Hi there folks. I polled this site for alternatives to the stock dunnie tires as my original set came up for replacement. I decided on the night dragons, and thought I would offer opinion after having them on for the summer.
So here’s what I think: first of all, I ordered them through my local Cycle Gear store, where the guys are really good. Chris suggested that I install the night dragon GT on the rear, as it wears better etc, but still gives good performance.
So that considered I decided on the GT for the back and the night dragon for the front. I first noticed that the tires were harder than the original Dunnies, which didn’t impress me a lot, as the bike is stiff in the suspension anyway. I knew from the marketing info on the GT that it would have slightly stiffer sidewalls.
The front though, is still stiffer and harder than the original elite.
I noticed that the handling was very good, and improved a bit on the dunnies, which handle very well in my opinion. I persevered with them over the summer, figuring they might settle in a bit as I got some miles on them. They did, but were still firmer than I’d like. I dropped the tire pressure in both tires about 2 psi and that helped. I dropped it another 1 psi and things are definitely better.
So, if you are going to run these tires, I’d recommend dropping the pressure about 3 psi from the Victory spec. They handle well, they don’t scrub, and so i can’t see any issues with running a lower pressure.
I should mention that I have a Penske rear shock, that I’ve played around with to get the best ride. FYI, when I installed the Penske shock, it took me a long while to get the rebound’ compression damping just right. ‘Bottom line, I backed the adjustment completely off and then started increasing the damping and riding the same course each time. After a couple of months, I ended up with 9 clicks clockwise, to increase damping, from the minimum position.
I had tried going from the mid range, but had issues getting it right. Going from no damping and increasing it worked better for me.
I”m not sure it was worth installing the GT on the back: The reason I say this, my rear tire wasn’t worn out quite as much as the front one when I had the stock elites on the bike. So is it worth having a longer lasting rear tire on? Only time will tell.
My riding style is this: I”m 71 years old, but I enjoy pushing the bike in the corners and twisties, and I often ride 100 to 130 mph when the road permits. I don’t hot rod the bike, smoke the back tire etc., but I would say I’m reasonably aggressive in street riding. I like good acceleration, and I don’t baby the bike, but I don’t thrash it either.
Anyway, I hope this might help others who are considering the options for new tires out there. I probably should have just attached it to a tire thread. Didn’t think of it until now.
Cheers
John
So here’s what I think: first of all, I ordered them through my local Cycle Gear store, where the guys are really good. Chris suggested that I install the night dragon GT on the rear, as it wears better etc, but still gives good performance.
So that considered I decided on the GT for the back and the night dragon for the front. I first noticed that the tires were harder than the original Dunnies, which didn’t impress me a lot, as the bike is stiff in the suspension anyway. I knew from the marketing info on the GT that it would have slightly stiffer sidewalls.
The front though, is still stiffer and harder than the original elite.
I noticed that the handling was very good, and improved a bit on the dunnies, which handle very well in my opinion. I persevered with them over the summer, figuring they might settle in a bit as I got some miles on them. They did, but were still firmer than I’d like. I dropped the tire pressure in both tires about 2 psi and that helped. I dropped it another 1 psi and things are definitely better.
So, if you are going to run these tires, I’d recommend dropping the pressure about 3 psi from the Victory spec. They handle well, they don’t scrub, and so i can’t see any issues with running a lower pressure.
I should mention that I have a Penske rear shock, that I’ve played around with to get the best ride. FYI, when I installed the Penske shock, it took me a long while to get the rebound’ compression damping just right. ‘Bottom line, I backed the adjustment completely off and then started increasing the damping and riding the same course each time. After a couple of months, I ended up with 9 clicks clockwise, to increase damping, from the minimum position.
I had tried going from the mid range, but had issues getting it right. Going from no damping and increasing it worked better for me.
I”m not sure it was worth installing the GT on the back: The reason I say this, my rear tire wasn’t worn out quite as much as the front one when I had the stock elites on the bike. So is it worth having a longer lasting rear tire on? Only time will tell.
My riding style is this: I”m 71 years old, but I enjoy pushing the bike in the corners and twisties, and I often ride 100 to 130 mph when the road permits. I don’t hot rod the bike, smoke the back tire etc., but I would say I’m reasonably aggressive in street riding. I like good acceleration, and I don’t baby the bike, but I don’t thrash it either.
Anyway, I hope this might help others who are considering the options for new tires out there. I probably should have just attached it to a tire thread. Didn’t think of it until now.
Cheers
John
