Pirelli Night Dragons review
#21
08-07-2013 | 05:16 AM
Cruiser
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 247
Likes: 0
From: Redhill New Zealand
#22
08-07-2013 | 05:39 AM
Cruiser
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 233
Likes: 1
From: North Central Ohio
I just put my first 1K miles on the ND's and could not be more pleased. I'm running 40 lbs in the front and 48 in the rear, the mid point of Pirelli's recommended pressures. For those complaining of short tread life, you may have been running them under inflated. I got 10K out of my OEM Dunlops, I'll bet I get close to that with these and enjoy their performance much more. I rode a full day in the rain on they way up here to Sturgis and felt very secure maintaining a pretty good clip.
#23
08-07-2013 | 08:43 AM
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 18,717
Likes: 61
From: calif
#25
01-16-2014 | 10:24 PM
Road Warrior
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 1,368
Likes: 27
From: Australia
I wasn't sure if I should start a new thread or add to this one...
I just installed a set on a 2007 FXSTC. I went with the 90/90-21 front and the 200/55-17 rear.
I just got them put on yesterday.
Initial thoughts.
1) The rear tire required a lot of balance weight. 20grams on one side and 35grams on the other that means the tire at that point is 55grams lighter than the other side. seems like a lot. The front required 30grams to balance again a lot more than the Dunlops I have had on before.
2) Even thought the front tire is slightly larger than the stock MH90. When I first got on the bike after having the tires installed I felt like I was riding down hill. The rear tire is taller than the used 407 Dunlop that came off. I felt weird for the first few miles. I now wish I would have measured the circumference of the front and rear tire before changing them.
3) Ride. I haven't checked the tire pressures but the ride is harder than the 407s. I normally run 40psi front and 38psi rear. I'll have to check them and report back.
4) Cornering, obviously a huge difference between the ND and the Dunlop 407/402. The tire has a more rounded profile (sport bike tire like versus the flat profile of the Dunlops) which makes trying into the corner much easier. There is a nice twisty road 1 mile from where I had the tires installed. I did not push it as I need to get the mold release off the tires before pushing to hard. BUT... The bike turns into the corners much easier and mid corner corrections take MUCH less effort.
5) The bike is a bit less stable or you could say the bike is more agile. Take your pick! As above the bike turns and corners better but straight line stability is reduced, it is a trade off.
So wear... we will see but this is what I have been getting on the Dunlops
402 front and rear - I wear out the front and rear in 9000 miles.
407 rear - I wear out the rear in 6000 miles ( I change front and rear together, but front is 402 and would last to 9000 miles)
I don't do burnouts.
One problem in comparison going forward... I changed the cams from stock to SE255 cams, one week before I put these tires on. The bike accelerates faster which means I'm asking more from the rear tire.
As you can see above wearing out the front tire in under 9000 miles means I like to ride twisty roads. I push the bike reasonably hard (I have to replace the primary drain plug every 2 oil changes as that is the first thing to grind when turning left). I do tend to feel the front end wash out/ slide when pushing hard through the turns. I'm hoping the ND have a bit more grip and eliminate this issue.
For all that are worried about the cost of tires versus wear. I think it depends on riding style. Where I ride and how I ride it is more important to have tires that stick than long wearing, $300 for a set of tires is much cheaper than damaged chrome, a paint job or my life!!!!
I just installed a set on a 2007 FXSTC. I went with the 90/90-21 front and the 200/55-17 rear.
I just got them put on yesterday.
Initial thoughts.
1) The rear tire required a lot of balance weight. 20grams on one side and 35grams on the other that means the tire at that point is 55grams lighter than the other side. seems like a lot. The front required 30grams to balance again a lot more than the Dunlops I have had on before.
2) Even thought the front tire is slightly larger than the stock MH90. When I first got on the bike after having the tires installed I felt like I was riding down hill. The rear tire is taller than the used 407 Dunlop that came off. I felt weird for the first few miles. I now wish I would have measured the circumference of the front and rear tire before changing them.
3) Ride. I haven't checked the tire pressures but the ride is harder than the 407s. I normally run 40psi front and 38psi rear. I'll have to check them and report back.
4) Cornering, obviously a huge difference between the ND and the Dunlop 407/402. The tire has a more rounded profile (sport bike tire like versus the flat profile of the Dunlops) which makes trying into the corner much easier. There is a nice twisty road 1 mile from where I had the tires installed. I did not push it as I need to get the mold release off the tires before pushing to hard. BUT... The bike turns into the corners much easier and mid corner corrections take MUCH less effort.
5) The bike is a bit less stable or you could say the bike is more agile. Take your pick! As above the bike turns and corners better but straight line stability is reduced, it is a trade off.
So wear... we will see but this is what I have been getting on the Dunlops
402 front and rear - I wear out the front and rear in 9000 miles.
407 rear - I wear out the rear in 6000 miles ( I change front and rear together, but front is 402 and would last to 9000 miles)
I don't do burnouts.
One problem in comparison going forward... I changed the cams from stock to SE255 cams, one week before I put these tires on. The bike accelerates faster which means I'm asking more from the rear tire.
