2008 GL1800 front tire

836 Views 6 Replies 5 Participants Last post by DaveO430, Oct 3, 2009

wrenchitonce

Discussion Starter · Oct 3, 2009

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Well the wife and I took the plunge. June 09 (30th wedding anniversary) We were riding thru Colorado our 82 Aspy,stopped in Fort Collins and got a deal on a gl1800 we couldn't pass up. Off the showroom and on the hiway....wow what a ride. At 500 miles we stop in Durango. The front of the engine (between the foglights) has silly string looking debris, black in color and a buildup on the foglight cover piece behind the front tire. Dealer says 'road oil'. OK, but none of the other bikes has it. Oh well, wash it off and move on. Return to Nebraska and the same thing??? Smears like grease. Wash it again and check for fork oil leaks, wheel bearing issues, head bearings etc. Everything OK. Move on to September...Another 2000 mile ride to Northern Wisconsin. The stuff is back. This time I take it to the local dealer for an explanation. There is none. Everything checks out, except I notice bad cupping of the front tire. He says we are runninglow air pressure. Not so. (Dunlops front and rear). We keep the air at max pressure according to the chart in the trunk. At 5300 miles the front tire is shot. Contacted Honda and she stated the air pressure thing. Like she was well versed at it. I am thinking the Dunlops are known for being unable to handle the weight and wear from the 1800. I will have to now buy new tires. All my other bikes have and do get around 10K to 11K before replacement. Anyone had this experience or is there an issue with the 1800 they do not like to talk about?

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83GoldWinger

· #2 · Oct 3, 2009

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:waving:Is this a new GL1800? If it is there should be a warranty on the tires and also I'd be getting in touch with Dunlop. Apparently the tire was defective and Dunlop should stand behing their product.

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IPegasus

· #3 · Oct 3, 2009

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I just changed my original Dunlop at 11100 miles. It did have cupping and the left side was worn more than the right. It was just down to the wear bars and time to change.
Is yours down to the wear bars or do you consider it shot beause it is cupping?

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BenMilner

· #4 · Oct 3, 2009

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Cupping of Dunlops and older Bridgestones is very common, but I never heard of strings of tire material falling off. It sounds like you just got a bad tire and it might have been sitting in the dealers low on air before you bought the Wing and they just topped up the air when doing the pre-sale check.

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wrenchitonce

Discussion Starter · #5 · Oct 3, 2009

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Contacting Dunlop sounds like good advice. I consider it shot because it feels unsafe. Going into a turn I get vibration in the handle bars like I'm holding the bars on a two stroke lawnmower. Also, if there is any water on the road you can feel it give and catch. The noise is terrible. Sounds like a semi trucks tires when we cross a bridge at speed and the sound is reflecting off the concrete barriers. I'm quite surprised the dealer didn't mention or help with getting in touch with Dunlop, although the gal at Honda Customer service did mention that. Somehow I feel dunlop will try skirting the issue, but I will speak to them with an open mind. Thanks for the responses...

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wrenchitonce

Discussion Starter · #6 · Oct 3, 2009

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yes it is brand new. That was part of the deal i think. It was his last 08 in room full of 09's....I do love the bike, it is simply awsome....

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DaveO430

· #7 · Oct 3, 2009

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One thing you need to know is the 36 PSI recommended by Honda is not enough. Most run 41 PSI front and rear to extend tire life and reduce cupping.

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