and I never go passed 5,000 RPM. I've still, in almost 30,000 miles on my current dyna, haven't hit the 6k rev limit. But I agree, I take off like a bat out of hell, and they do spin if I'm not watching the powerband and gear I'm in.

I'm not lying, I swear, I don't beat her and I don't speed 😊🧐 but I LOVE torque so it's almost impossible for me not to get up to speed quickly. That being said, I really do ride like an old man (heck I'm 50 now), and the way I ride now, VS when I was 20 (and when I was hit in 95), is totally opposite.

Also, I agree that shinko doesn't last quite as long, but to me, the grip factor outweighs the few months longer the more expensive tires last. That's kinda what drove me to write it out, I am swapping rears at such a high rate, the more expensive tires aren't lasting any longer and I find they're to hard to grip well.