Tyres help please

  • sneekypete
    sneekypete
    5 years ago
    I know it a topic that's been discussed to death but I have a 2017 Fat boy lo S I'm looking at replacing both tyres front is 140/75 17 rear is 200/55 17 I'm looking at Michelin Commander 2 and Avon Cobra's there is roughly $50 diff in price really like to hear any advice.
      

     
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  • paulybronco
    paulybronco
    5 years ago
    None of the tyres will help it handle or steer!
  • tussuck
    tussuck
    5 years ago
    Avon over the crap Michelin any DAY.  heard good things about the cobra in the wet
  • Wideglider
    Wideglider
    5 years ago
    Quoting tussuck on 03 Sep 2019 11:44 AM

    Avon over the crap Michelin any DAY.  heard good things about the cobra in the wet

    Oh no - here we go again!
    Ask a dozen riders about tyres & you'll get a dozen different conflicting opinions. How long is a piece of string?
    Let the games begin.
  • paulybronco
    paulybronco
    5 years ago
    Sticking to my original comment, a fat boy will not go around a bend regardless if it had a tyre on the rim or not
  • carbon fibre
    carbon fibre
    5 years ago
    Quoting paulybronco on 04 Sep 2019 09:38 AM

    Sticking to my original comment, a fat boy will not go around a bend regardless if it had a tyre on the rim or not

    I know a bloke, that would make you eat those words.
    Used to be a member here. Scary fast cornering on a big ol Fatty. No wonder we call him "Crasher".
  • tussuck
    tussuck
    5 years ago
    At the end of the day its about knowing the limitations, weakness and strengths of the tyre you run.
    I have run Pirelli NightDragons for 15 years and know how they react in the wet/dry hot/cold which ultimatly means I know when they will stick or let loose given the road conditions at that point in time.  

    The fine points is that some brands may stick more to the road, BUT generally speaking a sticky tyre has a shorter life expectancy.  Its all a trade off and comes down to how much mileage you do and how predictable you like your ride (i'll go through 1.5 sets of tyres each year easy, but I commute every day to work)
  • Wideglider
    Wideglider
    5 years ago
    Quoting tussuck on 05 Sep 2019 01:29 AM

    At the end of the day its about knowing the limitations, weakness and strengths of the tyre you run.

    I have run Pirelli NightDragons for 15 years and know how they react in the wet/dry hot/cold which ultimatly means I know when they will stick or let loose given the road conditions at that point in time.  

    The fine points is that some brands may stick more to the road, BUT generally speaking a sticky tyre has a shorter life expectancy.  Its all a trade off and comes down to how much mileage you do and how predictable you like your ride (i'll go through 1.5 sets of tyres each year easy, but I commute every day to work)

    Well put.
  • Big Steve
    Big Steve
    5 years ago
    If you ride pretty hard in the dry and also ride in the wet stay away from the Commander IIs! Sure youll get amazing mileage out of them (I got 38,000km on the rear of a street bob) but they are scary.
    For me its Avons. I have cobras on my 2010 (my 5th set) and have been trying a set of chobra chromes on my 2014. I like the original cobras better because they don't have the snakeskin pattern on the tread but the cobra chromes seem to be wearing slower and performance in the dry is negligable. In the wet the original cobras are slightly better but thats what you sacrifice with longevity.
  • Ken in Cairns
    Ken in Cairns
    5 years ago
    I just fitted a Bridgestone Battle cruise to the rear. Only just scrubbed it in, so can't really give a full honest opinion as yet. But it did feel pretty sure footed up and down the range each way from Cairns to  Mossman via Mareeba.
    I have heard the same about the commanders on the wet as well.
  • wello
    wello
    5 years ago
    i recently replaced the the boots on my ultra from the dunlops to the commander ll .. after googling the shit out of everything and asking opinions i finally came to the conclusion that everyone has a different opinion on all of them .. so i basically went with my own thoughts.
    beings as its a huge hunk of a bike and weighing in at around 420 kg i felt like i needed tyres that were gonna last and not get chewed up real quik being a softer compound, i am aware that they have a reputation of not being so good in the wet so i take extra care ( as i always do ).. under normal conditions they have been fine and have transformed the feel/ride from the  original dunlops .
    with that being said i have standard dunlops on the newer sport glide and they feel fine so far , although i havent really ridden it in the wet.. or at least heavy rain ( hate cleaning )..but under normal conditions again they seem to corner well and pull up real well when i need to stop in a hurry. so i guess at the end of the day u really have to choose a tyre based mostly on your riding style : ) . 
  • JFE
    JFE
    5 years ago
    I changed from the stock Michelin tractor tyres on my Fat Bob to Avon Cobras. 
    I rate the Avon's highly in the wet and dry. Seem to be wearing well. Night and day difference.
  • robnicko
    robnicko
    5 years ago
    i have the same tyre sizes on my 08 Fatboy and went the American Elite front & rear earlier this year.
    very happy with them so far and noticeably more comfortable ride that the stock 407/408f i had before
     
  • Humbug
    Humbug
    5 years ago
    I have run the original dunny tractor tyres on both of my fat bobs. I put a different brand on the back once as the dunny was unavailable and it let go real bad in the wet and scared the living fuck out of me. I ride most days unless the monsoonal weather is just too bad or we have a cyclone. I do not have a lot of twisties up here so can not rate them as others who ride these types of roads, but they have not let go on me yet. The dealer hates them as they last to long.
  • Ken in Cairns
    Ken in Cairns
    5 years ago
    Funny you say that Humbug, I found the stock dunlop bloody woefull in the wet. 
  • Humbug
    Humbug
    5 years ago
    Like someone else said each to their own. Maybe I am a soft cock when it comes to cornering,but roundabouts are always tricky in the wet ha ha.
  • brucefxdl
    brucefxdl
    5 years ago
    Quoting Humbug on 08 Sep 2019 10:24 PM

    Like someone else said each to their own. Maybe I am a soft cock when it comes to cornering,but roundabouts are always tricky in the wet ha ha.

    yep ,hate roundabouts most times,dont know why,just do.
  • Ken in Cairns
    Ken in Cairns
    5 years ago
    I rode that thing in the wet very cautiously and slow changes in throttle etc, and still had the back sliding and breaking loose. No issues in the dry with it however.
    I'm half waiting for it to rain again so I can try this new one out in the wet.
    But I plan to have the bike down to do the front and rear suspension this wet season.
  • allde
    allde
    5 years ago
    I recently bought some Metzelers for mine and I'm very happy with them.