I put Avon Venom X on last year done 13,000 on them so far rear looking a bit worn should get a few 100 more out of it, needs replacing asap, front got a wee bit more yet, great tyres will be putting new Venoms on again.....

 

FYI - The Dunlop E3 160/80-16 will fit without any problems. I'm running my 2nd 160 E3 now. (It's one of the few 160's that will fit an 04up Sporty)

 

This question was and will be asked forever, I did asked last year when after 32k KM I had to replace the OEM tires, got the manufactures Dunlops and only got 20 k from the 2nd set.

Have gone to Perelli on the back and Metzner ME880 on the front, expect the Metzner to out do the Perelli by 10k due to heavier, stronger rubber.

As I see it Metzner is the tire, heavy, strong, & rated to 130 MPH.

Regards & good luck figuring this out.

 

Got 13000 on the first and second set on the rear, changing both now at 27070 miles
First time replacing the frt., worn out, going with Perreli mt66. My frt tire is a 21 incher, not many tires to choose from for the frt. heard Perreli rode better than stock tires.

 

I remember seeing previous posts that the 160/80-16 would fit, but I wasn't sure that I wanted to mount it on a 3" rim. Dunlop calls for it to be mounted on a 3.5" rim.

 

gotta add in cHarley's thread that adds a whole lot to the relevant subject-
check this out (and special thanks to cHarley too!):

https://www.hdforums.com/forum/sport...led-photo.html

 

About every 8k the wear bar starts showing on the rear. Every 16k the front still has a ways to go before the wear bar is showing, but they generally are starting to cup so that is when I replace the front.

There are wild variances in how many miles people get out of the same tire. The variables are riding style, air pressure, and road surface.

I check my air pressure regularly, I use my front brake for 90% of my stopping, but still get terrible mileage on my rear tires and pretty good on the front.

Kevin
HDForums Scavenger Hunt Contest

 

not getting wear bars yet... my front just doesnt have much tread left. was thinking its better to be safe than sorry- so guess maybe i dont really have to change it yet

 

The Metz 160 and the Dunlop E3 are the only 160's that I know of first hand that will "slip" onto the Sporty without any modifications.

That said, all 150's or 160's are not really the same width in the real world.
The stock 150 Dunflop 401 measures 156.21 mm in width
The 160 Dunlop E3 measures 154.94 mm in width
The 160 Metzler 880 measures 162.05 mm in width
The 160 Avon Venom measures 167.64 mm in width ( It won't fit on my bike)

Except for the Avon, these fit without any problems or modifications.
The noted exception is the wider Metz 160, which goes on best if the tire is deflated during installation. It's a tight fit going on, but once it's there it fits fine.

Edit: I loved the Metz 880 160, but have gone back to the Dunlop E3 because of the ~$45.00 higher price for the Metz 160 over the E3 160. Both tires seem to give me great handling, but the Metz seems to be good for a little bit more mileage. ~12K on the E3 vs ~14K on the Metz, but I ride really hard on the twisties, and your mileage may be better.

When you ride like I do, about 20K miles per year, I'm replacing rear tires about every 8-9 months.

 

thx charley- so if price wasnt the main issue you liked the wide metz on the front?