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Made to go the distance, these tires are designed to last, provide grip and keep you touring for miles to come. I just purchased my set, so here’s my Dunlop Elite 4 motorcycle tires review.
After running my motorcycle tires down to the point of having a tread bubble, I had no choice but to spring for a new set of tires. I quickly settled on the Dunlop Elite 4 after a recommendation from a friend and I’m not disappointed.
During my short time of riding on these tires, they have been as advertised by Dunlop; The ride has been smoother and quieter and the handling feels way better than the previous set of tires that I just replaced.
In this post we’ll take a closer look at the Dunlop Elite 4 motorcycle tire, and give you a quick rundown. I just purchased my set, so I thought I’d share my thoughts.
Motorcycle Gear
Dunlop Elite 4 Tires Designed for the modern cruiser, the Dunlop Elite 4 Tires take huge leaps in tire technology. A bi-compound construction puts Dunlop's MT technology in the center of the tire, boosting longevity and straight line performance with special lateral compounds on the outside edges...
Your Tires Are A Lifeline
In my opinion, your motorcycle tires are one of the most important pieces of gear you should invest in.
Think about it;
The tiny contact patch or footprint that your motorcycle tire provides is the only thing that is keeping you on the road. As far as I’m concerned, when it comes to tires it’s worth the investment.
Key Features
These tires are designed for motorcycle touring and fit many of the modern cruisers that are on the road today.
They feature what’s referred to as ‘bi compound’ technology (more on that later) with an emphasis on beefing up the center area of the tire tread.
Sure we all like hitting the twisties, but let’s face it;
Most touring is done from point A to Point B in (mostly) a straight line, so beefing up the center portion of the tread is a nice touch. As much as I like the twisties, it makes my wife sick which means I don’t get to do them as much as I’d like.
The tread patterns on these tires are designed to provide some of the best wet pavement performance, which was the biggest reason I bought them.
Features at a glance
- New tread pattern allows for grip in wet and dry road conditions. Good grip on the shoulder of the tread that helps cornering.
- Quiet ride, low road noise
- High mileage, even wear tire
- Tires are available in radial and bias ply construction.
- Fits tons of touring bikes in both standard and metric
- Designed to be a higher mileage tire compared to current single compound tires.
What does Bi Compound Mean For Motorcycle Tires?
Bi compound or dual compound as it is sometimes known, means the motorcycle tire was constructed of two compounds in different sections of the tire.
For example, the side or shoulder of the tread consists of a softer compound to provide more grip in a turn, while the center of the tire is made of a compound for better wear that also provides less rolling resistance.
This is essentially what Dunlop has done with the Elite 4 with a tread design that helps with wet pavement.
The Journey To Buying My Dunlop Elite Tires
I was prepping my bike on a Friday afternoon to hit the road for a day ride on Saturday. I like to pre check my motorcycle then go gas it up the day before, so I don’t have to waste time in the morning.
I don’t always get down on my hands and knees to check my tires and underneath my bike, but this time I figured I would, since I knew my tread was getting close on wear. Plus, I hadn’t done it a while.
And there it was staring me in the face…
My rear tire had a horrible bubble about 2 – 3 inches long looking like it would pop at any time!
So much for my Saturday ride.
My ‘research’
There are a ton of motorcycle tires out there and of course they are all not created equal and prices run the gamut from dirt cheap to really expensive.
I have the luxury of having a good friend who is one of the best mechanics I’ve ever met. When I have an issue, he’s the first person I call for advice.
It just so happens that we ride the exact same GL1800 – Same bike, same color, same year. I decided to make my motorcycle tire research simple and gave him a call to find out what tires he was riding.
Spoiler alert – he’s riding Dunlops (he rides the Dunlop Elite 3) and specifically recommended the Elite 4 for my Goldwing based on living in Florida where things are wetter.
Since I greatly value my friends’ experience, I headed online to Revzilla and picked myself up a set. While I was on the site I did some reading to see other riders thoughts on the tires and they were quite positive as well.
My Dunlop Elite 4 Motorcycle Tires Review
The tires came in within a week, in fact just a few days so shipping was great! No cuts or abrasions on the tire from shipping, which is always a plus. Once I received my Dunlops, I made an appointment at my local motorcycle shop to have my tires mounted.
I was able to pick up my gl 1800 up on a Friday, one full week after finding the tire bubble and rode it home. Of course, you never just go straight home!
