Dunlop 491 Elite II Touring

[bcrowther]

I see that a lot like the Dunlop 491 Elite II Touring tire. What size to you get it in?
I have a 1980 GS850 130/90 17 back and a 100/90 19 front. I dont see the back tire size that will fit my bike, are you getting a different size than I have that will still work with my bike or am I just lost on this one?

I was thinking of getting the Cheng Shin Hi-Max but if the Dunlop is that much better of a tire then I may get it. I am not an aggressive rider and will just be bumming around on the bike this summer.

As always any help would be good help. Thanx

[Grandpa]

MT90-17 for your bike.

[salty_monk]

Lots of info on here about tyres. The Cheng Shin are reported good for the price but will wear out a lot quicker than the Dunlops which last a long time.

Pirelli Sport Demon's seem to be the tyre of choice at the moment...

Dan

[bwringer]

For long life and great grip and handling, the 491 is the gold standard. MT90-17 rear, MM90-19 front for the sizes you mentioned.

I had over 12,000 hard miles on my set before I impatiently replaced them with Pirelli Sport Demons, and they could have easily gone 3,000-4,000 more miles.

The Pirellis give you a bit more traction, but a lot more feel at the limits and a wonderfully neutral feel when leaned over. If you're interested purely in handling and feel, the Pirellis seem to be tops, but they only last half as long -- roughly 6,000 miles for most people. And they cost about the same as the Dunlops -- about $210 a set delivered.

The analogy I use is boots vs. running shoes -- both have excellent traction, but the running shoes give you a lot more feel, are lighter, and make it easier to go fast. I can drag the pegs regularly with both tires, but the Pirellis make it a bit easier.

I'm also seriously looking at the new Avon AM26 Roadriders. Avon makes great tires for vintage bikes, and these should offer excellent handling and grip. Plus, they're significantly less expensive than the Pirelli Sport Demons.

Unless you're regularly probing the limits of GS handling, I'd recommend the Dunlop 491 for most riders simply because it's such an outstanding value.

[bwringer]

The Cheng Shins are also fine tires, and a great value. I got about 7,000 - 8,000 hard miles out of each set on my GS850G. They're cheap enough you can replace them more often if you want.

I was quite happy with them in all kinds of nasty weather, too. When I lived 65 miles from work, I went through three sets of Cheng Shins commuting during the week and dragging parts on the weekends without a problem.

Slap on a set of Cheng Shins and spend the difference on gas!

[Planecrazy]

For those of you who don't know Brian (bwringer) personally, I (and many other midwest GS'rs) can vouch for the fact that he uses his tires perhaps more vigorously than any other rider I've ever ridden with. I consider his opinion regarding tires to be as good or better than any review you might read in a bike mag...

Regards,

[bcrowther]

Thank you.

This information helped a lot!!! Thank you for all your time and information. I saw the MM and MT but I did not know that they would fit. Seeing that my bike did not work when I got it and now it is running pretty good, still need to tune the carbs, take off some rust, change the tires, get speed and tack, and a some other little things I will go with the Cheng Shin for now to see how it is going to work under a load for a month. When I can ware them out then I may look at getting one of the other brands mentioned
.\\/

[Redman]

I too will chime in with similar comment to P/C Steve's comment.
Reading Brians recommendation here sure has helped me come closer to deciding what to do.

Dunlop EleteIII are the replacement for the 491. Are not size in the metric 110/90 nor 130/90, but are sized in a diferent convention, that had me a bit hessitant.
The other thing was how the Dunlope site says they are ment for GoldWing.
THe other thing is that for my GK the Dunlope Fitment Guide recomends the GT501s.
But if Brian say so.....

Some sizes available in the EleteII and others available in the EleteIII. Also some are radial and some are bias ply, be sure you are looking at the one you want.

Here.... from Dunlope web site; the ELete III


The high-mileage E3 bias and bias-belted tires suit a wide range of large-displacement touring motorcycles as well as a majority of the most popular cruiser bikes available.
The high-mileage E3 bias and bias-belted tires suit a wide range of large-displacement touring motorcycles as well as a majority of the most popular cruiser bikes available.

[bwringer]

For those of you who don't know Brian (bwringer) personally, I (and many other midwest GS'rs) can vouch for the fact that he uses his tires perhaps more vigorously than any other rider I've ever ridden with. I consider his opinion regarding tires to be as good or better than any review you might read in a bike mag...

Regards,

Aw shucks, Steve! You're embarrassing me...

And I seem to recall the Vetter on your 1100G looks like a Boeing 747 touching down when you land a wheelie.

We're not all that fast... the cop let us go, didn't he?


If any tire manufacturers or dealers would like to send me a free set or two of tires for torture testing, I'll send back the shagged, smoking husks along with a full report in a couple of months... are you listening, Avon? Pirelli? Dunlop? Bridgestone? Anyone? :twisted:

A set of Cheng Shins from Tires Unlimited is only $90 plus shipping, whereas the Pirellis and Dunlops are more like $200. CS HiMax are an excellent choice for your purposes. If it's any endorsement, Cycle Recycle II sells and mounts a ton of these downtown.

[83'GK]

I can vouch for the Elite III's, I ran them last year and still on the bike. Very good wear, predictable, and they fit my 83'GK perfectly.

[Steve]

I will put in another vote for the Elite IIIs. They only lasted about 15 months on my Wing, but the odometer racked up 23,000 (s)miles during that time. \\/

I have the Hi-Max tires on my wife's 850GL. They have about 6,000 miles on them, and if my son did not have it out for the evening, I could tell you how much tread was left on them. There will be plenty of tread to make the trip to Nebraska in August, just before we meet you all in West Virginia.

I have Kenda Challengers on the 650GL. Can't say just how many miles are on them, but it's probably about 4,000 or so. The tread on the front tire is about 4/32" deep, and the rear is considerably less. I guess they don't stand up well to "youthful exhuberance."


.

[Steve]

Well, he's back with the 850. Looks like mama's getting new tires this year. 8-[

There is only about 3/32 on the front, 4/32 on the rear.

Gonna have to check out what sizes are available in the E3.


.

[bwringer]

The E3 is not available in a 130/90-17 rear, so you can't use it on the G shafties.

It is available in a 130/90-16 rear, so it's a great choice for GL shafties.