Had the rear tire on my new to me 2016 Roadster blowout doing 50. Managed to keep it upright and get it home. Now after digging into i'm reading that people are really hating on the Dunlop tires. Mostly it seems for longevity? I know other threads have covered it, but other than that and wet weather traction are there any other reasons you don't like them? I really don't care that much about longevity, as a former liter bike rider i've really enjoyed the handling of the GT502 and would only be interested in switching to an even sportier or stickier tire. The wet weather does concern me slightly. It rarely rains here, but it does have monsoon season where I won't really be riding much at all. Could possibly get caught out in it at some point. I'm also at a loss as to what to replace the Dunlops with short of switching sizes to like a 160/60 rear which is slightly wider and shorter and I'm not 100% sure fits. At 160/60 is much more appealing to me since it's a proper street bike tire size and I can get non-cruiser tires. I know continental makes a 150/65 tire too. I'm not against switching sizes and would love to hear from anyone who has and their experiences in doing so. What's available in the stock size has been very underwhelming thus far

 

My preferred brand for my Harleys is Avon, which I have used or gone back to repeatedly for my Harleys over the last 40+ years. Have them on all three of my twins at present. Ride quality, grip in all weathers and handling are all wonderful - it's the only way to travel!

 

My vote...only from reading forums.
I'd agree, Avon may be your choice.

Metzler, Shinko, Michelin, Dunlop are the other options I believe.

Enjoy your decision of tire.

 

I flipped both my tires to Avons on my bagger after hearing all of the good comments on the 'net about them. Thus far I am quite impressed with their grip in all weather conditions. I have about 3000km on them now, time will tell how they wear long-term; though high mileage is not my concern if they keep me glued to the road, I can live with the price of swapping them out more often.

 

I've just started using the Pirelli Angel GT tires this year. Way better grip and wet handling than the Scorchers. Also they do not track the grooves like the Scorchers did. I have no hesitation using them again.

 

I've been running Pirelli Scorpion Trail 2's for over a year and no complaints, wet and dry traction is good and they are wearing well, and they come in the right sizes for your bike (FWIW I've got a 2016 Roadster rear wheel on my 08 Roadster)

 

You state "Had the rear tire on my new to me 2016 Roadster blowout doing 50. Managed to keep it upright and get it home. "

How did you have a "blow out" and still get home...did you get home on a trailer or ride it home?

 

I rode it @ 15mph, on the sidewalls. Seems like the side walls held up no wheel damage and it stayed on the bead. Looks like the tire split right in the groove from the center 2 inches or so right. Not quite to the sidewall.

 

Also less than 2000 miles on the bike, so tires weren't very worn at all

 

I've been reading recently about the new Metzeler CruiseTec tires. Design seems to compete with the Dunlop American Elite, but perhaps with a sportier profile so that it doesn't steer so much like a cow. I'm aiming toward the CruiseTec if I can ever get my bike to the damn shop (other issues have delayed it), as I'm still on original, cracked, 16-year-old rubber and it's making me nervous. Supposedly the ME888 is particularly good for crappy PA road conditions (tar snakes, etc) compared to other higher mileage brands, and reports thus far are that the CruiseTec outperforms those for grip, cornering, and wet handling, and SHOULD hold up fairly well for long mileage (they havent been available long enough for reliable reports on mileage, but should last a lot longer than the sticky Shinko 777 that some people love). Just food for thought.