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[OhioDave]

Dave, did you 03 Ultra have the 1.5" belt like the 03 SERK or the regular 1" for FLHs 03 and prior?

Good question, since it was a standard Ultra i imagine it was the 1".

[Rhetor]

Well, I finally did it . . . I bought the Michelin Commander II, wider than the stock 130 Dunlop on the rear.  I bought and put on the 140 size Commander II instead of the stock 130 on my 03 SERK rear.

Wow!  What a difference in handling!  Actually feels like a new bike . . . and I am not kidding.  Simply grips the road so much better, and feels much more stable and comfortable with the 140 on there instead of the stock 130 size.

I only did the rear tire . . . just too much tread left on the front at 7 K.  

And, the only adjustment I had to make, was to trim off (3 plastic teats) some kind of, well looked like a flap, from the inside of the plastic primary cover.  Was rubbing a hair until I just dremmeled that off.  The plastic primary cover was then put back on.

I know the compounds on the Commander II and the Dunlop are different.  Can't help but think the ride improved greatly going from 130 to 140 rear tire.

Can't hardly wait for the front to wear out to get a Commander II up there.

Thanks everybody for the help, and the encouragement to deface tat plastic cover to make the 140 work in there with no other changes.

Now, if I can just figure out how to get those dyna beads through the valve stem instead of taking the rear tire off again, I will be even happier.  Forgot to put the dyan ears in before I installed the tire!!!!

Anyways, if you are running a stock Dunlop 130 on your rear, I encourage you when the time comes, to change out to a Michelin Commander II in the 140 size . . . all you have to do is delete the flap on the inside of the plastic primary guard between the inside of the tire and the primary chain.  Really simple and non-complex upgrade.

Thanks most of all to Twolanerider . . . who gave me the little bit of courage I needed to give this a try!

[Twolanerider]

Glad you got her done and so glad you're pleased with the results .  Not much better than a nice ridin' bike.

[The Mysterious Q!]

I have a 150 Metzeler on my 02. No belt guard and a .100 spacer on the pulley . Only rubs belt when rolling backwards.

[dave726]

Before I bought my new CVO, I did a 10K ride on my '05 RK with new Michelin Commander II tires, front and rear. For the first 6K, they were the best gripping, canyon carving, comfortable tires I've used on that bike. These tires use silica in the rubber compound. As I continued the ride, traction on curves declined on dry highways that had a lot of rock showing, compared to gripping with more asphalt coated roads. By 8K, on the twisty WA-120 out Olympic Penninsula to Cape Flattery, I was riding at 20mph, on the verge of breaking traction on the wet roads. By 10K and almost home, the rear tire, at proper inflation, was cupping so badly my riding was impaired.

I'm going to put Dunlop E3's back on the '05 and won't consider Michelins for my CVO when the time comes for tires.

[Rhetor]

Before I bought my new CVO, I did a 10K ride on my '05 RK with new Michelin Commander II tires, front and rear. For the first 6K, they were the best gripping, canyon carving, comfortable tires I've used on that bike. These tires use silica in the rubber compound. As I continued the ride, traction on curves declined on dry highways that had a lot of rock showing, compared to gripping with more asphalt coated roads. By 8K, on the twisty WA-120 out Olympic Penninsula to Cape Flattery, I was riding at 20mph, on the verge of breaking traction on the wet roads. By 10K and almost home, the rear tire, at proper inflation, was cupping so badly my riding was impaired.

I'm going to put Dunlop E3's back on the '05 and won't consider Michelins for my CVO when the time comes for tires.

Sorry it did not work out for you . . . But I did not even get 6 K out of the rear Dunlop before there was virtually no tread left.  So, even if I only get 6K out of the Michelin Commander II, I got to go to 140 on the rear and a much smoother ride and better gripping tire than I ever got out of the Dunflop.

Hope going back to E3s works for you.  I am so satisfied with the Michelin, I am looking forward to finish wear ut on my front Dunlop to change out to a Commander II . . . I have gone Michelin and I am not going back . . . Love the 140 and the much smoother ride and outstanding grip.