Motorcycle Tire Tech Part 1 - The Darkside - Live Dunlop Q&A 

I think the fact that Dunlop/Phil took the time to come see you was first-class all the way! I like a company that pays attention and respects the little people.

Thank God someone talked me in to trying darksiding a couple of decades ago! I don't know why I waited so long to try it myself. Three bikes and 250,000 miles later and only my 200cc dirt bike has motorcycle rubber on the back.

Luv my dark side. A run flat winter directional with beads is the way to go. Several bikes but one in particular with 155 HP - 181 TQ, never an issue and improved traction and handling with nearly triple the mileage life just can't be beat.

Best tech programing, by far Thank you!

I check my pressure before my leg goes over.. every time.. enjoy your channel.. Phil is a stand-up guy to come on the show

I am happy that you asked the question regarding how the D407 wears. I check my tire pressure three to four times a season and easily hit 20,000 miles on the front and rear tires before I replace them but... the cupping on the rear happens no matter what I've tried starting between 8,000 and 10,000 and gradually gets worse and the noise drives me crazy. I have always run what comes with the motorcycle but I think it might be worth trying the american elite based on your opinion. Thanks again for flooding my brain with motorcycle knowledge.

What an awesome and informative video. I have almost always had Dunlop motorcycle tires, mostly out of just blind brand loyalty. This video not only showed me that I have been making a good choice in supporting a great company, but also showed me that there's a lot of choices I was making in error. This video did more in just over an hour to educate me on tire choice than the last twenty five years of active riding has. I genuinely appreciate you taking the time to produce this video. Both of y'all put a lot of great information out there that a lot of folks probably would have never known otherwise. Thanks again.

I have ran a $40 dollar 205 60 r16 car tire on the back of my 2013 road king for 4 years now. I have 14000 miles on it and it rides better than a motorcycle tire on straight aways but doesnt corner the same as a motorcycle tire but since I'm not racing around corners it works fine for me. I'll never go back. The ride is to good.

Good information. Thanks!

I'm very pleased with my Dunlop. Great information as always Kevin

Hate we lost internet connectivity toward the end. Be sure to check out part 2 where we finish the details of Darksiding. Thanks for watching!

I’ve been using Ride-On to balance my tires because I find it much easier to install through my 90 degree valve stems. I even made a tool that makes it super easy. It also is designed to plug a puncture, so far I haven’t had to test it. It’s water soluble and a lot less of a mess than a person would think. Most of it stays in the tire. I rinse the rim with a hose and your good to go with a new tire.

Great discussion I have learned so much about Ty is just listening to you two guys and I have a have a have I will always run Dunlops on my Harley now!!!!!

learning so much from this video

Thanks for the vid a lot of good info

Excellent topic, I have a 2009 Ultra, 170,000 kms, first 2 sets were Dunlop O.E. averaged around 30k on them, tried a set of Pirelli Night dragons, were fine for about 10k then junk, put on Michelin Commander II, got 45,000 kms on the rear, in that time around 20 k or so switched to a 21" on front with a 130/60 21 Dunlop, had an odd wobbly feeling though and obviously the tire had some belt issues but tread still oooked Ok. went back to the OE Dunlops. Have ridden with a guy who had a car tire on a Shadow in the rain he was way behind, and couldn't keep pace in corners. You guys did an excellent job touching on all the points and liked the positives on balance beads. Ride safe brothers!

Dunlop/Phil great job thank you.

I realize this is 3 years old. I'm very impressed. Thank you Kevin, Phil & Dunlop. .I did Subscribe and like

Sad that only one tire manufacturer responded to your request, but HUGE respect for DUNLOP for responding!!!! I run the Elites on all my bikes now......Thanks Phil!!!!

I am the original owner of my 2010 Roadglide custom .I do not over think what engineers do.Dunlops were on it in 2010 the third set was installed last year I average 16000 miles per set of Dunlop’s.My front needed replacing the rear was in good shape and did I not need replacing according to the dealer.I was amazed I was offered the option of replacing one tire.Both were replaced.As I get older I pay more attention to basics.The ride quality, handling , and running wet and dry roads was profound.I had new Tires put on my wife’s 2017 Road glide S at 12000 miles even though they were in good shape.I have rode with guys with the wear strips showing ! They ride in back Do not over think this major safety issue ride safe

Really good video. I have been using the beads since I think 2006. I have an advantage in that I have tubes so I don't have to worry about them touching the inside of the tire.. Plus I have to agree with you Kevin that it improves the total balance and handling of the bike.

