HD Forums Australia
Home
Topics

New tyre

  • Neale
    Neale
    3 years ago
    Learnt something new last week.
    I needed a new front Dunlop for my Electra Glide, I’ve been running 402’s for 14 yrs on it.
    The sales guy at Hawkesbury Honda put me onto a Dunlop 404, same tread pattern and compound but without the Harley Davidson script on the sidewall.
    $180 fitted and balanced,I took the wheel in, $80 less because of no HD logo.
    Thought I’d share.
  • speedzter
    speedzter
    3 years ago
    Not the same compound.
    It has a softer sidewall, softer compound, and lower weight rating.
  • dicko
    dicko
    3 years ago
    Cut and pasted from another forum. Info on dunlop site as well.
    The main difference between the Dunlop 401 and 404 is that the 404 is a bias-ply tire, while the 401 is a belted tire.
    Even on the description, the rear tire (let's take the standard Sportster size for example) is shown as D404 150/80-16 and D401 150/80-B16. Note the "B" for belted on the D401.
    Also, there is a slight difference is tire diameter, width, and tread depth between the 404 and 401 series.
    The D401 150/80-B16 has a diameter of 25.45", width of 6.15", and a tread depth of 10/32".
    The D404 150/80-16 has a diameter of 25.35", width of 5.81", and a tread depth of 9/32".
    Not a whole lot of difference is the 'sizing', but I guess it depends on it you want to run a bias-ply tire or a belted tire.
  • Soapbox2627
    Soapbox2627
    3 years ago
    an if the 404 has a slightly smaller everything, it will wear out sooner thus then need replacing more often

    sneeky sneeky
  • Neale
    Neale
    3 years ago
    Live and learn I guess.
    It’ll be interesting to see how it goes.
  • Kato
    Kato
    3 years ago
    Quoting dicko on 22 Jun 2021 12:14 AMedited: 22 Jun 2021 12:15 AM

    Cut and pasted from another forum. Info on dunlop site as well.

    The main difference between the Dunlop 401 and 404 is that the 404 is a bias-ply tire, while the 401 is a belted tire.
    Even on the description, the rear tire (let's take the standard Sportster size for example) is shown as D404 150/80-16 and D401 150/80-B16. Note the "B" for belted on the D401.
    Also, there is a slight difference is tire diameter, width, and tread depth between the 404 and 401 series.
    The D401 150/80-B16 has a diameter of 25.45", width of 6.15", and a tread depth of 10/32".
    The D404 150/80-16 has a diameter of 25.35", width of 5.81", and a tread depth of 9/32".
    Not a whole lot of difference is the 'sizing', but I guess it depends on it you want to run a bias-ply tire or a belted tire.

    This a VERY interesting topic 
    I have ran the following on a Fatboy 03 1450 

    - D401 = 25,000 Kms 
    - D404 = 10,000 Kms 

    I note your post re the "B" for belted on the 401 ,...........i have a "B" though on my D404 (so it would appear The B is on both 401 and 404  tyres ??? ) 
    id love to know why a 401 gives a LOT better mileage than a 404 
    Someone said to me that i was the load rating THEN i saw on the tyre section of a noted HD Distributor that said a 404 was NOT to be used on any HD Motorcycle 
  • beaglebasher
    beaglebasher
    3 years ago
    This thread reminds me of a problem a mate had way back. He bought a Triumph Daytona and I remember looking at the back tyre and thinking it looked stupidly wide. I think it was the widest tyre on the market at the time, probably around 200mm.  He had the bike for just over 2 years and got 20 something punctures. 23 I think, all on the back tyre. He had a Toyota Hiace van at the time and his mrs would come and he would put the bike in the van. He ended up doing the mushroom plug repairs himself.  I dont remember if he had a choice in which brand of tyre he could buy but there was obviously something wrong with the ones he was buying. He must have went through at least 8 of them cos he would only plug them 3 times. He had a collection of hardly worn tyres in the shed. 
    Dont know if that is relevant to your scenario Kato but I reckon the rubber in the Trumpy tyre must have been shit.
    The rubber in the D404 must be a lot softer than the D401.  I run the Pirreli night dragons on my bike ( 2002 fatboy  )  and if I get 10K out of the back tyre I am happy.




  • steelo
    steelo
    3 years ago
    Quoting beaglebasher on 23 Jun 2021 08:01 AMedited: 23 Jun 2021 09:16 AM

    This thread reminds me of a problem a mate had way back. He bought a Triumph Daytona and I remember looking at the back tyre and thinking it looked stupidly wide. I think it was the widest tyre on the market at the time, probably around 200mm.  He had the bike for just over 2 years and got 20 something punctures. 23 I think, all on the back tyre. He had a Toyota Hiace van at the time and his mrs would come and he would put the bike in the van. He ended up doing the mushroom plug repairs himself.  I dont remember if he had a choice in which brand of tyre he could buy but there was obviously something wrong with the ones he was buying. He must have went through at least 8 of them cos he would only plug them 3 times. He had a collection of hardly worn tyres in the shed. 

    Dont know if that is relevant to your scenario Kato but I reckon the rubber in the Trumpy tyre must have been shit.
    The rubber in the D404 must be a lot softer than the D401.  I run the Pirreli night dragons on my bike ( 2002 fatboy  )  and if I get 10K out of the back tyre I am happy.




    Wider tyre bb. Greater chance of finding the nails. 
  • beaglebasher
    beaglebasher
    3 years ago
    I was riding a ZZR 1100 at the time. That had a 180mm tyre.  I never got a puncture in the 5 years I had it. We both lived in the Eastern suburbs of Sydney so we were basically riding on the same roads. None of the other boys were getting punctures either.
    Are you suggesting he was only  getting nails in the outside 10 mm of the tyre steelo?
    Give yourself an uppercut and go to bed .
  • Far Canal
    Far Canal
    3 years ago
    Quoting beaglebasher on 23 Jun 2021 08:01 AMedited: 23 Jun 2021 09:16 AM

    This thread reminds me of a problem a mate had way back. He bought a Triumph Daytona and I remember looking at the back tyre and thinking it looked stupidly wide. I think it was the widest tyre on the market at the time, probably around 200mm.  He had the bike for just over 2 years and got 20 something punctures. 23 I think, all on the back tyre. He had a Toyota Hiace van at the time and his mrs would come and he would put the bike in the van. He ended up doing the mushroom plug repairs himself.  I dont remember if he had a choice in which brand of tyre he could buy but there was obviously something wrong with the ones he was buying. He must have went through at least 8 of them cos he would only plug them 3 times. He had a collection of hardly worn tyres in the shed. 

    Dont know if that is relevant to your scenario Kato but I reckon the rubber in the Trumpy tyre must have been shit.
    The rubber in the D404 must be a lot softer than the D401.  I run the Pirreli night dragons on my bike ( 2002 fatboy  )  and if I get 10K out of the back tyre I am happy.




    "if I get 10K out of the back tyre I am happy."
    So am I BB!.
    How the blazers do you get 25K on a tyre?
    Must be riding it with the back wheel off the ground and pretending or something.
  • Far Canal
    Far Canal
    3 years ago
    For what it is worth, I reckon the fat tyres are shit. 200mm...stick em up your clacker.
    Even 180 seems too wide.
    Bike tyres seem to have got fatter with the average person but it has not made for better handling bikes.
Topics