Re: Dunlop 908 RR

Just wondering if anyone out there is running a Dunlop 908 rear on a standard KTM 950 Adventure rear rim and what kind of wear you are getting. I have searched the forum and found alot of riders like this tire, but did not find what size rim they were running. Thanks

I have a standard rim, 2011 990 and i have less than 1000k on mine and she's almost done. Awesome tire offroad and in the mud. I can lean her over pretty far on tarmac as well but don't twist the wick too hard or she'll slide out from under you if you're not careful. Apparently lots of other guys are seeing 3-5000K on it. I'll buy another but keep it for strictly weet and loose conditions to get more range out of it.

I've got one on my stock rin for the 950 adv. Works great, the tire is impressive, but It's almost gone at 2000 miles.
Don't think I'll buy another just for that reason.

:huh Too much high speed tar? Not enough pressure? I have used heaps of them in over 70,000km and get about 7000km till bald, then they are still good for big powerslides... all on the stock 4.25" rim.

I am at 2k and ran it with camping gear mostly on the back and it isn't as good as new but its not to bad. I've sen a lot of people kill it in 1k though.

This is also my experience - great when its wet, but now that things are drying up and getting dusty, not so much. Will look for something different (now) for the Spring/Summer, as yesterday's ride was yeilding little traction...

I've got near 3K out of my last 908R...

Everybody gets different service life from their tires, a 908 can vary 3000kms for me depending on what's up. Also bald vs useless are a long ways apart.

4000 miles on mine and still has almost 1/4" of knobbie left. Mainly tarmac but I don't crank on it. I have other wheels for that.

Stock rim

I have been running them for the last 3 years on the rear and I get 3k miles

It's the longest life KNOBBY you will find

Get a k60 if you want longer life but that's not a knobby

Just came back from morocco and the 908 at rear did over 3000 kms of rock/sand (70% rock, 20% sand, 10% tarmac) and is little over 50% thread usage.

Last year with a Pirelli MT21 at 1600kms was already begging for the thing not to blow up... had to change it.

The 908 is a bit pricey(er) but it's a damn good compromise.

Ran one on the back of a 950 Super Enduro and got about 2000 miles. Can get a little squirrely on pavement and a quick acceleration. Replaced it with a Mefo Explorer and l love it.

Thanks for all the input everyone. I am doing the TAT this summer on the 950 and would like a tire that will most likely make it from Colo. to OR. Your real life experience is very much appreciated.

When I do the TAT the 908 is the only tire I'll run on the rear. I'm still looking for a front. The 908 front is tolerable on the pavement and I'm about to go do a dirt test.

Have you tried a d606 or a Michelin T63. Both have worked great for me. D606 will be my mate to d908 for the TAT. Ran a MT21 Rally cross on the UTBDR recently and thought that it was a very squirrelly tire.

I don't have a KTM, but I had a 908RR on the back of my TE610 for a while.

I don't know what some of these guys are talking about with regard to the tire being good in wet conditions. In my opinion, it is at its worst in wet conditions, and it significantly worse than a "regular" knobby in wet. The tire has very few biting edges, and lots of flat surfaces, so when it gets wet and you get on a damp rock or logs/roots, it's just a wet, slippery, flat mess.

For gravel road use, and for TAT-type trips, I think it's probably a pretty good tires, it rides well and lasts well. If you're going to trail ride, I recommend looking elsewhere.

+1 for this comment, although on Southwest hardpack they get spooky once they really get bald. Also, on the stock width rim, if you lean it a long way over on the tarmac...let's just say it's a little squirmy. The side lugs aren't real stable just on account of aspect ratio, and on the wide rim, you can sort of run over the edge of them pretty easily.

This is not a valid comparison at all...On a bike this heavy(try a couple hundred pounds more than the TE610) you have to have a lot of flat faces to roll on if you want it to last at all. And, the knobs have to be wider than they are tall for the most part or it will simply rip them right off.

Wet traction in anything but deep mud or loamy soil has a lot less to do with tread shape and edge count than with rubber compound and carcass rigidity, IMO. The D908RR is definitely slippery when wet, as the compound is pretty hard and the carcass is so stiff that the tire can't really flatten out and conform even when aired down to sub-20psi numbers. With the weight of the Adventure on it, the compound is tolerable on the street in the wet and even in streambeds and the like, but on a lighter bike there just isn't enough weight to make enough friction for it to work right.

I love the 908, I get around 2500 miles out of them, which seems pretty good to me. I like the fact that it is really hard to get a pinch flat, the sidewalls are so stiff. I bought 3 tires when Bike Bandit had them 40% off last year, getting these tires for $120 versus $195 is pretty sweet. All the other tires I have tried, including the Mefo,all get around the same mileage, 2500 to 2800 before they shot.

With all the talk of the TAT, is the mefo super explorer a good option for such a trip rather than the 908?

No doubt the bikes are different. However, I don't think that a tire that sucks (in my opinion) on my TE is going to magically be amazing on a SE/ADV, with or without the extra weight.

In any case, guys car do what they want. These tires were "popular" with the 610 guys too. I tired one, and I found that it didn't live up to my expectations under certain conditions, and I was hoping to pass that along.

For gravel road and pavement type of dual sport use, it is a great tire.