Dunlop Roadsmart II

So I only managed to get some crummy smartphone photos but here goes.

Centre & right side with wear bars



You can kinda-sorta see the centre section which has worn flat, like the rear tire usually does


Right shoulder, trying to show the odd wear/cupping.

You have not had good luck with these tires Bro !!
Looks like you have been at the track


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I always have front tire cupping issues. I tend to push on the front tire a lot and I'm really sensitive to tire pressure changes & also wear issues. To be fair, 8000 miles is pretty good and I really was quite happy with the front tire for most of its life.
 
I had a great experience with these tires despite the rear tire issue. Dunlop handled it well, unlike my experience with Avon. I would definitely consider another Dunlop tire; maybe I'll try the Roadsmart III.
 
I'm 9000 km into these tires now and I have developed some odd wear on the rear tire. See photo:


9,000 km, wow!
How do you have so much tread left???

I have attached a couple pics (iphone in carpark at work this morning).

This rear RSII has just over 10,000 km.

I ride to work 5 days and usually do a 4hr Saturday morning ride each week.

I'm happy with the life and performance of these tires, getting a new RSIII on Monday, just interested in your riding style.

Cheers,
Mac.
 

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Dustin is riding a VFR800, we have more power at 7k than he does at max revs ;)

Sent from my Nexus 5

Fair enough.

However, I was only getting 10-11k out of the RSII on my FZ6!!
I was wearing the center out going to/from work, the FZ1 has definitely taken more off the edges...

I'm loving the torque of the 1 vs the 6, much less aggressive on corner exit with same result.
Putty Rd has become a weekly destination.

Cheers,
Mac.
 
My riding style is typically smooth and mellow. I also feel that I ride with a bit of a front tire bias.

What do you mean by "front tire bias"?

I know I go through front tires quicker because I like to accelerate out of corners and therefore load the front on corner exit.
I find I'm smoother on the throttle with the FZ1 vs FZ6 as there is more torque.

My big downfall is the launch from the lights going to/from work. I filter to the front at every red and then go hard to leave the traffic behind.
I know this is where I do most of my damage to the center of the tire, but I can't help myself.

Will be interesting to see how the RSIII handles these conditions.

Cheers,
Mac.
 
What do you mean by "front tire bias"?

I find that I push on the front and carry speed into corners with momentum. I typically just roll on enough throttle to keep the bike stable, on line and smoothly pick up speed.

I might be off base as I'm certainly not a pro 'fast guy' :)

I am very sensitive to front tire 'feel' ; tire pressures, uneven wear, etc.
 
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I love this tire on the back of my Tenere !! Not one complaint . I also love the PR4 on the front i think i found the perfect combo [emoji106]


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I took some tread depth measurements at new and will continue taking them as I hit some mileage milestones

Front: 10 mm
Rear: 13 mm

I went outside and made some tread depth measurements so I could update the thread:

The current front tire has ~8600 km (5350 miles) and is now showing about 8 mm in the centre and 10 mm on the sides
The current rear tire has ~11500 km (7150 miles) and is now showing about 10 mm in the centre and 11 mm on the sides

I've done a lot less fun sporty riding this year than I would have liked and only a handful of two up trips with the gal. Most of this mileage is from boring old commuting. For what it's worth :D
 
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I am getting rid of my Roadsmart IIs tomorrow at ~14,500 km (9000 miles) on the front and ~17,500 km (11,000 miles). I have been happy with these tires and other than my warranty issue, have had no real problems to speak of. The front tire has worn a little funny but considering the mileage, it's actually held up quite well and has escaped the scalloping that other tires suffer.

I would definitely consider the RS III in the future as I'm sure it'll be even better than the IIs have been
 
I just replaced my rear RoadSmart II, which I have had since it was new. Mileage was 14, 535. I was very pleased with the traction in the dry, and in the rain, it was good until about the last 500 miles. Steel cord was just beginning to peak through. Now I have mounted a new front RoadSmart II. Will give a report after accumulating more mileage. I like the way the tread of these tires is so firm, even when off the wheel. I believe it leads to very even wear.

More to follow.
 
Excellent mileage out of those, thanks for the report. I'm curious -- did your tire show have any cracks or strange wear towards the end of its life? Mine developed some strange marks in the centre of the tire as well as some cracks along the front treads, next to the base.

There was next to no loss of performance over their lifespan and the tire offered great feedback so I am a bit puzzled about it.

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There were no cracks anywhere. It appeared that the rubber compound had changed at the very center of the tire, as it reached the end of its life. I expect that they use a slightly different compound to coat the cord. I imagine it serves as a boundry layer, very thin, to help the wearable tread rubber to bond to the cord. Probably was only .020" thick. I could carefully use an ice pick and feel the steel cord in this area.

For the most part, I commute and ride gently, however I do spirited group rides on some weekends. The "chicken strips" are about 1/2" wide on each side. Anyway, I was very pleased with the performance of this tire.
 
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