TriGlide front tire

[Arrow]

What is the best front tire for my 2016 TriGlide. Only 7500 mi. & dealer says it's time to start thinking about a new front tire. Running the Stock Dunlop D402 now. I got 20K on my Street Glide so this was a little surprising that I would need a tire at 10K. Any suggestions? Arrow

 

[trikermutha]

Really surprised you have to change a front tire at 7500 miles..:xzqxz: Something dont sound right there.

 

[rhino 2]

What is the best front tire for my 2016 TriGlide. Only 7500 mi. & dealer says it's time to strat thinking about a new front tire. Running the Stock Dunlop D402 now. I got 20K on my Street Glide so this was a little surprising that I would need a tire at 10K. Any suggestions? Arrow

With my 2011 Tri, I got over 15 k on the stock tire......Check the outside treads i wouldn't be surprised that they have plenty of tread left [useable]....The front tire on the Tri's if you are running 35 psi will wear the center....And they'll look worse than they really are..

 

[FuzzyWuzHe]

That is Odd, my first Tri had 15K and the front tire still looked new. Current trike has 19k ... gone change it soon ... it's original to the 14

 

[Arrow]

With my 2011 Tri, I got over 15 k on the stock tire......Check the outside treads i wouldn't be surprised that they have plenty of tread left [useable]....The front tire on the Tri's if you are running 35 psi will wear the center....And thell look worst than they really are..

Rhino 2, Thanks for the info. I'll try running a little lower tire pressure. The dealer said the pressure was 40 but my gauge read 36 so I'll try 32-33 PSI to see if that helps. Current tire is original on the 2016 but it sat until I bought the bike a year ago with 300 miles on it. The age of the tire may have an impact and my gauge being a little high might too.

I have had good luck with the Dunlop tires and Metzler 880s on my Dyna and Street Glide but just learning about the TriGlide. It makes sense the tire would wear faster on a trike with a little more weight and the three wheel posture would tend to put more side stress on the tire. Thanks again for your input. Arrow

 

[Zammy]

I managed to get 15 K from my original Dunlop, I'm now running an Avon Trike specific up front and am very happy with it. It rides better and sticks the corners hand and foot over the OEM Dunlop, when this one wears down I will definitely stay with the Avon.

 

[PosseRider]

+1 on the Avon Trike tire. My 16 Tri dunlop was crap at 14k. Avon Trike tire did twice that & still had tread, but was leaving on a long ride so I changed it. The Avon requires more pressure in it.

 

[BillR]

+2 on the Avon Trike specific front tire. I changed out the Dunlop at 14K. Run the Avon at 40lb.

 

[Tireman]

I just received my new Avon Trike tire with 11/32" of center tread verse the Dunlops 5/32".

TIRE NAME	SIZE	LOAD/SPEED INDEX	SIDEWALL	PART NUMBER	APPLICABLE RIMSRECOMMENDED RIM	OVERALL DIAMETER	OVERALL WIDTH	FULL TREAD DEPTH	MAXIMUM LOAD @ PSI
D402 BIAS FRONT	MT90B16	72H	BW	45006403	3.00	25.30	5.20	5/32	783 @ 40

Our state inspection requires replacement @ 2/32 so that only 3/32 of usable tread which is BS if you ask me. Being the way that the trikes are set up and steer I can only guess the Avon should last longer! I'll be watching it closely! Ride safe

 

[arnie]

I have a 19" freewheeler wheel on the frt of my 16 triglide. I put on a Dunlop Amerian elite when I first bought the trike. I have now had 2 of those tires & I get 20,000 miles out of them. I'm trading my trike next month for a new 20 triglide, but i'm going to try the Avon, just to see if it's better for me. I have nothing negative to say about the American Elite Dunlops.

 

[MDO]

Another positive review for the Avon Cobra Chrome.

I knew 2 people running it and both raved about its performance and mileage.

I have 1 in my bedroom to mount on my Freewheeler.

 

[ISP-FL]

I'm closing in on 12,000 miles on my 19 and the front tire is about shot. On my 16 I only got between 14,000 and 15,000 on the Dunlop but it looks like this one will come off before 14,000. Will be trying Avon.

 

[PosseRider]

I'm closing in on 12,000 miles on my 19 and the front tire is about shot. On my 16 I only got between 14,000 and 15,000 on the Dunlop but it looks like this one will come off before 14,000. Will be trying Avon.

You won't be sorry !! JUst remember to check Avon's pressure chart. The Trike tire requires more than HD but I dont remember what it is.

 

[Texan]

........Only 7500 mi. & dealer says it's time to strat thinking about a new front tire. .....

