Which one is up to you, but I will give you a few hints.

1) IMO a 205 rides softer than a 195. I currently have a 195 and will not do that again. Not to mention that a 205 puts more rubber on the road.
2) Personally asymmetrical tires on the rear of a bike bother me. I have absolutely no proof they have issues, they just bother my sense of "rightness". Lots of Dark Siders run them and like them, but they drive me nuts, kinda like spiders.
3) Why do you want a V rated tire? Do you own the worlds fastest Harley touring bike? Do you ride at 149 mph regularly? Not trying to slam you, but IMO buying performance you can never use is a waste of money.

 

I am with you on this. I worked at a tire shop for 6 years and asymmetrical tires are designed to push water to the outside of the car. This means, in rain, the tire will push water to one side of the bike. I don't know that it will make a difference, but I am bothered by this too. I would get a non-directional tire or a directional tire. Anything that says "Mount this side out" shouldn't be on a motorcycle. That's my opinion.

To be clear, I have no issue with DS. I had DS on my Kawasaki Vulcan 2000 because the 125 CI engine destroyed motorcycle tires. I loved it.

 

The Michelin Premier is not asymmetrical - conventional tread pattern. V rated tires typically have a stiffer sidewall than H and I thought that might be
a good thing - right or wrong? Tnx for the insight into 195 vs 205 but would you do 55 or 60 series profile?

 

That tire sure looks asymmetrical to me.
I am running a run flat tire, so who am I to say anything about sidewall stiffness?
60 series is much closer stock tire dia. With a 55 you speedo may read an additional mph or 2 faster.

 

Well, I just bought another rear wheel, and putting a pirelli P1 RF on it. Yes, it is ugly, but all the searching I have been doing, those that run it, love it, not to mention its only 21 pounds. Just waiting for the mail! Oh, and a BT45 for the front.

 

Cool beans!

Now you have to decide if you are going to run the BT45 frontwards or backwards.....

 

 

OK, this seems to be the place to ask...

2016 Harley Davidson Ultra. I have around 17K on my rear tire, a Hankook Optimo, and I am down to below 3/32s. Not happy to say the least.

I want to switch to a run flat anyway, what have you guys been running/recommending?

195 60/R16 89H.

I would also like to go DD, but not sure what will fit on the front. I save that for another time.

 

This is what I am currently running. Had the bike up to about 85 with no issues. Less "wobbly" in high speed sweepers than the GMax was on the old bike...

BRIDGESTONE POTENZA RE960AS POLE POSITION RFT 195/55

 

Time for another update.
6500 miles on the new bike, 6400 of those on the Dark Side. The bike runs great rock solid, no problems cranking a steady 80 mph on the super slab. Still handles like it is on rails during a downpour. None of my riding buddies can keep up with me when it gets real wet!
I run about 36 psi cold because that limits my hot pressure to about 41 psi.
I still get the faults from "Low Pressure" and another most likely something to do with the diameter being different. The pressure fault goes away as soon as the tire warms up and the diameter one clears at about 45 mph. The red fault light stays on though. I don't know why.
These M8 issues take away some of my joy of riding on the dark side. Not 100% sure I will do it again after I wear out this tire, just because it is a pain.....