I've been riding a car tire on my Honda VTX for over the last 5,000 miles and I haven't had any issues works fine and it doesn't even look like it's worn

I have used Dunlop tires for over 35 years with nothing but total satisfaction. I love them and will never use anything else. Love your videos bud. Very detailed in your information. Keep up the great work!

This was good stuff, Kevin. Thanks for sharing.

Excellent.

Darkside starts 59:25

I use Centramatics for my wheel balancing. they are perfect.

I’m on my 3rd set of AE’s, outstanding tire.

I've always run Dunlops if I was on a rocket as a younger man, cruiser like my Ole Nightrain, and now Baggers, the only other skins I've run to any degree would be Michelin's...but I was always of the thought that Harley Put Dunlop's on our bikes for a reason...Thank You Kevin for all the absolutely great knowledge you share on this channel, you are appreciated Mr. Kevin...and thank you to Mr.Phil, we know if a rep comes out to answer questions, or otherwise educate their customers they care for the end user of said product, also this was so informative, and a nice refresher, as they did teach us this at MMI but many people just put whatever will hold air on their bikes, then cry when they hit 60mph and catch a tank slapper or a speed wobble, then turn around and blame it on the bike, or worse their mechanic, or their attorney for telling them they can't sue someone...😂kinda like the car tire on a motorcyle thing, much like kissin your best friends sister, just cause it feels good and fits, doesn't mean it won't get your ass kicked if caught doing it 😏

I learned more in this video, Thank you..

The tires on my 1974 cb750k are maybe 20 years old......they just keep going. On my VT1100 I have a Michelin on the back and a Dunlop on the front. I wanted a matched set but no Michelin was available for the front.. The Dunlop has a hard compound in the middle and a softer compound on the outsides. On this being a long video......I thought that too at first but I turned it on anyway and surfed other tabs while this played in the background......like a radio show. Good show!

When I used to road race 90 percent of the people used Dunlop . Great product.

I came here for the dark side discussion, but watched most of the rest. I fast forwarded a bit, but this was an excellent discussion.

I have used michelins on most of my bike. Have them on my fatboy and love them. But yes tons of good info!

There are darksider selectons that are not flat like the sample demonstrated. Selection the proper ones is key to success.

Great video agree totally. The only exception on the dark side stuff I think would be a trike since it doesn't lean could benefit from a auto front tire. But I wouldn't want to be the test pilot.

I’ve been running Dunlop Elites since the early 80’s. The few times I’ve run a different brand, I’ve had problems. My last was with Michelin Commander III’s. The front tread was defective and the bike vibrated running straight, but would smooth out in turns. To Michelins credit, they did replace the cost of both tires, and I put back American Elites.

I have a Kawasaki 1600 Nomad with a DMC sidecar on so the bike doesn't lean at all. I want to put a car tire on the rear position, but so far two shops have refused to do it for me.

I was once on a kz650 Kawasaki in NY on the Pelham pky. at 65 mph and the front tire blow out it was air up to the proper level and was a very difficult experience to handle but was lucky enough to have a truck block traffic for me so I was able to get it off the hwy but I will say that I don't take the tire lightly that I choose to run on my FLSTC.

I've been riding since 1970 so I've ridden on a bunch of different tires. I liked Avon's but they wear fairly quick . I never had a Dunlap tire I liked. My riding has always been a little spirited so I always found the limits of my tires. During normal riding, Dunlaps are fine and wear like iron but in emergencies and or spirited riding fall off terribly. I have found that Metzler tires handle much like the Avon's and you'll get more mileage out of them. So yeah, I don't feel comfortable unless I have my Metzlers !

I've logged thousands of miles darkside. The hype against comes straight from people trying to SELL motorcycle tires. Darkside cornering is SUPERIOR to motorcycle tires IF you know how to ride.

Kevin - great video. At :58, "Cost is a factor", so is living. Before you buy all the fancy bits for your bike, "Buy a good tire gauge and use it. Set the first of the month as the day to check tire pressure, ON ALL YOUR VEHICLES! Your life is attached to earth with a contact patch the size of a pack of cigarettes!!! Let's all live for tomorrow. Thanks again for all your videos.

