Good news, the Khumo Ecsta PA31 195/60R16 fit without modification and without a spacer. It is very easy to change, no axle to mess with, just lugnuts like on a car and almost as quick.

I used the tire change method that’s been going around lately, Bartman 7 minute videol , leaning the bike on it’s side, where I put towels in the grass and saved $100. I also used a bungee to wrap around and lock the front brake ON while setting the bike down and picking it up, and that all was much more stable than I expected. I took a few minutes to remove the Corbin bags, so the heavy bag bracket serves as a guard on one side, and allows easier access to the lugnuts on the other side. After setting her on her side, I had to put a 2.4” under the centerstand, where most of the weight is on the engine guard, so I did NOT have to remove fender or even the saddlebag bracket. The 195/60R15 just barely slipped in past the lower front portion of the fender, I thought I was going to have to do more disassemble for a minute, and then the right twist let it slide right in. Once mounted, appears to have plenty of room.

For any of you in the DFW area, I endorse Texas Tire in Watauga. Their price went up to $20 for a wheel off tire mount, but I arrived at 4:47 pm on a Monday after a holiday weekend, and I was out in 9 minutes. It’s like having your own pit crew! I also had them put in 6 oz of Dynabeads, again, highly recommended by a couple of the same high annual mileage folks that recommended darkside.

Handling impressions coming soon...

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With a center stand is it necessary to lay the Goldwing over? What am I missing here?

Interesting...Looks easy enough, just a few minutes. Let us know your impressions with your tire choice. Nice post.
What is the Valkyries contact points without the Corbin bag rails you mentioned. I'd hate to learn an expensive mistake the hard way or bend those Corbin bag stays and not have the bags line up with the mounting holes. I like your post, just throwing out questions. Does the front crash bar contact the ground before any plastics? I've picked my 1500 Valk up that way when it fell off the stand and it was easier than I had thought. I'm uneasy laying my new bike on it's side, I'm concerned with damage outweighing a few bucks saved. How does the dealer do it? Do they drop the left side exhaust pipe?

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I ran a Yokahama S-Drive 205/55/17 on my VTX 1800 for years. This is an awesome performance tire. I had a modified wheel as stock was 16". When I purchased my 14 Valkyrie I removed the 205 from the VTX and did a test fit. It hit the aft portion of the battery box and the inner section of the drive shaft. It looks possible to modify to make it fit.
Right now I am happy with running a 200 MC tire.

Now that the job is done, the larger tire is not lifted off the ground by the centerstand! After 120 miles, that's the only negative, and I just put that centerstand on about a week ago! I'll try to put a piece of plywood under it, but I'm sure there wouldn't be enough room to get the tire under the left exhaust pipe without at least loosening it, and maybe having to also remove the fender, which also means, seat, passenger grab rails, and for me, the bracket for the Corbin bag, and then of course, having to put it all back on again.

Still a little early after only 120 miles, but I was surprised how easy the bike still rolls in and out of a lean, perhaps due to the rounded shoulders on this particular tire, and then the handlebars seem to want to steer further into the lean, feeling like it wanted me to keep counter steering pressure especially in faster turns. I'm still evaluating that at different speeds and how it behaves if I just go with it versus applying counter steering pressure. Feels MUCH smoother going straight, as expected from having twice as much rubber on the road if you’ve ever put larger tires on a car or truck, especially over any minor imperfections in the road, and was better (more stable) in tight wheel-to-lock turns in a flat parking lot. Also feels like I might have got lucky and hit the tire psi sweet spot on the first attempt at 34, as it isn't sloppy mushy, and doesn't bounce in the curves.

Without the Corbin brackets, the contact point on that side in the back would instead be the exhaust, but it's hard to say because of the deep grass and clothes, but most of the weight was definitely on the engine guard. I even left the ERGO III highway pegs on, and only had to readjust it a little when done as it spun a little but didn't bend. With the front brake locked on with a bungee and transmission left in 2nd gear and a brick in front of the front tire, it was MUCH more steady for me to very gently set it down and pick it up than the guy in the video. I'm also 200 pounds, a little younger and stronger than the guy in the video. With a 2nd person to watch the clearance, I think most people using the technique with their butt on the seat and having their legs do the work, would be able to lower it to just b4 contact and then pick it back up if the observer saw an issue. I guess that, like going darkside, a lot of the decision about trying the leaning tire change depends on how often you're changing the rear tire. Occasional riders who get a couple or more years out of a motorcycle tire, might as well have the shop do it. In this case, I wanted to see for myself exactly how this tire fit, and if not, just pop the old one back in, as it still has a couple or more thousand miles left. Now, I may not have to do it again for 40,000 miles or so, and then I might have Cliff's Mobile Tire Service do it, depending on weather, budget, etc. Replacing like for like would make it less likely for someone to think this tire won't fit after they started the job.

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Buster, good to hear that the 195/60R16 works for you. I myself am leaning towards a 185/60R16 with inexpensive choices from Yokohama, Nexen, Toyo, etc. The latter size appears to more closely approximate the height, width, RPM and speedo of the stock 180/55R17. Should be easier to wrestle into place and also reduce the risk of bottoming out with a passenger on board. I don't use saddlebags so the mismatched wheels will be quite obvious. Powder coating a glossy black would be the safe choice. Hope to resist the temptation to go garish with neon red or orange. :-)
My somewhat imprecise measurement indicated an offset of less than .25" with the goldwing wheel. If that is true, I do not know the implication for the ride handling. Anyway, **** the torpedoes. Full steam ahead!

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Yes, I think 185/60R16 would be just .75 mm shorter radius overall compared to stock (is that what you meant by 'offset' ?), where 195/60R16 is about 5.25 mm taller, and the 185 should be easier to mount and feel more like stock. Someone else had mentioned a lateral spacer might be needed, but that didn't make sense to me unless there is a difference in thickness of the rims where the lugnuts press against it. My calibrated eyeball (LOL) couldn't see a difference and at a little over 300 miles on so far, I don't feel a lateral difference.

Today's ride felt better than the last one, and riding a little longer again tomorrow (God blessed Texas). If I'm not thinking about it at the time, I don't notice a handling difference, but definitely notice the smoothness, i.e., at a railroad crossing today, barely felt it on the rear, and a big difference from the feel when the front hits that bump.

I just found out that someone I know, has a powdercoating oven, so maybe at the next tire change, but not sure its worth even the cost of paint given how little you can see the rim behind my Corbin bags. With no bags, it would be a must for me.

Oh, if 186/60, I'd go with the Yokohama Avid Ascend, as I've seen a LOT of positive comments on that tire. I notice fewer choices in that size, but the Ascend looks like a good one! I hope you are as happy with it as I am with mine.

Bob, you may have already updated via another thread, but I was looking at your 12/2019 comment here and wondering how 2020 went. If you're experiencing resistance rolling in and out, then something isn't right - perhaps you found that either the tire profile is too square (versus one having rounded shoulders, but I don't think that would be a problem with a 175/55) or easier issue if too much air pressure (common mistake). To other high mileage riders who may be considering this, see these search results on Roll'N Darkside describing the importance of finding the critical sweet spot for psi for your bike, your weight, whatever you're loaded with, riding style and that specific tire: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1025...q=sweet%20spot. Since it doesn't have the weight of a car on it, some are surprised at how many have found to quite low. Mine rolls in and out just like it did with the old 180/55, but with the security of having a contact patch twice as large, and 3x larger if not leaning, like in that emergency stop that I hope I never have to make again.