Can a wider tire be mounted on the original rear rim of my 2001 Ultra Classic? If not will a wider rim fit?

you may have a little wiggle room for different sizes but not very much.

big problem for you. the belt will rub as well as the swingarm is not very wide. The bike was designed with the stock tire and i would just stay with it. No body can see it anyway...

Thanks for the replys. I will stay with the original size. Metzlers are getting a bit worn so will be replacing them.

i like the dunlop for all round riding and milage... .

+1

Might look at the new Michelin Commander II,advertising twice the mileage @~25,000 miles

You're going to find my answer bizarre, but oddly realistic.

Several years ago I saw this same debate in another bike forum. I was asked by a member what I had on my bike. A fair question, so I took a flashlight and went out to the garage. Frankly, I didn't know.

It turns out that without consciously making the decision, it appears I don't care either. I've owned some go-faster bikes (one CBX, in fact) and I've owned some big-twin Harleys that spent most of their lives on the Interstate. I've own a few bikes where the manufacturer bought two different companys' tires and there were differing examples of that when similar bikes were parked together at the curb.

My opinion is this. Unless you grind tires to dust traveling, like BI63, or your style uses up foot-peg warning nipples from stuffing the bike into curves daily, I don't think it matters at all.

Like any bell shaped curve, the vast majority of us either use a bike to go to work (I believe the national average is 20 miles) or take what amounts to "day trips," arriving back home each night. None of this driving pushes tires to their limit.

Oh, I can see an individual rider buying a certain profile for his singular use. For example, if a guy rides daily in our Pacific northwest, I can imagine that he inquires about tires for rain. In like manner, my wife has street/trail tires on her Trek mountain bike--she rides from a suburban area out into the country and experiences both environments.

Here's my plight. My mechanic tells me that Betty might need a new tire when he takes her out of winter storage. My philosophy on safety is, "When in doubt, pull it out." When I go to pick her up in spring, that tire will already be on the bike. It's at that moment I will find out the name of the tire's manufacturer...

I read that in another article and found them available at AMT.New tires are going to feel a whole lot better than your old tire because they're new.What they feel like after 4k miles or so defines whether they are a better tire or worse than what you've had.If I can double the treadwear for less money by going to Michelin,it seems like a no brainer ?

Here is the AMT link

https://www.americanmototire.com/catalog/

1+
Nothin makes your bike feel like brand new better then a new set of threads!