Hey Kevin, great channel. My ‘06 RKC had Dunlop’s that were harder than my ex wife’s head. Felt every bump and tar snake on the road. They did last forever, but I didn’t feel like I’d last forever on them. I ran Metzler 880, changed to 888, made in Germany not Brazil. Fast forward to my 2018 Road Glide Special, the Dunlop’s that came on it are a vast improvement on both wet and dry roads. I wouldn’t have given ten cents for a Harley Dunlop, they’ve changed my mind.

I like your comparison of a 2 inch piece of a passenger tire compaired to that at least 18inch long motorcycle tire , it was obviously that 2 inch piece is from a standard car tire , & not from a run flat tire with much stiffer side wall (try & mount one on a rim some day)

I bought a set Bridgestone BattleCruz tires for my 2009 Fatbob About a year or so ago, They are OEM size for the bike. Im having them installed in the spring of 2021 I was told they were made for the Cruisers metric & Harley Davidson.

Back in the 80’s I ran a 15 inch Volkswagen tire on my 59 pan head worked fine for me

Yes the vast majority of people who go darkside love it and have absolutely no problems. You won't be able to find a single example of a motorcycle accident caused by having a car tire on a motorcycle. People who ride darkside know the profiles of car and motorcycle tires are different. They know the tires are different. It seems counterintuitive, but it seems to work. It's not recommended for all kinds of bikes. It's pretty exclusive to heavy cruisers and some heavy adventure bikes that don't go offroad much if ever.

I understand him saying to weigh yourself in full riding gear, but I like to tell my passenger that SHE needs to be weighed wearing as little as possible so we can get an accurate read. :)

Keep up on your pressure and wheel bearings will help with the life of your tires.

I believe you sir

I've found accuracy of cheap tire pressure gauges to big a bag problem.

Beads question: As a trucker I use them and love them. But we accelerate slowly. As you accelerate you go into place to naturally balance then centrifugal force keeps them in place. I heard quick acceleration causes the beads to go into place quickly before they are in the properly balanced causing a vibration. Then when stopped and slowly accelerated work properly again. Have you seen that issue?

It's interesting that other manufactures didn't respond to your request. He did a great job. His body language on a few of the challenging questions was telling : )

I bought a brand new 20 11 1/2 Harley CVO limited the front tire was cracked all the way around the bed. Interesting one dealership would not have anything to do with it but my dealership got it taken care of. This is good stuff

I am running darkside with my 2015 FLHTK

Hi Kevin, SUPER INFORMATIVE video!. My question is, I just put new tires on my bike, now I want to buy polished wheels , I was told that while removing the new tires there is a great chance of damaging/tearing the bead of the new tires, and I should buy another set of new tires for the polished wheel set, is this true? Thank You very much for your time, I thoroughly enjoy your videos!

We should’ve talked about plugs. I run Dunlop tires I also carry a small compressor and a plug kit. I do ride long distances and I find it’s really nice not having to call And try to get my motorcycle towed or trailered. I never leave them in or usually replace the tire. But I do know a lot of people running motorcycle tires that are plugged. Maybe on the lighter bikes but I ride a big CVO limited .

Lol at the goldwing joke. Reminds of another one. Whats the difference between a vacuum cleaner and a Harley rider? The placement of the dirtbag. Lmao! Im a Harley guy and thats funny!😆

