Front Tire Problem

Joined
Apr 20, 2015
Messages
3
Location
Michigan
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2003 Honda ST 1300
Hello to all,

Pretty new to the sight but wanted to show and ask for advice.

Bike 2003 Honda ST1300A 45,000. miles Bought used with Dunlop tires both front and rear. Fr. 120/70 ZR18 M/C (59W) 8000 miles on tire. I road Saturday for 440 miles round trip. 3 miles from home I feel a thump, thump, thump on a 45 mph Hwy. after running 210 miles on the x way. Road it on home very cautiously and this is what I found when I pulled into my drive. See attachments.

I pulled the tire off and then took the fender off getting ready for a new tire. Any thoughts of what could have happened and what caused the tire to rub the inside of the front fender?

I was very fortunate to make it home.
 

Attachments

Last edited:

970mike

Mike Brown
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Those Dunlop tires have a history of doing that. There were several years where they had issues. Just replace it with something new and thank the road gods that is all that happened.
 
Joined
Nov 3, 2008
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san diego, ca
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'07 ST1300
I think it was the '07 and '08 Dunlop Roadsmarts that had a recall for that problem. No problems since and a great handling tire. Some unfounded negativism towards Dunlop refuses to die, however.
 
OP
OP
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Michigan
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2003 Honda ST 1300
Thanks guys. Can't believe I actually made it home. The next morning the tire was as flat as a flat tire could get.
 

veefore

See you at my intervention!
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I think it was the '07 and '08 Dunlop Roadsmarts that had a recall for that problem. No problems since and a great handling tire. Some unfounded negativism towards Dunlop refuses to die, however.
Judging from that picture I wouldn't call it unfounded......:think1:
 
Joined
Nov 3, 2008
Messages
288
Location
san diego, ca
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'07 ST1300
Judging from that picture I wouldn't call it unfounded......:think1:
They had a problem, they did a recall/refund, they fixed the problem, an excellent tire for over six years now... I call that very positive. Let it go...
 

st11ray

2006 ST1300
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charlotte, nc
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They had a problem, they did a recall/refund, they fixed the problem, an excellent tire for over six years now... I call that very positive. Let it go...
I let it go over 6 years ago, and haven't missed Dunlops since!
 
Joined
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My negativism towards Dunlop is well founded. Anyone can have a faulty product. How one deals with the problem, or in this case fails to deal with the problem, says a lot about the company. Dunlop's lack of concern, and reluctance to address a very real safety issue for an extended length of time, is the reason I don't buy their tires anymore. The recall came after a lot of failed tires. I imagine that very few were actually replaced due to the recall, having been either worn out or thrown away due to failure.

For those who weren't around at the outset, here's some history:

https://www.st-owners.com/forums/showthread.php?71141-RoadSmarts-Forget-What-I-Said-Earlier
 

veefore

See you at my intervention!
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I let it go after a Dunlop front caused a push, only to discover that it was out of round (a new tire mind you). No confidence in the brand, to each their own.
 
Last edited:

Kevin_56

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Some unfounded negativism towards Dunlop refuses to die, however.
Tell that to those that had tread separation on the Road Smarts. It does seem that Dunlop corrected the manufacturing fault and the new ones are a good tire.
 

wjbertrand

Ventura Highway
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I let it go after a Dunlop front caused a push, only to discover that it was out of round (a new tire mind you). No confidence in the brand, to each their own.
Same thing happened to me. When I removed the tire I found the internal steel belt had frayed and several broken strands had punctured the inner butyl air tight lining. I was lucky to make it to work before it lost all the air. In my 40+ years of riding the first and only time I've had a front tire failure of any kind. Bad enough that the tire failed the way it did, but worse was Dunlop's attitude and stall tactics when I complained about it. it's this experience that has me sworn off Dumbflops. Months later, maybe even over a year later, I received a recall notice that they would replace the tire if I supplied them the failed one. I'd given up fighting with them long before and disposed of the tire, they didn't even want to look at it at the time. Evidently there were enough complaints following mine (and I wasn't the first) to finally get them to admit the problem and take some action. I just wrote them a note on the recall letter thanking them for making me a loyal Michelin customer and stating that I would not take advantage of their offer, even if I still had the failed one, unless it involved a refund as I was not interested in fitting another of their tires to my bike.
 
OP
OP
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2003 Honda ST 1300
If I remember it was a 2010. It was already 2 years old when the PO had it put on.
 
Joined
Aug 8, 2015
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471
Location
CT USA
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07 ST1300
Dunlop just called me to replace a "new old stock" 2008 front I have. It was installed just before I got the bike. I contacted them yesterday. They are still responding well. Happy about that. Hope the new ones are ok!
 
Joined
Aug 8, 2015
Messages
471
Location
CT USA
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07 ST1300
And now I have a roadsmart II sitting next to me in my office. I wonder if I have the "LAST" roadsmart recall tire?
 
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