Opinnions? The previous "Metric" bikes that I have owned, I have always been told that you could increase one or two tire sizes with verry little issue. There are a lot more tire options in the alternate size!
Thanks
Randy

 

So no one has ever done this. Or atleast thought about doing this. I use up about one set of tires a year. So I'm looking at all my options for tires. I think that a 190 on the back would look good too.

 

Is that a radial tire? If it is, I would not run it with a tube, check with the manufacturer. Im counting on people chiming in telling you that its OK to run with a HD tube...or they havent had any issues yet, but when it comes to tires and brakes, I tend to err on the side of caution....but hey, its your bike!

 

I've just recently come to realize how expensive it could possibly be to stay with the OE tires. I ride guite often. And usually have to replace my tires once a year. So I have been looking for reasonable alternatives. So far, like many others before me, I have discovered that there are basically only 3 manufacturers (and only 3 tires to choose from) of the 180/60 b17 tire. So I decided to look at the availability of a 190/55 17" tire. I thought that it would be nice to get a little fatter rear end anyway. Turns out that there are 36 tires to choose from in this size range. So I was just wondering if anyone else have gone this rute. On my last bike. It was farily common to go one or two sizes fatter on the back tire. And even go one size skinnier on the fron tire.

 

I don't know for sure about your '12 WG but I think it has the same 4.5" rim width as my '06 LR. That is what limits your choice of a 180/60 tire as the ones you mention (I only know of the HD SE and the Pirelli Night Dragon) are the only ones spec'd for a 4.5" rim. Now can you put a non-spec wider tire on the rim, sure, as I'm sure some people have but I'm not willing to take that risk just for the look of a wider tire.
BTW, who is the third manufacturer of the 180/60 that'll fit the 4.5" rim? I've run through two sets of the SE180, great looks, good grip but only got about 6-7k out of each one. Third set, SE180 price had jumped about $100 to it's current $260ish and that was too much for me just for the look. Switched to the Pirielli ND for this third set as they were at the old SE180 price of about $180, have about 6k on them, not quite as wide as the SE180 and grip is about the same. So at this point I'm a ND guy till I find something better.

 

After extensive mods to my bike's rear end, I have a 190-55-17 on it. The rim is a 17x6.25 smoothie. It took a lot of work to get it in there but now it's done. I personally wouldn't try to put that tire on a stock rim as I think it would be dangerous. Buy another, wider, rim if you are going to try a 190 tire.

 

Michelin’s Scorcher 31 is a good choice over the SE Dunlop.
They have the stock sizes for front and rear.

 

Pirelli, Dunlop and Michelin seem to be the three that everyone is already aware of.

I've went up one size on my other "metric" bikes without any issues. I've logged over 20,000 miles on oversized tires. Just wondering why this case would be any different?

 

The Michelin Scorcher 31 180/60 17 has a recommended min rim width of 5.00" so it shouldn't be grouped with the SE180 and ND which are indeed spec'd for a 4.5" rim.
Now am I **** about staying with the recommended rim size? Probably, as many people as yourself have oversized on other bikes. And probably for street riding it's not an issue. Yet it's not apples to apples as the Harley is almost twice the weight of the metrics so the side loads will be greater and yet the lean angles less, so up to you.

 

I have gone the one size up on the metric and wouldnt do it again on any motorcycle. The tire doesnt look any better and the tire is more rounded than it would be on the wider rim.Its all bad.