I bought a 98 gl1500 over a year ago, I had not had a bike rolling in a long time and I was just deliriously happy to be cruizing around here , IDAHO is amazing, I didnt bother with anything at all, I slapped plates on it and checked the oil, filled my left compartment up front with Lynyrd Skynyrd, Led zepplin, Creedance, and J Tull and hit the road every chance I got. i didn't look at the tires. I mean, I could see the tread, i didn't closely inspect or read anything. they were however elite 3 dunlops. this year i was pulling parts off and thinking it might be cool to actually clean this bike LOL as i was riding a dust ball. i do not know anyone really, i dont go out in groups, I have never had a cell phone. anywho.. I checked my tires and they are 2009 tires, they have tread but I could tear peices off my front tire if I wanted to. my back tire is mostly hidden because of its goldwing blanket. i dont feel like getting in a wreck because i cheaped out. I am getting stressed out looking for tires however. this dark side crap I keep trying to believe in is getting ridiculous. everyone seems to know everything better than the last guy. all seems fantastic and then you keep gathering info and Bam! heart stopping BS news just derails everything you thought you learned. most of the disheartening " I give up" stuff is teh actual Videos of the tires in action and also that most folks that hear GOLDWING aint imagining 1500s anymore! WTF? aint everyone on a 1800 folks! The 1500's and lower are still kicking like mad! anyway. so I was thinking these old e 3's lasted a long time, I will see what i can do to find e4's. I admit I got a deal on this bike, it only has 75k on it and I paid less than 1.00 per CC LOL what the hell is going on with these tires? Holy crap! dang near 500 bucks! makes me sick. I built tire molds in the 80's. I blue printed and vented and repairs Tire molds In North Carolina. I know what goes into building tires, I didnt build Bike tire molds but just about every other ones you can think of Huge and small, I knocked them out. I know how tires are made. These fkin prices are outrageous. im 6ft 3 and 280 and my bikes well over 800 pounds. whats a low budget dude to do these days? I AM FIXING MY SEAT NOW , i need a set before that seat goes on. i gotta compressor ON BOARD lol dunlops? Shinkos? run flat centurion ? hancook optimo. idk what to do yet and im getting close to fireing this up. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR! Low budget man rides again. full coverage though, I aint that crazy.

I’ve had five different tire pressure tools even digital all measure different!

I live in 30c+ and i only recently read that i should add 2 psi to recommended pressure because of the high ambient temp ie tires pressures are measured at 20c (cold) my cold is at 30c

Two things... I use a TPMS, I check pressure all the time, very handy. On the darkside... What is often used on a Wing is Bridgestone Driveguard. Which is the Run Flat tyre from Bridgestone. And like all run flat tyres they are pretty heavy and inflexible. Yes, the cross section is very different to a motorcycle type, yet they are not nearly as flexible as the example shown in this video...

Dunlop good tires good good rubber love that good rubber keep up the good work on them Dunlop tires. Don’t last as long but mush safer love tires they stick to the road every good as long that you don’t get in sand that’s not good cause you well lay it down no fun your turning in to work lot your not awake good and there sand right when you turn in and you go down not good makes starting a working morning bad but I get over it it just don’t happen all the time maybe a 2 year’s or 3or 4 years so watch the sands if your in FLA or where there sand but love those Dunlop see ya next time see ya bye be safe.

Boy could certainly use help selecting a tire that will pass tech at TX mile with my custom trike and goalbof 168 MPH in the standing start mile

Here’s a question I’ve had for literally years. The air pressure varies so greatly with every degree of outside temperature how in the world do you keep air pressures at optimum levels when every degree of air temperature raises or lowers that air pressure? And does it quite drastically? 40 pounds of pressure recommended for ambient temperature? Ambient temperature on a summer day might be 80° but ambient temperature in the winter time might be 40°? I have seen pressure increases while riding, to be in excess of 15 to 20 pounds over recommended tire pressures. Along with pressures going 5 to 10 pounds lower with the outside temperature variance....

I have a 2013 limited with Harley-Davidson OEM tires. Can I use the Dunlop Elites when replacing them with new ones

I get a huge laugh out of the ignorant (but probably well meaning) people out there that think that the only reason the thousands of us that run car tires is just to save money! 250,000 miles on three bikes all running dark. Love it so much!

Touring Harley rear tires are very hard to check pressure, but still check it.

I have been riding since 17 now 67 so used many different brands and personally prefer for my type of riding is Brighton's 'Car tyres are OK for trikes and sidecar riding only but for a 2 wheel bike use a proper motorcycle tyre and in some cases insurance companies can refuse your accident insurance claim and can be rejected because you have a non motorcycle component this also applies to light truck tyres for work men units wich are 8 ply some people use 4 ply radials on them and can be refused by insurance companies if involved in an accident, depending also on the country you are in

i have a 2019 FLHX with 1700 miles on it. My question is the tires are now 4 years old. i know mileage is a factor when replacing but what about age.

