Looking for some info on the best rain tires for a 2015 fxdf. I have read some other forums about tires but all seem a few years old and don't address riding in rain .. thanks for the info..

 

The thing is all tires (manufacturers) are made to compete with each other,, so there is really no "Best" (period)
That said, I can personally testify my Perelli Night Dragons are fantastic on wet roads,, everything from a light sprinkle to a major downpour those things stay stuck to the road!

 

Avon makes a Storm series tire. I've gone through a couple of those and found them to work very well in the wet. Of course you have to make adjustments in riding style in the rain, which goes without saying. (I said it anyway)
Like JohnMn says, there is no best, but some are better in the wet than others.

 

Avon Cobras work well in the rain - and just great in the dry!

 

Avon's no questions for wet riding, think about it they were designed by a company in a country known for its wet miserable weather and roads.

 

As many have said Avon Cobra. Best grip and steering of any cruiser tire I've tried. Negligible performance fall-off as tread wears and a compound that flat works in wet.


Of the many different tires I've tried in 130K on one bike with approx. 30 tires used both front/rear the Pirelli Night Dragon was definitely my least favorite. The Brazilian made tire was mediocre to average in most qualities/traits. Absolute absence of grip on painted lines compared to other tires, (been cutting the same 4 left hand corners on my ride to town for 30 years). Tread profile is old style rounded cruiser which makes changing lean angle or line in corners easy, almost to the point of not feeling planted/stable. No wet experience with these...betting I didn't miss much.


I'm surprised whenever I see a favorable report on a Night Dragon and chalk it up someone that doesn't exploit tire grip levels, likes the feel of the rounded profile or is under a placebo effect because of the name Pirelli.

 

Uh-huh,
130K, 30 tires = 4,333 per
or
130K, 15 tires = 8,666 per
And all of the 130K is/was done with tire grinding sport expertise to lend the perfect opinion.
All of this from a guy that has 20 posts in 7 years,, must be current info(?)

 

I hated the night dragon. I ride mostly on the highway and it felt unstable. I would call it peaky. Not good for straight line stabilty.

The best tires in my opinion for wet weather are the ones with a center grove or alternating center grove much like the stock scorchers, but any tire with a center grove, alternating or not is going to grap at tar snakes and rain groves, which sucks.

I like commander 2's because of how goodt hey feel on the highway at high speed, but will admit they are not the right tire if your main concern is rain.

 

I like Commander 2's because of how good hey feel on the highway at high speed, but will admit they are not the right tire if your main concern is rain.

Even though FL gets it's share of Rain this is the Right Tire for my Dyna , might be a few better in the Rain, but overall this is my preference of Tire .. Just slow it up, compensate a bit when rain is a factor and never had any problems ..

 

I guess you must have missed the tons of positive reviews on this site for the night dragon? I guess its just like bars, seats and exhaust, there is no definitive "best" its all personal preference and lord knows we are all different.