Dirt cheap Dunlop Elite 4 tires

[LAB3]

Ran across some dirt cheap prices on Dunlop Elite 4 tires on the Revzilla website and ordered up a 140/90-16 77h for the back of the 'Wing. $82 shipped is too good to be true (less than half price) so I'll find out what/if the "hitch" is when it arrives. There's plenty of sizes listed at rock bottom prices if anyone else is interested.

[Steve]

That is a great tire at a GREAT price.

Those are the tires that I installed before our attempt at a cross-country ride a couple of years ago. Our goal was to complete the trip without having to replace the tires.

On my Wing (a 2000 GL1500), I had three sets of Elite 3. The first two went over 23,000 each. I changed the third set at around 20,000 because I was riding to Alabama and the Wing was to be my only transportation for the month I was going to be there. Might have had just under 24,000 by the time I got home, so I did not want to finish my trip on cords.

The E4s are dual-compound on the rear, so they should be even better than the E3s.

I need a new tire on my Wing, so I just checked the price. Your size and the 120/90-16 for the GS "L"s are pretty cheap, but my size is $225.

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[LAB3]

I'm still debating on going with the front tire due to mixed reviews on the center rib riding rain grooves but most agree the rear is quite a good tire.

I'm considering a Dunlop d404 or maybe a Shinko up front. The 777 I'm familiar with and love how it handles grooves and bridge grates. Someone nearby has an unused Shinko 230 for $40 on Craigslist so there's another option in the "soft" category.

There's also Avon's and Pirelli's which look good then Bridgestones and Continentals as you move up the price and hardness scale. Without the fairing and counterweight it feels light up front so I'm still thinking softer may be better.

[cowboyup3371]

Please stay away from the D404 - you'll hate them quickly

[Steve]

Look around the tire warehouses, see if they might have a leftover Elite 3.

Even an old E3 would be TONS better than a D404. The Shinko would be a good choice, too.

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[LAB3]

It showed up today, not shabby for shipping time that's for sure! Date code is 4117, will mount it tomorrow.

[habsdoc]

That tire is 3 years old from that date code.

[LAB3]

That tire is 3 years old from that date code.

Yep, sure is. If I don't cover 20k miles in the next two years it'll explode and send my body parts scattered across the countryside!

[GS1150Pilot]

That tire is 3 years old from that date code.

Doesn't matter if it was stored indoors in a warehouse.

[Steve]

Doesn't matter if it was stored indoors in a warehouse.

I would amend that a bit to "Doesn't matter AS MUCH if it was stored indoors in a warehouse."

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[GS1150Pilot]

I would amend that a bit to "Doesn't matter AS MUCH if it was stored indoors in a warehouse."

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If the tires were over 5 years old, I'd agree. In this case, unless there are already signs of decay, I'm saying it doesn't matter so long as they were stored properly prior to sale.

[LAB3]

Either way it goes it's still fresher than the three digit date coded tire that it's replacing! Put about 6k miles on that one personally and it still has lots of tread left.

[Griffin]

Tires age slowly due to offgassing. Tires age rapidly due to UV light exposure.

Tires stored in a semi or completely climate-controlled area out of direct sunlight will last years without any noticeable degradation.

Five year old tires stored in a warehouse or a garage out of the sunlight wouldn't bother me at all. Unless one is on a track at racing speeds, one would probably never know they weren't right off the production line.

Three year old tires on a bike that is parked outside all day, everyday, would be junk. Two years if in Florida or Arizona.

[GS1150Pilot]

Three year old tires on a bike that is parked outside all day, everyday, would be junk. Two years if in Florida or Arizona.

Amen to that!

[Jhurt]

Any other “hitch” detected? I need tires for an old ‘wing, those are going to be $140 for the set. That seems TOO cheap