Right....Its been a while but you get that when you spend time riding.... I cannot believe it was last September that I started this thread (like that's 8 months ago - seems like yesterday that I put the new rubber on the old girl) So I have about 9,000km on the rear and about 8,000 on the front (running 40psi in the back and 30psi in the front). Still have tread on them, although its now getting low so will have to replace them shortly. They handle all the power that I can throw at them and are very predictable in their traction....I can get them to break loose but its controlled so I actually know when its going to happen - bit possy I suppose as they let you drift around corners when your willing to really open up the throttle......LOTs of fun! Overall these are the best tires I have had on the bike so will definitely be sticking with the Night Dragons going forward....cannot recommend them highly enough.
Have not ridden much in the last few months intend to get out a bit more. Pirelli now done about 3,000kms must be fairly soft compound as I think it's about half way worn. If that ends up being the case not sure if I will get another or try something else only time will tell. Funny thing is that the original fatbob tire seemed to have the best wear and had just as good grip wet and dry. Pity I can't get them in the size I need for the 18" stinger wheels.
Chriso I've had Dunlop 407 and they are shit for both wear and grip. I have night dragon on the rearnow it has great grip wet and dry, only seems to be wearing quickly. I found the standard dunlop fatbob tire suprising good for grip wet,dry and good wear wise.
Okay, So its been a while since I put the new rubber on so thought I would wrapup the thread with the results - particulary given that I have just replaced the front and rear today.
- Put both tyres on in September 2013
- Bike has been on the road pretty much 4-5 days a week since then; a nice mild winter helped this plan!
- Aprox 17,000km on them. BUT if you look at the picture (rear is the left and the front is the right) its pretty obvious that I should have replaced a few thousand kms ago, so take 3,000-4,000km off the number if your conservitive; certainly was fun to ride in the wet, especially with the turbo back on as it would let go from 1st through to 5th, but that was just me playing around and having a bit of fun...lol
- Costs this time were $145 for the front and $230 for the rear (this was based upon me dropping the rims off to the bike shop). A shout out to the great service from Moto Heaven in Brighton!!!!
- Conclusion - Damn solid sticky tyres that suit my bike and riding style so am continuing to run them with them. I do like these more than the Metz - which i had used for the prior 15 years.
Rear Left & Front Right
Agree with Robots, thanks for that Tussock. I need a new front and I think I'll give the ND a go. If I get 17k outa the front I'll be pretty bloody happy.....think the 21" will likely only go half that distance, but we'll see! Dutchy - I always take my wheels in to get the tyres done. I've thought about changing them myself but have been reluctant 'cos of the balancing. If I read right, you do yours, what do you do about balancing?
Colstah,
I was worried about balancing too. But heaps of my mates never do it and had no problems. One of the changes tires all the time for his race bikes never balances them. So I thought I would see how it went not doing it. Have not had a problem so far.
I just had a new set of tyres fitted to mine, I went with the Dunlop 407 (rear) & 408 (front) which suited my budget.
Has anyone heard of balancing beads? I work at a caravan place & that's what they use for caravan wheels. I don't know much about them except that they are packaged in plastic bags & contains some sort of gel or adhesive & you place them in the tyre before fitting the rim back on. By the sounds of it as the tyre heats up the bag splits, with the centrifugal force of the tyre rotating, the sticky substance gets flung to that particular spot of the tyre that needs a little extra weight.
Fitted Night Dragons front and rear on my bike last Friday, went for a ride on Sunday and got caught in a storm in some of the heaviest rain I have ever ridden in, water across the road everywhere and not once did the Night Dragons feel unstable or unsafe on the road and these tyres were still a bit green being so new. Valve for money I don't think I could of gone wrong, I rode into the bike shop with the old tyres on and rode out with the new one's fitted for $480, yep pretty happy so far.
Nice review tussuck... so I grabbed a set 5 months ago. Found them sticky enough and good allround. Just the rear a bit hungry on chewing the center out. This is them at 8k. The front just starting to cup. Will give them another go.
