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Iron Butt
Posts: 741
Central New York | Due to my recent handling problems I have headed in the direction of tires and tire alternatives. In reading this forum over the last few months I was lead to believe the the Dunlop E3's were the only tire load rated for the Vision. In research I see that although the E3 is rated 80H, the Vision service manual only specs 74H for the rear. That makes the Bridgestone G709/G704 a spec'd replacement tire set for the Vision. As are the Avon Cobra's, Metzeler ME880's, Michelin Hi-Tour 79X's, and probably some I am unaware of. Now, if we could just get some simple performance reviews on these direct replacement tires we could make an informed decision on what we would like to try.
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Cruiser
Posts: 256
| I had the Metzeler's on my BMW and was very pleased. Going darkside next though. |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 1117
Northeast Ohio | Read this: http://www.vision-riders.com/bb/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=5534
You probably wouldn't have caught this in a search. |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 741
Central New York | Again, that thread is very confusing and most posters tend to imply that the E3 is the only replacement. Seems everyone is caught up in the fact that the E3 is rated 80H which has no bearing on the fact that the Vision calls for a 74H.
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Visionary
Posts: 1484
LaPorte,Tx. | The Vision has a load rating of 901 lbs. on the rear axle and 513 lbs. rating on the front axle for a total gross weight of 1414 lbs. The E3 tires are installed on the bike at the factory due to this axle load rating, Victory could not install a 74H tire on the rear axle and have the 1414 lb. total GVW. At this time you cannot buy a 180/60R-16 E3 with a lower load rating than a 80H, even though the 08 service manual says this tire is a 74H rated tire. When the service manual was written, at that time the E3 rear may very well have been rated as a 74H. The service manual states a warning that if you wish to use another tire other than the OEM tire, then consult with that tire manufactures tech service to ensure the capabilities of the tire. When doing that contact, be sure to tell them the rim width. So with all that, are Vision owners using tires other than the E-3, yes they are. It just lowers the GVW of the bike to the load rating of the tires, which would be 1340 lbs.. |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 741
Central New York | So, you are saying that the 08 manuals have an uncorrected error. Not surprising for Polaris. However, being I run a "Street" and not a "Tour", that 74 lb. drop in GVW is of no consequence. But thank you for pointing out the manual error. |
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Visionary
Posts: 1484
LaPorte,Tx. | The so called error in the manual, maybe just an oversite by a technical writer & the proof reader that wrote and proofed the manual. The manuals were probably written and printed during the bike development. The 08 bikes probably hit the sales floor and the so called error was not found. I don't understand the "Not suprising for Polaris" statement. Do you think Polaris did this on purpose or that they are a bad company? |
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Tourer
Posts: 444
Bay of Gigs, WA | I was in Medford OR last spring when I noticed three cuts in the tread of my rear '08 Street Premium tire. I called the local Victory dealer to have him put on a new one, and he said "Sure. I can have one by Friday."
So I told him "to be sure and do that, and maybe order two, since it's Monday and I'll be gone by then, but maybe you'll have one to sell to the next guy through, you moron."
I called the HD dealership, and they had the next size up and down, but not the E3 I needed, but he was cool enough to have me call the Honda dealer, who also carries the big Kaws, so he has belt drive experience, which was what I was looking for, anyways, really.
But all HE had was Metzler Marathons, so I easily went with one of those, as I've had good luck before on my old Yamaha Venture Royale. It never occurred to me that the weight limit might be compromised, but since I don't haul cattle, it probably won't affect me. I got about 2,000 miles on the Metzler, and have stayed on the road just fine, FWIW. |
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Tire confusion
