General Information
WARNINGMatch tires, tubes, rim strips or seals, air valves and caps to the correct wheel. Contact a Harley-Davidson dealer. Mismatching can lead to tire damage, allow tire slippage on the wheel or cause tire failure, which could result in death or serious injury. (00023c)
WARNINGHarley-Davidson recommends the use of its specified tires. Harley-Davidson vehicles are not designed for operation with non-specified tires, including snow, moped and other special-use tires. Use of non-specified tires can adversely affect stability, handling or braking and lead to loss of vehicle control, which could result in death or serious injury. (00024d)
WARNINGHarley-Davidson front and rear tires are not the same. Interchanging front and rear tires can cause tire failure, which could result in death or serious injury. (00026a)
Refer to Specifications → Specifications → Specified Tires for tire information and pressures.
- Maintain correct tire pressure.
- Follow tire data for correct cold tire inflation pressure.
- Check before riding when tires are cold.
Harley-Davidson does not perform any testing with only nitrogen in tires. Harley-Davidson neither recommends nor discourages the use of pure nitrogen to inflate tires.
Inspecting Tires
Harley-Davidson tires are equipped with wear bars that run horizontally across the tread.
A tire is considered worn when the wear bars are visible or if only 0.8 mm (0.031 in) tread depth remains. A worn tire can:
- Be more easily damaged leading to tire failure.
- Provide reduced traction.
- Adversely affect stability and handling.
Figure 1. Dunlop Sidewall Tread Wear Indicator Bar Locator
Figure 2. Dunlop Tread Wear Indicator Bar Appearance
| 1 | Indicator |
| 2 | Tread wear bar |
Figure 3. Tread Wear Indicator: Michelin Tires
Replacing Tires
WARNINGTires are a critical safety component. Contact a Harley-Davidson dealer for tire repair or replacement. Improper tire service can adversely affect stability and handling, which could result in death or serious injury. (00057a)
WARNINGOnly install original equipment tire valves and valve caps. A valve, or valve and cap combination, that is too long or too heavy can strike adjacent components and damage the valve, causing rapid tire deflation. Rapid tire deflation can cause loss of vehicle control, which could result in death or serious injury. (00281a)
WARNINGReplace punctured or damaged tires. In some cases, small punctures in the tread area may be repaired from within the removed tire by a Harley-Davidson dealer. Speed should NOT exceed 80 km/h (50 mph) for the first 24 hours after repair, and the repaired tire should NEVER be used over 129 km/h (80 mph). Failure to follow this warning could lead to tire failure and result in death or serious injury. (00015b)
WARNINGReplace tire immediately with a Harley-Davidson specified tire when wear bars become visible or only 1 mm (1/32 in) tread depth remains. Riding with a worn tire could result in death or serious injury. (00090c)
New tires are needed if any of the following conditions exist (refer to Specifications → Specifications → Specified Tires for the specified replacement tires):
- Tread wear bars become visible on the tread surfaces.
- Tire cords or fabric become visible through cracked sidewalls, snags or deep cuts.
- Bumps, bulges or slits in the tire.
- Punctures, cuts, or other damage to the tire that cannot be repaired.
When installing tires on rims, do not rely on tread design to determine direction of rotation. Always be sure the rotational arrows molded into the sidewalls point in the direction of rotation when the vehicle is moving forward.