I can believe how bad the oe Dunlop tyres are on my heritage.
Getting tubed tyres changed, as well as belt drive are both new experiences for me.
Does anyone in the UK have experience of this?

 

17,000 miles, already on my third rear tire. Harley stock, so Dunlop.

 

Is your belt damaged in some way? Big miles?

 

Sorry, I didn't phrase the question very well. I want to change the oe Dunlop tyres to something that has better wet weather performance.
My concern is whether a typical motorcycle tyre dealer will be accustomed to changing the tyres on a bike with a) tubed tyres and b) belt drive.
There's nothing wrong with the belt, I'm just not sure what sort of job it is and whether alignment is difficult.

 

Michelin Commander II, Metzeler ME 888 and Dunlop American Elite are all better tires than the stock tires.
I wouldlike to think that a mechanic would know how to mount and dismount tires with tubes and alignment.
Going to a bike night in your area and asking around about competent mechanics is a good way to find out.
Good luck.

 

i have a metzler 888 marathon on the rear at the moment,worst tyre eve,r downright dangerous in the wet,scary, slides all the time, pirrelii night dragon the best yet,fantastic tyre cant wait to get back on it,Avons good in the wet too!

 

The salesman at my local dealer recommended Avon Cobras.

 

The tires lose their grip over time. Anytime you replace an old (let's say 5+ yr old) tire with a new one of the exact same make/model, it will seem like a totally different tire. How old are your tires? You just may think they have bad weather performance due to their age... I've never had an issue with either of my softails ('01 & '03) running the OEM tires. I replace my tires at 7 years max (or if they get older & "squirrelly"), regardless of tread left. Having said that, I use the Dunlop American Elite tires on my '16 Ultra. That bike usually gets more mileage than the other two combined, and the Dunlop AEs get better mileage for me... AND, they perform flawlessly in the rain storms I've encountered... including a couple very heavy storms...

Anyone who is competent, should have no problem changing those tires and re-aligning the rear tire with a belt drive. Probably find a youtube video on it, it's pretty simple really...

As for salesman recommendations, unless you know him well, they will usually recommend what they need to sell, either due to overstock, or tire age... always check the date code on tires you are purchasing. I never accept a tire, with a code over a year old, and most times I can get them within 6 months of manufacture.