[Wingsconsin]

Wrong tire..bad habits..

I have the D404 on a Goldwing...the GL1100 I...
It is a good tire for THAT bike. Rated properly and sized as per OEM specs. It will deliver good performance on that bike.

The 1500 is a different animal. Even though they have the size the rating is key to longevity.

In my opinion you simply wore that tire out.

:readit:
What bother me is that the condition seems to surprise you..? Did you NOT notice it was wearing out whenever you checked your tires...I check my tires at elast once per week and sometime more often... Checking tires is more than just seeing if they are still on the bike....Get down on the ground and LOOK at the tread as you spin the tire..SEE the wear patterns and LOOK for any imperfections or penetrations...Check pressures every time...KNOW the condition of your tires at all times...I own 3 bikes and I can tell you the condition of any one of them RIGHT NOW without going out to look at them...


Your life may depend on this some day....If you have to trust your tires to keep you stuck to the road you might as well KNOW what they are doing...

 

[Wingsconsin]

Preachifying a little here....

Current Tire choices (in my opinion) for the 1500 --
I chekc my tire pressures often and get on the ground for visual inspections as well so I monitor my tires closely.

EIII's - I have one on the front right now. They DO last a long time. Grip seems fine and it handles well. Turn in is crisp and out of a turn is dependable and predictable. The EIII's have a reputation for being noisy and I can hear my front tire already after only 2500 miles. It isn't terrible but I wish it were less.

Avon Venom X - Grip like glue. Handles like on rails. Good to better longevity. The trouble in my mind with these is in order to get the best performance you have to run them HARD (like 50 psi rear) and that transfers some bumps into the bike and suspension that you can feel. (This will likely be my next set of tires)

Bridgestone 701Front & 702Rear -- Newer entry into the heavyweight touring tire. A buddy has them and he likes them. He says they stick and are quiet. I have tried a Bridgestone BattlAx Sport Bike BT45 rear tire reversed on the front of the Wing and found it workeed very well; until it cupped at 11,000 miles..It was still going at 18,000 but it was noisy and rode poorly at slow speeds so i removed it. Longevity is still to be proven.

Controversial Rear Tire for Darksideers - Car Tire users like the Austone as a rear. I have a different tire on now that reminds me of the Austone (Comtrac Vredestein 175-75) and I would use the Austone next probably as I experiement with tires.

I ride an average of 12,500 miles per year and my bike now has 122,000 miles on it - most of those in the past 7 years (since I bought it with 40K on it). I commute, toour and ride the canyon twistys with this bike. I have scraped pegs in the Rockies and the Smokies . I have been to both oceans - Atlantic and Pacific and across the great plains countless times in cold and hot and wet.

The BEST tire for the GL1500 EVER was the Michelin Pilot GT's but they are discontinued. I would buy them without question if they came back available today....