After a full summer and a little more than 5,000 miles, it is time for an early Pirelli Night Dragon review on our Harley-Davidson Ultra Limited. A few months ago, I replaced the Harley-Davidson OEM tires with Pirelli Night Dragon motorcycle tires, and since then we have ridden them through mountain roads, hot interstate pavement, rain, and long touring days.
*** Pirelli Night Dragon Motorcycle Tires: Trying something new***
That includes riding through the mountains, including the Tail of the Dragon, along with plenty of wet-weather miles and the hot concrete of mid-summer highways. So far, the Pirelli Night Dragon motorcycle tires have made a strong first impression.
How the Pirelli Night Dragon Tires Performed
Very nicely is the short answer. In the mountains, I could feel the grip as we rolled through the twisties. On rainy days, I never felt the bike slipping or wandering, and high temperatures never seemed to be a problem. Compared with the Harley-Davidson OEM tires, I already prefer the Pirelli Night Dragon motorcycle tires.
Best Part So Far: Wet-Weather Confidence
The biggest reason I prefer the Pirelli Night Dragon is not just mountain grip. It is wet-road performance. In rain and damp conditions, these tires gave me more confidence than the OEM tires ever did. On a heavy touring motorcycle, that kind of wet-weather control matters.
Pirelli Night Dragon Tire Wear After 5,000 Miles
Tire wear appears to be about on par with the OEM tires so far, but with only about 5,000 miles on the Pirelli Night Dragon tires, it is still too early for a final answer. Around 10,000 miles, I should have a much better feel for long-term wear and whether the extra confidence in the rain comes with a mileage tradeoff.
Would I Recommend the Pirelli Night Dragon?
I am not ready to give the Pirelli Night Dragon tires a final grade yet. That will probably wait until it is time to replace them. But at 5,000 miles, I can say this: if you ride a Harley-Davidson touring bike and you are not comfortable with the wet-weather performance of the OEM tire, the Pirelli Night Dragon is worth considering.
For more tire-related posts, see the motorcycle tire archive and the follow-up Pirelli Night Dragon review after more miles. Related reading: motorcycle tire reviews and updates, Pirelli Night Dragon long-term review, and riding Tail of the Dragon and Cherohala Skyway.
*** Pirelli Night Dragon Motorcycle Tires: Long term review“
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