[cheezyridr]

tires aren't that hard to install, especially the front tire. it requires a little elbow grease, a couple spoons, a couple rim protectors, and a large C clamp. when i had a garage, i did my own tires, and make a few bucks doing tires for my buddies.

 

[Kawichris]

Thank you for all the advice everybody! Very appreciative of this forum and Vulcan riders! I will replace that tire ASAP and hopefully have a nice smooth bike again. Ride safe fellas

 

[Plee911]

We do our best to help each other out here so that everyone's experience on a bike can be a good one.
there are tons of people with lots of experience dealing with just about anything that pops up with the Vulcan line of bikes.
Plus we all LOVE to ride

 

[WinkleNC]

29 psi front tire, 32-34 psi rear would be your correct amount.

This is the same for me. I run 29 psi in front and 32 in the rear. I'm 240 lbs. plus my luggage.

 

[applogwv]

I had the same problem with the Shinko 777's - I tried balancing beads and paid for computer balancing. A couple times the "bounce" really scared me. The tread eventually wore down on the rear and I replaced it with a Dunlop Elite 4 - and magically my bounce is now gone! I really wanted to like the Shinko - but In wont take a chance again.

 

[RB 32504]

From the Owner’s manual.

View attachment 254992

Kawasaki

Kawasaki Hydrogen Road

www.kawasaki-onlinetechinfo.net

I found this interesting from Dunlop on the original tires and bike specific. Has dunlop always gone with a different recommendation from Kawasaki? Tires For My Bike Results | Dunlop Motorcycle

 

[Lesblank]

The tires are part of the suspension system and all manufacturers list the PSI recommendations based of ride, handling and safety. Manufacturers have engineers that base their recommendations on many miles ridden before bike ever hits the market. Automotive manufacturers do the same. I personally follow the manufacturers recommended PSI and never had an issue. Others might have had a different result, but has always worked for me.

 

[RB 32504]

The tires are part of the suspension system and all manufacturers list the PSI recommendations based of ride, handling and safety. Manufacturers have engineers that base their recommendations on many miles ridden before bike ever hits the market. Automotive manufacturers do the same. I personally follow the manufacturers recommended PSI and never had an issue. Others might have had a different result, but has always worked for me.

Yes… I just find it interesting that the tire manufacturer would be so far away from Kawasaki. I might understand it as a general inflation recommendation on the tires, but Dunlop specifically lets you look up the exact bike and then gives a completely different psi recommendation than the manufacturer.

 

[cheezyridr]

generally, i would tend to favor the tire manufacturer's recommendation. they'll know the performance envelope of their tires better than kawasaki would. they absolutely sell more tires than kawi sells bikes.
that said, i would point out that the tire is your point of contact between the bike and the road. it's not the place to pinch a penny. i like metzler and avon way better than dunlops, bridgestones, or any other tire you'll find on a bike on the show room floor. you can buy "good enough" but why not buy the best?

 

[CRU]

you can buy "good enough" but why not buy the best?

Because "best" is always subjective. Buy because you like or trust it. Not because someone says "it's the best".

 

[cheezyridr]

Because "best" is always subjective. Buy because you like or trust it. Not because someone says "it's the best".

ummm...no, actually, it's not subjective. in any horse race, one will cross the finish line before the others. that's objective.

the importance one bestows on the data is what's subjective.

all i can say is, i have tried alot of cruiser tires. i prefer a sticky tire that also has an acceptable level of durability, sheds water well, and conforms to tolerances in manufacturing that allow for the lowest number of defective tires to make it onto people's bikes, and is also well balanced. until the bike i have now, i did my own tires. with avons and metzlers, after properly lining up the dot, i haven't needed to add much (if any) balancing weights.
anyone who believes that the bike manufacturer uses the best available tire on a new bike is naïve.

it's america - you are free to choose whatever tire is available to you. not taking someone's advice just because they said so is a good thing. it's your butt on that seat, and you should ride with confidence after having done the research on what works best for you. in that, i agree with you 100%.

 

[Plee911]

What is subjective is different people WILL have different results with the same tire.
I for example hate Dunlop 404 (stock tire that comes on a lot of 900s and many other bikes. Tire it too hard for my riding style and have had it skip on me more than once in a tight curve at higher speeds and don't even get me started on sand or gravel in the road with them.
On the other hand there are riders that love them because they wear for ever before needing to be replaced.
Metslers are fantastic grippy tires but i would wear them out in 1 season the longevity wasn't worth the price for the way I ride
Shinkos are ok but there do occasionally end up bad ones out there and unfortunately a lot are sold on ebay/amazon that I'm not positive are really shinko tires. My personal feeling is that they are knock offs.
Michelins commander series are awesome grip the road well and held up way better than the metzlers did but still didn't get the mileage that was advertised for me atleast
Currently running Dunlop elite series tires, So far grip is very good equal to or maybe better than the Michelins cant say yet because I have not had the opportunity to take them on the more challenging rides i do but for the ones i have done they are at least as good. We will see about the longevity.
Each persons bike is set up differently and carries different weights. Each person rides differently and on different roads
As such different people will get completely different results from the same make and line of tires. So when i throw out a tire recommendation i can only say how that tire did for me and my bike.
Every tire company claims to be the best.
No most bike companies don't put excellent tires on their bikes out the gate. they usually put a mid range tire that's usually a little on the harder side so that for most people it will last long enough to put them out of warranty before they have any issues with it.
I takes a lot of time riding before most people start to pick up on the true differences in tire construction and some never do. they wear out a set and put the exact same kind back on because they never had any real problems with them.
Avons might be very good tires from the perspective of manufacturing but real world riding with different bikes and different riding styles will yield very different results based on what the rider wanted from the tire.
I am glad to hear that Avon has upped their game because at one time they were on the same level as shinko.