Smoother Ride
We decided to go on a ride the next day and put a good 300 miles on the tires.
Goldwings ride pretty smooth to begin with even with the stock Bridgestone tires that I had, so I really didn’t think that the ride could be any better. Dunlop advertises that these tires will give you a smoother ride, which I took with a grain of salt.
Overall the ride really was noticeably smoother, in fact I was surprised.
Less Road Noise
Certain kinds of pavement make different noises, some louder and more distinct than others. Concrete for example, makes a louder, higher pitch riding over it.
With the Dunlops the road noise went down a notch or two. We were riding on a fairly still day, with no wind (other than the bike moving) so we weren’t getting blasted.
With minimal yelling, we could actually talk with each without our intercom system (right now mine doesn’t work) and we were able to hear each other.
Again, it was a noticeable difference that made for a more pleasant ride.
So How Do They Handle?
During our 300 mile ride, I didn’t really have the opportunity to hit any ‘twisties’ because we were on flat country back roads.
What I can tell you, is that while maneuvering the bike at low speeds through parking lots and gas stations felt good. No concerns about the tire gripping or slippage. No issues making simple left or right turns going through an intersection.
During the ride I also had a hard stop from a car pulling out in front me. Nothing like breaking them in right! Everything was fine and I was able to get the motorcycle stopped quickly with no skidding or sliding.
Dunlop claims that the tread pattern on these tires will perform excellent in wet weather which was the biggest reason I bought them in the first place.
So after some recent rainfall, I jumped on the Goldwing and headed to a nearby empty church parking lot to practice some low speed turns.
I’m not going to lie, I was nervous because it was wet and I’m still trying to break in new motorcycle tires and didn’t want to drop my bike.
I did a series of low speed turns, circles and figure eights to get the tires broke in for the twisties. The tires handled great and after a short time into my practice session I didn’t worry about the wet pavement or new tires.
Where Can I Buy Dunlop Elite 4 Tires?
I purchased my set through Revzilla and it appears that they keep them in stock. The tires are common and can be found at a lot of different online retail outlets.
You can price compare at the three stores below, just search ‘dunlop elite 4’:
What Motorcycle Tire Sizes Will The Dunlop Elite 4 Fit?
These tires will fit a wide variety of both standard and metric cruisers. Make sure you check your motorcycles sidewall and get the size you need.
Front Motorcycle Tire Sizes
- 150/80B16 71H
- 150/90B17 64S
- 140/80B17 69H
- 150/80R17 72H
- 110/90B18 61H
- 120/90B18 65H
- 130/70B18 63H
- 130/70R18 63H
- 100/90B19 57H
- 110/90B19 62H
- 80/90B21 48H
Rear Motorcycle Tire Sizes
- 140/90B15 70H
- 150/90B15 80H
- 170/80B15 77H
- 130/90B16 73H
- 140/90B16 77H
- 150/80B16 77H
- 160/80B16 80H
- 180/60R16 80H
- 180/70R16 77H
- 200/55R16 77H
- 250/40R18 81V
Check for your tire size at Revzilla
Should You Buy A Set Of Dunlop Elite 4 Tires?
That’s a tough question, but probably not for the reason you think.
The thing is this;
Just like anything else riders put on their motorcycle, it can get personal. What works for me, you may not like.
I compared prices with Metzler and Cobra tires and I liked the price point better for the Dunlops. I wasn’t afraid to spend money on good tires, but why pay more money when you don’t have to and still get great performance?
Although I bought them from a friend’s recommendation, I did check some online reviews from riders who felt the tires were stable and provided excellent grip.
So far, I’m about 400 plus miles on this new set and I really like them. The ride is smoother, they’re quieter and they seem to handle very well and have lived up to what I read online.
It’s difficult for me to compare the ride to any other motorcycle tires other than the Bridgestone tires that I just replaced. In comparing the Dunlops with Bridgestone tires, the Dunlops are a definite step up in ride and quality.
In reviews that I’ve read about Dunlop Elite 4 motorcycle tires, riders are very happy with the performance and getting as much as 22K miles on the rear tire. That’s just what I’ve read so I can’t confirm that as of yet and remains to be seen.
Overall, I’m happy with my purchase. I feel like I got a great set of tires for my Goldwing at a good price point.
I’ve got a couple trips planned and I look forward to putting some serious mileage on these tires.
