Dunlop K70 tyre life, only 3000 miles? What lasts better?

[KiwiGF]

It's 6400 miles since I got my A10 GF on the road (with new k70 tyres), the first (standard) size k70 rear lasted about 2700 miles before getting below 1.5mm, the second is at the wear limit at 6400 miles, so I'm getting on average a bit over 3000 miles out if them. The tyres wears mostly in the centre and there is plenty of tread on the edges when the legal limit is reached (I obviously don't go scratching enough  ).

The first rear was run at below 25 psi, which is why I thought the low life was my fault, the second has been run at 28/30 psi.

The front still has plenty of tread.

Is this sort of life normal for a rear K70 on kiwi type roads? (Kiwi roads have a reputation for being rough on tyres).

If so I'm think of changing brands or tyre type as it's pretty obvious Dunlop are making too much money out of me!

There's not much choice of brands in NZ so I would be particularly interested in hearing where other kiwis are buying tyres. I used cycletread.co.nz last time, but they only have the k81 listed at 179 nzd as of this morning.  I need to get a new rear tyre quick, so I can get the bike tested in time for he national bsa rally this coming weekend 

[Peter in Aus]

Hi KiwiGF you story is the same as mine only getting about 3000Ml  out of the K70 on both my A7 & A10 so it is not just you, I have just fitted a Dunlop Roadmaster TT100 410 H 19 to my A7 and have another on it way for the A10 I hope these do a bit better!
Peter

[KiwiGF]

Thanks Peter, I can remember the tt100 from my youth and way back then they had a reputation for only wearing in the middle of the the as they were "triangle" shaped for better grip when banked over so that's why I initially went for the k70, but as you have confirmed the life I'm getting from the k70 I won't get any more of those. They are cr_p.

I'm pretty sure the tt100 of today is not the same as 40 years ago, and anyway come to think of it, the k70 is only wearing in the middle......so a tt100 cannot be any worse I guess 

Cycletreads may have the Avon road runner H in 410 x 19 at 229nzd, so it may come down the tt100 or Avon, but the tt100 is cheaper!

[Tomcat]

Thats just under 5000 klms so about normal for a rear tyre.  Good on you for wearing out so many tyres! 

[KiwiGF]

Thats just under 5000 klms so about normal for a rear tyre.  Good on you for wearing out so many tyres! 

  I was getting over 10,000km from rears on my Triumph street triple and that had over 100hp! Having said that I can understand Dunlop won't be making as many k70's as modern tyres, and they are much narrower tyres of course, and lower tech, so I can only expect 5000km from other so called classic tyres? There's nothing better than a k70?

Edit: to put this in perspective, the fuel cost of doing 3000 miles is circa 500 nzd, so I'm spending half as much on tyres as I do on fuel  per mile covered

[Triton Thrasher]

TT100, Avon SM, Avon Roadrunner, Avon Roadrider and just about anything else you can find, all last longer than K70.

[BSA_54A10]

Dunlop make tyres in different countries with different compounds to suit the local climate.
The Japanes Dunlops just never wore, black concrete.
The French or Irish Dunlops were used by Historic racers because they were a lot softer & sticker compounds.
Now days what ends up down here is pot luck

[bsa-bill]

Good on you for wearing out so many tyres!

My thoughts also, at the moment my tyres crack up before wearing out

[duTch]

 I have a Avon Road Runner that I fitted circa '79- but it only did <2k miles still plenty tread but also a bit cracked, Michelin something on the front- same story but they still hold air fairly good.

 Happy to say though that the Metzler Enduro 1 & 2 I now have on have done circa 9k miles and getting down a bit- reckon I'll get anther thou or so.  Useless info to most though as they're 18 R & 21 F
 

[Butch (cb)]

Good on you for wearing out so many tyres!

My thoughts also, at the moment my tyres crack up before wearing out

Yeah, you guys must be riding like maniacs.

[bikerbob]

I have been using Mitas tyres for a number of years now with no problems, I have just been out and checked the tread depth on my A65 the tread depth is 4.6mm this tyre has done 3,200 miles. I have just fitted a brand new Mitas tyre to my A7 the tread depth is 5.4 mm. both measurements taken in the middle of the tread. I should add that the A65 tyre is on a 18" rim while the A7 is a 19" rim. I can't help but think that a good proportion of the cost for Dunlop and Avon tyres is you are paying for the name, I also do not ride either bike hard gave that up 50 years ago only costs money. These are both rear tyres.

[a101960]

bikerbob, it is interesting to read your comments about Mitas tyres, because I have a brand new Mitas 19 x 3.50 sat in my garage that I bought because the tread appeared to be a rounder profile than the Avon SM MK 2 that I was using. I did not fit the Mitas tyre however, because it looked far to narrow to be a 3.50. In my opinion it looked to be more suited to Bantam or C11 than to its claimed suitability for an A10. In stead I opted to fit another SM MK2. Despite the derogatory remarks expressed by many people about SM's (skidmasters etc) I have never had any cause to worry about their grip or road holding abilities. Like you I no longer race about. I got that out of my system many years ago, but having said that I don't dawdle either, and the SM's in my experience feel perfectly safe and sure footed no matter how far over I lean.

[bikerbob]

Hi a101960   Just been out into the garage to measure both tyres. The A65 is 3.50 X 18  but the A7 is 3.33 X 19 so is narrower but it looks OK but the tread patterns are different.

[mikeb]

is this now a tyre thread, like an oil thread but more rubbery?
because I like to pretend I'm still young and throw the bike around I'm very fond of my avon roadriders - nice round profile, sticky, predictable and track straight on the front, but the profile looks a little low on the front of the a10. a long life for me is more important than a long life for the tyre and i don't think they wear worse than any other comparable tyre. have them on the b33 too. i noted out at the classic racing meet recently that probably the majority of similar bikes had roadriders with melted sections on their sides from hard cornering. yum.
 
if i slowed down a bit or had to watch the $ i hear mitas do well on an a10, tho no personal experience.

interesting now i also have a modern how its wide profile tyres skip more when hitting cats-eyes and other road bumps, especially if leaned over. the a10 tracks much straighter under such circumstances.

[beezermacc]

My mate (Paulo) finished building an A10 last year and fitted new K70's. He has done less than 3000 miles and the back tyre is nearly worn out. I use Avon SM's on my A10 and it handles fine and tyre wear is insignificant, though obviously I ride it quite conservatively. I've got TT100's on the RGS rep; I haven't used that bike for a while but I know that it is fine for grip and tyre wear.