WTK: Advice on 16" Front Tire Brand

ultravista · #1 02-22-2007, 12:31 PM

My latest project is replacing the 21" front wheel with a 16" wheel on my 2001 Night Train. I bought a 2004 Heritage wheel & rotor off ebay for $100 and now need a tire.

I've been looking at the Dunlop, Metzeler and Avon but can't make a decision. Assuming I go with the same tire (130/90/16 72H), are there any differences between the three brands?Searching online, the tires are all within $20 of each other.

What is the difference between the Dunlop Elite II and Elite III? I see they are listed in the J&P Cycles catalog but don't understand the differences.

Also, how do you determine if a tire is radial or biased? Some places print that type of information while others just give the tire sizes and ratings.

If you were me, which tire would you choose?

Thanks in advance.

EVOrider · #2 02-22-2007, 09:17 PM

You can also go with the Dunlop D402 130/90/16 72H Police Tire. These can be had for less than the standard D402 if you search. They are the exact same tread pattern and the only difference is the bead. If you have a blowout, the bead stays on the rim. Every Police Harley has these tires fitted to them. My last purchase was $175 for both Police tires. They do however only come in black though. I would go with D402 either with Police version or not.

I have used them on my Electra Glides for quiet sometime now. I have gotten 16,000 miles on the front and 13,000 on the rear.

Whatever you do, make sure the tire is belted though. Many are not and will not last nearly as long. For instance, the D404 look quiet similar to the D401 and D402 for much less in price. However, the D404 is not belted....it is a cheap tire and for those on a budget.

fxstb00 · #3 02-25-2007, 02:37 PM

i have an 01 fxdp, my front police tire was good for 19000 miles. rear near 15000. i also went to a 16" front tire recently. started with a wide glide conversion kit. i picked up an 130/16 dunlap elite III from mawonline.com. they have unbelievable prices on all tires.

michael

ultravista · #4 02-25-2007, 02:44 PM

I bought a new Dunlop D402F 16" off ebay for $90 shipped, not a bad deal. It still has the stickers on it too ...

Now I need to have it mounted. Just about every place in the Las Vegas area charges $30 for mount and ballance (off the bike). All three HD dealers however charge $44 [>:]

vabubba · #5 02-27-2007, 07:42 AM

Ultra vista, I change all my wheels in the garage myself. All you need is a way to break the bead down and a couple small tire irons. I never even balance my tires either. Never had a problem with vibration. Alot of people will tell you different, but that is my experience.

Bubba

ultravista · #6 02-27-2007, 12:16 PM

Bubba, thanks for the advice. If I had the correct tools, I would try it myself. Can you point me in the right direction as far as the tools go? They are called spoons, right? Do I need 1, 3 5 or ?

vabubba · #7 02-28-2007, 04:17 AM

You only need 2 spoons or irons. You need to break the bead then remove the tire with the irons. I use a towel to keep from scratching the wheel. It took me 30 min. from start to finish to mount my rear tire myself. Including removing the wheel.