As you can see above wearing out the front tire in under 9000 miles means I like to ride twisty roads. I push the bike reasonably hard (I have to replace the primary drain plug every 2 oil changes as that is the first thing to grind when turning left). I do tend to feel the front end wash out/ slide when pushing hard through the turns. I'm hoping the ND have a bit more grip and eliminate this issue.
For all that are worried about the cost of tires versus wear. I think it depends on riding style. Where I ride and how I ride it is more important to have tires that stick than long wearing, $300 for a set of tires is much cheaper than damaged chrome, a paint job or my life!!!!
I had similar weight issue on my rear, i located red dot next to valve stem but still needed about 60gms to balance, anymore than 90gms i think and you have to break bead and spin tire
Since i change tire at home, breaking bead is bit of an exercise again, so any way of checking tire or wheel to find better location for dot
Thanks
Mirrmu
#26
04-10-2015 | 01:05 AM
Advanced
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 65
Likes: 2
From: Seattle
Research Done, Ordered NDs Today
From Motorcycle Superstore. Less than $300 for the pair including shipping. Replacing the OEM Dunlops on my 2011 Fat Bob. 20K miles and the front tire and it's finally done. Rear was done at 15K.
Read everything about tires for Dynas on this forum.
Nearly dumped the bike in a tunnel a couple weeks ago. Ground was slick from lack of rain in the tunnel and I hit a 35mph corner at 55mph in the center of the lane. Front tire slipped. Put my foot down MX style and recovered.
That got my attention. My other bikes have Michelin Pilot Road 2 and Road 3 tires. Best available if you ask me, but they don't make them to fit Fat Bob's OEM wheels.
That slip would not have happened with Pilot Roads. Night Dragons are the best reviewed performance tire I can find for my wheels and they're rumored to be sticky, so I expect they would fare well. The OEM Dunlops with the pretty tread pattern and hard rubber could have slipped when new. Commander 2 tires are rock hard and would also be likely to slip.
Then there's the rain. I live in Seattle. NDs are reviewed better for rain than any other cruiser tire I could find.
I will post a follow-up after a couple thousand miles.
Thanks for all the great info on this forum! I'll add more to it later.
Read everything about tires for Dynas on this forum.
Nearly dumped the bike in a tunnel a couple weeks ago. Ground was slick from lack of rain in the tunnel and I hit a 35mph corner at 55mph in the center of the lane. Front tire slipped. Put my foot down MX style and recovered.
That got my attention. My other bikes have Michelin Pilot Road 2 and Road 3 tires. Best available if you ask me, but they don't make them to fit Fat Bob's OEM wheels.
That slip would not have happened with Pilot Roads. Night Dragons are the best reviewed performance tire I can find for my wheels and they're rumored to be sticky, so I expect they would fare well. The OEM Dunlops with the pretty tread pattern and hard rubber could have slipped when new. Commander 2 tires are rock hard and would also be likely to slip.
Then there's the rain. I live in Seattle. NDs are reviewed better for rain than any other cruiser tire I could find.
I will post a follow-up after a couple thousand miles.
Thanks for all the great info on this forum! I'll add more to it later.
#28
04-14-2015 | 02:42 AM
Road Warrior
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 1,465
Likes: 16
From: Nor Cal
I was thinking of getting the Pirelli Night Dragons for my next set of tires. Notgrownup is the only one that posted feedback for a Touring Bike. Did you run a reinforced size? Any other Bagger owners feedback?
I have a 17" x 4.5" rear wheel. The Night Dragon is available in a 170/60R17 78V Reinforced, only other tires in that size and load rating are the Harley branded Dunlop 407 which cost $'s, and the Metzeler 880 which in my experience peel/loose patches of tread when nearing the end of their useful life.
I have a 17" x 4.5" rear wheel. The Night Dragon is available in a 170/60R17 78V Reinforced, only other tires in that size and load rating are the Harley branded Dunlop 407 which cost $'s, and the Metzeler 880 which in my experience peel/loose patches of tread when nearing the end of their useful life.
Last edited by DanDman; 04-14-2015 at 02:44 AM.
#29
04-14-2015 | 02:26 PM
Road Master
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 1,009
Likes: 88
From: Connecticut
I posted on a couple other treads. Putting ND on my 2006 Electra was one of the best things I have done to my bike so far. When I was running Dunlap it always felt unstable. With the ND I can lean so far over in the corners that the change falls out of my pockets. I rode sport bikes for the first 52 years of my life. I have been riding HD for the last 5 years.Electra is a great bike and I would not go back. The ND really improved the bikes handling.
#30
03-01-2017 | 09:33 PM
Stage I
Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
From: texas
I just bought a set of Night Dragons for my 07 Fatboy. Gonna give them a try. Had a set of COM II's and the scared the crap out of me. Nothing like doing 90 in the twisties and having the front tire skip across the road. The first time it happened I thought it was the road. But it kept it up on all different surfaces. I did get about 2000 miles more then Dunlops.