Motorcycle Safety & Driveability: Dunlop tire safety, lean angles, dunlop tire

Question
Dear Pat;
I recently required a new rear tire on my 1999 FLHTCUI. I have always used the recommended MT90B16 on front and rear. Instead of the tire I requested ( which is the slim whitewall and had to be ordered ) the repair shop who advertise themselves as Harley certified techs installed a MU85B16M. That tire is wider, has slightly more diameter and 115 lb difference in loading capacity from the front tire, and is only recommended for FLHT'S 2004 and beyond. From a handling and safety stand point, should I be concerned? Thanks


Answer
As a rule, it's best to use the manufacturer's recommendation for tire size. Using anything else may affect the handling of the bike in a way the engineers didn't intend.

However specifically tires are designed for motorcycle applications, you do need to bear in mind that it's just an inflated piece of rubber, and that from a reputable manufacturer, you're not going to have too great of a safety hazard. And it's not like you're going to be using the tires on a race track with extreme lean angles and cornering forces!

What will probably happen is you'll have to get used to the new way the bike steers--with wider, larger tires the bike will steer slower and heavier. However, it will probably also be more stable in a straight line. If you pay close attention to the PSI recommmendation (the bike manufacturer's, not the tire manufacturer's) and compensate for the load differences, you should be okay.

Best of luck, and ride safely.

Pat