Dunlop Refines the Roadsmart IV Series

[runnerhiker]

Got my tires fro J&P last night via UPS.  So good service.  Date codes are 3122 and 1622 so they are ok fresh.  Not sure how it's going to work putting the tires out on the driveway to heat them up in March weather.  Gotta find an alternative for warming.

Hi Bob, it's good to "hear" from you.  So you didn't sell your RS?

Ron

[mspratz]

Gotta find an alternative for warming.

This is my setup for warming the tires for mount or dismount:
   

[maxredline]

Oh ya! old school rocks

[maxredline]

I have not been a fan of Dunlop tires for some time. 40 years really. That said I am considering the 4's to my surprise.
What I would like to know is; never mind the money paid, which is the best sport touring tire that can handle
rain but can grip like a sport bike tire. I can forgive mileage for grip. To me its a safety thing and the way I ride.
I am still leaning towards the Michelin 6 or GT

[Grumpy Goat]

I have not been a fan of Dunlop tires for some time. 40 years really. That said I am considering the 4's to my surprise.
What I would like to know is; never mind the money paid, which is the best sport touring tire that can handle
rain but can grip like a sport bike tire. I can forgive mileage for grip. To me its a safety thing and the way I ride.
I am still leaning towards the Michelin 6 or GT

The sentence in the pink colour is the main thing, and only you know how you ride and feel about safety. You can't go wrong with the Michelins. That said, many of us RS owners have ridden both the RS3 and RS4 and have had very good results, and have enjoyed longer life (in my case) and less cupping on the front.

[Lee]

Gotta find an alternative for warming.

This is my setup for warming the tires for mount or dismount:

Good idea. How long do you heat it?

[Lee]

I have not been a fan of Dunlop tires for some time. 40 years really. That said I am considering the 4's to my surprise.
What I would like to know is; never mind the money paid, which is the best sport touring tire that can handle
rain but can grip like a sport bike tire. I can forgive mileage for grip. To me its a safety thing and the way I ride.
I am still leaning towards the Michelin 6 or GT

We have a friend who hated the older Dunlops but liked the 3 and 4 for the feel and grip.
Last year he tried some Michelin 5 tires but took them off when he returned home from a trip because the back would slide too much in the rain.
The Pilot Road 4 had good sipes near the edge but the 5 has a wide area near the edge with no sipes. The 6 looks better.

[mspratz]

Gotta find an alternative for warming.

This is my setup for warming the tires for mount or dismount:

Good idea. How long do you heat it?

I found the new tire to be good and hot after only 15 minutes.

[Grumpy Goat]

I found the new tire to be good and hot after only 15 minutes.

I have to use a similar approach next time - thanks for the great "shadetree mechanic" idea.

[Ray]

I have not been a fan of Dunlop tires for some time. 40 years really. That said I am considering the 4's to my surprise.
What I would like to know is; never mind the money paid, which is the best sport touring tire that can handle
rain but can grip like a sport bike tire. I can forgive mileage for grip. To me its a safety thing and the way I ride.
I am still leaning towards the Michelin 6 or GT

We have a friend who hated the older Dunlops but liked the 3 and 4 for the feel and grip.
Last year he tried some Michelin 5 tires but took them off when he returned home from a trip because the back would slide too much in the rain.
The Pilot Road 4 had good sipes near the edge but the 5 has a wide area near the edge with no sipes. The 6 looks better.

Right - I'm with Max - didn't like Dunlops past. Even tried the 3s in a pinch when with a nod to Mmrrvvrroomm, I settled for round rubber rebate (3 Rs). The IVs are a completely different animal. A couple weeks ago, had a blast on my 4th pair on a Florida trip that began and ended in the Ozarks.

[maxredline]

With Rays review along with other reviews, the price has made me take the plunge. First set of Dunlop's in 40 years. I will burn off my Michelins and store the Dunlop's for when needed.

[BobAin'tStoppin']

Installed my new RS3 tires today. Used the warm up method from Mspratz above. Worked well, but that rear tire is just plain hard to get off and to get on. The front was easy and didn't even require changing any balance weights. Battery is tomorrow's job. A quick check of my service log shows I put 10,117 miles on the old set.

[Grumpy Goat]

Excellent Bob. I am very impressed. I take it the front tire was easier?

Battery will be a piece of cake compared to that tire.

[Ray]

https://www.mototireusa.com/
 I see they have a grand opening in a new facility in the St. Louis area where NoMar has been headquartered (or at least were last I checked)

Still here. 
There's pictures somewhere on the forum I took of the No-Mar offices/production facility while I riding around town to get back in shape during the pandemic.
Prior no-mar photos

Will eventually make the pilgrimage out to MototireUSA - it's about 7 miles further west on I44 than No-Mar. Far enough out of town, I'll have to create an excuse (other than new tires, which are still cheapest for me through the dealership, though I haven't mentioned that price to the Mototire guys, or anyone else).

[Lee]

Time for new back RS3s tomorrow.
I have a little over 9,000 miles on mine and a little under 9,000 miles on Deb's.
I have 2/32" to 3/32" tread left on mine and Debbie has 2/32" on hers.

   

   

[Grumpy Goat]

Nice even wear too. Will you be changing them yourself?

[Lee]

Nice even wear too. Will you be changing them yourself?

The guy we're renting a cabin from 5 miles north of Blanco, Tx has a NoMar so he'll mount and balance them.
Steve and Helen have BMWs and KTMs.
We usually stay here a few nights each April Hill Country trip.
   

   

[Lee]

We usually buy the Roadsmart 3 because of the cheap price but a month or two ago it had a price increase to around $170 for the rear.
The guy we buy tires from in Des Moines quoted me $203 plus tax for the Roadsmart 4 rear. With the $30 rebate it was about the same price as the RS 3.
Looks like the internet prices for the RS4 are in the $255 to $270 range.
I thanked the owner of the shop for the good price.

   

   

[Ray]

I thanked the owner of the shop for the good price.

Always an important part of the negotiation. Of course, buying two of each is a plus.

Will look forward to Debbie's thoughts. (As I recall, she is a little tougher on tires.)

[36654]

Has anyone tried the Dunlop Mutants? I'm curious about tread life.

The RS4 Rear has been good for me, delivering over 10K with a bit of remaining tread. Fronts are still a challenge relative to tread life. My second RS4 front was much better than my first which had a weave/wave in the mold line and a persistent shimmy.