Tire Ruminations and Thoughts

Have an 04 Harley Road King with well worn Dunlop tires. Size is 130/90-16, which limits my choices a good bit.

What I'm looking for is a street tire that can handle a dirt or gravel road, without slithering everywhere. A simple enough question/thought, but one that's proven remarkably difficult to get answers to.

Stock is the Dunlop, with a tread like this: I'm used to this tire, I've run them for years on other bikes. Not a particularly good handling tire, but it actuall will run down a dirt surprisingly well.

The latest "wonder" Dunlop is the Elite 3, which I can't see doing well on a dirt road myself.

The Metzler M800 is another tire of rave reviews in the Harley world. Doesn't appear well suited for dirt roads. Looks to me like it would float and slide side to side quite a bit.

The Conti Milestones look interesting. Lots of siping so I should be able to go straight down inapropriate roads. Not so sure about the side to side traction, weird inconsistent reviews on this tire, particularly about rain. I don't like falling in the rain, dunno.

This is a strange dark horse. The Michelin Commander II It doesn't look particularly well suited, but the reviews are good, including some from guys who have taken it to Alaska, more than once. The tread grooves are very deep, the carcass is very strong.

Still with me? Great! Lets also talk DIY tread modifications. I've done it on car and truck tires with good results. I'm considering it with some of these. Like the Metzler M800, continuing some of those tread lines right across the center to better increase rain water channeling, and dirt traction. On the Michelin Commander II it would have to be a bit more freeform.

So, any thoughts comments observations experiences to put in? I'd welcome them all.

Not sure why anyone would want to take a 815 lb bike with limited suspension travel and low ground clearance off road, but I think that the weight and 16" rim are really going to limit the tires. All those street tires are going to fill the tread with mud right away. You need something with a more open tread design.

I shat all over the idea before, but what about a car tire? 195/60/16 all season?

Not like you are going to be cornering too much on the dirt, as long as you take it easy on road. No clue about the front.

Kenda Kruz? I've never used them, but they're probably worth a look.

Bridgestone Trail Wing TW40 Motorcycle Tire Never seen'm on a HD and not sure they'd last or handle the weight but they do stick well on pavement

Rusnak_322 wrote: Not sure why anyone would want to take a 815 lb bike with limited suspension travel and low ground clearance off road...

Three times in three different forums I say dirt roads, and without failure people leap to off road.

Again dirt roads, not off road trails.

Again, a good STREET tire that handles dirt roads reasonably well.

Well to a lot of people off pavement is the same as off road. and you are riding off pavement enough that it is affecting your tire choice, you must be riding a lot on the dirt roads. The dirt roads, and even the gravel roads around here are so crappy and rutted that I don't like taking my car on them even occasionally.

Like I said, the Dunlops work. I just want to slither around less.

Go to the Darkside. Austone taxi tire from Universal tire. This tire actually works very well on heavier bikes, wears like iron, and the handling is amazing in all conditions. It's a 6 ply radial, so I use an Excedra Max radial for a front tire. It will work well with a bias tire on the front, though.

I run these down gravel fairly decently...took them down 40 miles of loose gravel in the UP of Michigan on the Bandit: they are a continental motion

But, I may not be quite right in the head somedays

Grtechguy wrote: But, I may not be quite right in the head somedays

I can attest to this fact.

I love the front Contimotion I have on my WR250X, but I don't think they come in 16" wheel sizes. Worked just fine for me on the Dalton and Top of the World highway.

A buddy of mine is running these on his big BMW, and is liking them. DURO Available in 130/90-16.

Thanks for the input.

I spent some time talking to some Harley adventure riders. In particular, one guy who has gone all over South America and the like on his. He found the Duro knobby too flimsy to handle the mass of the Harley. He and several others suggested the oem Dunlop works quite well. As I'm familiar with them on other bikes, that's what I went with.