Dunlop Elite 4 Front Motorcycle Tire

Dunlop Elite 4 Front Motorcycle Tire

If you are tired of your front motorcycle tire wearing out early, cupping badly, or making your handlebars shake way before the tread is even gone, the Dunlop Elite 4 front tire is built to solve that exact headache. Dunlop made this specific line for riders with heavy touring bikes, large cruisers, and long-distance setups who need real mileage out of their rubber. The focus here is simple: long tread life and steady control when the weather turns bad. You can roll thousands of miles on this front tire without dealing with the annoying uneven wear pattern or loud highway road noise that typically ruins a good road trip.

The deep tread lines are carved to push standing rain water away from your contact patch the second you roll over it. This stops hydroplaning and keeps the front end planted firmly when you hit an unexpected storm on the highway. It gives you a highly predictable, solid feel through your grips whether you are leaning hard into a tight curve or tracking straight across grooved pavement lanes.

Features and Benefits

• Get More Miles: Mixed with a tough, durable rubber compound that lets you ride way farther between tire changes compared to standard factory tires.

• Clears Rain Fast: The deep, angled tread grooves channel water out from under your wheel instantly, keeping your front grip solid on slick, wet asphalt.

• Fights Off Tire Cupping: The tread patterns are linked together closely to stop the rubber from squishing and twisting when you brake hard, meaning the tire wears down perfectly flat and runs quiet.

• Easier Handlebar Input: The rounded crown profile helps take the heavy steering effort away from large touring rigs, making tight turns and low-speed maneuvers feel much lighter.

• Casing Types for Your Setup: Available in both radial and bias-ply internal builds, letting you pick the exact internal structure your bike's factory suspension geometry requires.

Sizing and Part Numbers

We carry this premium front tire in four distinct variations depending on your rim size and bike requirements. Pick the exact manufacturer part number your motorcycle calls for:

• Part Number: 45119478 – Size: 130/70-18 M/C 63H TL (Bias-Ply Construction, Tubeless)

• Part Number: 45119687 – Size: 130/70R18 63H TL (Radial Construction, Tubeless)

• Part Number: 45119516 – Size: 130/90B16 73H TL (Bias-Belted Construction, Tubeless)

• Part Number: 45119300 – Size: 150/80R17 72H TL (Radial Construction, Tubeless)

Vehicle Fitment

These tires are universal for cruisers and grand touring motorcycles. They are engineered to fit hundreds of different models ranging from early 1980s cruisers up to modern showroom touring machines.

Note: Always look at the side of your current front tire or check your manual before buying. Never mix a radial front tire with a bias rear tire unless your motorcycle manual explicitly says it is okay to do so.

Technical Specifications

• Position: Front Wheel Only

• Speed Rating: H-Rated (Safe for sustained speeds up to 130 mph)

• Type: TL (Tubeless tire, but you can put an inner tube inside if you are mounting it onto traditional wire spoke rims)

• Sidewall Style: Standard Blackwall

• Manufacturing: Made in the USA

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is the actual difference between part 45119478 and part 45119687?

Even though they look identical in sizing numbers on paper (130/70-18), their internal skeleton is completely different. Part number 45119478 is a bias-ply tire, and part number 45119687 is a radial tire (which is why there is an "R" in the size). Always double-check your bike's specs, because running a bias tire on a suspension designed only for radials will completely mess up your handling.

Do I need to order an inner tube to run these tires?

No, all four of these part numbers are manufactured as Tubeless (TL) tires. If your bike has solid cast aluminum or alloy wheels, they will seal up completely airtight against the rim without a tube. However, if you are mounting them onto old-school wire-spoke wheels where air can seep out of the spoke nipples, you must buy and install a tube.

How does this tire stop front-end cupping?

Cupping usually happens when individual tread blocks flex and shift around too much whenever you brake or corner hard, creating high and low spots on the rubber over time. Dunlop designed the Elite 4 with an interconnected block stiffness that resists twisting under load, ensuring the rubber wears down completely flat from the center out to the sidewall shoulders.