I bought my Ultra with 7K miles and the rear tire had already been replaced with a factory Dunlop. At 13K the at Dunlop was so badly cupped I got sea sick looking at it. Replaced it with an Avon. We'll see how that holds up.

 

I just changed mine out after 23,000 miles,. I purchased a set of Dunlop Elite. Was told that the average on tires is 15000 miles

 

You will get just as many different answers as people you ask.
There is no "magic" number.

I agree.

I do most of my riding on rural two-lane asphalt roads in the Ozarks.
These roads tend to be harder on tires than just riding down a straight level interstate.

As mentioned, depending on your bike, road material, riding style, etc. you will get somewhere between 6,000 - 17,000 miles on a rear tire.
The front will usually last a little longer than the rear.

 

Obviously there are many variables regarding tire wear.


My friend put 29,000 miles on his 2010 UC and the rear tire could have safely made it to 30,000 miles but he bought new tires and wheels and wanted to get them on his bike.


I currently have just under 18,000 miles on my '13 CVO Ultra and the tires still look good. I'll probably get one more season on them...if I'm lucky.

 

Most people don't keep enough air in their tires. 41/41 here for best handling and longevity. I'll change my rear at 20K or a bit sooner if I have a road trip planned. I change both at the same time and I'm running Dunlop American Elites.

 

I used to struggle to get 5,000 miles out of a rear tire. Front tires always held up good for 15 to 20,000 miles. My age has changed my riding habits. Same bike, same roads, same conditions other than my throttle twist and braking habits have lead to me getting at least 10,000 miles out of a rear tire now.

Hard acceleration and engine braking, especially with a high tq motor, is going to cause more tire wear than I used to realize.

I have never been one for burnouts or sliding the rear wheel, but I have learned that hard acceleration and engine braking are a bigger factor in tire wear than I realized in the past.

Dennis

 

2010 Ultra LTD I got 19k on the rear before swapping it for a Michelin. 25k on the front and it is due. Going to put a Michelin on the front soon.

 

2010 Ultra Classic I'm not one to try and squeeze every last mile out of my tires. My first set of stock Dunlop's had 17,500 miles and I changed them out because I was going on a long road trip. My second set of stock Dunlop's has 14,500 miles and I'm thinking I may try and make it 20,000 then change both of them out.

 

If your getting better than 10,000miles on anytime on a touring bike you are doing very good. I don't see anyone riding a heavy touring bike that doesn't cup the tires before the tread is worn out. Just for argument sake I check my air pressure Every time before I go out so that's not a issue.

 

I dont understand how y'all get 18-20K miles out of a rear tire. I can never get more than 10K miles out of my rear Dunlops. They are not slick when I change them but are touching or close to touching the wear bars. I never do burn outs, dont engine brake very often. I do enjoy feeling the low end torque our machines are known for but thats about it. Surely that aint wearing my back tire out twice as fast.