There is no one tire that fits all riders, bikes or riding styles. There is no one tire that will give you everything you want from a tire IE Super gippy, sheds water, handles exceptionally and has a long wear life. You will always sacrifice one for another to a point and the best choice is to get a tire that gives you the most of what you need. If you live in a dryer area water shedding might not be as high on your list but if you live in a wetter region it may be at the top. If you live in a city a softer tire may last a long time but if you live in a rural area where the roads are not as nice the softer tire wont last as long as it would on a city bike.

At the end of the day the tire that was awesome for you may be the worst tire ever for someone who rides in a different area or whos riding style is different.

 

[cheezyridr]

What is subjective is different people WILL have different results with the same tire.
I for example hate Dunlop 404 (stock tire that comes on a lot of 900s and many other bikes. Tire it too hard for my riding style and have had it skip on me more than once in a tight curve at higher speeds and don't even get me started on sand or gravel in the road with them.
On the other hand there are riders that love them because they wear for ever before needing to be replaced.
Metslers are fantastic grippy tires but i would wear them out in 1 season the longevity wasn't worth the price for the way I ride
Shinkos are ok but there do occasionally end up bad ones out there and unfortunately a lot are sold on ebay/amazon that I'm not positive are really shinko tires. My personal feeling is that they are knock offs.
Michelins commander series are awesome grip the road well and held up way better than the metzlers did but still didn't get the mileage that was advertised for me atleast
Currently running Dunlop elite series tires, So far grip is very good equal to or maybe better than the Michelins cant say yet because I have not had the opportunity to take them on the more challenging rides i do but for the ones i have done they are at least as good. We will see about the longevity.
Each persons bike is set up differently and carries different weights. Each person rides differently and on different roads
As such different people will get completely different results from the same make and line of tires. So when i throw out a tire recommendation i can only say how that tire did for me and my bike.
Every tire company claims to be the best.
No most bike companies don't put excellent tires on their bikes out the gate. they usually put a mid range tire that's usually a little on the harder side so that for most people it will last long enough to put them out of warranty before they have any issues with it.
I takes a lot of time riding before most people start to pick up on the true differences in tire construction and some never do. they wear out a set and put the exact same kind back on because they never had any real problems with them.
Avons might be very good tires from the perspective of manufacturing but real world riding with different bikes and different riding styles will yield very different results based on what the rider wanted from the tire.
I am glad to hear that Avon has upped their game because at one time they were on the same level as shinko.

There is no one tire that fits all riders, bikes or riding styles. There is no one tire that will give you everything you want from a tire IE Super gippy, sheds water, handles exceptionally and has a long wear life. You will always sacrifice one for another to a point and the best choice is to get a tire that gives you the most of what you need. If you live in a dryer area water shedding might not be as high on your list but if you live in a wetter region it may be at the top. If you live in a city a softer tire may last a long time but if you live in a rural area where the roads are not as nice the softer tire wont last as long as it would on a city bike.

At the end of the day the tire that was awesome for you may be the worst tire ever for someone who rides in a different area or whos riding style is different.

your experience with the dunlops you mentioned in the very beginning of your post match mine exactly. when you're leaned over in a turn and the rear tire skips 6" or so, it will really tighten your pucker string!

and i also agree with the choice of tire depending on several factors too. that's why i mentioned 2 different types of tire.
metzlers are a dual compound tire. i used them on my heavier bikes, like the 1500LC i had back in 99. you got good wear on the highway, and decent grip in the corners without creating a chicken strip. i use the avons on my smaller bikes that mostly do valley cruising on twisty roads. the tall skinny front wheel on my 900c, is nearly the same as what was on my vs800. the avon tires i used on them are softer because the last thing i want is that skinny front wheel scrubbing in a turn or under braking. if the classic didn't come with spoke wheels, i would have bought that instead, entirely because of that skinny front wheel on the custom

i don't think we disagree on very much, when it all comes down to it.

