Hi,

Have run the Metz 880 for the past 10-15 years and finally decided to change to something else as they are getting way too expensive for what they are.  So the facts are:

 

-  1986 FXR @ 110Hp

-  Night Dragon 130/90-16 Rear only this week (cost $205 fitted and balanced)  Front to come next payday.

-  Pressure will be 42lbs (Am confirming with Pirelli AU though)

-  Riding style will be:

            - 90% solo with an even mix of windy and straight riding

            - 10% two up with the same mix of rides

 

Initial thoughts are that it’s a bloody sticky tyre!  I used to be able to deliberately get the old Metz to step out on corners if I gave the throttle a bit of a flick and if I gave it a real handful at the lights it would take until 3^rd gear before it hooked up properly.

No such things with the Night Dragon….I have not been able to get the back to step out yet, but I must admit I am still scrubbing the tyre in (only 200km on it so far) so have held off a little – plus the wear marks on the tyre show that I am still about a 3/4” away from the edge of tyre so heaps of lean angle to go yet.

Will post again after about 1000km

 

Cheers

Just put these on the Fatboy, haven't had a chance to get out yet to see how they go
but from all reports I should be happy.

 Hi,

what pressure you running in front and back?

thanks

robots

Just clocked 10000k's on mine, still plenty left, tons better than the dunlops. What i like is when you break loose they seem to give good feedback and even tho they are spinning your still in control if you know what i mean.  i run 36 in front and 34 in the back.

T1

Hmmm....The shop put in 36 on my rear as well. I researched on the Pirelli website for my model and it says 2.7 Bar which should be 39PSI. It seems bloody low to me, but I'll drop my pressure to that and see what happens.

@terroristone: The Pirelli website says your tires should be 31 in front and 36 at the rear.

The recommended pressure is only a guide. The pressure you choose will be determined by :
Your weight
Extra bike weight ( saddle bags/ back packs etc)
Pillion
Air temp
Road temp
And watching your tyre wear pattern can also help to choose the correct pressure. If you get any of this wrong you will go thru tyres quicker.


For those who find it all too much go with what they recommend.

Choosing and maintaining correct tyre pressure is something I take seriously as its my job to do so on a certain record setting drag car. You'd be surprised how quick pressure can rise just by a few mins in the sun.

T1

Question.... I know you can fill tyres with helium for temp stability but what about Argon? I ask because I have a bottle for my TIG welder that I could rig up.

I'll keep in the 39-42 range for now and see how she wears and handles over the next week or so. I'm not looking for 10,000 miles but not 1,000 either.

Argon is an inert gas, so it can not "ignite". It is however, heavier than air, so your won't be saving anything, especially money.

 Hi,

i running 44 in the rear on the fxdwg, I will keep an eye on it but I reckon with the wide glide with bit of weight on the back with the style of the bike iI hope to get about 10000kms

normally stick to around the speed limit or little bit over n the freeways and country roads, I also went with this tyre as get a bit of wet weather in Ballarat still and understand grippy in slippery conditions

thanks

robots

well im sure if there good on you sludgey old dyna they will work superb on the worlds greatest legends

hey tim

ohhhh i couldnt resist old mate

Right....First update!

500km into it and I like these tyres:
- No scrubbing in needed (mind you I am anal and spent 30mins with some side cutters taking all those little rubber things off)
- Warm up quicker than the bike does so that’s a plus
- I cannot get the tyre to let loose!

Went to Saint Andrews in Saturday and then took the nice road from there to Kinglake - now this is a serious piece of windy road to be going fast on (if you get it wrong you’re basically buggered). I reached the limits of leaning over and it was due to my exhaust pipe scrapping on one side and the pegs on the other. My exhaust pipe sits very high and my mate cannot believe that I was scrapping it...lol...

The tyre was bloody awesome! Once I finished the run (and its only 13km long) I checked the wear and I am still about 0.5-1cm away from hitting the very edge of the tyre, something that’s just not going to happen by the looks of things.

So next steps are to see how it holds up long term wear wise.....

Cheers

Night dragons only for me. 10000 out of rears.
if i put 36psi in mine they wear flat. I always keep it at 40 plus.

Got a front one fitted to my bike yesterday only did about 6kms to get home but can already feel a big difference in the handling had a few roundabouts to go through and the bike just flows through them not like the old Dunlop, was going for a ride today but having a few heavy showers of rain at the moment so not a good idea wet roads and a green tyre it can bring you unstuck but this coming weekend I am off work so I will go for a good ride but I already feel that I am going to be very happy with this tyre.

What town Hilly? I can give you the name of the place i got my one from - it was a good price.

okay...well thats bloody miles away from Melbourne...Be a good road trip though!

Sometimes Harley heaven have them on special. I got mine from pablos

http://www.pablos.com.au/

T1

Hi,

Jake wilson sells a few tyres,but the a$ has hit the benefit a bit because its around 1:0.88 by the time all the commissions are taken out, set of Pirelli night dragons are what it costs to buy here now

I gonna watch jake wilson for when the winter starts kicking in in the US as they do discount a lot of stuff US retailers as people start parking bikes for winter

Thanks
Robots

Well did about 100 km ride today with the new front Night Dragon fitted on my bike and all I can say is that I am sold, sold, sold, on this tyre like riding a different bike, I did not realise how bad the front Dunlop was that tyre still had about 3000 km left on it but I feel the tyre had gone hard because I only do about 4000 km a year on my bike but I am now sure the Dunlop is shot, anyway love the Night Dragon that's the only tyre I will be fitting on my bike from now on.

hi,

thats good choco, done a few twisties on my rear today an seems good

thanks
robots

1,000km report.... Well that went bloody quickly.

The tyres are holding up nicely and continue to stick like glue to the road. Even when leaning over in a bend and giving her a handful all she does is dig in and take off. The back end is way way more stable now even though the tyre is narrower than the Metz 880.

I'll start measuring the tread depth and track that.

New Night Dragon for the front end will be ordered this week.