Is the "E" worth it

Ok i know the E series of the strada is "for" the FJR but does it really make a difference? I just had a non E tire and it seemed great for the 3500 miles I got out of it.

I can't remember. Shoot a PM to JeffAshe. He is the resident expert on all things Strada.

MSC has run both and I took the non-E to a track day and had no probs.

It might make a diff if doing a LOT of 2 up or if you are a larger fellow. Both MSC and myself fall to the 230 range and have had no probs without the E

Just did a 5800 mile tour 2-up and loaded with a non-E and it is very flattened out, however, made it through the trip. I was worried when we were rocketing through 104 degrees in southern Idaho's crap roads. Pretty much the worst conditions for a tire (heavy load, high speed, high temperatures, rough surface) but still made it through the trip. Don't know if I'll try the E next time.

BTW, awesome trip. Duluth, MN to and around west coast and many other sights and back. Want to go again, NOW!!!

Best,

SR

sirryan said:

Just did a 5800 mile tour 2-up and loaded with a non-E and it is very flattened out, however, made it through the trip. I was worried when we were rocketing through 104 degrees in southern Idaho's crap roads. Pretty much the worst conditions for a tire (heavy load, high speed, high temperatures, rough surface) but still made it through the trip. Don't know if I'll try the E next time.
BTW, awesome trip. Duluth, MN to and around west coast and many other sights and back. Want to go again, NOW!!!

Best,

SR

Click to expand...

God! how do you get so many miles out of a tire. i weigh 160 and ride alone, i am hoping to get to 4000

I got 6,710 miles on a rear E (which has less rubber then a non E) of which 1/2 was 2 up, fully loaded, in temperatures up to 115 F.....cruising in the 80- 90 mph range on superslab (including 3 days riding the twisties in Colorado & 4 days @ WFO in Utah, then back to NC where I changed rear tires)(oh ya I got 7,953 miles out of a regular front Diablo non strada).....go figure....*NOTE*....your mileage may vary ....depending on riding style, habits,& or conditions etc.....

I'm a 350+ lb cow who drives like a maniac and my non-E shows very little wear after 2k miles.

I will get about 6,000 miles out of a Strada "E", and I am generally not light on the throttle, but don't weigh alot either.

My guess is stiffer sidewall (for the heavier bikes), less flex, less heat, better wear. Though it sounds like we need a few more members to give us mileage figures before there is any conclusive answer. I will go with the "E" next time, because that is what the bike is supposed to have.

My 'E' has been in place for roughly 6800 miles - I am not light (260) and I push the bike hard. Some flattening in the center, but 'lots' of tread left. Maybe a thousand miles if I'm lucky. I have another 'E" sitting in my basement for when it happens.

The bike is heavy as motorcycles go and the 'E' is designed to stand taller under the load and the sidewalls flex less than (presumably) the non-'E'.

About the only thing I would say is that if they didn't firmly believe that S-T bikes needed the variant (because the 'E" is also used on the K1200GT) they wouldn't make it. The market is pretty small overall, and they will only sell their pecentage of that market. They think long and hard before making up a new mould.

Kevin Daly said:

sirryan said:

Just did a 5800 mile tour 2-up and loaded with a non-E and it is very flattened out, however, made it through the trip. I was worried when we were rocketing through 104 degrees in southern Idaho's crap roads. Pretty much the worst conditions for a tire (heavy load, high speed, high temperatures, rough surface) but still made it through the trip. Don't know if I'll try the E next time.
BTW, awesome trip. Duluth, MN to and around west coast and many other sights and back. Want to go again, NOW!!!

Best,

SR

Click to expand...

God! how do you get so many miles out of a tire. i weigh 160 and ride alone, i am hoping to get to 4000

Click to expand...

I think that it had something to do with higher pressures. At least that was my goal. I ran 42 in the rear and 44 in the front for the trip since it was loaded and mostly highway miles. Normally I'll run 39-42, so we'll see what happens with the next tire. This is an interesting debate with these two tires, as it seems like more pressure may be the only reason to get that kind of mileage out of a non-E. I'm not suggesting that others run at pressures that are not reccommended by the manufacturer, but It stands to reason that a slightly higher pressure would "stiffen" up the sidewall a bit and keep the tire from wearing itself to death.

Doing my best not to turn this into NEPRT.

SR

The non-E likely has a deeper tread. The E has one additional rayon ply in the tread and one additional rayon ply in each sidewall.

My non-E had a measured tread depth of almost 8/32".

While i am light and run solo, I do run with lower pressurethan most: 36-38 in back and front. Perhaps I should see how they last at higher pressures.

The E-series is a great tire if you do a lot of 2-up riding with riders exceeding 400 lbs. total. If you typically ride solo and weigh under 250, then IMO the E is not necessary and will cost you some mileage.

I typically get 20% more mileage on the non-E with no noticeable performance difference.

Kevin Daly said:

While i am light and run solo, I do run with lower pressurethan most: 36-38 in back and front. Perhaps I should see how they last at higher pressures.

Click to expand...

As with almost everything in life, there's always a compromise. I also ride alone and weigh 155# (in 'panties' ), but am aggressive in the twisties and cruise fast. The best pressure compromise for me is 38 front and 40 rear. Yes, a bit more pressure can probably extend the life of my tires, but I start sliding in the twisties, so whatever extra life I could get out of the tires is not worth it. When riding with the bags loaded, I use 41 in the rear. Was doing 39/41 before, but a couple of scares with the front sliding a bit I'll never do it again. Besides, I always change my tires in pairs, and the front has always life left, so no need to maximize the life of it. But at 36 they cup real bad, so 38 is what I use with all tire brands. And 40 to 41 on the rear, as explained. When you play with pressures enough, you'll find the compromise you like. Take care.

JC

ELP_JC said:

Kevin Daly said:

While i am light and run solo, I do run with lower pressurethan most: 36-38 in back and front. Perhaps I should see how they last at higher pressures.

Click to expand...

As with almost everything in life, there's always a compromise. I also ride alone and weigh 155# (in 'panties' ), but am aggressive in the twisties and cruise fast. The best pressure compromise for me is 38 front and 40 rear. Yes, a bit more pressure can probably extend the life of my tires, but I start sliding in the twisties, so whatever extra life I could get out of the tires is not worth it.

Click to expand...

Ok, dont want to know about your panties

As for the rest... I too like my twisties and I tend to ride lower pressures because the tires get to temp faster and the patch seems more secure. but i will increase tire pressure a bit on these and see if the compromise pays out in more miles

-k

Kevin Daly said:

Ok, dont want to know about your panties

Click to expand...

It was just a joking reference, since I weigh substantially more in my Vanson gear, helmet, etc.

I also should have said the closest twisties are 120 miles away from my house, hence the compromise due to the fact I like to cruise at the ton to get there (plus it's quite hot now). If I lived in the twisties, I'd do 36/38, but don't consider fun inflating and deflating tires during a ride. Plus I'm not at a racetrack, so 38/40 works for me, as tires are quite up to temperature when I get to the fun stuff. Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

JC

Just switched to a fresh Rear 'E' Strada after 7170 miles - it was *just* starting to show wear to the cords. I ride hard and run factory air 39/42.

I got close to 7,000 miles out of a non E rear. I was running solo the whole time with 40/40 air in front and back. I ran these through the dragon at Deals Gap,pretty hard, and there were no adverse effects.

GP

At 2300 miles on non-E's, wear is still nearly non-existant, just barely starting to show a flattening on the rear. That includes the extreme hooligan ride in July at Ojai.