 

[Plee911]

your experience with the Dunlop's you mentioned in the very beginning of your post match mine exactly. when you're leaned over in a turn and the rear tire skips 6" or so, it will really tighten your pucker string!

and i also agree with the choice of tire depending on several factors too. that's why i mentioned 2 different types of tire.
metzlers are a dual compound tire. i used them on my heavier bikes, like the 1500LC i had back in 99. you got good wear on the highway, and decent grip in the corners without creating a chicken strip. i use the avons on my smaller bikes that mostly do valley cruising on twisty roads. the tall skinny front wheel on my 900c, is nearly the same as what was on my vs800. the avon tires i used on them are softer because the last thing i want is that skinny front wheel scrubbing in a turn or under braking. if the classic didn't come with spoke wheels, i would have bought that instead, entirely because of that skinny front wheel on the custom

i don't think we disagree on very much, when it all comes down to it.

No worries brother wasn't really disagreeing just pointing out that different riders in different areas may have different experiences with the same tire.

I hate Dunlop 404 series tires but they are probably great for a long haul cruiser that goes super easy through the corners. Just WAY to hard i have had both front and rear skip on me in a hard corner not a fun experience and not the way i want to see Jesus LOL

Wasn't going to go with Dunlop's when my Micheline commander 2s went bald on me at the end of the riding season last year but ended up with a voucher for a free Dunlop tire of my choice mounted and balanced at about the same time so after a lot of research i decided to give the elite 4 a try and so far its been pretty good. Have a very technical ride in June that will put them to the test to see if they are at least equal to the commanders. If they are equal and last longer they may be my new go to tire for my 900 classic that has basically been converted into an LT
The Michelins were great but went from excellent to bald in 1 riding season and were no where near the mileage advertised. It was weird to since they had shown almost no wear up to that point under the same riding conditions and riding events year to year. Only thing i can think of is the compounds started to break down after the 3rd year and started to wear at a significantly higher rate. the shop that changed the tire for me said they get the same complaints about them not meeting the mileage benchmarks by a fair margin.

Was considering the commander 3s since i ride almost year round even in temps below 20 degrees but here's hoping the Dunlop elite 4s measure up to expectations and advertising

 

[FieroGT42]

Tire pressure spec and belt tension spec on these bikes is stupid. 32 to 38 front and 35 to 42 rear is much more reasonable depending on load, and less belt tension than stock unless you want to eat tranny shaft bearings. Remember, sidewall spec is max operating pressure, not recommended, not bead seating.

 

[RB 32504]

No worries brother wasn't really disagreeing just pointing out that different riders in different areas may have different experiences with the same tire.

I hate Dunlop 404 series tires but they are probably great for a long haul cruiser that goes super easy through the corners. Just WAY to hard i have had both front and rear skip on me in a hard corner not a fun experience and not the way i want to see Jesus LOL

Wasn't going to go with Dunlop's when my Micheline commander 2s went bald on me at the end of the riding season last year but ended up with a voucher for a free Dunlop tire of my choice mounted and balanced at about the same time so after a lot of research i decided to give the elite 4 a try and so far its been pretty good. Have a very technical ride in June that will put them to the test to see if they are at least equal to the commanders. If they are equal and last longer they may be my new go to tire for my 900 classic that has basically been converted into an LT

How are those elite 4’s holding up? You still like them? The previous owner on mine had just put brand new 404’s on when I bought it and i hate to trash them so early, but they are really getting on my nerves. The front especially just beats me up. So damn hard even at 29 lbs.

 

[Plee911]

How are those elite 4’s holding up? You still like them? The previous owner on mine had just put brand new 404’s on when I bought it and i hate to trash them so early, but they are really getting on my nerves. The front especially just beats me up. So damn hard even at 29 lbs.

Here is the answer to your question in long form

900 classic dunlop tires the jury is in

Well as some of you know I changed my tires at the beginning of the season. Many of you know that I am not a fan of Dunlop tires at all but i was willing to give the dunlop Elite 4 a try because it was supposed to be the best cruiser tire out there from them. So here are the results Tire wear...

www.vulcanforums.com

The short answer is no I hate them they are better than 404s but that's the only good thing i can say.
I nitially liked them but after putting a full season on them I wont ever put another Dunlop on any bike i own even if it is free.
Should have sold the gift certificate and put the money towards another set of Michelins oh well you live and learn

 

[ENRICO]

I like to change to Bridgestone tyres when the time comes (apart from michelin pilot road 5 that were recommended for the suzuki sv 650 I had recently and found them really good ) Bridgestone give 4 tyres for the vn900 classic,3 for a comfortable ride, and I am not sure which one to go for.

 

[cheezyridr]

I like to change to Bridgestone tyres when the time comes (apart from michelin pilot road 5 that were recommended for the suzuki sv 650 I had recently and found them really good ) Bridgestone give 4 tyres for the vn900 classic,3 for a comfortable ride, and I am not sure which one to go for.

whichever one is the stickiest

 

[ENRICO]

whichever one is the stickiest

How would I know that ?