I picked up a nail in the rear tire of '07 Dyna. I was going to buy a Metzler. Should a switch from the 160/70 to a 170/60?

 

I couldn't tell ya. I'm getting ready to call the svc. mgr. at the dealer. The parts guy is telling me he has a 180 in stock but doesn't have the "wide tire kit" in stock and he also can't tell me anything about the kit and why it is really necessary. I would think if you can run a 180 on the back, you can certainly run the 170 but I don't know if that falls under their recommended tolerances for this "kit". However, if others are running 180's without the kit, then I still question the need for it.

 

Is going from a 160 to a 170 or a 180 for the rear tire simply about looks, or will it improve the cornering of the Dyna, or some other performance gain???

 

Regardless of what others say to that question, I'll admit it's mostly about looks. Now changing from Dunlop to Metz. tires, IMO, is about performance and not just looks. I'm not sure what performance effect there will be going from a 160 to 170/180. I do know that going too wide will have an adverse affect on handling depending on the bike and other factors but I don't, by any means, think 170 or 180 is TOO wide for a dyna. Some go as wide as a 200 but that requires more other things to be done (there's a thread about it out there somewhere). The SE dyna comes standard with a 170 I believe so maybe there's actually a little improvement going slightly wider. But, like I said, I'll admit I want to go to the 180 for looks. I'm more of a cruiser than an aggressive rider anyway. Don't get me wrong, I love leaning in the twisties as much as anyone but I am never out to see how close I can get to scraping pegs on pavement.

 

My last tire was a 170/60 and worked fine. I would have gone 170 again but clicked 160/70, I won't make that mistake again.

 

Just got off the phone with the svc. mgr. at the dealer. I know how some of you all feel about dealers so don't kill the messenger. Here's what he had to say about the 180 kit and Metz. tires.

First off, the moco will not let them (dealer svc. depts)install that rear tire without using the kit and still respect any warranty issues that might be related to that install down the road. He couldn't tell me exactly what that kit was all about but mentioned something about brackets and, more importantly, spacers. He also said he knew an indy would probably gladly squeeze a 180 tire in there for me without the kit but he couldn't recommend doing that.

As far as Metzeler tires go, he said, as well all know, they are great tires and he even runs one on the front of his street glide with a Dunlop on the rear. But, they DO wear quicker because they use a softer compound which is a big part of why they handle better than Dunlop stock tires. He also said they are VERY air pressure sensitive and require a higher air pressure than some other tires. On his front wheel, if he's a few pounds low, the front end actually vibrates as a result. Oh, and they are more expensive as well, of course.

Given that my front tire is still good and I really just want to get my chrome pulley cover installed, I think I'm going to replace the stock tire with the same tire for now. Then, when it's time to replace it again, the front tire will probably be about shot and I'll go with Metzelers front and back.

 

Fxdc you are correct on the warranty coverage issue. Thats why I had to install mine on there. In the event that something else may happen warranty wise they would NOT cover it. As far as I could tell the wide tire brakets retain the blinker light wiring behind an actual plate as opposed to just the clips, so that in the event OF a rub the wiring is protected.

You are in luck however Fxdc. I just happen to have an extra set of brackets that I ended up with somehow and you can have them for just shipping send me a PM with your info.

All you will need to do is order the tire and installthe "kit"yourself or have the dealer or an Indy put it on.

 

shipping and a beer is my offer

 

Wide tire kit pics and what it does.