Dunlop D404 Tires

[cowboyup3371]

Jeez, talk about grave digging...



Don't know why I never checked back in, but I ended up pretty unhappy with the 404s.

Lo these many years later, I've tried many other tires. I came to realize that the 404's change in handling habits was just plain unacceptable. I believe it was a few weeks before I got around to mounting up those 491s, (sadly, NLA in 17" rears) and the 404s were positively evil before I finally peeled them off.

Get Avon AM26 RoadRiders and ride happy.

Brian, please explain this a little more as to how so us ignorant folks can understand.

[marvinsc]

Brian, please explain this a little more as to how so us ignorant folks can understand.

Can't speak for Brian but I think he found that the 404's grip and handling characteristics deteorated rapidly where some tires handling remains predictable until the end of their treadlife. To be fair, Brian is a "spirited" rider (I say that with a wink) and has no patience with a tire that is unpredictable.

[GS ace]

If one uses the proper equipment for the task(s) at hand, the results are usually better.

[ALB80-850]

Greetings all,

I just got my second set of Dunlop Elite 3's for my 850L. I'm not an overly aggressive rider, but do ride often. My commute to work is only 1.5 miles RT, so most of my riding is recreational. I'm starting my third season on these tires with about 1000 miles so far this year, which has put me over 18000 on this set of tires. They have held up very well, with only a little cupping on the front and the rear is wearing even and would probably last a while longer, but I rather not push my luck. Leaving for a 1200 mile trip on May 14th, and with all the rain we've been getting, now is a perfect time to have the bike down for a bit. I don't have the bill in front of me, but the total was $290 mounted and balanced. My dealer or maybe Dunlop is offering 20% off right now as well, not sure which. This set came in $10 less than the last set almost 3 years later. Pretty happy about that.

Andy

[Road_Clam]

I'm on my 3rd set of D404's (different bikes) and VERY happy with the overall performance and value of the 404's . There is harder tires, and there is softer ones available. Bottom line, every tire has a compramise : Soft and sticky = 6000 mi tire that rails the turns. A harder durometer tire is a slight sacrafice of grip, but your longevity is greatly increased . The choice is strictly up to the individual rider. There is NO such tire that you can drag your knee pucks, and achieve 10K for mileage....

Besides, my recomendation is do NOT test the limits of a "sticky" tire by dragging your knee pucks on a street driven motorcycle...

[Sandy]

I've always used the GT501 from Dunlop since I put my GS back on the road and have only kept track of the mileage on the last set. It looks like I'll get about 7,000 miles on the rear and a bit more on the front. I've got new set waiting to go on and was going to do that this weekend but after just checking the wear on the rear with just over 6,000 miles on them I've still got a fair bit of thread left before the wear bars. I guess I'll leave them on for now or at least until the next trip. I ride fairly aggressively most of the time punctuated by the odd bout of insanity so I guess that's pretty good mileage for a fairly sticky tire. I've found in the past the H rated tires didn't last nearly as long for my riding style. I think that's in part that they generally run a bit hotter at higher speeds than a V rated tire. It's been a long time since I've used H rated tires but that was what happened in the past, tire technology has improved a lot since then so maybe that doesn't apply now.

[Frank Z.]

(reviving this thread...)
Gonna buy new tires soon. Considering the 404's, as i understand our GS's came stock with them. Have heard also that Avon's may be a better alternative regarding performance/wear. Any sage advice appreciated.

[Octain]

Any sage advice appreciated.

Get the Avons if you like rotting tires.

[salty_monk]

Lots of people have had zero problems with the Avon's...

I'm pretty sure that the problems people had were not "dry rot" either. That would be caused by age or over exposure to UV's you would think.
There were instances of the outer wall cracking on the sidewalls & tyre being replaced although I believe I read somewhere that the replacement was goodwill as the tyres were not being classified as dangerous or failed.

Bwringer must have gone through more Avon's than most & still swears by them.

Personally I like the Avon's but I'm not tied to them... Shinko are making some very well priced tyres these days (run them on my other bike, also on Bwringer's recommendation).

There is loads of info on this forum, do a search & make up your own mind.

[Nessism]

(reviving this thread...)
Gonna buy new tires soon. Considering the 404's, as i understand our GS's came stock with them. Have heard also that Avon's may be a better alternative regarding performance/wear. Any sage advice appreciated.

404's are a newer tire. I'd get Shinko 230's before 404's as I think they are a better tire. V-rated for one thing, and belted construction.

[cowboyup3371]

I recently bought the Shinkos and like them a lot better compared to the 404s. I don't know enough of the technical stuff to explain why but something just feels better to me.

[tkent02]

Get the Avons if you like rotting tires.

If you ride them and not let them sit around and rot they won't rot.

[bwringer]

Crikey, I hope everyone realizes this thread is nearly 7 years old...


Anyhoo, here's my current $0.02 on tires:

1) I've installed somewhere between 12 and 15 sets of Avon RoadRiders (on my bike and on bikes belonging to friends) and I've never even seen a cracked one. I'm not saying it didn't happen -- the photos exist and are clear -- but the problem is an isolated one. (please, read up on statistics a bit...) I continue to install and highly recommend Avon RoadRiders.

If the screaming about cracking bugs you, buy whatever makes you happy... it's your bike. I wish Avon paid me a commission and/or gave me free tires, but so far nada...


2) For the sake of Truth and Science, my GS850 is currently wearing a set of Shinko 230 Tourmasters as an experiment, and so far I like them a lot. I've only got about 1,000 miles on them, but they handle and stick very well. Those of you attending the Brown County rally next week can observe a firsthand demonstration of Shinko 230s under stress...

I'll wear 'em out as fast as I can and report back, but it will take a few months at least to gather data on tread life and handling as the Shinkos wear. One of the most distinctive and unusual things about the Avon RoadRiders is that they remain wonderfully neutral and consistent in feel all the way to the bitter end. If the Shinkos can duplicate this, I may have a new budget favorite...


As for the Dunlop 404s, I wasn't at all happy with the short life and the horrific handling that developed when they were near the end. I abuse the hell out of my motorcycle tires, so YMMV and you will probably never notice a problem. If they make you happy, great. They're not too expensive, very widely available, and reasonably sticky. The tread pattern looks more correct on a vintage bike, if you're the sort who worries about such things.

[Frank Z.]

Hmm... Shinko, eh? Looks to be darn good price for V-rated, and they have the biggie 130/90's. Me likey. Thanks!

[Nessism]

Hmm... Shinko, eh? Looks to be darn good price for V-rated, and they have the biggie 130/90's. Me likey. Thanks!

Frank, a 130 is too wide for the stock ST wheel. Even a 120 is pushing the size threshold. Be careful.