Dunlop K70 Tires

[trimleyman]

Have just changed from speedmaster/sm combo to am26 based on advise from other members. My experience with the speedmaster/sm combo back in the late '60s to mid '80s in the UK in all road conditions including snow and ice was good. K70s at the time were just as hard compound and did not track as well. But this was on somewhat better pavement overall than the SF bay area. Here we have a combination of hazards that the OEM tyres do not like. Ground-out lane changes from numerous  Caltrans experiments, differing pavement levels with 3" drop-offs and deep ruts and pot holes deep enough for the Titanic  to sink in are way beyond the speedmaster/sm combos abilities. And in the wet after any rain it's an oil slick whatever your wheels are shod with. All in all this is a shame because on a good road they do perform reasonably well on what is not a sport bike after-all. So far the AM26 combo is an improvement although they are taking getting used to. Ride is more stable on our local plowed fields , I880 in particular. In the wet, well thats another matter . But hey we have just had our first rain of the rainy  season that these strange Californian folks call 'winter'.  So it sounds like K70's have come a long way since the '60s when I had them on a BSA and a Triumph. All in all the best tyres I had on a bike were the '50s style Pirelli racing/road tyres on my '72 Mototrans Ducati 24 horas.

[Alan LaRue]

On my commute I have over 30 miles of nearly straight interstate highway. I have one turn as I'm nearing the office that's about 110 degrees, where I'm leaned over at 10 mpg enough to have scraped the pegs a time or two. No problems. What concerns me most is riding home in the pouring rain on tires with no channels that would send the water out to the edges. I made the ride once that way and didn't have a problem, but I held my speed to 45-50 mph all the way home. (And actually passed a few cars whose drivers obviously had no idea how capable their tires actually are!) In any case, I would like to have a more modern tread design just for days when the weatherman is wrong, or when he's right and I am too foolish to believe him.

Fortunately, the Speedmasters did fine last time out, so I'm no longer really worried about it.

[GreenMachine]

Got caught in a rain squall three years ago about 4 miles from the house..I had to slow down to 40-45 mph...The SM did okay...I was soaked and boots had some water in them...The K70's have to be better than the SM....As been noted by many , the k70's are a superior tire in handling and control but won't perform better in mileage wear...I figure it's all in the riders demands/performance requirements.. I f anything, I probably like to change my SM out and see what this enhancement is all about and is it worth the it. Many have stated that it transformed the handling and overall experience...

[JVS]

Hey, of course, the K70s must (are) be superior, no denying that. I was just saying that these SMs are not hopeless types lol, they are decent enough to keep the bike upright for average-moderate riding styles (for an Enfield).

[SimonT]

i agree... until they wear out... the Avons are ok on my C5...

Ive done almost 15,000 kms so far... and they have a lot of life left in them yet hehe.

[jartist]

I LOVE how the K70's perform- dry pavement, rain, dirt, anything.  But they only last me 2,500 miles before they are on the wear indicators.  I can't hang with that.  My next tires will either be a pair of dual sport tires designed for the front wheel (only thing I can find that will fit) or I'll give the am26s a try.

[GreenMachine]

jartist: Is it your riding style that wears out the k70's or are they that soft?...2500 on the wearmarks is a bit much...Its not like your hitting it hard on a cbr1000cc machine...

[Jack Leis]

 I recently switched from K70's for the same reason. They just don't last. I'm now running AM26's and am hoping to get a longer service life. I'm on my 6th rear tire in 15,000 miles.

[hocko]

I got 15000 kms out of the originals on the G5. I have run AM26's front and rear for about 1000 kms to date. I find that they are a much better handling tyre than the originals and install a lot more confidence in the rider especially in the occasional wet spots. I'm interested in seeing what mileages can be achieved with them.

Cheers 

[jartist]

The k70s are soft, which is why they grip so well in the corners.  I run fairly hard but not crazy but I do run two up about 30% of the time which is really hard on tires. I think 3500 miles is what one should expect to get out of a rear k70.

[gremlin]

........should I buy a few while the price is still good?.......

Not a few, but, if you want to buy your next set they will be OK.

I had a Maxxis Classic  (110/90 19  62H) sitting around in the garage since 2006.  I had the dealership mount it up on the rear before I took delivery of my B5 this year.

35 hundred miles, and, it still has half its original thickness.  No sidewall issues nor any noticable drying of the compound.  And, I *do* push the limits.

[gremlin]

.......The SM front is good for nothing.....

+1

[barenekd]

......The SM front is good for nothing.....

It's good for getting to meet your insurance adjuster!
Bare

[1 Thump]

IIRC someone put on Kenda's on their C5 a while back and reported an improvement in straight line stability. I dont remember what they said about longevity and cornering.

[Arizoni]

So far, my Avon Speedmaster original tires have done what I needed but the ribbed front tire's tread is getting a bit shallow at 7500 miles and I want to replace it.

The rear Speedmaster still has a lot of tread left and except for its flat shape that makes it look like I own a sidecar, it can go another 4-5 thousand miles before it will need replacing.

The original ribbed SM tire is a hard tire with little 'bite' but it does seem to deliver good mileage.
It seldom rains in Phoenix and because in my 45 years of riding almost every time I dropped my bikes it was due to wet streets I try to avoid riding in the rain like I avoid the plague.

This seems to leave the original Speedmasters as an option.

From what I'm reading, the Dunlap K70's are "wonnerful" unless you don't like replacing tires every 2500 miles.  I don't ride hard and replacing motorcycle tires every 2500-3000 miles isn't my idea of fun.
This doesn't rule out the K70's but I'm waiting for someone who rides nice and easy to tell me that mileages of 5000-6000 are possible.

The Avon AM26 seems to be a compromise but I'm still waiting to hear someone say they will last at least 7500 miles when ridden easily.
Is there anyone here that can give me some idea about what sort of life they have and how well they handle various paved roads?