7500 on the clock and they're trying to sell you a new tire. Sorry, doesn't pass the smell test here. I've got a '13 with 21,650 on the clock and the OEM front tire still has good tread according to Harley's little air pressure/tread depth gauge. I probably don't ride as hard as you guys but still 7400 miles ?!?!? Unless you've got something drastically wrong with your front end. I bought a new OEM Dunlap a couple months ago, noting wanting to take any chances, going to install it in the spring.

8~\o

 

[kingfish108]

My dealer tried the same thing on me. Had it in for the 45K service and they came out and told me I needed all new tires. The rears were original and the front had less than 10K on it. They said it was getting close and I might as well change all at the same time. I took my TG home and changed the rears myself and saved over $200 dollars. I will have a local shop change the front at 50K. I got 20K out of my first tire and over 15K out of the second.

 

[MontgomeryLittle]

Wifes 2011 got well over 20000 on front tire. Maybe close to 23000, sorry don't remember exact mileage and could have gone a little longer. Put front and rear tires on my cop bike, went back the next day and replaced her front. Had a trip coming up and didn't want to worry about it. Although with her being on a different trike I still worry about it.

I'm anal about checking tire pressures, cars, truck, motorcycles, trikes even the lawn mower. When I fire the compressor up I usually do them all at the same time. Days we ride I fire the compressor up and check the bikes/trikes even if its only been a few days between rides. Gives me a good reason to look over the tires while I'm doing it. On trips a tire gauge goes with me, two to be exact. One in my tool roll and a better one I picked up. Also I dial gage hand pump to pump up my air shock on the cop bike and rear shocks as well as her rear shocks. I suppose you could pump a tire up with it but I'd sure hate to try it. https://www.harley-davidson.com/store/touring-suspension-air-pump Have carried plugging kits, not sure why without a compressor but I have.

Get a good gauge. I think dial gauges are the best or more accurate, use a cigar style for on the road or your mower. Some are higher or lower pressures than you can use on all of your vehicles. Lawn mower pressures may not jive with your car or bike/trike pressures. So get a few. Get a compressor. Check when tires are cold or not driven on for about four hours. I use this one at home: https://www.harley-davidson.com/sto...h-indicator-with-braided-stainless-steel-lead

I don't trust dealers to check my air pressure, sorry. Every tire I've ever bought comes home over the limit after a cool down or overnight. Usually more than 10 lbs. I think the book reads something like check air pressures at 68*. Ain't gonna happen. Unless in a shop environment with doors closed. I set mine at real world temps. If temps drop 30* I check them.

Look at your tires if they show signs of low center, take air out. High centers, add air. Stock Tri-Glides run 36 PSI. I run ours about 35. And watch them. Maybe even 1/2 psi increments. Up or down.

My dad worked for a tire company and he stayed on me about the importance of tires and maintaining them. Worry before you need to. Take care of your tires. No one is going to do it for you like you would.

 

[Mitrike]

Fat front tire

I don't know why but I love bikes with fat front tire , thinking a few years down the road of having one of these 180 kits installed on my 2010 .......be gentle, lol . Or maybe, I'll go dark side and put a car tire on the front to match the rear....

 

[Vtrod]

I managed to get 15 K from my original Dunlop, I'm now running an Avon Trike specific up front and am very happy with it. It rides better and sticks the corners hand and foot over the OEM Dunlop, when this one wears down I will definitely stay with the Avon.

I did the same thing as Zammy, I am also very pleased with the Avon!!

 

[DakotaTG]

On my 2011 TG I got 22K on the front tire before replacing it with another Dunlop 402. I may have gotten a couple more thousand miles on but was going on a 2500-3000 mile trip and didn't want to have any problems with that. I traded that TG in with 46K on it in 2016 and the tread was getting down there. Now on my 2016 I again got 20K on the front tire and changed to the Avon Trike tire. Really like that tire.

One thing that may affect the milage you are getting on the front tire is the road surfaces you ride on and if there are a lot of in town miles with sharp turns at intersections or a lot of twisty roads to ride. When I was living in North Dakota there are not a lot of twisties so most TG owners were getting 18K to 25K on their front tires. The last two years I'm now living in southwest Idaho where we have lots of twisties and mountains with sharp turns. Many TG owners here report they only get 9K to 15K at the most out of the Dunlop. Several other TG owners have gone over to the Avon Trike tire and really like them.

2016 Deep Jade Green and Black TG with lots of DK Custom parts.

 

[lah2420]

Not sure as to the age of the tires on some of your rides, but a lot of tire dealers are now going as much by the age of the tire as they are the tread depth. Not that I agree with that method, but I'm sure it is both to sell more tires and to cover their own tails if you drive out and have a blowout. Hard to come back on them if they told you it was time to change them. I will stick with the tread depth method myself unless they are starting to crack from dry rot.

I'm running a Michelin on my front right now, but not enough miles to make any observations about it.