Hey Kevin Has anybody asked what brand/type tire beads you prefer yet? I've been thinking about these for a while but hesitant to try. New bike new thinking maybe - 2020 RK 107. I have ALWAYS run DUNLOP for 30 years and never one tire related issue - American Elite lately. Oh yeah - I DO live in Buffalo but really good tires. I trust them completely. Thanks again

Question for Harley Touring - mixing Dunlop tread patterns a sin? ie American Elite mixed with the D407T or D408 (mix one style on front / other style on back wheel) Does it really matter?

I sold Atlas tires as well.

If you have spoked wheels you have an inner tube inside the tire. Any puncture requires replacement or patching of the inner tube. How does this effect the tire itself, if at all?

What is the balance beads and are they actually worth the effort. Are the tires when mounted correct not balanced for the life of the tire

I have switched back to Dunlop for lots of reasons.

I got 8 months (15,000 miles) out of my OE Dunlop rear tire. Front still has about 50%.

And to be fair the example of the car tire used as a display has twice the size of the sidewall that is actually being used on a bike. To use what was shown your bike would be 2 inches taller on the rear. Most darksiders tend to use Bridgestone DriveGuard RF or Run Flat tires which are very thick and are more ridged than that of a MC tire.

59:20 is where the Darkside talk begins. Click that blue time-stamp to go there. What they discuss earlier is also worthwhile !

California roads, with very little rain get oily, add a light rain, these roads become slick as ice, my American elite tires breaking performance is very poor, of course I have nothing to compare it with. rear tire wear is very consistent at 8000mi,

=I had triked my Yamaha Roadliner and put a car tire on the rear and and a rear tire on the front because it had 3/16” more tread depth, but the dealer insisted on installing the front tire backwards, if the tire s supposed to rotate in the direction of the arrow why do they insist on mounting it in reverse rotation?

Wondering if your dunlop guy has done any work with stopping differences with different tread depth on dry conditions and wet. A friend of mine who does a lot of ABATE classes and demonstrations would like to see some studies. They have them for car tires but nothing for motorcycle tires.

Great video, i prefer dunlop tires, the only tires on my harleys

Kevin, when we have to park our bikes for 5-6months during the winter, should we jack the bike to keep the weight of the tires, or park tires on a piece of plywood.

Hi Kevin. I’ve often heard that you should run a bias ply tire on a hard tail. What are your thoughts on this?

I ride Michelin Commander III. Main reason is tread life.

Should the liquid sealer such as "Green Slime" that is used in the Quads and off-road vehicles be considered for emergency use or just prevention in MC tires?

I think the saying is actually “What the cheapest thing on a Goldwing? The rider.” “Least expensive” kinda kills the joke...

whats the deal put psi recommended and than you ride tire heats up and is above what is called for. ??? thanks

I have a severe issue with traction, sometimes I'm still spinning in third gear... Do you have a recommendation for a 150-80/16 rear tire that will really hook up.. Preferably with a minimum of a W rating.. I don't care about mileage.. thanks..

Question to ask, if motorcycle is from the 90's or older. Tires now adays are a lot different now do you still go by owners manual tire pressure?

I run Michelin Commander II,s because of the longevity of the tires, but will try the American Elite's next time. Thx for this video.

Hey Kevin who makes the harley-davidson tires that come on new bikes?

Are the deep cracks in bottom of Dunlop tread dangerous? My 03 Softail came new with Dunlops and deep cracks developed in tread bottoms at 3000 miles. The new Dunlops I put on lasted 5000 miles, same cracking. Bike is always kept inside. Metzlers went 11,000 miles. Avons on now.

I put a 2014 road king rim on my 2004 flht because its 5"s wide when my stock was 3.5"s. So a 180 or 200 actually gave me more contact patch.

I will always use dyna beads. Not only do they balance well but they balance the whole assembly

What about trike tires?

So Harley Davison has their little logo stamped in their tires I can go right up the street and buy the same tire without the logo. I guess I was stupid today which ones better? From my understanding when I heard that Non-logoed tire is probably better or it’s made overseas? I’m sorry I just didn’t follow that very good

this is a you tube commercial for dunlop mc tires

I did the Esso Station Atlas tire install for years too. I spent a lot of time at the tire machine swapping summer tires and snow tires spring and fall. We also used to put studs in snow tires...that is a different animal. Did my share of tiger tail installs at the gas pumps too. Its funny that in the 1970s we were told there wasn't enough oil left in the ground to go 10 years. And the coming ice age was going to kill us all. Fifty years later and they're still telling lies about oil!