95 Nighthawk 750 Tire Suggestions

[flynrider]

It appears they were manufactured in mid 2005, so they're not old, just wearing out fast.

That's surprising. When I contacted Dunlop last fall about replacement tires , they told me that they stopped making them several years earlier. Go figure. Oh well, you'll be better off with the BT-45s anyway.

More strangeness : Last year, Dunlop's fitment table had a note that the K505 was replaced by the GT501, now it's listed as a production tire. Maybe enough Nighthawk riders asked about them and they started making them again. They used to have several sizes, now it looks like they only have the Nighthawk's front and rear size.

[runsilent]

The problem with the NH750 is the tire size. There are lots of good tires out there, but the BT-45 are the only ones that you can get a matched set in the sizes needed. When I was looking for tires, I found I could only get the other brands in an oversize or undersize. The rear is a 140/70-17 and the front is a 110/80-18. The other manufacturers either make a front or a rear, but not both in the same model. Since I prefer to have a matched set of tires, the Bridgestone BT-45 is the best answer to my question.

Most of the tire manufactures have a fitment recommendation for each bike they have a suitable tire for. OE size for the NH750 is 110/80/18 front and 140/70/17 rear on a 4" wide rim. The 4" wide NH rear rim is the prefered rim width for a 150/70/17 tire.

For the NH750 Metzeler recommends their Z6 radials and Avon recommends their AV45/46 radials, both in the 110/80/18 and 150/70/17 sizes. The Bridgestone BT020, Michelin Pilot Road, and Pirelli Diablo Strada also come in these sizes. No shortage of good sport touring radials in matched sets to fit the NH750.

Besides the BT45 tires, the Metzeler Lasertecs, Michelin Pilot Activ, and Pirelli Sport Demons also come in these sizes and the Demons and Activs are also available in the 140/70/17 OE rear size. No shortage of good sport touring bias ply tires either in matched sets to fit the NH750.

[J.R. Bob Dobbs]

That's great info, I would love to get a set of radials that would last 10k+ miles. (a whole year!)

[mydlyfkryzis]

The problem with the NH750 is the tire size. There are lots of good tires out there, but the BT-45 are the only ones that you can get a matched set in the sizes needed. When I was looking for tires, I found I could only get the other brands in an oversize or undersize. The rear is a 140/70-17 and the front is a 110/80-18. The other manufacturers either make a front or a rear, but not both in the same model. Since I prefer to have a matched set of tires, the Bridgestone BT-45 is the best answer to my question.

Most of the tire manufactures have a fitment recommendation for each bike they have a suitable tire for. OE size for the NH750 is 110/80/18 front and 140/70/17 rear on a 4" wide rim. The 4" wide NH rear rim is the prefered rim width for a 150/70/17 tire.

For the NH750 Metzeler recommends their Z6 radials and Avon recommends their AV45/46 radials, both in the 110/80/18 and 150/70/17 sizes. The Bridgestone BT020, Michelin Pilot Road, and Pirelli Diablo Strada also come in these sizes. No shortage of good sport touring radials in matched sets to fit the NH750.

Besides the BT45 tires, the Metzeler Lasertecs, Michelin Pilot Activ, and Pirelli Sport Demons also come in these sizes and the Demons and Activs are also available in the 140/70/17 OE rear size. No shortage of good sport touring bias ply tires either in matched sets to fit the NH750.

I consider 150/70-17 oversize. Not that they are bad, but still, wider than stock. I don't want to invest in a larger tire to find out if the handling gets slower with the wider rear tire. The NH is not exactly a twitchy handling bike. Any slower handling and I would suspect it would be like driving a Lincoln Town Car.

I also don't want to pay for Z rated tires for the NH. H rated is plenty, V, O.k. But Z is a waste.

I am happy to see the other brands now have these sizes. When I was buying my tires (2 years ago), those models were not available in the NH750 size.
I was at the Dealer, on the internet, looking all around. Michelin only had the Macadams in the larger sizes. Pirelli had nothing, Metzler models for front or rear, but not both in the same model.

$ wise, the Bridgestone are probably the best deal that I can see here, but those other tires are acceptable.