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Dunlop Roadsmart III hard numbers


sardineone

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I'm trying my first set of Dunlop Roadsmart III tires that I've been satisfied with so far. Today I have some hard numbers as I was checking to see if I was going to need new tires before a trip in May I have planned. I'm using the stock sizes on my 06 R1200ST which are 120/70 ZR17 (F) & 180/55 ZR17 ® that I measured the new tread depths. Today I measured after riding 2,700 miles both front and rear had worn 1/32nd of an inch. I have another 5/32nds on the rear and 3.5/32nds on the front to the center wear bars as of today. So they seem to be doing a decent job on wear so far.

Edited by sardineone
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Interesting that you had 6/32" of tread on the rear tire when new. I have the exact same size Roadsmart III and my rear tire came with what I wrote down as "7 3/4 /32" or just a fuzz under 8/32". My rear at just over 4000 miles had 4/32" left. I wonder if they have made a change in these tires?

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Projecting tire wear is a tricky business. The new tires are softer, and squirm more and therefore wear faster. As they decrease in tread depth and harden, they wear at as slower rate.

 

In addition, individual results vary widely. For example, when my riding buddy and I had the same bike and same tires, he got almost 2X the mileage on the same tires. He starts smooth, brakes smooth and never gives the right wrist a good workout. I'm the opposite. But when comparing tire life on the same bike, with the same rider and different tires, one can make some comparisons about the relative length of life of different tires. This doesn't take into account the differences in handling due to tread pattern, tire construction and tread composition.

 

Having said that, the OP seems to be doing well. Looking forward to another report after more miles.

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Lone_RT_rider
Projecting tire wear is a tricky business. The new tires are softer, and squirm more and therefore wear faster. As they decrease in tread depth and harden, they wear at as slower rate.

 

Yep, and they may harden at different points in the life cycle based on heat cycling. I am pretty hard on my tires. When I lived in South Carolina and got a new set of tires in the summer rather than winter, they would get heat cycled pretty quickly.

 

Shawn

 

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Regional road textures/materials are a huge variable. I like my PR4s but I'm following reports here and may try out the Roadsmarts next time.

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FYI... Dunlop Roadsmart III have a $50.00 Visa gift card rebate now when you buy 2.. :clap: What are you waiting for?? Go get you some. :thumbsup:

Everybody!!! Report back here after you ride them awhile.

This has been a public service announcement. :grin:

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Bridgestone also has rebates. As is Typical, I go against the grain on the PR4's. This is my second pair, I much prefer the PR3's vs 4's, and had no choice when I had the last set fitted.

 

Bridgestone has also improved their offerings - with the T31 Battlax. Rebates of $25 per. I'm going this route. Sounds like we'll not have a shortage of tire data this Spring.

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Dave,

I'm not a fan of PR4s either. I've run Bridgestones on the K bike in the past and just mounted a set of T30s last weekend. The 1600 is a different beast from the RT but the Bridgestones work well on it. I also bought a set of the T31s that are next up for the tire eater!

 

Mike

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I installed them on my 2013 RT. I've only got a few miles on them but I'll let everyone know what happens. So far so good. They feel good.

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About to mount my third set of Roadsmart III's after years of PR2, PR3, and PR4's. I've been getting maybe 500-1000 miles more on the rear RS compared to the PR.(5500-6000mi vs 5000-5500mi) I usually change front and rear together, giving away some miles on the front. Milage aside, the greatest improvements I notice are a much smoother turn-in requiring less pressure on the bars, less loss of contour as the miles pile up, and much reduced cupping of the front. The front especially does not seem to flatten on the sides like the PR's would, which may be responsible for the more stable handling with increasing wear. Can't speak to the wet handling issue. For reference, I ride a K1300GT, trail brake a lot, and enjoy dipping into the throttle liberally. I'm not a little guy either...250 easy ATGATT. I see little reason to try anything else. Most of my sportbike riding buddies have switched as well, even HP4 and Panigale riders.

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i'm on my second set of r3 and first set lasted 7000 miles, i ride mostly two up and loaded to the gils usually! in my mind you can't beat them for the price and mileage. long time michelin man,used all from pr2 thru the 4gt. like some one else said handling is as good or better less noise and virtually no scalloping of front, with the rebate going again i'm sure to buy another set or two for the shelf for this season....

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  • 1 month later...

Dunlop Roadsmart III new rebate of $75.00 !!!! :clap:

At the price of $223.11 from Rider Domain with free shipping I'm

getting a spare set. :thumbsup:

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  • 3 weeks later...
Medic Mike

I was going to pull the trigger on some PR4GT's to replace my Avon front tire and a Michelin tire I had emergently placed in Boone during START. Glad I came back to re-read the reviews on the RS III, and I cannot believe how much more reasonable they are compared to the PR4GT's. Even if they do not last as long as they advertise, the cost savings alone are almost worth giving them a try.

 

Mike

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  • 2 months later...

UPDATE: I now have 5,000 miles on my Roadsmart 3's and still have 3/32 " tread on the rear & 2.5/32 " on the front tire to the wear bars. More importantly no drop off of steering response or cornering grip yet! :clap:

 

I will buy these tires again when I need my next set.

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  • 1 month later...

We hadn't been selling many Dunlops when rep came to visit.

Mostly Metzler/Michelin.

Told him needed more experience with the Dunlop Roadsmart to recommend.

He gave me a set.

Very positive outcome.

:thumbsup:

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I know that this is a sample of one, but I have to mention it anyway. I switched to the RSIII from the PR3. Liked it well enough, not better than the Michelin but it was okay. Third tire on the front was my last RSIII. Worst tire ever on any bike in 300k miles. It was hard, and slick. Never rode right, always skittish, never settled the entire time it was on the bike. I know all about new tire release mold, tire soap residue and all the rest. That wasn't the problem. This was a BAD tire. I went back to PR3 and haven't regretted it for a second.

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My RSIII's now have 4k miles. Great tires. Quiet, comfy, plenty of grip, great stability. Performance fully equivalent to the PR4 GTs they replaced. Price much better... what's not to like.

  • Like 1
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  • 9 months later...

Well, following a bent front rim at Weaverville that beat the front up pretty good.... riding about 400 miles with it not quite holding air, and topping up the air every 30 miles or so.... and a rear that got beat up a little following a driveshaft failure.  Tow truck guy flat spotted it a bit dragging it around while the wheel was locked....  I took them off at just over 6k miles and mounted a new set of the same.

 

The front was easy peasy.  For some reason the rear fought tooth and nail to come off...  I couldn't get the dismount tool inside the bead....  then the new one fought hard going on.  Real tight bead.  It's funny because I have no memory of the old one being particularly hard to mount last fall.

 

In any event, both tires are just over their wear bars.  Probably could have gone another 1k miles, and had the driveshaft not failed they would have gone at least another 500.  But I figured I had the bike apart and on the stand, so the new shoes went on.

  • Like 1
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